John 5:24 Life and Death

John 5:24  "Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life”.  (NASB)

Never does life and death become more poignant than when it is faced personally or by someone close.  Some of us think about these things a lot while others gladly allow the distractions of daily life to change the subject.  If you’ve followed my BLOG or Facebook entries you know that I have a dear friend facing the distinction between life and death personally.

John in his gospel account shares about life and death quoting Jesus.  At first glance you might question the phrasing as out of order but, dare I say it, Jesus knew what He was talking about.  But before we get that far let’s start at the beginning.

The passage begins, “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life.”  Now that is pretty key because it is the answer to salvation wrapped up in a tidy little package.  You see those who have heard the gospel message, “My word”.  And then follow up that hearing with faith; “Believes Him who sent Me” has what?  He, “Has eternal life”.  That’s the gospel, the essence of the Christian faith; that Jesus came to this earth, lived a perfect life but was crucified for sins He didn’t commit in our place.  He died in my place and He died in your place if you believe it by faith.

So what is this life and death comment with which He closes the verse?  He says of the Christian that not only do we have eternal life but we do not, “come into judgment”.  That is we are viewed with the holiness of Christ who died in our place rather than sins we have committed.  And finally instead we have, “Passed out of death into life”.

Now it is the last that bears explanation.  You see, because of Adams sin we are all guilty and in that condition we are “Dead” in our sins.  That’s our condition, D E A D, dead.  We are dead spiritually because of that sin and it is only faith in Christ than can do a thing about it.  With faith in Christ we are made alive spiritually so, we have “Passed out of death” and “Into life”.  And that, my friends, is the life and death that matters because it is for eternity.  

So as my friend Cathy faces death in this life she is not alone.  We all face death.  For her the potential is much closer or ominous than it is for the rest of us today but we all face the same death.  We face death from this life and death will certainly come.  But being spiritually dead, being eternally dead is not a condition without a cure.  Jesus is the cure.  Do you know Him?  AMEN!

If you would like to know more about faith in Christ who is the “Resurrection and the Life” please contact me.