Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life.     John 5:24 NKJV

We talked about choosing life or choosing death. In our Scripture passage today, Jesus talks about how we pass from death into life. We are all born with a sinful nature. David addressed this in Psalm 51:5. We decide to pass from death into life. Not deciding is choosing death. There is no middle ground here.

Here, Jesus said, “He who hears my word…” In the Hebrew language, the word hear was an implied command to obey. So, Jesus isn’t just saying someone who hears His word and believes in God the Father has everlasting life. That person must also choose to surrender to God’s word and be obedient to His commands.

Once we choose life and good, we want to hear God’s word. We want to be obedient. When we make this choice, we have chosen eternal life in heaven with God the Father.

Ephesians 2 talks about how we are dead in our sins. You see, sin puts us in bondage. It snuffs the life out of us, and we are enslaved to it. Ephesians 2:2-3 says that when we walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh, and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath. When we live a life fulfilling the lusts of our flesh, we are dead in our sins.

But in Ephesians 2:1, Paul speaks of how we are saved by grace through faith when he says, “And you He made alive who were dead in trespasses and sins.”

When we are trapped in sin, it sometimes seems as if there is no way out. But with God beside you, there is always a way out. 1 Corinthians 10:13 says, “No temptation has overtaken you except such is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.”

We don’t have to be dead in sin; we can choose to allow God to bring us from death into life. It goes along with choosing life and good over death and evil.

Choose to trust in Jesus and not turn back. The devil will try to talk you out of it. The devil will try to entice you back into your old, sinful life, but don’t let Him.

In 1 Corinthians 16:13, Paul encouraged the Corinthians to watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong, and let all that they do be done in love. The same holds for us today. If you want life, choose Jesus.

He can save you by grace through faith. It’s not about what you’ve done, but it’s about what He can do for you.

Trust in Him to bring you from death into life. He will make you alive even though you are currently dead in your sin. Only Jesus can do this. Trust in Him today.

Have a great day!