How You Can Know You Have Eternal Life
God gives believers a written basis for knowing that they possess eternal life. Assurance rests on His testimony concerning His Son and His promise to the believer.
- See that Scripture says believers can know they have eternal life.
- Learn to distinguish the basis of salvation from evidence, feelings, or growth.
- Use God's promise to answer doubts.
- Practice asking the right assurance questions.
God gave a written record so believers may know
1 John 5:9 If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater: for this is the witness of God which he hath testified of his Son.
1 John 5:10 He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son.
1 John 5:11 And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.
1 John 5:12 He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.
1 John 5:13 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.
Verse 13 says that ye may know that ye have eternal life. This knowledge rests on the record God gave of His Son.
Assurance looks to Christ's promise
John 6:47 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life.
John 3:36 He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.
If you want to know whether you have everlasting life, begin where Jesus begins: Do you believe on the Son? Assurance takes God's promise seriously and rests on His Word.
Build assurance on God's promise
Christian growth, good works, and obedience matter. Assurance rests on God's promise concerning His Son. Feelings and performance change from week to week; the written promise of God remains sure.
The written promise is stronger than fluctuating emotion. A believer should examine his life for growth for many purposes—correction, wisdom, stewardship, fellowship—but the question “Do I have eternal life?” is answered first by the promise of God to the believer.
Ask what you are trusting
A useful assurance question is: What are you trusting to get you to heaven? If the answer finally rests on your goodness, baptism, church membership, ability to persevere, prayer, or reform, your confidence is still partly in yourself. The gospel calls you to rest your confidence in Jesus Christ and His finished work.
Another helpful question is: If God asked why He should let you into heaven, what would you point to? The gospel answer points to Christ and His finished work.
Doubt is answered with truth
A believer can experience doubt for many reasons: fear, bad teaching, emotional distress, awareness of personal failure, or confusion about a difficult passage. Return to the clear promises. Read the gospel again. Ask what Christ promised to the believer. Let the clearer passages govern your understanding.
Assurance and humility belong together
Biblical assurance produces confidence in Christ. A believer can say, “I know I have eternal life,” because he believes God's record concerning His Son.
Compare Scripture with Scripture
Scripture trail: 1 John 5:9 • 1 John 5:10 • 1 John 5:11 • 1 John 5:12 • 1 John 5:13 • John 6:47 • John 3:36 • 1 John 5:9, 1 John 5:10, 1 John 5:11, 1 John 5:12 • John 3:16
Do not rush past the references. Open them, read the surrounding verses, and make the Bible carry the weight of the conclusion.
Think it through
- Which words in these passages state what God has done, and which words state what the sinner must believe?
- Where does the text place works, religious rituals, or human merit in relation to receiving eternal life?
- Could you use these passages to explain the gospel clearly without adding another saving condition?
Teach it back
Without looking at the lesson explanation, summarize How You Can Know You Have Eternal Life in two or three sentences and support your explanation from Scripture. If you cannot explain it simply yet, return to the passages and work through them again.
Slow down and work the text
Reopen 1 John 5:9, 1 John 5:10, 1 John 5:11, 1 John 5:12. Read enough before and after each verse to see the setting. Do not settle for remembering a slogan when you can inspect the wording for yourself.
- Write the main claim of How You Can Know You Have Eternal Life in one sentence.
- Underline or write down the exact words in the passages that support that claim.
- Compare at least two of the passages. What truth becomes clearer when they are read together?
- Ask what could be misunderstood if one phrase were isolated from its context.
- State clearly what a sinner must believe to be saved, and keep works or religious rituals out of the saving condition.
If you have believed on Jesus Christ for eternal life, God wants you to know that you have eternal life. Assurance rests on God's testimony and Christ's promise, not on your ability to maintain a perfect record.
- Why were the words of 1 John 5:13 written to believers?
- Where does 1 John 5:11 say eternal life is found?
- What does John 6:47 promise to the believer?
- Why is personal performance an unstable foundation for assurance?
- In one sentence, what are you trusting for eternal life?
How to Explain the Gospel Clearly
25 min