The promise of salvation challenges us with both assurance and urgency. Jesus does not speak of eternal life as something so far away that we can’t see it now. Look at the first part of verse 36, “He who believes in the Son has everlasting life.” Eternal life is not just life that lasts forever in heaven, it is the life God gave us the moment we gave our lives to Him.  From that moment, we were made alive with a new life, His life dwelling in us.

The thing is this though…just as real as that promise of eternal life is to us, so is the warning. The opposite of eternal life with God is not only hell after death, but a present condition under God’s wrath.  Jesus tells us that the one who does not believe is condemned already. The verdict has already been given, even if the sentence has not yet been executed. No one drifts into condemnation at death; it is a state that exists while apart from Christ.
 
John 3:18, “He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God."

As Christians, we stand on this promise of salvation by believing in Jesus Christ and what He did for us on the cross.  

Blessings,  
-Jonathan 

January 6, 2026

No events scheduled