ASSURANCE OF SALVATION

First John gives us a lot of tests by which we can know that we are saved (forgiven). For example, if we walk in the darkness, we should not have confidence that we are saved:

·       If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. (1 John 1:6-7)

While our good deeds cannot earn us salvation – it’s a free gift so that no one can boast (Ephesians 2:8-9) – it assures us that we are saved in the same way that a tree bearing apples give us assurance that the tree is an apple tree.

However, none of us are perfect – far from it. How then can we have the assurance that we are saved? John addresses this question in the next two verses:

·       If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:8-9)

We all sin to various degrees, but if we confess our sins – and this has to include a willingness to turn from our sins (repentance) – we can have the assurance than we are both forgiven and completely cleansed of all of our sins. This has been the consistent message of all the Scriptures. King David had confessed:

·       Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man against whom the LORD counts no iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit. For when I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long…I acknowledged my sin to you, and I did not cover my iniquity; I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the LORD,” and you forgave the iniquity of my sin. (Psalm 32:1-4, 5)

However, if we refuse to confess and repent of our sins, John warned:

·       Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments [which accompanies honest confession] is a liar, and the truth is not in him, but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him. (1 John 2:4-5)

To keep His Word is to love the Lord by confessing our sins, of which we have many. When we do this sincerely, we can be assured that we know and love Him, whether we feel it or not. Some of us have an over-active conscience and tend to feel condemned even after we confess our sins. However, John suggested that we need to be reassured by the Word:

·       By this we shall know that we are of the truth and reassure our heart before him; for whenever our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and he knows everything. (1 John 3:19-20)

God’s Word is the ultimate measure of truth and not our conscience. For years, I felt condemned even after I confessed my sins. However, eventually, the Spirit illuminated the Word for me so that I was able to confront my powerful feelings of condemnation and the devil:

·       There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. (Romans 8:1)

His Word decisively declared me free from sin and condemnation, and I no longer feared judgment:

·       By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as he is so also are we in this world. There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love. (1 John 4:17-18)

If we consistently commit ourselves to follow Jesus (Matthew 6:33) and continue to confess our sins when we fail, we can have the assurance that we will not be condemned.

However, this assurance may be a long time in coming. It was for me. However, the Lord wants us to be confident in Him (Hebrew 10:19-22). Therefore, when we pray for this assurance, we are praying according to His will and can be assured that we will receive what we have asked for (1 John 5:14).