The Verse: Shall Not Perish

John 3:16

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

Dwight L. Moody was born in 1837 in Massachusetts and later died in 1899. He did lots of work with the YMCA in Chicago, IL, and founded the Moody Church. Throughout his life on earth, he paved the way for many evangelism efforts in larger cities.

It was inevitable that Moody would die, but that did not stop him from realizing the importance of what God called him to do while on Earth. He knew his death would come one day, as it does for everyone. Speaking on his death, Moody said, "Someday you will read in the papers that Moody is dead. Don't you believe a word of it. At that moment I shall be more alive than I am now. I was born of the flesh in 1837, I was born of the Spirit in 1855. That which is born of the flesh may die. That which is born of the Spirit shall live forever."

If you do not know this already, you will die one day. (What a great way to start your week, right?) However, if you believe in Jesus, you will often hear, "Oh, I do not die; I am just going home." Sayings like these from many Christians remind us of the truth that we will not perish when we die. We will enter the presence of our Savior, who has given us eternal life.

1 John 5:11-12 tells us, "And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life, whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life."

A quote from the "Knowing Jesus" website on these verses says, "Eternal life is a gift from God to all who believe on Christ, not a reward for our work or a recompense for our merit. And that eternal life is IN Christ, for He is our life. Eternal life is not just from Him but is IN Him - and He who has the Son has life, but whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life." (Source: https://dailyverse.knowing-jesus.com/1-john-5-11)

One day you will die and pass into eternity. Your body will diminish into bones, but you will gain eternal life. This eternal life is available to all who call on the name of Jesus for salvation and the forgiveness of sins. Some will say there are many possibilities for what happens after death, but the Bible, the true Word of God, tells us we only have two possible destinations- Heaven or Hell. Those in Christ can rest assured that we will not perish but have eternal life only available through Jesus Christ.

Sources: Britannica, AZ Quotes, Knowing Jesus, NIV Study Bible