Cancelling Eternal Death

“But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:” (John 1:12)

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. Perhaps this is the most popular and most memorized bible verse of all. It is short and simple. It seems straightforward. But there’s great depth and meaning in it. This statement has a strong message. It says that because of God’s love, His Son faced the penalty of sin so that in him, there could be everlasting life.

So it goes by saying that the moment a person acknowledges the work of Christ on the cross, his verdict of eternal death is replaced with eternal life. That is, the privilege of being with God for eternity is regained. Note the statement, “shall not perish” and “but have everlasting life”. This means that while you are already in the death row waiting for your time, God decided to cancel the death penalty and grant you the parole of eternity with Him.