We have eternal life if we hear His word and believe the One who sent Him. Notice the link between believing in Jesus and the One who sent Him. This means recognising that Jesus is equal with the Father, that He is divine. Jesus was sent by the Father. It is not the case that God looked on the earth to find a suitable person to fulfil His task and chose Jesus. It is the case that Jesus has always existed with the Father, and the Father sent Jesus to earth as a man.
Notice also that we have eternal life now if we believe. Eternal life starts now, not just when we die or when Jesus comes back. Eternal life is manifestly NOT just a matter of living for ever, it is also the whole quality and nature of life. We will not be sitting around doing nothing in heaven, and that new life starts the moment we believe, gradually taking over more and more of our life.
The gospel is about life. The Father has life in Himself, and so does Jesus. Jesus gives life. This was demonstrated most dramatically when He raised Lazarus, but whenever Jesus comes into a persons life He brings life.
At the end of days Jesus will raise the dead to life. Note that in John's writings doing good and doing evil generally have a rather narrow definition, distinguishing between those who have believed and those who have rejected the Son.
Jesus' authority derived purely from the fact that He obeyed His Father completely.
Notice also that we have eternal life now if we believe. Eternal life starts now, not just when we die or when Jesus comes back. Eternal life is manifestly NOT just a matter of living for ever, it is also the whole quality and nature of life. We will not be sitting around doing nothing in heaven, and that new life starts the moment we believe, gradually taking over more and more of our life.
The gospel is about life. The Father has life in Himself, and so does Jesus. Jesus gives life. This was demonstrated most dramatically when He raised Lazarus, but whenever Jesus comes into a persons life He brings life.
At the end of days Jesus will raise the dead to life. Note that in John's writings doing good and doing evil generally have a rather narrow definition, distinguishing between those who have believed and those who have rejected the Son.
Jesus' authority derived purely from the fact that He obeyed His Father completely.
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