John 5,24-29: "'Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life. Very truly I tell you, a time is coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live. For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself. And he has given him authority to judge because he is the Son of Man. 'Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice and come out—those who have done what is good will rise to live, and those who have done what is evil will rise to be condemned."      (Today’s NIV)

At first sight this passage seems to be full of contradictions: Does the one who believes have eternal life (V.24) or s/he who has done what is good(V.29)? Is the hour when the dead will live now (V.25) or will it only be when the graves will open for the last judgment (V.28)? The answer only becomes clear when we understand that “there is no-one who does good, not even one “ (Romans 3:12).

The resurrection of life because of our good deeds is only a theoretical possibility. In reality no one will be able to pat himself on the back and say: „I made it because I have tried hard.“ God’s judgment will make it clear that no-one did satisfy the perfect measure of God. For this reason there is but one way to eternal life, and this is now, trusting in his salvation.

But it is this trust that takes away all uncertainty: S/he who believes knows that s/he will never stand before God’s judgment. S/he knows that s/he has already crossed over from death to eternal life. S/he knows that HE who has life in himself lives in him/her. And s/he knows that when s/he has to die s/he will be with the Lord immediately and will not have to wait for his/her bodily resurrection and for God’s judgment!