Whoever believes in the Son of God accepts this testimony. Whoever does not believe God has made him out to be a liar, because they have not believed the testimony God has given about his Son. And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.  Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.

1 John 5:10, 12.

The basic fact – God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.  Let it sink in.

The gift – eternal life, from now to eternity – forever.  What a marvelous gift!  It is believable to the reborn person, a bothersome thought to the unbelievers.  Not only is it believable, it is our priceless inheritance, given freely by the Lord of mercy himself. As I see it, and I am trying to discern the heart and mind of John the Apostle as he shares his belief with us, God knows how desperate we human beings are, so much so that we can never really know God and his mercy by stretching our human will to think such thoughts. The human mind, unaided, might come to the conclusion that there is God.  But that is not salvation.  That is just exalted human thought, admirable, but leading nowhere.

Our salvation, the thing we need above all others, is provided by God through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, a gift beyond comprehension by the unregenerate mind and heart but is ours by faith in God and all that he accomplished in Christ for our salvation.  Receiving this salvation changes everything!

Do I really believe this??  As I read the writings of men and women of old I see them searching, searching diligently, for God’s salvation that is absolutely necessary.  Plato, Aristotle, and a host of others began to realize who God is, but came short of discovering his salvation plan.

That we now know.  God’s life is in his Son.  There is a huge difference between seeking for God and having God seek us.  When God seeks us he offers, fully and freely, salvation in his Son Jesus Christ. Whoever has the Son has life.

This is all quite breath-taking.  I need to stop now and again, like right now, and give praise and thanks and all my heart to Father, Son and Holy Spirit, water and blood, that bought my salvation!  It astounds me with wonder.  It is a wonder that I accept by faith and then live in the wonder of it all, like all the saints, including John.