“Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.”
My Notes
What Does John 5:24 Mean?
Jesus makes one of the most comprehensive salvation promises in John's Gospel: whoever hears his word and believes on the one who sent him has everlasting life, shall not come into condemnation, and is passed from death unto life.
Three promises stacked together. First: has everlasting life — present tense. Not will have. Has. The life begins now. Second: shall not come into condemnation — the judgment that condemns others will not apply. Third: is passed from death unto life — the transfer is complete. You have already crossed from one realm to another.
The conditions: hear and believe. Hear his word — take it in, receive it, engage with it. Believe on him that sent me — trust the Father who sent the Son. Both are relational, not merely intellectual.
The verbs are emphatic: has (present possession), shall not (absolute denial), is passed (completed action). The salvation Jesus describes is settled, secure, and present.
Reflection Questions
- 1.What does 'hath everlasting life' (present tense) mean for your sense of security today?
- 2.How does 'shall not come into condemnation' address your fear of judgment?
- 3.What does 'passed from death unto life' (past tense) mean for the completeness of your salvation?
- 4.How would you live differently if you truly believed all three promises?
Devotional
He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life. Hath. Present tense. You have it now. Not when you die. Not when you reach some level of spiritual maturity. Now. The eternal life is a current possession.
Shall not come into condemnation. The condemnation that hangs over those who reject Christ does not apply to you. Shall not — emphatic, absolute, unconditional. The judgment will not touch you.
But is passed from death unto life. Past tense. The crossing has already happened. You were on the death side. Now you are on the life side. The transfer is complete. You did not just avoid death. You entered life.
Three promises. Three tenses. Present: you have life. Future: you will not face condemnation. Past: you have already passed from death to life. The salvation is comprehensive — covering your present, your future, and your past.
The conditions are simple: hear and believe. Not perform. Not earn. Not achieve. Hear the word. Believe the sender. And the three-fold promise activates.
Do you believe this? Not in theory. Do you live as someone who has everlasting life, will not face condemnation, and has already crossed from death to life?
Commentary
Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.
Verily verily, I say unto you,.... Who am the Amen, the true and faithful witness:
he that heareth my word; by which…
He that heareth my word - To “hear,” in this place, evidently denotes not the outward act of hearing, but to receive in…
He that heareth my word - My doctrine - and believeth on him that sent me - he who credits my Divine mission, that I am…
We have here Christ's discourse upon occasion of his being accused as a sabbath-breaker, and it seems to be his…
He that heareth We see from this that -whom He will" (Joh 5:5) implies no arbitrary selection. It is each individual who…
Cross References
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