The First Epistle of John is a lesson on assurance of salvation. To suggest that one only need to “believe in Jesus” for full assurance of faith is misleading and in opposition to John’s epistle. It is ABSOLUTELY TRUE that we are justified by faith alone in Christ alone! However, where do you go when doubts and questions arise like “Did I really believe?” “Was I really saved back then?” That is what these “assurance points” are all about! If you can find these in your life, doubts and questions are settled!
(1) Has your life changed? Are you being sanctified? “Whoever keeps His word, in him truly the love of God is perfected” (2:5).
(2) Do you love the brothers in word AND ACTION? Are you loving towards members of God’s family no matter how different they are? If you locate this love in your heart, it wasn’t there before conversion! “We know that we have passed out of death unto life, because we love the brothers” (3:14).
(3) What is the content of your faith? What exactly do you believe about Jesus? Is He your permission slip to sin? Or is He the glorious Son of God, your only hope, your only Savior? “And this is the testimony, that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life” (5:11-12).
Now comes the great verse of assurance, 5:13, “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.” If we have these three assurance points in our lives, we can rest in a full, robust assurance of faith! If one or more are missing, John’s epistle is a call for us to examine our faith!
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