What Have We Now in Christ

“So that whoever believes will in Him have eternal life.”  John 3:15

The one who is trusting Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord has many wonderful possessions which cannot be seen with out physical eyes, but which are as real and permanent as if were already in heaven. Many of these (only a few of which can be listed here) are noted by the present tense of the verb “have” (Greek: “echo”).

First of all, as our text indicates (and these are the words of Christ!), we who believe in Him have right now - eternal life! Our sins have been taken care of by the sacrificial death of Christ, “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace” (Eph. 1:7; see also Col. 1:14). Our sins will be remembered against us no more, because we have already been eternally redeemed. Then also, in spite of all our sins and failures, “having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Rom. 5:1).

One of the great resources we now have, but use so seldom, is the capacity to “think God’s thoughts after Him.” “For who has known the mind of the Lord, that he will instruct Him? But we have the mind of Christ” (1 Cor. 2:16).

Having the mind of Christ should keep us from sin. Nevertheless, “if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous” (1 John 2:1). Not only do we have an advocate defending us, but we have a priest as our mediator. “We have a great high priest...Jesus the Son of God” (Heb. 4:14).

Finally, we already “have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens” (2 Cor. 5:1). And all this is only the beginning! “Eye has not seen and ear has not heard, and which have not entered the heart of man, all that God has prepared for those who love Him” (1 Cor. 2:9).