Assurance of Salvation: How To Reassure a Condemning Heart 1 John 3:19-20, 5:13 Nick Peterson

1 John 5:13 – I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God that you may know that you have eternal life.

1 Corinthians 13:5 - Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you fail to meet the test!

Relationship with Jesus (See 2:15-17; 2:23; 3:2-3; 4:2-3; 4:15; 5:1; 5:5; 5:11-13) 4:15 - Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. 5:1 - Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God 5:11-13 - And this is the testimony, that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life. I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life.

Examine Yourself Do I agree with the truth about Jesus? Do I trust in the saving work of Jesus?   Do I love and follow Jesus?

Relationship with Sin and God’s Commands (see 1:5-2:6; 2:29; 3:4-10; 3:24; 5:2-3; 5:18) 1:5 This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. 6 If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. 7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. 8 If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us. 2:1 My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. 2 He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world. 3 And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments. 4 Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, 5 but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him: 6 whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.

Examine Yourself Do I agree with what God says about sin and my own personal sinfulness? Do I desire to know and obey God’s commands, as revealed in His Word? Is the pattern of my life remorse when I sin, a desire to kill sin, and growing in obedience?

Relationship with other Christians (See 2:9-11; 3:10; 3:11-19; 4:7-12; 4:20-21; 5:1) 11 For this is the message that you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another. 12 We should not be like Cain, who was of the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own deeds were evil and his brother's righteous. 13 Do not be surprised, brothers, that the world hates you. 14 We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers. Whoever does not love abides in death. 15 Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him. 16 By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. 17 But if anyone has the world's goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God's love abide in him? 18 Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.

Examine Yourself Do I desire to be with other Christians? Do I desire to help them and be helped by them? Do I make efforts to care for their needs, even at significant cost to myself?

Reassure your Heart - 1 John 3:16-20 16 By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. 17 But if anyone has the world's goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God's love abide in him? 18 Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth. 19 By this we shall know that we are of the truth and reassure our heart before him; 20 for whenever our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and he knows everything.