And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.
First of all, we need to remember that this is God’s testimony. This is not a testimony about God, but a testimony from God. Now a testimony implies that God has witnessed something. What He has witnessed is the work of His Son. He witnessed the work of His Son because it was done by His own hands, and by this work, He has given us eternal life.
Eternal life is a dynamic concept in Scripture. It has both a future and a present reality. Often we only think about the future aspect of it: we won’t die. This is absolutely great, and it is one of the key aspects to the New Testament. However, it also has a present reality. Right now, I have something called eternal life.
Eternal life is more than just a statement of my soul’s durability. It is a statement to the way a live. I live for eternity. My perspective is on the eternal things, such as people’s souls, not on the present things, such as people’s opinions. My commitment is to heavenly things, such as Spiritual devotion to God, not on the present things, such as money or power.
But even more so than that, I am alive in a way that others are not. All Christians are, for eternal life is also true life. There is something about having the Holy Spirit in us the enlivens us. It gives us an energy, passion, and strength that we could not possess otherwise.
What is more relevant is that old decaying wickedness that we were born with is shed off of us like a heavy burden, and now a burden is light. We rely on God, instead of trying to accomplish things under our own power. There is no pressure or burden; just delight in serving our God and worshipping Him in all we do.
We have this life, because we have the Son. God gives us this through His Son. This is no small things, for the Son had to die to come to us. How great is the Father’s love?
There is a common Christmas cliche that we give gifts to each other because God gave us the ultimate gift: Jesus Christ His Son. This may be a cliche, but it is also true. That is exactly what God did, and that is exactly why we give each other presents. We recognize the present of His presence. The joy of the Paraousi, of Emmanuel. This is the gift of true life, of true existence, of true being. What is life other than being? By being true alive, we truly are. By the Son God has given us all things, and so it is by the Son we live.
Do you live by the Son? Do you live with eternity in your eyes? Do you live we the Holy Spirit in your heart? This Christmas, focus on what this holiday is truly about: Emmanuel, God with us.
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