1John 5:13

I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.

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Assurance Of Salvation

Every Christians desires to have the assurance of salvation-the certainty that when Christ returns or when death comes, he or she will go to be with the Lord Jesus in heaven (Philippians 1:23). One of John's primary purposes in writing his first letter is to affirm that God's people can have that assurance-to know beyond a doubt that they are in right relationship with God and headed for heaven (1John 5:13). Notice that John never says in the letter that a past experience of conversion to Christianity or faith in Christ provides a guarantee of salvation. To assume that we are destined for eternal life with God based solely on a past experience or on a faith that is no longer vital and active is a serious error.

Ways To Know That If We Are In A Relationship With God

This letter (of John) points out nine ways for us to know that we are in an authentic, saving relationship with Christ.

(1) We ahve assurance of eternal life if we believe "in the name of the Son of God" (Ijohn 5:13; 4:15; 5:1, 5). There is no eternal life or assurance of salvation without a sincere life-surrendering faith in Jesus Christ that confesses Him as God's Son, send to be our Saviour and Lord.

(2) We have assurance of eternal life if we submit to Jesus as lord-the supreme anthority and leader of our lives-and are sincerely trying to live by His principles and obey His commands. "We know that we have come to know Him if we obey His commands. The man who says 'I know Him', but does not do what He commands is a liar, and the truth is not in Him. But if anyone obeys His Word, God's love is truly made complete in him. This is how we know we are in Him" (1John 2:3-5).

(3) We have an assurance of eternal life if we love the Father and the Son rather than the world and if we depend on God's guidance and power to overcome the world's corrupting influence. "Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For everything in the world-the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does-comes not from the Father but from the world" (1John 2:15-16).

(4) We have an assurance of eternal life if we consistently and persistently do what is right by God's standard. "If you know that He is righteous, you know that everyone who does what is right has been born of him" (1John 2:29). "Yet, he who does what is sinful is of the devil" (3:7-10).

(5) We have an assurance of eternal life if we show true love for others. "We know that we have passed from death to life because we love our brothers ... This then is how we know that we belong to the truth, and how we set our hearts at rest in His presence" (1John 3:14, 19).

(6) We have the assurance of eternal life if we are conscious of the Holy Spirit living within us. "And this is how we know that He [Jesus Christ] lives in us: We know it by the Spirit He gave us" (1John 3:24). "We know that we live in Him and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit" (4:13).

(7) We have an assurance of eternal life if we humbly follow Jesus' example. "Whoever claims to live in Him must walk as Jesus did" (1John 2:6).

(8) We have assurance of eternal life if we believe, accept and remain in right relation to the "Word of life"-Jesus Christ (1John 1:1)-and base our lives on His original message as found in the New testament. "See that what you have heard from the beggining remains in you. if it does, you also will remain in the Son and in the Father" (2:24).

(9) We have assurance of eternal life if we have a sincere and deep desire and a steadfast hope in Christ's return. "Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when He appears, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. Everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, just as He is pure" (1John 3:2-3).

When we have all these listed above, then the assurance of our Salvation is certain. But the question is do we have these qualities? This is where we should walk on and God will help us through His Spirit, Amen

Thanks for reading.
God bless you.
Shalom.

[NIV Study Edition Bible]

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