I read John 5:24 recently and was immediately struck afresh, as though I had never seen it before. It has been echoing in my mind ever since, particularly through the night watches.
As I continue to ponder it, I am both convicted and encouraged: convicted by the reminder that I so often fail to fully take hold of the truths of Scripture, and encouraged by the glorious hope packed into this one sentence.
“Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life.” John 5:24 NASB95
Every person who hears and believes the good news of Jesus Christ is, at the moment of belief, graciously granted these three promises:
- They have eternal life.
- They do not come into judgment.
- They have passed out of death into life.
For those of us whose loved ones have physically died in Christ, these truths hold double hope: for our eternal security, and for theirs.
Books could be, and have been, written on the tremendous hope of each of these promises, but the one I want to attempt to rightly lay hold of, at least in part, is the last: “he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me … has passed out of death into life.”
At the moment of our salvation, we pass from spiritual death to spiritual life. Formerly estranged and alienated from God by sin, we are forgiven and made alive through reconciliation in Christ Jesus.
The condemnation of death has been lifted through His atoning work; there is no judgment for those who are found in Him. They have passed out of death into life.
But death is not yet destroyed.
“The last enemy that will be abolished is death.” 1 Corinthians 15:26 NASB95
Death rages on, the cruelty of an adversary who has come to steal and kill and destroy. Those of us who remain in this present life will still feel death’s temporal sting: particularly in the agony of separation from those we love. Death is defeated but not yet destroyed.
“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have [it] abundantly.” John 10:10 NASB95
Our liberation from death is one of our glorious “already but not yet” realities. Through Christ, we have already been freed from death’s dominion, but in these mortal bodies still appointed to die, we do not yet experience that freedom in full (Heb. 9:27). In this life we will continue to groan, longing for the fullness of the not yet.
“For indeed in this [house] we groan, longing to be clothed with our dwelling from heaven, inasmuch as we, having put it on, will not be found naked. For indeed while we are in this tent, we groan, being burdened, because we do not want to be unclothed but to be clothed, so that what is mortal will be swallowed up by life.” 2 Corinthians 5:2-4 NASB95]
In Christ Jesus we are gloriously free from death’s dominion. There is no fear of death for us who, through Him, have passed out of death into life.
Even beyond that, Scripture tells us death “belongs” to us. Death is no longer a fearsome master; through Christ’s resurrection, death is now a bondservant to usher us into His presence.
“For all things belong to you, … the world or life or death or things present or things to come; all things belong to you, and you belong to Christ; and Christ belongs to God.” 1 Corinthians 3:21-23 NASB95
Our believing loved ones who have passed through earthly death are with the Lord. They have departed to be with Christ, and that is far better (Phil. 1:23). They are now freed from the frailty of this earthly tent and experiencing the joy of Christ’s presence as they await the resurrection.
They are now seeing Him face to face, and their faith has become sight. They have passed out of death into life.
“We are of good courage, I say, and prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord.” 2 Corinthians 5:8 NASB95
We rejoice in the certainty of their present life with Christ, and our future life with Him and them, even as we deeply grieve the sorrow of their absence.
“But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve as do the rest who have no hope.” 1 Thessalonians 4:13 NASB95
Miraculously, in Christ, even the agony of our separation from our loved ones is harnessed for our good (Rom. 8:28). Through the shattering of our temporal hopes and joys, our focus is rightly shifted to the eternal, moving us to urgently long for Him and to eagerly await His coming.
“For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.” 2 Corinthians 4:17-18 NASB95
We grieve the deaths of our loved ones deeply, yet we grieve with hope, sorrowful yet rejoicing (2 Cor. 6:10). Holding fast to Him and His promises in the midst of our grief, we acknowledge both realities: this present sorrow and this hope we have in Him—we have passed out of death into life.
Come, Lord Jesus.
Artwork: Sarah Harmening
Thank You for these poignant, encouraging and beautiful reminders! Lost my best friend from nursing school 3 weeks ago. She was only 65 and had the sense that she would not li e beyond this year of life. We knew her health was on the decline yet believed we might have 2 years left. In God’s grace He took her home sooner than later & His timing is impeccable.
We grieve yet she is in her new Heavenly body. No more crying or pain there.
Thank You for your deep and multi-verse encouragement for my mind and soul♡