A Clay Jar

Encouraging, comforting, and urging you to live lives worthy of God, who calls you into his kingdom and glory. (1 Thess. 2:12 NIV)

A Matter of Life and Death

John 5:24

Published on:

Last Updated on:

“I tell you the solemn truth, the one who hears my message and believes the one who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned, but has crossed over from death to life.

John 5:24 NET

What the NET translates as “I tell you the solemn truth” is a double word–“amen, amen,” or “truly, truly.” This is a way of stressing the importance of what follows. It is not just true; it is very true. It is of the utmost importance–a matter of life and death.

Jesus tells us that the one who does two things has eternal life and will not face judgment. First, we need to hear Jesus’ message. The word translated here as message is logos. This is the same word used at the beginning of John for the Word who was God and became flesh. Jesus is the Word. So, he calls on us first to hear him, to listen to the words of the Word.

But this is more than just passive listening. It is listening with comprehension: “Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear.” It is letting Jesus’ message sink down and grow roots in fertile and productive soil (Luke 8:5-8).

Believe the One Who Sent Jesus

The second requirement is to believe the one who sent Jesus–to believe the Father. Jesus came from the Father with a message to deliver to us. When we believe the messenger, we believe the one who sent him.

Believing has two parts. It means that we have accepted that his message is true. And that we have put our faith in him, taking what we have accepted as true and acting upon it.

As believers in the Lord Jesus, we were spiritually dead, separated from the life of God. But when we heard and believed, we crossed over to the other side. We were born again and now have eternal life.

Along with this comes the responsibility for passing on this good news to those still on the other side–those still living in darkness and death. Invite them to hear, believe, and experience eternal life. It is a matter of life and death.

Related Posts

Pointing People to Jesus – Luke 3:16

As disciples of the Lord Jesus, we should always point people to him. Resist the temptation to allow the focus to be on you rather than him.

The Source of Eternal Salvation – Hebrews 5:8-10

Jesus, through his suffering on the cross, was perfected as our high priest. And became the source of eternal salvation for all who believe.

Come to the Water of Life – Revelation 22:17

God’s gift of salvation is freely offered to all. If you are thirsty, come and drink from the water of life. Experience life anew with God.

The Net Was Not Torn – John 21:11

The gospel is like a great net. It can catch all manner of men and women of all nations and tribes. And the net will not be torn.

Additional Related Posts

If you have found value in this post, please consider sharing it with your friends.

Subscribe to A Clay Jar

If you have found value in this post, please consider subscribing to A Clay Jar so that you don't miss any other posts. 

Just an old clay jar that God continues to see fit to use in his kingdom's work. I am retired, married with 2 children, and 4 grandchildren. I have followed Jesus for many years. And I love to share what He has given me from His word.

A Note to Readers

The views expressed here are solely mine and do not necessarily reflect those of any other person, group, or organization. While I believe they reflect the teachings of the Bible, I am a fallible human and subject to misunderstanding. Please feel free to leave any comments or questions about this post in the comments section below. I am always interested in your feedback.

Leave a Comment