John 12:47-48 47And if anyone hears my words and does not keep them, I do not judge him; for I did not come in order that I might judge the world but in order that I might save the world. 48The one who rejects me and does not receive my words has one who judges him; the word that I have spoken, that will judge him on the last day.
These verses warn people like the two groups mentioned in verses 41-43. These people hear/read Jesus’ words but do not believe their claims of truth. Faith in verse 47 is active and expressed as obedience to Jesus’ words. Keeping Jesus’ words becomes the test of discipleship and the core requirement for eternal life (8:31, 52). It should be noted that this “keeping” is not a form of human effort but the response of faith to God’s grace shown in Jesus. The idea of obedience is found in the middle of two passages (verses 44-46 and 49-50) about faith in Jesus. Obedience is the response of faith and proves that one truly believes.
Verse 47 repeats the idea of 3:17. Jesus did not come to condemn the world. There will be a point when he is both the advocate and judge (5:22, 27), but that point was not during his time on earth. He came to show God’s grace and reveal and remind people of the path of eternal life, which is through accepting God’s gracious offer of forgiveness.
Verse 48 gives the significant warning spoken through Jesus and narrated by John in this Gospel. The biggest danger one can face is rejecting Jesus after hearing his words. One cannot plead ignorance anymore. When the Light shines, those it shines on become accountable for their response to it. The criteria of judgment will be Jesus’ words. His words are truth, and so rejecting them means following a lie. A significant source of this lie is worldly thinking, which Jesus calls the darkness. Keeping Jesus’ words means listening, accepting, and obeying. The focus of his words as recorded in John’s Gospel is faith in him as the Son of God. This crucial starting point impacts everything else, including what Jesus will teach his disciples in chapters 14-15 about loving one another. Put simply, ethics/behavior come from a relationship of faith.
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