VB084 That You May Know
That You May Know
[1Jn 5:11-13; Eph 2:8-9]
“How can I be sure I’m saved?”
Many followers of Jesus look for the assurance of salvation in the wrong places. We try to see it in the things God is doing in our lives, in our spiritual growth, or even doing good deeds. Instead, we should find the assurance of our salvation in the Bible. We will only find confidence in the promises of God, not in our natural experiences.
The devil causes many people to be powerless month after month, and year after year, because they do not know their position in Christ. They are not sure of their own foundation for eternity, and so are disqualified to minister to others.
One day, at work, I commented on a job well done by a fellow worker, and his response was, “you have to do good to get to heaven.”
I was shocked. I had thought he was a believer. I began to explain that it is by God’s grace that we are “saved through faith” (Eph 2:8). He smiled and said, “yes, and … by doing good.” He saw the stunned look on my face and went on to say, “You can hope you’ll go to heaven, but you can’t be sure.” I told him that he could know for sure and he muttered, “Nobody knows for sure.”
Then I opened the Bible on my phone and showed him what 1 John 5:11-13 says. I explained: “See, it doesn’t say hope there, it says know.” Unconvinced, he said, “Like you, my pastor says that we have to have faith, but you really never know whether you’ve been good enough. You may think you have, but who can be sure?”
So, I read it again:
1Jn 5:11-13 (ESV) – And this is the testimony, that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. [12] Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life. [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.
I told him, “that’s why John wrote this letter, that you may know.”
To some, my confidence might seem like cockiness. But I base my words on what God says:
Eph 2:8-9 (ESV) – For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, [9] not a result of works, so that no one may boast.
With job changes and other things, I don’t know what became of the co-worker’s faith. But I hope to share this truth with as many as possible in these last days.
Be Assured:
It’s true. We can’t be good enough. We can never do enough good things. But we can be sure of heaven if we simply believe on the Lord (Acts 16:31).
The New Testament letter of 1 John was written to give believers the assurance of salvation. That assurance can be yours as you take God at His word. Many of life’s situations are uncertain, but we can always be sure that our eternal outcome is settled by the work of Jesus Christ.
If you have Jesus, you have life. Not temporary life, but eternal.
God wants us to be sure of our salvation. We should not live our Christian lives wondering and worrying each day whether or not we are truly saved. That is why the Bible makes the plan of salvation so clear. Believe in Jesus Christ (Jn 3:16; Acts 16:31). “If you declare with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved” (Rom 10:9). Do you believe that Jesus died to pay the penalty for your sins and rose again from the dead (Rom 5:8; 2Cor 5:21)? Do you trust Him alone for salvation? If your answer to these questions is “yes,” you are saved! Assurance means freedom from doubt. Taking God’s Word to heart, eliminates all doubt.
Jesus assures those who believe in Him: “I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand” (Jn 10:28–29). Eternal life is just that—eternal. There is no one, not even yourself, who can take God’s gift of salvation away from you.
Rejoice in what God’s Word is saying to you: instead of doubting, we can live with confidence!
God bless you my friend,
