1 John 5:12

12 Those who have the Son have the life; those who do not have the Son of God do not have the life.

1 John 5:12 Meaning and Commentary

1 John 5:12

He that hath the Son
Has a spiritual and experimental knowledge of him, true faith in him; who has him dwelling in his heart, and living in him:

hath life:
not only spiritual life, being quickened by him, and living by faith on him, but eternal life; the knowledge he has of him is eternal life; he has it in faith and hope, and has a right unto it, and the earnest of it, as well as has it in Christ his representative, whom he has, and in whom this life is:

[and] he that hath not the Son of God;
no knowledge of him, nor faith in him, nor enjoyment of him:

hath not life;
he is dead in sin, he is alienated from the life of God, has no title to eternal life, nor meetness for it, nor shall enjoy it, but shall die the second death.

1 John 5:12 In-Context

10 Those who keep trusting in the Son of God have this witness in them. Those who do not keep trusting God have made him out to be a liar, because they have not trusted in the witness which God has given about his Son.
11 And this is the witness: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.
12 Those who have the Son have the life; those who do not have the Son of God do not have the life.
13 I have written you these things so that you may know that you have eternal life - you who keep trusting in the person and power of the Son of God.
14 This is the confidence we have in his presence: if we ask anything that accords with his will, he hears us.
Complete Jewish Bible Copyright 1998 by David H. Stern. Published by Jewish New Testament Publications, Inc. All rights reserved. Used by permission.