That You May Know You Are Saved

1 John 5:13

John says he wrote this epistle so we may know that we are saved. We can use the many comparisons he makes to examine ourselves in the light of the Word to know if we are truly followers of Christ or if we deceive ourselves.

Matthew 7:21-23 Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven…then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me you who practice lawlessness.’
2 Corinthians 13:5 Examine yourself to see if you are in the faith.
2 Peter 1:10 Be all the more diligent to make certain about His calling and choosing you.

1 and 2 John make some very black and white statements that are hard hitting to not allow you to make excuses for the grey area in your life, but to be sure you are on the narrow path (Matthew 7).

Distinct from the world
James 4:4, 1 John 2:15, Romans 8:7 Not of the world
2 Corinthians 2:15, Ezekiel 11:19, 36:26 New Heart with New Desires
Matthew 5:13,14 Salt and light, No secret Christians. We add flavor, burn wounds, light that cannot be hidden
2 Corinthians 2:16 Sweet Aroma to believers and Aroma of death to non-believers

Obedient to God’s Commands
See 10 Commandments Exodus 20
Matthew 5-7 Sermon on the mount. Lust is adultery of the heart. Hatred is murder of the heart. Hypocricy cannot fool God.
1 John 2:3 By this we know that we know him, if we keep his commandments.
James 2:17 Faith without works is dead.
1 John 5:3 This is how we know we love God, we keep His commands and they are not burdensome. It is a delight to obey Him.
2 John 6 This is love, that we walk according to His commandments.

Attitude toward Sin
1 John 1:6-8 If we say we are Christians but continue to walk in sin, we are lying to ourselves. If we deny or make excuses for our sin we are also deceived. Christ is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Both Christians and non-Christians are filthy sinners. The difference is that the non-believer makes excuses for his sin while the believer confesses immediately, repents, and grows in righteousness. Believers struggle with sin because they despise it, they want to rid their lives of it; non-believers embrace and excuse it. Believers still sin, but as time progresses, they increase in holiness (decreasing the frequency of their sin).


Loving Others
1 John 2:9,10 He that loves his brother abides in the light. If you say you love Christ and aren’t loving to your brother you are a liar.
1 John 1:3 If we have fellowship with Christ we have fellowship with other believers and love to be with other believers (no matter what other differences we may have).

Correct Doctrine (this isn’t necessarily a list of basic doctrines, but an emphasis on the importance of a correct understanding of who God is)
1 John 2:22-23 Those who deny Jesus is the Messiah deny the Father and the Son. He who confesses the Son has the Father.
1 John 4:2 Confessing that Jesus came in the flesh (not some disembodied spirit)
1 John 5:1 You must believe that Jesus is the Messiah and you will then be born of God.
2 John 9 If you don’t have the fundamental doctrines of Christ you do not know God.

Perseverence
1 John 5:4 Whoever is born of God overcomes the world.
1 John 2:19 They fell away because they weren’t really with us in the first place.

Sincere Worship
Matthew 6 Not superficial like Pharisees who just acted spiritual to attract attention.
Desires to sing praises to God. Loves to come together with others in worship. The Psalms are great expressions of a heart worshipping God.

You Thirst for Gods Word
1 Peter 2:1-3 Desire the pure milk of the word that you may grow, tasted an seen that the Lord is good.
Job 23:12 I have treasured the words of His mouth more than my necessary food.
Psalm 1:1,2 Delight in the word, meditate on it day and night
Psalm 19:7-11 The law converts the soul, rejoices in your heart and enlightens your eyes.
1 Corinthians 2:14 God has opened your eyes and the Holy Spirit reveals things to you in His word that you never realized before.

Subjective Assurance
2 Corinthians 1:12 Our conscience tells us we are following the Spirit
1 John 5:10 The Holy Spirit bears witness to our heart
Romans 8:14-16 We have confidence to come before a righteous God and call him Father.

Assurance of Salvation isn’t based on your baptism, saying a prayer, or growing up in a Christian family. Biblical assurance is based on God growing you in holiness, obedience, love for others, love for His word and true teaching, and perseverance to the end. The evidence of salvation is the manifestation of godly living proving we have been transformed from the inside out. This lesson is meant to encourage us to confess our sins to each other and encourage one another to grow in the fruits, showing we truly have repented. Read through all 5 chapters of 1 John on your own with a prayerful heart and ask God to reveal to you where you fall short and for Him to grow you in that area.