The scene: John teaches his audience so that they may know they have eternal life by believing in the Name …
“I write these things to you who believe in the Name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life” 1 John 5:13.
BELIEVE in who He is
- Believe: Trust
- In the Name of the Son of God: Yeshua
- That you may know (not guess, hope, or think)
- That you have (present tense)
- Eternal life (not life till you fail, falter, or sin again)
I write these things to you who believe (trust) in the Name of the Son of God (Yeshua), that you may know (not guess, hope, or think) that you have (present tense) eternal life” (not life till you fail, falter, or sin again) 1 John 5:13
Where will you spend eternity?
Contributed by Pastor Bruce
The scene: Paul and Silas were in prison when an earthquake shook open the doors and the men’s chains came loose. The jailer feared death if the prisoners escaped, but Paul and Silas were still in their cell.
“Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”
“They answered, “Believe on the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved – you and your household” Acts 16:30-31
- Jesus has the power to save
- All that is needed for justification is faith in Jesus
- The members of the jailer’s household who trusted in Jesus would be saved
Repent and Believe Mark 1:14 “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.”
Where Will You Spend Eternity?
The scene: God’s throne room in heaven
HELP IN TIME OF NEED
“Let us then approach God’s throne with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” Hebrews 4:16
Where Will You Spend Eternity?
The Throne of Grace is always open to God’s people
- Mercy and grace are freely available to those who seek God
- In time of need, believers can come into the presence of God with confidence
“For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16
Where Will You Spend Eternity?
The scene is an ancient crucifixion of an innocent Man.
“For dogs have surrounded Me;
The congregation of the wicked has enclosed Me,
They pierced My hands and My feet”
Psalm 22:16
Dogs in the ancient world were scavengers.
• Like angry dogs, evil foes surrounded Jesus.
• The psalm is a prophecy written by King David of Israel.
• The psalm was written 1000 years before the crucifixion of Jesus Christ.
• The psalm was written 500 years before crucifixion was invented.
“But He was wounded for our transgressions,
He was bruised for our iniquities;
The chastisement for our peace was upon Him,
And by His stripes we are healed.”
Isaiah 53:5
Where will you spend eternity?
The scene is of the Patriarch Jacob whom God called Israel.
“Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, Whose hope is in the LORD his God” Psalm 146:5 NASB
The Bible identifies Him as “The God of Israel” 203 times
“The God of Jacob” 28 times
“The God of Abraham” 17 times
“The God of Isaac” 13 times
Never is He called “the God of” any other ethnic group. These designations are foundational to everything the Bible teaches, including the very character of God.