12 Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.
I work on a military installation. In order to get through the gates I must present my ID card. It must be my ID card with my picture and information on it. No substitutes will do. In fact, I can get arrested if I try to enter using someone else’s ID. John says there is a way to tell if we have life, eternal life. If we have Jesus, we have life. That personal redemptive relationship changes everything. It takes away our shame and restores our honor. It brings justice by paying the penalty for our sin. There are no substitutes. Only the Son can bring life. Without it we have death. Death is the birthright of every person born. Life is the gift given to those who follow Jesus. How can you tell if someone is a Jesus-follower? John has made it abundantly clear that you can see faith in action. What we do shows who we are and what we believe. Since we believe Jesus is who He says He is, our lives reflect that reality. And part of that reality is the exclusivity of faith. Some people do not have life! Some have stayed in death. Life or death. There is no ‘partial life!’ Where are you? Alive in Jesus, or dead in sin? There is no third way. Some might call this repressive, but I call it liberating. There is a way we can overcome sin! We don’t have to be stuck in death, selfishness, depravity, brokenness, isolation and emptiness. Our lives can have life, generosity, idealism, wholeness, connection and fulfillment. We now have a way out! That is anything but repressive.
The Arnold Journey 