The assurance of being in Christ

And this is what God has testified: He has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have God’s Son does not have life. I have written this to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know you have eternal life. And we are confident that he hears us whenever we ask for anything that pleases him. 1 John 5:11-14

There’s nothing that is so important for God than to assure His children of their relationship with Him. The reason why so many Christians would not commit to serve the Lord joyfully and faithfully is because their uncertain about their relationship with God. When you do not completely understand the nature of your relationship with Him, you become tentative to your commitment to serve. You probably see this indecision happening regularly being played out. There will be a man and a woman that is “on” again and “off” again in their relationship. They would not fully commit to a relationship because they are not sure if there is a real relationship that exists between them. Their tendency is to dance around the idea of a permanent relationship. It is difficult to make a life-changing commitment when you’re not sure how the other person feels about you. You do not want a spouse or a Savior who always threaten to leave any time and for any reason. When assurance in a relationship is lacking, the whole framework of the relationship is out of sync. This is what the apostle John, through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, is clearly conveying to his readers; “I have written this to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know you have eternal life” (1 John 5:13). God used John to write these words to assure those who committed their lives that God will not fail them; “That you may know that you have eternal life.” This is what also the apostle Paul is communicating to believers in Rome; “And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:38-39). God through His Word wants believers to understand that if they are in Him, “nothing would separate them from the love of God.” There is assurance and certainty for people that made the decision to accept Christ in their lives as Lord and Savior. Once you know that you are secured in your relationship with God, you will commit yourself to follow and serve Him. You will also have the assurance that God is your constant companion.

Blessings,

Noel De Guzman

www.my-wbc.com