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Salvation: Means of Knowing

“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.” 1 John 5:13

This sentence tells why John wrote this short letter. He wanted the readers to know, and how they could know, that they had eternal life. If you are doubtful about your eternal life please read the letter of 1 John through five times, marking the phrases that describe you, both positive and negative. Since I am not confident you will read 1 John I am going to quote a few of these phrases. There are more. There is not much wiggle room so don’t try to wiggle. You might find out you have not been “born again” even though you thought you had been.


Obedience as a means of knowing

“We know that we have come to know him if we obey his commands.” 1 John 2:3

“But if anyone obeys his word, God's love is truly made complete in him. This is how we know we are in him: Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did.” 1 John 2:5, 6

“No one who lives in him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen him or known him.” 1 John 3:6

“No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God's seed remains in him; he cannot go on sinning, because he has been born of God.” 1 John 3:9

“We know that anyone born of God does not continue to sin; the one who was born of God keeps him safe, and the evil one cannot harm him.” 1 John 5:18


Loving our brothers as a means of knowing

“We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love our brothers. Anyone who does not love remains in death. Anyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life in him.” 1 John 3:14, 15

“Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.” 1 John 4:7, 8

“And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him.” 1 John 4:16

“If anyone says, "I love God," yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen.” 1 John 4:20


The Holy Spirit is a means of knowing

“We know that we live in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit.” 1 John 4:13


Acknowledging that Jesus is the Son of God is a means of knowing

“If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in him and he in God.” 1 John 4:15

“Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves the father loves his child as well.” 1 John 5:1

“Who is it that overcomes the world? Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.” 1 John 5:5

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