6. Sure of Salvation
Question 1:
When have you had a warranty
that really paid off?
THE BIBLE MEETS LIFE
We value guarantees, but how do we know if a religion actually delivers on what it promises? Many religions claim to offer people a way to God, but how do you know you will actually reach God or attain eternal life?
Islam teaches that paradise awaits those who are obedient to the practices of Islam, but it offers no guarantee that a Muslim has obeyed enough to “make it.”
Hinduism says reincarnation might eventually get you to enlightenment. However, if a Hindu thinks he will be continually reincarnated, how can he possibly know he’s ever reached enlightenment?
Even cults that include a belief in Jesus add an element of works to what is required to go to heaven. What they cannot offer is any assurance that you’ve done enough to reach heaven.
The Christian life points us to Christ as the only path to salvation and a relationship with God. We can add nothing to it! When we simply trust what Christ has done, we can be assured of a relationship with God.
THE POINT
We can be sure God saves us
when we trust in Christ.
WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?
1 John 5:1-5
1 Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves the father loves his child as well. 2 This is how we know that we love the children of God: by loving God and carrying out his commands. 3 In fact, this is love for God: to keep his commands. And his commands are not burdensome, 4 for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. 5 Who is it that overcomes the world? Only the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.
John presented a triad of assurances: the assurance of our faith, the assurance of our love, and the assurance of our obedience. The first of these—faith—is based on what we believe. If the object of our faith is wrong, then everything else will be wrong. It is impossible to be filled with the Spirit of God and His love if the object of our faith is an erroneous view of Christ. Everything rises or falls on Christ.
On the other hand, if we believe correctly about Christ, trusting in Him as Lord and Savior, then we can be assured of the new birth. Our faith—our trust in the truth of Christ—is evidence of the new birth. And tied to our faith is our love and obedience. What we believe determines how we live.
Through the new birth, the curse of the old life is broken. John wrote, “Everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith” (v. 4). The world refers to the darkness of Satan’s realm. Christ is the sovereign Lord, victorious over the world, and believers also are victorious through their faith in Jesus.
Question 2:
How can you tell someone
is born of God?
The evidence that Jesus is the Christ is overwhelming. For example:
- Jesus pointed to Himself as God in human flesh (John 8:58; 10:30).
- Jesus was explicitly identified as God by the apostles John and Paul, two men who encountered Jesus (John 1:1; Rom. 9:5; Phil. 2:5-6; Col. 1:15; Titus 2:13).
- Jesus was described with divine attributes: omnipresent (Matt. 28:19-20), eternal (John 1:1-2), omnipotent (5:19), omniscient (16:30), and unchanging (Heb. 1:12).
- Jesus manifested divine prerogatives: He forgave sins (Matt. 9:2) and raised the dead (John 11:38-44).
- Jesus accepted divine worship and honor (Matt. 14:33, 28:9).
All these truths (and many more) point to Jesus as the Christ. Consequently, those who trust in Him are born of God.
1 John 5:11-13
11 And this is the testimony: God has given 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 so that you may know that you have eternal life.
God is faithful in His Word to encourage believers. He does not want Christians limping along in uncertainty. Twice in this short epistle, John referred to believers as conquerors (1 John 4:4; 5:5). God wants our lives to match our new identity. We are no longer lost enemies of God; we are conquerors in Christ, and we can know we have eternal life because God’s Word says so.
God’s Word teaches that every believer has eternal life in His Son. This is a life that will never fade, nor can it be taken away. You can lose your finances, your health, or your loved ones, but not your life in Christ. Your life in Christ is secured in heaven, guarded, and kept by God Himself (1 Pet. 1:4-5).
John’s whole point of writing this short letter was that we may know we have eternal life in Christ. “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” (v. 13). Under the direction of the Holy Spirit, John wrote we can be sure of salvation, but this isn’t the only place God’s Word confirms the security believers have in Christ.
Jesus stated, “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand” (John 10:27-28). Jesus taught that the power of His hand keeps His followers secure. But it gets even better, because Jesus continued, “My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. I and the Father are one” (vv. 29-30). The double hand of omnipotence is our security! We are kept by both the Father and the Son. And we are not to leave out the Holy Spirit either. “And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation , you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit” (Eph. 1:13). The work of a triune God seals the security of our salvation.
Absolutely nothing can separate us from the salvation we have in Christ. We can know we have eternal life because God’s Word says so. If you have trusted in Christ, you have eternal life. Period. “Whoever has the Son has life.”
Maybe you are overcome with fear and doubt because you have never truly given your life to Christ. If so, then why wait? God loves you, and He showed this love by sending Jesus Christ to die for your sins on the cross. Simply acknowledge that you have sinned against Him and deserve death and separation from Him. Turn to Him by faith, confess with your mouth that He is Lord, tell Him you believe He is God’s Son who died on the cross and rose again. Commit your life to Him.
Question 3:
What does it mean to have life
through the Son?
SIGNS OF SALVATION
Using today’s text, draw a line to match phrases from the Scripture that give us assurance of our salvation.
Those who believe in Jesus Conquers the world
Love for God So you may know you have eternal life
Everyone born of God God has given us eternal life
The testimony Is to keep His commands
These things are written Are born of God
If you need to be born again, pray right now and ask Jesus to save you.
If you are saved, offer a prayer to God thanking Him for Jesus’ salvation.
“To be assured of our salvation is no arrogant stoutness. It is faith. It is devotion. It is not presumption. It is God’s promise.”
AUGUSTINE
1 John 5:18-21
18 We know that anyone born of God does not continue to sin; the One who was born of God keeps them safe, and the evil one cannot harm them. 19 We know that we are children of God, and that the whole world is under the control of the evil one. 20 We know also that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true. And we are in him who is true by being in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life. 21 Dear children, keep yourselves from idols.
In this concluding section, John got straight to the point. The nature of the new birth has an ongoing result. One of the lasting results of the new birth is a repentant life. It is not that believers will never sin, but they will not continually live in sin. Christians are those who continually repent. The new birth produces new behavior.
Because believers are now in Christ, they do not continue in sin, and Jesus—“the One who was born of God”—protects us from Satan’s influence. Christ keeps the Christian from living a sinful lifestyle. The Son of God came to destroy the works of the devil. Consequently, the devil can do nothing to rob the Christian of an eternity with Christ.
Question 4:
How does God protect us
from the evil one?
We are born of God, and He is the Source of our eternal life. Contrast this to the world, which is under the control of the evil one. Jesus came so that we can know the truth. When we trust in Him, we are now in the truth, and this position can never be changed. Those who are genuinely saved have changed lives and changed positions.
Because believers are still tempted to sin, John gave one final exhortation, “Dear children, keep yourselves from idols” (v. 21). When we begin to give our hearts away to other things, we ruin our testimony to the world. Therefore, as Christ keeps us, let us guard our hearts against idols—anything we allow to come between us and our commitment to Christ.
Jesus Christ, in His great love on high, has embraced you, opened His arms to you, and keeps you eternally secure. You can be sure of your salvation when you have trusted in Christ.
Question 5:
How has your life changed since you
first encountered Christ?
LIVE IT OUT
We can be sure God saves us when we trust in Christ. Choose one of the following applications:
Evaluate your life. Does your life reflect the triad of assurance: faith, love, obedience? If you say yes, ask God to help you make the necessary changes in your life to better reflect these salvation qualities.
Align your life. Have you started taking steps in your life to be a faithful witness? Practice sharing your testimony. Download the Life on Mission app (namb.net) on your phone, learn the presentation, and be prepared to share.
Make a difference in someone’s life. Make an intentional effort to lead someone to faith in Christ this week. Set up a coffee or lunch meeting. Make it a priority to share the gospel. Remember, it’s not your job to save them, but God does want you to share. Trust Him for the results.
There are plenty of folks out there telling you how to have a wonderful life, but giving no assurance of life here or in eternity. Jesus assures us of life now and for eternity. Let’s share that truth with others!
