This verse echoes the themes of last week, concerning belief or faith, and eternal life through Jesus, which are captured in John 3:16, “whoever believes in Him [Jesus] should not perish but have everlasting life.”
But there are two new elements here:
1) Judgment – the person who believes will not come into judgment;
2) Timing – the person who believes has everlasting life, and has already passed from death into life.

On Judgment

Paul talks at great length in his letters about the futility of choosing to rely on our works, while Jesus has won our salvation through His death on the cross, as a free gift in God’s grace. Those who reject His gift will be judged according to their works, and the outcome is certain.
To the one who asks, “How could a God of love condemn people to eternal judgment?”, Jesus gives the answer in verse 40, where He clearly states to the Pharisees that responsibility for judgement rests alone on the person who rejects His gift of salvation. He says, “But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life.”

On Timing

As God is the creator and sustainer of all life, when man and woman chose to separate themselves from God, we were separated from His provision of life; so death and decay entered the world. We were left with an emptiness and a craving for things eternal, for that true life from God, which the things of this earth can never satisfy. And the awareness of our mortality ultimately makes all of our earthly achievements meaningless. Our fear of the death that Satan persuaded us to choose is used by him to influence what we do, it is one of the means by which he gains power over us, and in 1 Cor 15:26 we learn, “The last enemy that will be destroyed is death.”

When we receive the free gift of salvation and reconciliation to God which Jesus won for all mankind, we are freed from that torment and slavery to decay, freed to live each day being filled by His Spirit to know His presence, guidance, and provision, aspects of the true life He gives which will never die.
It reminds me of 1 Corinthians 13, where Paul explains that all of our knowledge and writings and doctrines are due to our limited understanding in this earthly life, and these will all pass away like rubbish, but what will always remain are the everlasting aspects of life in Jesus, of faith, hope, and love.

Personal Application

The joy of this true life which we receive each day as Jesus lives within us may be overcast at times by the remains of our earthly trappings; chronic pain can wear us down, as I well recall from a few years ago when I was waiting for surgery for three months. But the vital difference is we do not despair, the true life He gives sustains us, and will never fade, and my favourite verse from that time awaiting surgery was from Psalm 17:15b (GNT), “and when I awake, your presence will fill me with joy.”

Praise God for his free gift of true life in Jesus.