1 John 5:12 He that has the Son has life; and he that has not the Son of God has not life. We may be said to have or receive the Son in these three modes — as a teacher, an example, and a Saviour; and in each of these He is life to those who have Him. I. CHRIST IS LIFE IN HIS INSTRUCTIONS. He is so, because His instructions are truth, and truth brings life. In another, and yet a kindred sense, is Christ life by His word. He teaches us how to live, and for what ends. Honour, happiness, respect, love, usefulness, those things without which life is only animal, or worse, are most easily and completely to be secured by adopting the principles and obeying the precepts of the gospel. It is life, by eminence, to live temperately, soberly, justly, kindly, peacefully, doing good actions, exercising good affections, gaining good opinions. It is the only proper life of a moral, intellectual, accountable creature of God. He then lives as his Maker would have him live; lives most acceptably in the sight of heaven, and most profitably to himself and to the world. He lives, answering the best purposes of life; contributing to the means of human advancement; making his actions to be counted in the sum of human felicity. In a moral sense he protracts his life, because he employs it fully and well. II. HE WHO HAS OR RECEIVES CHRIST AS AN EXAMPLE HAS LIFE. The life-giving word is not only taught, but embodied and made incarnate in the teacher; it is not only didactic, but possesses the merit and charm of historical interest. The Son not only points the way to the Father, but He precedes the disciple, and guides him in it and through it. Whoever walks as Christ walked, lives; and in proportion to the exactness of his imitation is the vigour and health of his life. To know that we are, in any degree, sharing the life and spirit of our Master, is enough to give us an increase of vital warmth, to cause the pulse of our spirit to beat firmer and more true, because it beats in happy and honoured union with the heart of Jesus. If His life was true and eternal, then that which is borrowed from His is so too. The seeds of corruption are not in it. The process of dissolution cannot commence in it. It is a sound and pure and heavenly life, for it is the very life of the Son of God. III. HE WHO HATH THE SON BY FAITH, HE WHO RECEIVES HIM AS THE CHRIST OF GOD AND THE SAVIOUR OF MEN, by this faith also, as well as by obedience and imitation, HATH LIFE. And why? Because the hope and assurance of eternal life is contained and perfected in such faith. (F. W. P. Greenwood, D. D.) Parallel Verses KJV: He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.WEB: He who has the Son has the life. He who doesn't have God's Son doesn't have the life. |
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