Sure of Salvation • 1 John 5:1-5, 11-13, 18-21
By Laura Lee Leathers
Over the past five weeks, we have looked at things we can know for sure. As stated previously, the Apostle John gives us a test consisting of five parts: faith, life, love, growth, and sin. I called it the HIL (How I Live) test.
Today, we wrap up our study in 1 John with this eternal question: How can you know for sure that Jesus is your Lord and Savior? In other words, as I heard one pastor say, “Do you know that you know that you know?”
I can know I am born of God because Jesus is the Christ (1 John 5:1-5 NKJV). In the first verse, John addresses faith. The word, “believe,’ in Greek means to put one’s faith in, to trust, or to entrust. When an individual places their faith and trust in Jesus, the individual “is born of God,” and once again John makes it clear you can’t love Jesus without loving the One who begot Him, the Father.
Repeatedly throughout this epistle we see the phrase, “By this we know.” What is John referencing? “We love the children of God when we love God and keep His commands” (v.2). It is a natural outflow.
Obedience is evident when a Believer keeps God’s commandments. John writes, “…and His commandments are not burdensome.” Instead, as we learn to obey His commands we realize those commandments are for our protection, promote knowledge and wisdom, and build trust.
Take a moment and make a list of the many different names used in the Bible to describe a Believer. Did you have Christian, Christ-follower, children of God, children of light, brothers and sisters, saints, sheep, holy ones? And did you list “overcomer?”
Look at the last two verses of this section. In Greek, “overcomes” is nikao, and it means “to conquer; to have victory.” The person who “is born of God overcomes the world.”
In John 16:33, Jesus told His disciples, “I have overcome the world.” Jesus overcame Satan, death, sin, and the law. Because a Believer is in Christ, they too have overcome the world.
The Apostle Paul wrote, “Yet, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us” (Rom. 8:37). He further writes there is nothing that can separate us from the love of God. In Christ, we are victorious here and now. Our victory began the moment we surrendered our lives to Christ.
Perhaps we need to step back and ask ourselves, “Am I living as a victor, or a defeatist? How do you know you are an overcomer? If you believe Jesus is the Son of God, you are an overcomer. Also, look at Rev. 12:11; 15:2; 21:7; and 1 Cor. 15:54.
I can know I have eternal life because God’s Word says so (1 John 5:11-13). What is the testimony John is referencing in verse 11? It’s the water (Matt. 3:3-17), the blood (John 12:28-33), and the Holy Spirit (John 15:26; 16:1-4).
These all bear witness to the Son. “God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son.” The next verse contrasts those who have the Son and those who don’t. Life is found only in Jesus.
“These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God” (v. 13). This is the key verse for our lesson, but most importantly for our lives. We can know!
I can know I am saved because my life has changed (1 John 5:18-21). Stop! Now go back and re-read the focal passages. How many times do you see the phrase “…is born of God?” Whoever is born of God believes Jesus is the Christ, overcomes the world, does not make disobedience (sin) a pattern in their life, and knows Satan has no authority or power over the individual.
Believers live with confidence because they know God is the ultimate source of truth. Take a moment to ponder this quote from pastor and author John MacArthur: “No one is harder to reach than a false Christian.”
Take the HIL test. Have you genuinely placed your faith in Christ? Does your life reflect the change? “Look, now is the acceptable time; now is the day of salvation” (2 Cor. 6:2b). He is faithful and trustworthy! By His grace, salvation is sure!
Leathers is a member of First Church, Lexington. She may be contacted at laura.l.leathers@gmail.com.
