1 John 5:12

12 He that has the Son has life; and he that does not have the Son of God does not have 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 He that believes in the Son of God has the witness of God in himself; he that does not believe God has made God a liar; because he does not believe the witness that God has testified of his Son.
11 And this is the witness, that God has given eternal life to us, and this life is in his Son.
12 He that has the Son has life; and he that does not have the Son of God does not have life.
13 These things I have written unto you that believe in the name of the Son of God, that ye may know that ye have eternal life and that ye may believe in the name of the Son of God.
14 And this is the confidence that we have in God, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he hears us:
The Jubilee Bible (from the Scriptures of the Reformation), edited by Russell M. Stendal, Copyright © 2000, 2001, 2010