Overcoming Darkness

Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged, but has crossed over from death to life. (John 5:24)

For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves . . . (Colossians 1:13)

The most important question you will ever decide is where you will spend eternity. A lot of people don’t allow themselves to think about what’s going to happen to them after they die. It’s too uncomfortable, and life provides many distractions that enable them to put off answering this question. Many don’t face it until they are dying. Wouldn’t you like to know now that you have eternal life?

Have you believed in the Lord Jesus Christ?

Have you believed in the Lord Jesus Christ? That he is Messiah and Savior? Have you confessed him as Lord and do you believe that God raised him from the dead? If so, then you have eternal life. The verse in John 5 above says because you have believed in Jesus, your sins are forgiven, and you won’t be judged for them. It also says you have crossed over from death to life. This is not something that will happen someday. If you have believed in Jesus, it has already happened! You are now in Christ, a member of God’s family, and you have crossed over to life! Your journey in eternity has already begun.

God wants so much for you to be assured of eternal life that he put down a deposit as a good faith gesture, so you know that the full measure of what he promised is guaranteed to come. He gave you his Holy Spirit to be with you always, to bear witness to his faithfulness, and to keep you until it’s time to step fully into eternity with Jesus.

And between now and then? Many are fearful that they won’t make it all the way, that they’ll mess up somehow and that God will reject them. In John 10 above, Jesus encourages us with the fact that he is more than able to keep us safe and secure, until we go be with him forever. Eternal life is his gift to those who believe in him, who choose to follow him in this life.

The power of God is enough to keep you. Nothing and no one can snatch you out of his hand. He’s got his eye on you, and his arms around you, to protect and guide you through this life and bring you safely to his heavenly kingdom. Trust in his power to save, to deliver you from every scheme of the enemy so you can say, as the Apostle Paul says, “I am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed to him until that day” (2 Timothy 1:12).