Jerry Shugart
Well-known member
Let us look at this passage from the Bible which forbids the idea that under the Law both faith and works were necessary for salvation:
"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" (Jn.5:24).
In this verse the Lord Jesus was addressing Jews who lived under the Law. Here the Greek word translated "believes" and the Greek word translated "has" are both in the "present" tense.
In The Blue Letter Bible we read the following meaning of the present tense:
"The present tense represents a simple statement of fact or reality viewed as occurring in actual time. In most cases this corresponds directly with the English present tense."
Therefore, John 5:24 is saying that those who were believing at the time the Lord Jesus spoke those words had already received eternal life. That is what is meant as something being "viewed as occuring in actual time."
So once a person believes he receives eternal life. Anything which happens to anyone after he believes cannot contribute in any way to that person's receiving eternal life. And in the first epistle of John we can see that John is addressing those who have already received eternal life:
"And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son" (1 Jn.5:11).
Those who believed were given eternal life and here is what the Lord Jesus said about those to whom He gives eternal life:
"And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand" (Jn.10:28).
When we consider the words of the Lord Jesus quoted in this post it is evident that the Jews who lived under the Law were saved by faith alone and once they were saved they enjoyed eternal security.
"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" (Jn.5:24).
In this verse the Lord Jesus was addressing Jews who lived under the Law. Here the Greek word translated "believes" and the Greek word translated "has" are both in the "present" tense.
In The Blue Letter Bible we read the following meaning of the present tense:
"The present tense represents a simple statement of fact or reality viewed as occurring in actual time. In most cases this corresponds directly with the English present tense."
Therefore, John 5:24 is saying that those who were believing at the time the Lord Jesus spoke those words had already received eternal life. That is what is meant as something being "viewed as occuring in actual time."
So once a person believes he receives eternal life. Anything which happens to anyone after he believes cannot contribute in any way to that person's receiving eternal life. And in the first epistle of John we can see that John is addressing those who have already received eternal life:
"And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son" (1 Jn.5:11).
Those who believed were given eternal life and here is what the Lord Jesus said about those to whom He gives eternal life:
"And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand" (Jn.10:28).
When we consider the words of the Lord Jesus quoted in this post it is evident that the Jews who lived under the Law were saved by faith alone and once they were saved they enjoyed eternal security.