We see in these verses that the salvation of our souls db- fends on hearing Christ. It is the man, we are told, who " hears Christ's word," and believes that God the Father sent Him to save sinners, who " has everlasting life." Such " hearing " of course is something more than mere listening. It is hearing as a humble scholar, --hearing as an obedient disciple, — hearing with faith and love, — hearing with a heart ready to do Christ's will, — this is the hearing that saves. It is the very- hearing of which God spoke in the famous prediction of a " prophet like unto Moses :" — " Unto him shall ye hearken." — " Whosoever will not hearken unto my words which he shall speak in my name, I will require it of him." (Deut. xviii. 15—19.)
To " hear " Christ in this way, we must never forget, is just as needful now as it was eighteen hundred years ago. It is not enough to hear sermons, and run after preach- ers, though some people seem to think this makes up the whole of religion. We must go much further than tliis : we must " hear Christ." To submit our hearts to Christ's teaching, — to sit humbly at His feet by faith, and learn of Him, — to enter His school as penitents, and become His believing scholars, — to hear His voice and follow Him, — this is the way to heaven. Till we know something ex- perimentally of these things, there is no life in us.
We see, secondly, in these verses, how rich and full are the privileges of the true hearer and believer. Such a man enjoys a present salvation. Even now, at this present time, he " hath everlasting life." — Such a man is com- pletely justified and forgiven. There remains no more condemnation for him. His sins are put away. "He shall not come into condemnation." — Such a man is in an entirely new position before God. He is like one who has moved from one side of a gulf to another : " He is pass* ed from death unto life."
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The privileges of a true Christian are greatly underrated by many. Chiefly from deplorable ignorance of Scripture, they have little idea of the spiritual treasures of every believer in Jesus. These treasures are brought together here in beautiful order, if we will only look at them. One of a true Christian's treasures is the " presentness " of his salvation. It is not a far distant thing which he is to have at last, if he does his duty and is good. It is his own in title the moment he believes. He is already pardoned, forgiven, and saved, though not in heaven. — Another of a true Christian's treasures is the " completeness " of his justification. His sins are entirely removed, taken away, and blotted out of God's book, by Christ's blood. He may look forward to judgment without fear, and say, "who is he that condemneth?" (Rom. viii. 34.) He shall stand without fault befbre the throne of God. — The last, but not the least, of a true Christian's treasures, is the entire change in his relation and position toward God. He is no longer as one dead before Him, — dead, legally, like a man sen- tenced to die, and dead in heart. He is " alive unto God." (Rom. vi. 11.) "He is a new creature. Old things are passed away, and all things are become new." (2 Cor. v. 17.) Well would it be for Christians if these things were better known ! It is want of knowledge, in many cases, that is the secret of want of peace.
We see, thirdly, in these verses, a striking declaration of ChrisPs power to give life to dead souls. Our Lord tells us that " the hour is coming and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God ; and they that hear shall live." It seems most unlikely that these words were meant to be confined to the rising of men's bodies, and were fulfilled by such miracles as that of raising Lazarus from the grave. It appears far more probable that what om* Lord had in view was the quickening of souls, — the resurrection of conversion. (Ephes. ii. l ; Colos. ii. 13.)