John Calvin Commentary 1 John 5:12

"He that hath the Son hath the life; he that hath not the Son of God hath not the life." — 1 John 5:12 (ASV)

He that has not the Son — this is a confirmation of the last sentence. It ought, indeed, to have been sufficient that God made life to be only in Christ, so that it might be sought in Him. But so that no one should turn away to another, He excludes all from the hope of life who do not seek it in Christ. We know what it is to have Christ, for He is possessed by faith. He then shows that all who are separated from the body of Christ are without life.

But this seems inconsistent with reason; for history shows that there have been great men, endowed with heroic virtues, who yet were wholly unacquainted with Christ; and it seems unreasonable that men of so great eminence had no honor. To this I answer, that we are greatly mistaken if we think that whatever is eminent in our eyes is approved by God; for, as it is said in Luke,

What is highly esteemed by men is an abomination with God (Luke 16:15).

For as the filthiness of the heart is hidden from us, we are satisfied with the external appearance; but God sees that under this is concealed the foulest filth. It is, therefore, no wonder if specious virtues, flowing from an impure heart and tending to no right end, have an ill odor to Him. Besides, from where comes purity, from where a genuine regard for religion, except from the Spirit of Christ? There is, then, nothing worthy of praise except in Christ.

There is, further, another reason which removes every doubt, for the righteousness of men is in the remission of sins. If you take away this, the sure curse of God and eternal death awaits all. Christ alone is He who reconciles the Father to us, as He has once for all pacified Him by the sacrifice of the cross. It therefore follows that God is propitious to no one except in Christ, nor is there righteousness except in Him.

If anyone were to object and say that Cornelius, as mentioned by Luke (Acts 10:2), was accepted by God before he was called to the faith of the gospel, to this I answer briefly that God sometimes so deals with us that the seed of faith appears immediately on the first day. Cornelius had no clear and distinct knowledge of Christ; but as he had some perception of God’s mercy, he must at the same time have understood something of a Mediator. But as God acts in ways hidden and wonderful, let us disregard those speculations which profit nothing and hold only to that plain way of salvation which He has made known to us.