ASSURANCE OF ETERNAL LIFE

Main Readings: 1 John 5:1-16, Acts 1:6-8

Anybody who has really given his or her life over to God though Jesus has felt the need of assurance of eternal life (also called assurance of salvation) at a point in time. This is because coming to Christ involves leaving some unrighteous lifestyle and support system to put your trust entirely in Jesus in order to inherit eternal life. The question tends to be “What in this life will guarantee that God has received me and written my name down in the Book of Life?” (Mat 19:27-29, Ac 1:6-8). When these questions are answered correctly and the person knows that he or she has eternal life, he or she is no longer afraid to lay down his or life down also for Christ. In our zeal to assure converts of their security in Christ, we sometimes erroneously point to promises made to Israel under the Old Covenant as assurance of such security (See Deut 28:1-14). Eternal life however is a far greater promise made under the Old Covenant and its assurance is quite different from that of those who were promised the Land of Canaan. This sermon focuses on the need for assurance of eternal life and the answers given, especially in Apostle John’s first letter. John states that his reason for writing the letter was to assure the readers that they have eternal life (5:13), and the evidence is in their changed character, selfless love, gracious prayer attitudes and sustained faith in Jesus:

Transformed Character is Evidence of Eternal Life

 This is because God is light (holy) and it is only those who have fellowship with light that can radiate light (righteousness). Those who do God’s will therefore have assurance that they will abide forever (See Joh 2:3, 4, 17). Indeed Jesus taught that it is those with excellent character (bearing the fruit of the Spirit) that should count themselves blessed, because they will inherit the Kingdom of Heaven (Mat 5:3-13/Gal 5:22-23). He taught also that a person’s life (temporal or eternal) is not in the abundance of his possessions, since one can have all the comforts of this life and still lose his soul (Luke 12:15-21)

Selfless Love is Evidence of Eternal Life

 If we find ourselves loving other persons, especially believers with genuine love, it is evidence of eternal life, because love is as natural to God and his children as hatred is natural to the devil and those who are in the world (1 Joh 3:11-12). The God kind of love active in us makes us ready to lay down our lives for others (3:14)

Our esteem and love for other believers as members of one Body of Christ is also a key aspect of this evidence. It manifests in our readiness to supply their needs from our substance, and take the first steps of kindness and forgiveness towards them without any selfish motive (4: 7, 12, 13 cf. Mat 19:29)

Such love is what helps us separate false prophets from the genuine, because those who have it testify that they have first received His love (4: 12, 13, 19) It is required of us in this world to give us boldness on the judgment day, because it is what makes us resemble God, “as He is, so are we in this world” (4:17)

Our capacity to love as God did is evidence of eternal life because it is only the presence of the Spirit of God in a person that makes him or her capable of loving even his or her enemies and seek their welfare (4:12,13, Mat 5:44-45, Eph 1:13,14, 4:30)

Gracious Prayer Attitude is Evidence of Eternal Life

When we pray as children of God talking to their loving Father, who is also willing to save every person who comes to Him, it is another indication that we have eternal life. Such prayer has the following features:

1.      We pray confidently and according to God’s will, not merely according to what we like (5:14, 15 cf. Jam 4:1-3)

2.      We have no need of doubting or employing elaborate gimmicks in the try-and-error fashion in order to be heard. (5:14, 15 contrast with Mat 6:7, 8).

3.      We forgive and intercede even as Christ did (5:16,cf Isa 53:12, Lk 23:34, Mt 6:12,14)

Sustained Faith in Christ Jesus is Evidence of Eternal Life

 Our belief in Christ as the only begotten Son of God given for the removal of our sins is an evidence that we have eternal life because that is the same claim that God makes about Jesus (5:10-12). It is this belief that paves the way for the Holy Spirit/the Seed of God to live in us, and commence the formation of Christ’s nature in us, giving us power to overcome sin and to testify about Him (3:9, 5:4, Ac 1:8, 3:38). Such faith is certainly not the idle academic mental agreement, but that which has resulted in the person repenting of sin and surrendering to live entirely for Christ (See Mat 11:28-29, Mk 16:15, 16)

Conclusion

Assurance of eternal life is taught to converts as priority. Care should always be taken to separate the promises under the two Covenants because the prosperity in earthly life that was promised under the law has a very strong pull of its own, although it does not guarantee eternal life. The greater promise of eternal life is a New Covenant promise that is guaranteed by faith in Jesus made evident in a transformed character, pure love for others and graciousness in prayer.