Eternal Life is the Gift of God.
Eternal Life is a Divine Seed implanted in the believer at the moment of salvation.
Eternal Life is the Basis of our Fellowship with The FATHER and The SON.
John is writing to believers to show them they have Eternal Life and are to live in Fellowship with the FATHER and The SON. If you have fellowship with One you have fellowship with the Other. The subject matter is not establishing “Word” but “Life”.
As we have established the message [the word of Life] is what the Son brought to us. That is Eternal Life. V2 (For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;). Of course, Jesus is the True God and Eternal life, 1Jn 5:20 And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life.
You cannot separate Eternal Life from Christ. And this is the “Life” that believers have in Him I John 5:13 These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God. So the life that you have is your union with Christ, which happens the moment you believed. This verse is written to believers and it also is an encouragement for unbelievers to believe on Christ for eternal life. There are more verses to believers than there are written to unbelievers but they all are used by God to bring people to faith in Christ.
The FATHER put Eternal Life in His Son and nowhere else. You can’t find it water, or within yourself, and certainly not in religion [even Mary knew Eternal Life was in the Son]. Consider the answer to Nicodemus [ct Joh 3:7 Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. And 14-16 - And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. ]. Jesus is saying every person must be saved by believing in Him. See Mary’s own confession in Luke 1:46-55
The word of Life, is the Promise of life by Jesus Christ, The One {Jesus] who promised you everlasting life is the Same who guarantees you that LIFE, Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life. He can make that promise because of Who He is and what He did, Rev. 22:16-17.
Being Born of God is by the Work of the Holy Spirit, Joh 1:12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: Joh 1:13 Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. The one born again is the one who believed on His name [the same as believing in Him]. The word of Life, is the promise of life by Jesus Christ, The One {Jesus] who promised you everlasting life is the Same who guarantees you that Life, Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life
[1 John 3:9, Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God. The one born of God has God’s seed in him. That part that God has placed in the believer at the time of salvation cannot sin. It has to do with that inner self that has been regenerated. As expressed by John, since Christ is eternal life 1 John 5:20 the one who possess that Life cannot sin.
That seed is divine and implanted by God Himself and maybe it is His very life given at the moment of believing in Christ. It is like the Living Water in John 4:14 But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life. That everlasting life can never sin. The seed is likened to His Word that produces life in the believing heart 1Pe 1:23 Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever. And what does 1 John 3:9 say? That seed is eternal life and eternal life cannot sin. And that seed is to grow till it consumes our life.}
1Jn 5:20 And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life.
The New Man Created in Christ Jesus is the substance of our fellowship, James 1:18, Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.
He is the Bridegroom and we are the bride and here is a verse that allows us to feel His love and desire for closeness, It is like the Bridegroom who knocks at the door of the bride and seeks admittance, Song of Son 5:2 “I sleep, but my heart waketh: it is the voice of my beloved that knocketh, saying, Open to me, my sister, my love, my dove, my undefiled: for my head is filled with dew, and my locks with the drops of the night”.
John wrote the Book of John, the Epistles of John [1,2 and 3rd John] and the Book of Revelation] The Seven Letters to the Seven churches is a most important study for the Book of Revelation. This study shows the evaluation of the Church, the Believer in time [our life].
I use the last letter to the Church of Laodicea. It is the last letter and shows we are still living in the Church age. And it captures the time in which we are living before the rapture. Rev_3:20 reveals that Jesus has been lockout Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. That is fellowship. He is seeking fellowship from His own body. each believer. V19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.
As Bob Wilken points out, “Repent is used in the Book of Revelation 12 times and never to obtain The Gift of Eternal Life but to the believer to turn from the sin that has been allowed for a long time – repent to avoid the temporal judgment of God”. He chastens because He loves. If no repentance, He will chasten [ He allows time for the believer to come to fellowship with Him]. If not, chastening will come, [Heb 12:10-13– repent to avoid the temporal judgment of God. That is to anyone to whom the Spirit of God is speaking.
He desires Fellowship. Sin the great destroyer of our fellowship with The LORD. 1Jn 1:5 This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. 1Jn 1:6 If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: 1Jn 1:7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.
The one with another is our fellowship with The Father and the Son and not with each other. If you walk into a lighted room and walk around in that room, you are walking in the light = the light is where the LORD is. When we sin and remain in sin, we are walking in darkness. We have left the lighted room. Our fellowship with the LORD is broken. The only way back for the believer is to repent and confession of that sin, 1Jn 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
1Jn 1:7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, [That One Another is with you and the LORD] and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. Note it does not say has cleansed but is cleansing.
V 8 1Jn 1:8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. We need daily cleansing.
It is Jesus Who Cleanses us, John 13:8, Peter saith unto him, Thou shalt never wash my feet. Jesus answered him, If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me. V9 Simon Peter saith unto him, Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head. V10, Jesus saith to him, He that is washed needeth not save to wash his feet, but is clean every whit: and ye are clean, but not all. Jesus is describing two different washings: one is a bath, a complete washing, needeth not and you never need another bath. The other is limited to having your feet washed and that is a continual washing “… but is clean every whit: and ye are clean..” You are clean as a whole and you never need that washing again. [That complete bath is never needed again. That is the same washing as given in Tit 3:4 But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared, Tit 3:5 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; Tit 3:6 Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour;]
It has the same meaning as found in Rev 1:5 it is talking about the initial act of salvation, And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood. That is a look back to the Cross a time more than two thousand years ago but it expresses a present tense, unto Him who loves us, a present-tense love. Jesus, "I Jesus" who died for you and paid your sin debt says, today, I have loosed you from your sins – believe on me for everlasting life.
And when you go to Ephesians 5:26 -27 That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, Eph 5:27 That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish. That is cleansing in the life of a believer.
I want to say a few words about foot washing. First of all, you can wash someone's feet from now till 100 years from now and miss the meaning given here.. Second, There is a lesson in humility here. 1Pe_5:6 Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: I do not think the things we do for Christ should be worn as a badge of honour, But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth: Alms are deeds done for others an example alms given to the poor are “lent to the Lord” Pro_19:17 He that hath pity upon the poor lendeth unto the LORD, and that which he hath given will he pay him again. The LORD sees humility and rewards openly. I think it would be good for husbands to wash their wives ’ feet. Third, there is a lesson in forgiveness taught here. Our sins are paid for by Jesus at the Cross., John 1:12-13, But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. [Salvation is to the believer and not to the one who works to earn favor, {Eph 2:8-10, Acts 4:12, Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved} ].
After being Born Again, the Believer’s sins from walking in darkness are forgiven when they are confessed to Christ. [1 John 1:9, Joh 13:8 Peter saith unto him, Thou shalt never wash my feet. Jesus answered him, If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me. ]
All of our sins are paid for at the Cross by Jesus but sins that are not yet committed have not yet broken our fellowship with Jesus but when they are committed they must be confessed to be in Fellowship with the LORD[ That is proven in King David, Psalm 51].
It is the same principle as given in the striking of the rock for water in Exodus 17:6 and then another occasion in Numbers 20:8 where Moses was told to speak to the rock for water. After being saved you have a Saviour [the rock can only be struck once – Christ died once]. From being Saved you then have a Saviour to whom you can speak. [Numbers 20:8]
The same is true of forgiving one who has offended or supposedly offended us: How many times? As many times as they sin against us. You cannot forgive a sin that has not been committed
The promises you believe are the promises that guarantee you have eternal life, Joh 5:24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life. He cannot lie – He would not lie – He did not lie.
Walking in the Light and confession of sin is the way of fellowship with Him, V8-10.
<