Present Tense
Bible Reading: John 5:19-24
Author: Michael Macdonald (North Carolina, US)
Author: Michael Macdonald (North Carolina, US)
Monday 17 August 2026 © The Upper Room.
Recently, my wife and I took a course in personal finance to try to be prepared for our retirements in about ten years.
The basic lesson was that we have to sacrifice now to have a better future. Then, when I went to the doctor, he urged me to go on a diet and lose weight.
The message was the same: I need to sacrifice pleasure now for a better future.
Some people consider the Christian life as a third example of sacrificing now for a better future. But I believe scripture presents a different view.
In this passage from John, Jesus tells us that eternal life and passing from death to life is a present-tense reality. When we believe in and follow Christ, we already have eternal life; we do not have to wait for it at some later date.
The abundant life that Jesus offers (see John 10:10) is not something we have to wait until physical death to receive. It is here now, in the present tense.
Prayer: Our Lord Jesus Christ, thank you for the abundant, eternal life that we have in you now. Amen
