Pastor Barry's  "Chapter & Verse"  2024  Day 276

October 1;      John 5:24;       73/260(III);      ‘Hear and Believe’

John 5:24 "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.

Salvation, everlasting life comes by believing the Word of God.  The Word teaches that God the Father sent the Lord Jesus to redeem us from our sins and sicknesses.  God the Father is holy and sin cannot come near Him.  All of humanity are sinners because of the sin of Adam who represented mankind.  The sin of Adam cut us off from a relationship with God the Father.  We were loved too much for us to be forever separated from God.  The Father sent Jesus His Son to be punished for our sins.  Jesus left His deity in heaven and came to earth as a Man.  He never sinned and was therefore the perfect sacrifice for our sins.  On the cross our sinless Lord took our sins upon Himself and gave His right standing with the Father to those who believe the Word.  Here is the incredible importance of this verse.  The Bible is the Word of God.  It is truth (John 17:17) and the Author of the Word of God is the Holy Spirit (2 Peter 1:20-21).  You cannot and must not build your life on any other document or teaching.  Those who do not know the Word of God often think that good works are the way someone goes to heaven.  Many think everyone goes to heaven because God is love.  A sure way to know that the Word of God reveals God’s plan of salvation for mankind is the effort the devil makes to prevent us from reading the Word.  In Genesis 3:1, satan challenged God’s Word.  2 Corinthians 4:3-4 teaches that the devil has done all he can to blind the minds of the lost to the Word.  Jesus said if we know the truth of His Word we will be free.