Hello my fellow Christians, I'm sorry for being so absent recently, school has kept me on my toes. So, happy very late Ash Wednesday and Lent season. We are about halfway through Lent, as the celebration of Christ's resurrection is on April 4th. During Lent, we remember how Jesus was tempted in the desert by Satan after 40 days of fasting, which is why people often choose to give up something for this designated 40-day period we call Lent. However, Lent, as I have come to learn, is also a time of repenting for our sins and turning our hearts towards God again.
Part of repenting for our sins is asking for forgiveness, and John 5:24, which is part of a teaching of Jesus, is a beautiful passage that not only sums up what we believe, but also grants a sense of peace. The first half of the verse is sort of like a reminder of the truth of God's Word and God Himself. If we believe in Him, we are called to follow Him, and listen and act on His messages and teachings. It seems simple, but that is because it is that simple.
Yet, we as human beings know that God's commands and teachings are not always easy to follow and do. It's hard and God knows that, He knows we are going to fall down sometimes, He knows that we will sin and grow distant from him. That is why God sent His son, Jesus to save us from our sin, which is where the next part of the verse comes in. Jesus says that, "...They (those who believe and listen to God) will never be condemned for their sins, but they have already passed from death to life" Now, it should be noted that this piece of the verse is not talking about literal death and life, but rather spiritual death and life. Interestingly enough, spiritual death and life get mentioned multiple times in the New Testament. One of the most notable ones is Romans 8:1-2 which is very similar to John 5:24 as it talks about how those who believe in God and His son, Jesus, will not be condemned for their sins, but raised to life through the Spirit of Christ.
Lent can be hard, through all the crazinesss of our lives, it is hard to turn to God and repent, but God is always ready for us to come back, Jesus is always willing to forgive us, and the Holy Spirit will always be there to guide us. No matter how bad we've messed up, God is willing to forgive and fix our brokeness and He still loves us no matter what. As long as one believes in God, what Jesus did on the cross and His resurrection, and follow His commands (asking for forgiveness in the process and repenting) they will have passed from spiritual death to spiritual life. God bless.