November 11, 2026 | Be Connected
Assurance of Eternal Life
Scripture: 1 John 5:13-15(NIV)
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. 14 This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. 15 And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him.
Devotional
When I read the Scripture verse of the day, these words stand out: "...so that you may know that you have eternal life" (1 John 5:13, emphasis mine).
Can we really know that we have eternal life? How can anyone be certain of their salvation? It feels almost presumptuous, especially in light of Matthew 7, where Jesus warns that many "varsity level" churchgoers are in for a shock on Judgment Day. Jesus says, "Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!" (Matthew 7:23). If those folks will be surprised, shouldn't we be a little less certain?
J.D. Greear, a pastor whose podcast I follow, argues the opposite. He admits to struggling so deeply with doubt that he prayed the sinner’s prayer thousands of times and was baptized four. He eventually wrote a book with the provocative title, Stop Asking Jesus Into Your Heart. While the title sounds all wrong at first, his premise is profound: once you surrender to Christ, you can rest in the gospel assurance that He has already received you.
Some wonder if God wants us to be uncertain—as if we are children who only behave because He is "making a list and checking it twice." If behavior modification were God’s only goal, that kind of fear might work for a while. But eventually, we would wear ourselves out trying to earn His favor and grow to resent His rules.
God doesn't want your resentment; He wants your love. No good father wants his children to live in constant fear of his rejection, nor does he leave them wondering if he intends to return home after a trip. Your Heavenly Father is no different.
The entire book of 1 John, is written to assure believers that they have eternal life and today’s verse is a summary at the conclusion of the book. I encourage you to re-read the first four chapters to know and rest in the assurance that God loves you and, in Him, you are secure.
