He who has the Son has life

And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.

1 John 5:11-12

They say you can tell a police officer by the way he walks. Even if he is not in uniform, he is supposed to have a very distinctive walk. Often, you can tell them by how they speak, too. They all seem to have that rather wordy way of speaking, which presumably comes from years spent giving statements, testifying in court and interviewing suspects. With this two distinctive elements, it’s almost possible to spot a police officer even if they are not wearing a uniform!

The same could be said to be true for Christians. We do not wear a uniform that marks us out as Christians, but it should be clear to people around us that we are indeed Christians. In today’s verses, John says that “he who has the Son has life.” He doesn’t say he who knows the Son, or he who loves the Son, but he who has the Son. When we become a Christian, it’s almost as if Jesus is living in us. As a consequence, it should be clear to those who know us that we are Christians; our behaviour and actions should be distinctly Christian. We should be loving, fair and respectful. We should look out for all those around us. We should be prepared to drop everything to support those in need. Not because these things buy us a place in heaven, but because this is a way of testiying that we have the Son. If we have the Son, we have eternal life. This isn’t something that will happen at some time in the future, perhaps after we die, but is happening now. If we accept Jesus as our saviour, our eternal life has already begun.

Is it evident to those who know you that you have the Son? Is it obvious that you are a Christian, that you are living your life for God? Are you living your life as if it were part of that eternal life that God has given you through the death and resurrection of his son, Jesus Christ?