Assurance of Salvation
1 John 5
12/2/12 A.M.
INTRO: Many times you may ask someone if they know that they will go to heaven. To that question you may receive varying responses. Such as I hope so, our I think I have been good enough or no one can really know if they have eternal life and will go to heaven. As believers one can know they have eternal life and will go to heaven, this truth is found in 1 John 5.
CORE: As a believer in Jesus Christ you need to be able to have that assurance and show others that they too can know how to have that type of assurance of salvation. You need to be able to take them to the passage and clearly show them God says they can know they have eternal life. That is what I am showing you today.
I. In verse 13 of 1st John 5, the Apostle John says “These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.”
A. John says he wrote these things so that we may know we have eternal life, so what did he write?
1. First the whole book of 1st John
2. For the sake of time our main focus is from the beginning verses in chapter 5.
3. We must understand this was written as a letter with no chapters and verses.
4. So John wrote a letter and men went in and divided it into chapters and verses.
B. Let’s center in on Chapter 5.
1. Verse 1 states if we believe that Jesus is the Christ born of God
2. If we love Him (God The Father) that begat
3. We Love Him who was begotten (Jesus)
4. Therefore if we Love God the Father we Love God the Son and according to verse 13 this is proof that we have eternal life.
C. If we love the Father and the Son then we love the Children of God.
1. We love the Children of God when we keep God’s commandments.
2. In John 5 verse 12 and 17 Christ said this is my commandment that ye Love on another.
3. 1 John 3:23 tells us God’s commandment for us today.
4. “And this is his commandment that we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment.”
D. Isn’t that a great commandment to keep?
1. Believe on Christ first and foremost
2. Then Love one another.
3. That is God’s commandment for us.
4. Then verse 2 says keep His commandments this would be what John was referring too. The new Commandment from Christ in John 5 “LOVE ONE ANOTHER” and that of 1 John 3:23 “we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ”
II. God’s commandments are not grievous.
A. Verse 3 tells us God’s Love is that we keep His commandments
1. His commandments aren’t grievous
2. How can Believing on Christ
3. And how can loving one another be Grievous?
4. They can’t can they?
B. Then we see John state that we overcome the world if we are born of God.
1. The new birth
2. Comes by believing on Jesus Christ
3. We overcome the world
4. By our Faith in Christ. Verse 4 tells us.
C. Who overcomes the world verse 5 ask.
1. He that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God.
2. When John states in Verse 13 that what He wrote gives one assurance of eternal life this is what he was talking about.
3. Eternal life comes through believing on the name of the Son of God.
4. That is Jesus.
D. This is He that came by water and blood.
1. He came by being born physically.
2. Water and the blood.
3. The Spirit beareth witness to the fact.
4. Because the Spirit is truth. Verse 6 makes this very clear.
III. Three bear witness in heaven AND IN Earth.
A. The Father bears witness
1. The one who begat bears witness
2. Of the one begotten.
B. The Word bears witness
1. God the Son bears witness
2. of Himself
C. The Spirit bears witness
1. He reveals that the Son
2. Jesus came in the flesh
D. There are Three that bear witness in earth
1. The Holy Spirit He bears this witness in the written word that word is the truth.
2. The water
3. The blood
4. These three agree in one.
IV. God’s witness is greater than man’s. Verse 9.
A. If we receive man’s witness
1. God’s witness is greater.
2. Greater is He that is in me than He that is in the world. 1 John 4:4
3. The Holy Spirit bears witness with our spirit that we are the children of God Romans 8:16
4. John said we are children because we believe.
B. 1 Corinthians 2:9-15 makes it clear that the Spirit bears that witness:
1. 9 But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.10 But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God
2. 11 For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? Even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. 12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.
3. 13 Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. 14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
4. 15 But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man 16 for who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.
5. The Spirit is revealing the deep things of God to us.
6. By the written word and His presence in our hearts.
C. God’s witness is testified by the Holy Spirit.
1. The Holy Spirit is God
2. Just as the Son and the Father are God.
D. The Father has testified of His Son.
1. This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased. Mt. 3:17; 17:5; Mark. 1:11; 2 Ptr. 1:17.
2. Psalms 101:1 we are told that The LORD (God the Father) told my Lord (Jesus ) to sit thou at my right hand
3. Acts and Romans tell us Christ is at the Fathers Right Hand.
4. 2 Corinthians 6, Ephesians 1, Colossians 3 and Hebrews 1 all tell us that Christ is at the right hand of the Father. What greater witness can there be than the witness of God and the written word of God?
V. We have the witness in ourselves we are told.
A. Verse 10 He who believeth on the Son hath the witness in Himself
1. Ephesians 1: 12 “That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ. 13 In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise, 14 Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.”
2. Sealed by the Holy Spirit who indwells all who believe on Jesus Christ.
B. Those who believe not make him a liar.
1. Because they believe not the record of God
2. The record God gave His Son.
C. What is that record He gave us?
1. Eternal life.
2. Verse 11 tells us
3. That not only is the record eternal life
4. But that life is in His Son
D. He that hath the Son hath Life. Verse 12
1. You have eternal life if you have received the Lord Jesus as your Savior.
2. You don’t have Eternal Life with the Father if you haven’t received the Son.
3. If you don’t have Christ you are condemned already
4. Scripture is clear in John 3:18 those who believe not are condemned already.
5. They are condemned because of unbelief.
6. They are condemned we are told by the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. John 3:16 He said “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
7. Verse 17 Christ came into the world not to condemn the world but that the world through Him might be saved.
8. But verse 18 is clear if you reject, if you fail to believe on Christ then you are condemned already, because of that unbelief.
VI. Verse 13 that is why John wrote these things.
A. That you might know that you have eternal life.
1. Scripture is clear eternal life comes by Faith in Christ.
2. If you have believed on the Lord Jesus Christ you have eternal life.
B. Notice John didn’t say you had to do any work for that Salvation.
1. Believe and keep the commandment of God
2. God’s Commandment Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved.
C. Then Love one another
1. Love as Christ Loved you
2. Love as God the Father so Loved the World.
D. Nothing connected with works is seen for salvation.
1. No where are we told to work for our salvation
2. Nor are we told we must be good enough for that Salvation
Conclusion: John says he wrote these things so we would know we had eternal life, He wrote to those who believe on the name of the Son of God, Jesus Christ. The question is have you ever believed on the Son of God, have you ever called upon the name of the Lord for Salvation? If you haven’t you are condemned already, not my words Christ words in John 3:18. If the Holy Spirit is convicting you please call on the Lord, it’s simple just admit you are a sinner in need of salvation, believe that Jesus paid that price and call out to God telling Him you are sinner in need of salvation and you believe Jesus is the one who paid the price for your sins, in order that you can be saved. Those who believe can know they have eternal life, are you one of those who can know? If not do something about it this Morning Admit you a sinner, Believe on Christ and Call upon Him for eternal life and then you can know that you will have eternal life just as John spoke of for all who believe.
