1 John : Day 10 : Assurance

Day Ten: Assurance

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.  And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us.  And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him.

If anyone sees his brother committing a sin not leading to death, he shall ask, and God will give him life—to those who commit sins that do not lead to death. There is sin that leads to death; I do not say that one should pray for that.  All wrongdoing is sin, but there is sin that does not lead to death.

We know that everyone who has been born of God does not keep on sinning, but he who was born of God protects him, and the evil one does not touch him.

We know that we are from God, and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one.

And we know 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, in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life. Little children, keep yourselves from idols.

1 John 5:13-21 (ESV)

As we conclude our study in 1 John, verse 13 sums up the reason John wrote this epistle; “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.”  This book was not meant to put an unbearable expectation on us, it was written to give us assurance of our salvation.

We were not just saved from our sins.  Whatever sin you have struggled with or dealing with right now does not define you.  Our identity is not in our fallen past, it is in Christ.  While we have been saved from our sinful past and nature, we are also saved to being sons and daughters of God the Father.  We must remember that we did not save ourselves.  

For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.  For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. (Ephesians 2:8-10 ESV)

Let me ask you a question; if we can’t save ourselves, can we lose our salvation?  

“[…] I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand.  My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand.  I and the Father are one.” (John 10:28-30 ESV)

When John his account of the Gospel, the Greek words he used for “no one will snatch” are ou tis dunamai harpazō, which should actually read absolutely no one nor thing can seize by force.  Nothing can make us lose our salvation.  If you still are not convinced, read what Paul has to say; “For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:38-39 ESV).  I think this passage makes it abundantly clear.  

The theological term for this is perseverance of the saints, or colloquially referred to as, “once saved, always saved.”  This is a huge deal.  This takes such a burden off of us.  We do not have to constantly appease God out of fear of damnation, that is what makes Christianity so different than any other religion.  God delights in us because we are His children, not because we earned His favor.  This should be encouraging that your identity in Christ is permanent, it is irrevocable.

As we finish this series, I invite you to read the lyrics to this beautiful hymn, “Blessed Assurance,” and meditate on them.  

1. Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine!
Oh, what a foretaste of glory divine!
Heir of salvation, purchase of God,
Born of His Spirit, washed in His blood.

o Refrain:
This is my story, this is my song,
Praising my Savior all the day long;
This is my story, this is my song,
Praising my Savior all the day long.

2. Perfect submission, perfect delight,
Visions of rapture now burst on my sight;
Angels, descending, bring from above
Echoes of mercy, whispers of love.

3. Perfect submission, all is at rest,
I in my Savior am happy and blest,
Watching and waiting, looking above,
Filled with His goodness, lost in His love.