Seventh Sunday in Easter: Epistle,  1 John 5:9-15                     

1 John 5:9-15

I was a junior at the University of Oregon studying music when the Lord got a hold of me, focused my attention on Him, and granted me the gifts of repentance and faith. To say I’m thankful for that “interruption” in my focus (obsession) of my younger life wouldn’t even begin to express my gratitude. I devoured the Bible in three months and then made the turn back to Genesis and read it a second time through in about the same time frame. I loved it then. I think I love it more now. Why? Because I’ve learned to love and cherish the Author more each time I take in His holy and sufficient Word.

It was the rage back in those days (the early 80’s) as evangelical, Bible-believing Christians to memorize the Scriptures and a wonderful organization called the Navigators, whose focus was discipleship of college students and military personnel, produced a wonderful memorization tool. I carried little pre-printed cards with Bible references and had a little pouch to make sure they were always in my pocket. One of the very first verses I memorized is part of our epistle lesson this week:

“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).

I still know it and love it. And one reason in particular has to do the verb tense just like our lesson last week. “...that you may know that you have eternal life. Eternal life when? Not when I die. Not when I master a certain amount of the Bible or have all my spiritual t’s crossed. No. NOW! I have eternal life now. Won for me and delivered to me by Jesus Christ. There’s nothing sweeter than to realize eternal life is a gift. I didn’t invent it. I cannot earn it. I am unable to even conceive of its grandeur. But I possess it now. Better, I possess Him who is eternal life, now. And He possesses me. God be praised!