Confident in Salvation - April 3

Read 1 John 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.

Reflect

Have you ever doubted your salvation? How can you be confident that you are truly saved?

John’s words in today’s verse offer incredible reassurance! He wrote “these things” so that we could KNOW that we have eternal life. What was it that he wrote? Well, I encourage you to read all of the short little letter of 1 John. There are only 5 chapters so you could read a chapter a day and be done in less than a week! I’ll highlight just a few of the confidence boosting verses that John wrote down to reassure us.

First, we can be confident in the testimony of the apostles because they were eyewitnesses. “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life—the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us—that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you.” (1 John 1:1-3).

Not only did the apostles see the risen Savior with their own eyes and touch Him with their own hands, but they never changed their story. They were willing to suffer torture and even martyrdom to proclaim this truth to us!

Second, we can be confident that our sins are forgiven. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).

Third, we can be confident that we are saved if our lives have changed and it is now our desire to keep His commandments and live like He did. “And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments… By this we may know that we are in him: whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked” (1 John 2:3, 5-6).

Of course, we won’t keep every command of God perfectly in this life, but when we sin, we can be confident that He is advocating for us. “My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous” (1 John 2:1).

Fourth, we can be confident that if we have confessed Jesus as our Lord and Savior, then our relationship with God the Father has been restored and we are now right with God. “No one who denies the Son has the Father. Whoever confesses the Son has the Father also” (1 John 2:23) and “Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God” (1 John 4:15).

Fifth, we can be confident that God loves us as His children. “See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called the children of God” (1 John 3:1).

Finally, we can be confident that if we trust in Christ, we will overcome this world! “Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the Father loves whoever has been born of him. By this we know that we love the children of God, we love God and obey his commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome. For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God” (1 John 5:1-5).

Friend, if you have confessed your faith in Jesus Christ as your Savior and the Lord (master) of your life, you are loved, you are forgiven, you have an Advocate, you are right with God, and you have overcome this world. In Him, you can be confident that you have eternal life!

Respond

Lord, thank You for the salvation that I have through Your Son, Jesus Christ. I confess that sometimes my faith is frail and wavers. Please forgive my doubts. Thank You for offering me so much reassurance through Your Word! What a gift to KNOW for SURE that You have given me eternal life in Christ. Amen.

Reveal

Do you know someone who struggles with the assurance of salvation? Pray for that person. Then, send them a verse from 1 John and offer them reassurance of their salvation.