Certainty About Salvation 

1 John 5:13

One of the main reasons many Christians fail to serve the Lord joyfully is their uncertainty about where they stand with God. They may not understand the overarching nature of their relationship with God. As a result, they don’t want to commit themselves fully to His service. You probably see this hesitancy played out in day-to-day life all the time.

Perhaps you know a man and a woman who are an “on again, off again” couple. They seem to dance around the idea of a relationship. But neither seem able to fully commit. It’s difficult to make a life-changing commitment when you’re not sure how the other person feels about you.

The same thing holds true in your life of faith as well. No one wants a spouse—or a Savior—who could leave at any time, for any reason. We want certainty. When that’s missing, the whole context of the relationship is out of balance. The apostle John was surely thinking about this as the Holy Spirit inspired him to write the beautiful words of encouragement in 1 John 5:13. What was his purpose in writing? “That you may know that you have eternal life.”

John was writing to bring certainty to uncertain believers. He wanted them to know there was no “off again” time for anyone who had engaged in a relationship with the Father. Because God is your constant companion, you can trust that He is faithful—eternally.