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The Sum of the Gospel
"He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life." I John 5:12
The sum of the Gospel is this, that Jesus Christ alone is life, and only those who are in Him have life. This scripture alone rules out the possibility of there being any other way to eternal life. "He that hath the Son", the Son of God alone.
"The matter, the substance, or contents of all this divine testimony concerning Jesus Christ: And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. This is the sum of the gospel. This is the sum and epitome of the whole record given us by all the aforesaid six witnesses. That God hath given to us eternal life. He has designed it for us in his eternal purpose. He has prepared all the means that are necessary to bring us to it. He has made it over to us by his covenant and promise. And he actually confers a right and title thereto on all who believe on and actually embrace the Son of God." Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole Bible |
"He that hath the Son hath life - As the eternal life is given In the Son of God, it follows that it cannot be enjoyed without him. No man can have it without having Christ; therefore he that hath the Son hath life, and he that hath not the Son hath not life. It is in vain to expect eternal glory, if we have not Christ in our heart. The indwelling Christ gives both a title to it, and a meetness for it. This is God's record. Let no man deceive himself here. An indwelling Christ and Glory; no indwelling Christ, No glory. God's record must stand." Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible |
But there is more to this, much more. When we say the Son, we mean all that He is as compared to all that He is not. Jesus Christ alone is life, everthing else is death.
There is a great gulf fixed here, just as there is between day and night. The church today has made the Son what He is not and duped the simple into following a loose imitation of christ, a christ who needs our help or rather just adding christ to what we are. Little do we realize that as a result, we "hath not the Son" and therefore "hath not life."
We have taken the Son and mixed him with the world and called it christianity. Souls by the millions are dropping into hell while we play our religious games in our super temples. We cry out as did the children in the wilderness; Just manna? Just Christ? He alone is no loner palatable, He is just not that appealing to the church anymore. Christ alone will no longer draw the crowds; there are just too many other attractions.
But Jesus said, "And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me." John 12:32 The problem is, the church is no longer lifting up Christ in all His glory, power and might before men that they might have life. For most, Christ is no longer the way to life, rather a hindrance to the pleasures of life (II Thessalonians 2:12), and so have brought in the world to satisfy the masses.
"...he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him." John 3:36
"But the wrath of God abideth on him; as the sentence of wrath, of condemnation, and death, and the curse of the law were pronounced upon him in Adam, as on all mankind, it continues, and will continue, and will never be reversed, but will be executed on him, he not being redeemed from it, as his final unbelief shows; and as he was by nature a child of wrath, as others, he remains such; and as the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all unrighteousness and ungodliness of men, it comes upon the children of disobedience, and remains there; it hangs over their heads, and lights upon them, and they will be filled with a dreadful sense of it to all eternity." John Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible |
"He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life:" John 3:36
"He that believeth on the Son,.... Who is a proper object of faith and trust; which, if he was not truly and properly God, he would not be: and this is to be understood not of any sort of faith, a temporary, or an historical one; but of that which is the faith of God's elect, the gift of God, and the operation of his Spirit; by which a man sees the Son, goes unto him, ventures and relies upon him, and commits himself to him, and expects life and salvation from him; and who shall not be ashamed and confounded; for such an one
hath everlasting life; he has it in Christ his head, in whom he believes; he has a right unto it through the justifying righteousness of Christ, and a meetness for it by his grace; he has it in faith and hope; he has the beginning of it in the knowledge of Christ, and communion with him; he has some foretastes of it in his present experience; and he has the earnest and pledge of it in his heart, even the blessed Spirit, who works him up for this selfsame thing:" John Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible |
He that hath the Son, will have life, and that life will flow like a river for every man to drink that is thirsty. Jesus Christ and He alone is the essence of life, and it flows freely from Him to all men who will receive it.
"Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life." John 5:24
"He that heareth my word - My doctrine - and believeth on him that sent me - he who credits my Divine mission, that I am come to give light and life to the world by my doctrine and death - hath eternal life - the seed of this life is sown in his heart the moment he believes - and shall not come into condemnation, into judgment - that which will speedily come on this unbelieving race; and that which shall overwhelm the wicked in the great day.
But is passed from death unto life - Has changed his country, or place of abode. Death is the country where every Christless soul lives. The man who knows not God lives a dying life, or a living death; but he who believes in the Son of God passes over from the empire of death, to the empire of life. Reader! thou wast born in death: hast thou yet changed the place of thy natural residence? Remember that to live in sin is to live in death; and those who live and die thus shall die eternally." Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible |
"He that heareth my word - To "hear," in this place, evidently denotes not the outward act of hearing, but to receive in a proper manner; to suffer it to make its proper impression on the mind; to obey. The word "hear" is often used in this sense, Mat_11:15; Joh_8:47; Act_3:23. Many persons outwardly hear the gospel who neither understand nor obey it.
My word - My doctrine, my teaching. All that Jesus taught about Himself, as well as about the Father.
On him that sent me - On the Father, who, in the plan of redemption, is represented as "sending" his Son to save men. See Joh_3:17. Faith in God, who sent his Son, is here represented as being connected with everlasting life; but there can be no faith in him who "sent" his Son, without faith also in him who is "sent." The belief of one of the true doctrines of religion is connected with, and will lead to, the belief of all.
Hath everlasting life - The state of man by nature is represented as death in sin, Eph_2:1. Religion is the opposite of this, or is "life." The "dead" regard not anything. They are unaffected by the cares, pleasures, amusements of the world. They hear neither the voice of merriment nor the tread of the living over their graves. So with sinners. They are unmoved with the, things of religion. They hear not the voice of God; they see not his loveliness; they care not for his threatenings. But religion is "life." The Christian lives with God, and feels and acts as if there was a God. Religion, and its blessings here and hereafter, are one and the same. The happiness of heaven is living for God - being sensible of his presence, and glory, and power - and rejoicing in that. There shall be no more "death" there, Rev_21:4. This "life," or this religion, whether on earth or in heaven, is the same - the same joys extended and expanded forever. Hence, when a man is converted, it is said that he "has" everlasting life; not merely shall have but is already in possession of that life or happiness which shall be everlasting. It is life begun, expanded, ripening for the skies. He has already entered on his inheritance - that inheritance which is everlasting.
Shall not come into condemnation - He was by nature under condemnation. See Joh_3:18. Here it is declared that he shall not return to that state, or he will not be again condemned. This promise is sure; it is made by the Son of God, and there is no one that can pluck them out of his hand, Joh_10:28. Compare the notes at Rom_8:1.
But is passed from death unto life - Has "passed over" from a state of spiritual death to the life of the Christian. The word translated "is passed" would be better expressed by "has passed." It implies that he has done it voluntarily; that none compelled him; and that the passage is made unto "everlasting" life. Because Christ is the author of this life in the soul, he is called the "Life" Joh_1:4; and as he has "always" existed, and is the Source of "all life," he is called the "eternal life," 1Jo_5:20." Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible |
Who'll Take the Son?
A wealthy man and his son loved to collect rare works of art. They would often sit together and admire the great works of art.
When World War II broke out, the son signed up and left to serve his country. He was very courageous and died in battle while rescuing another soldier. The father was notified and grieved deeply for his only son.
Several months later, there was a knock at the door. A young man stood at the door with a large package in his hands. He said, "Sir, you don't know me, but I am the soldier for whom your son gave his life. He saved many lives that day, and he was carrying me to safety when a bullet struck him in the heart and he died instantly. He often talked about you, and your love for art.
The young man held out his package. "I know this isn't much. I'm not really a great artist, but I think your son would have wanted you to have this"
The father opened the package. It was a portrait of his son, painted by the young man. He stared in awe at the way the soldier had captured the personality of his son in the painting. The father was so drawn to the eyes that his own eyes welled up with tears. He thanked the young man and offered to pay him for the picture.
"Oh, no sir, I could never repay what your son did for me. It's a gift."
The father removed a very expensive painting over the mantle and hung the portrait of his in it's place. Every time visitors came to his home he took them to see the portrait of his son before he showed them any of the other great works he had collected.
The man died a few months later There was to be a great auction of his paintings. Many influential people gathered, excited over seeing the great paintings and having an opportunity to purchase one for their collection. On the platform sat the painting of the son. The auctioneer pounded his gavel. "We will start the bidding with this picture of the son. Who will bid for this picture?" There was silence. Then a voice in the back of the room shouted. "We want to see the famous paintings. Let's move on."
But the auctioneer persisted. "Will someone bid for this painting? Who will start the bidding?" Another voice shouted angrily "We didn't come to see this painting... We came to see the Van Goghs, the Rembrandts. Get on with the real bids!" But still the auctioneer continued. "The picture of the son! Who'll take the son?"
Finally, there was a voice from the back of the room. It was the faithful and longtime butler of the man and his son, who was heart broke to see the painting of the son so dispised. "I'll give $10 for the painting."
Being a poor man, it was all he could afford. "We have $10, who will bid $20?" "Give it to him for $10. Let's see the masters." "$10 is the bid, won't someone bid $20?" The crowd was becoming angry. They didn't want the picture of the son. They wanted the more worthy investments for their collections. The auctioneer pounded the gavel. "Going once, twice, SOLD for $10!"
A man sitting on the second row shouted. "Now let's get on with the collection!" The auctioneer laid down his gavel. "I'm sorry, the auction is over." "What about the paintings?" "I am sorry gentlemen. When I was called to conduct this auction, I was told of a stipulation in the will. I was not allowed to reveal that stipulation until now."
The auctioneer went on, "Only the painting of the son would be auctioned. Whoever bought that painting would inherit the entire estate, including all the paintings. The man who took the son... gets every thing!"
God gave His Son 2,000 years ago to die on a cruel Cross. Much like the auctioneer, His message today is, "The Son, the Son, who'll take the Son?" Because, you see, whoever takes the Son gets everything.
— Author Unknown
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I John 5:7
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7. For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.
8. And there are three that bear witness in earth, the Spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these three agree in one.
9. If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater: for this is the witness of God which he hath testified of his Son.
10. He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son.
11. And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.
12. He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.
13. These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.
Read the entire Chapter in the KJV |
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Andrew Murray