ASSURANCE OF SALVATION

 1John 5:13;"I write these things to you who believe in the name of the son
 of God so that you may know that you have eternal life"


 Every Christian desires to have assurance of salvation,i.e.the certainty that 
 when Christ returns or when death comes,he or she eill go to be with the Lord  Jesus in heaven(Phi.1:23).Johm;s purpose in writing his first letter is that          
 God's people may have that assurance(1Jn.5:13).Note that nowhere in the 
 letter dies John state that a past experience of conversion constitites an 
 assurance or guatantee of salvation.To assume we possess eternal life based
 solely on a past experience or on a faith that is no longer vital is a grave 
 error.This letter sets out mome ways for us to know that we are in a saving
 relationship with Jesus Christ.

1.We have assurance of eternal life if we believe "in the name of the Son of God"(1Jn.5;13;4:15;5:1,5).There is no eternal life or assirance of salvation
without an earnest faith in Jesus Christ that cinfessess him as Gid's Son,sent
to be our Lord and Savior.

2.We have assurance of eternal life if we are honoring Christ as Lord of our
lives and are sincerely trying to obey his commands.'We know that we have come to know him if we obey hes commands.The man who says,"I know him.
but does nor do what he commands is a liar,and truth is nor in hmin.But if 
anyone obeys hes word,God's love is truly made complete in him.This is how
we know we are in him"(1Jn.2:3-5;3:24;5:2 ;Jn 31,51;14:21-24;15:9-14,Heb 5:9).

 3.We have assurance of eternal life if we love the Father and the Son rather than the world,and if we overcome the influence of tje world."Do not love the world or anything in the world.If anyone loves the worldl,the love of the Father is not in him.For everything in the world --the cravings of sinful man,
the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does--comes not from the Father but from the world"(1Jn 2:15-16).

4.We have assurance of eternal life if we hanitually and persistently practice
righteousness rather than sin.If you know that he is righteous,you know that
everyone who does what is right has been born of him"(1Jn 2:29).On the other
hand,"He who does what is sinful is of the devil"(1Jn 3:7-10).

5.We have assurance of eternal life if we love our brothers and sisters.
"We know that we have passed from death  to life because we love our brothers and sisters-This then is how we know that we belong to the truth,and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence(1Jn.3:14,19;2:9-11).

6.We have assurance of eternal life if we are conscious of the Holy Spirit dwelling within us."And this is how we know that (Jesus)lives in us:we know it by the Spirit he gave us"(1 Jn.3:24).Again,we know that we live in him and he in us,because he has given us of his Spirit"(1 Jn.4:13).

7.We have assurance of eternal life if we strive to follow Jesus' example and lives as he lived,"whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did'(1Jn.2:6;Jn 8:12).