Do you have the assurance of your salvation; are you confident of your relationship with the Lord; do you firmly believe you will spend eternity in the presence of the eternal God? Our Lord made it possible to know, to have absolute certainty of our security in Christ. “I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life” (1 John 5.13). John writes that we can “know.” He was an apostle of Christ and an eyewitness to what He said and did; he knew His life, His trial and sentence to the cross; he saw the death of Christ, His resurrection, and His ascension; he fully believed in the promise of Christ’s coming again for His own.
Knowing John knew, we can also “know” – we don’t have to doubt, wonder, or question; we don’t have to live in confusion and uncertainty. Throughout this short letter John tells us how we can know and have full assurance of our faith in Christ. We must believe our salvation is the loving work of God by which He has made us His very children (3.1-2). It is Christ who has purchased us by His own blood, and it has nothing to do with our works. We must believe we are sinners in need of salvation, and that in the confession of sin He forgives. This is not a “someday” or “maybe,” but an absolute certainty of forgiveness and cleansing from all unrighteousness (1.8-9). We will then desire to be free from all sin (3.3). Seeing what Christ has done for us and in us, we will be compelled not to live in the filth of sin, but rather to be free from all its bondage (5.13). Knowing His love for us, we are also compelled to love those in the family of God, to love the redeemed, to love those with whom we will spend eternity (4.7-12). If you question your salvation, I encourage you to read through 1 John multiple times, praying for absolute confidence of salvation and seeking evidence of His gracious work within you. He doesn’t leave us wondering – we can “know we have eternal life.”
Being given assurance of salvation – we have much to be thankful for –
Terry Burlingame
My Morning Desk 