That Ye Might Have Life #2

by Joseph L. Watkins
    The title used for this series might be a bit of a puzzle for some folk, in as much as it would seem to imply that there are people in this world that don’t have ‘life’. The dilemma seems to be that if a person does not have ‘life’, then how can he read, hear or begin to understand the instructions for obtaining this ‘life’, which he is said not to have in the first place? This apparent contradiction can be perplexing to some, because within the reasoning faculty of the human mind where this puzzle is being considered, there is the strong suggestion, or possibly the actual proof that they have a ‘life principle’ at work in them. Can we find a solution to this seeming puzzle?
    Some bible teachers, having drawn the conclusion that if God’s Book declares that all men need to have ’life’, then all men must be dead, and if a man is dead, he certainly cannot hear the gospel message. Yet they know that many have heard, believed, and now have ‘life’. So they conclude that God Almighty, in His Sovereign Power, must choose some of these ‘dead ones’ (regardless whether or not they want life), making them alive so they can hear and believe the gospel message, then they can achieve ‘life’ that they needed in the first place. Is it any wonder some are bewildered and confused? Let’s see if the Lord will help us unravel all this.
    The one portion of God’s book that was written for and given to the whole human race “in order that we might have life”, that part we know as the Gospel of John, should give us our needed answer. In the very opening words we are told that the Almighty Creator “God”, the Word Who is the Lord Jesus Christ, gave to all mankind ‘life’. He gave this to the first man, Adam, and from Adam we all have that same life principle. He also tells us that the life He gave us was “the Light” of men. Yes, the very unique light giving life principle, that is every man’s portion, gives all of us a conscious awareness of our Creator. Every member of Adam’s race knows that above him is a higher power. Other souls, such as dogs and cats, do not have this awareness. Only man has God awareness. This life is what makes it possible for man to hear and understand the words of God that tells him he has a life, but that lowly human life is only for a very short time and then will utterly perish. So you see, all mankind stands in need of a ‘new life principle’ and the good news that John wrote of is that God desires to give to each of us, even of his own divine life. Read John’s Gospel and believe unto this life.