| NASB | NLT | VOICE |
| 12 The one who has the Son has the life; the one who does not have the Son of God does not have the life. | 12 Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have God’s Son does not have life. | 12 If you have the Son, you have eternal life. If you do not have the Son of God, you are not acquainted with true life. |
The concept of “having” the Son shows a personal relationship and acceptance of Jesus as Lord and Savior. Having “life” is more than just physical existence, but it’s also eternal life. It’s a life that begins now and continues forever with God. The absence of the Son equates to an absence of eternal life, showing that eternal life is inseparable from a relationship with Jesus.
Understanding that life is only found in Jesus should motivate us. I’m actually going to approach this from both our earthly life and our eternal life. From our earthly life, finding Jesus can help us find our purpose in life. We all ask at some point: “Why am I here? What am I supposed to do?” God created us for a purpose that will help fulfill his mission here on earth, and through Jesus – we can understand what that mission will be. The goal is to love him with all our being and to love each other as he loved us. How that looks is different person to person because he gifts us different talents to accomplish this message. Learning what it means to live a godly life will showcase what those talents are and how we can make it our mission in life. A successful mission will lead to a place in eternal life. This isn’t just about punishment – it’s about separation from everything good, everything God. It’s not that we’ll go to hell, but we’ll exist in the vacuum of nothingness. It’s a place of darkness, isolation, and silence. All things that I know bother me today, so experiencing that for eternity is not high on my list. To ensure that our community realizes the impact of this eternal separation, share the Gospel and your testimony. Now, don’t thump it at them or make it to where you are “holier” than them. Have honest conversations. Share an honest act. Be a beacon of light and compassion and encourage everyone to develop the same wonderful relationship you have. Plant the seed and let God go to work.
Reflect on your relationship with Jesus. Is it just belief, or is it trust? Share part of your story with someone – gently, honestly, compassionately.
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