1 John 2:3 And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. 4: He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. 5: But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him. 6: He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.

Introduction

As the apostle John writes this letter, one of his desires for his readers was that they may know whether or not they are truly saved. His desire is to lead his readers to the full assurance of salvation. Regarding salvation and assurance, there are three groups of people. The first group are those who are “sure” but are not saved. These are professing Christians who claim to be saved and yet habitually living in sin. The second group are those who are saved but not sure. These people are true believers, but they lack assurance. The third group are those who are saved and sure. These are true believers who are enjoying the blessed assurance of salvation. This is where we want to be, and this is also my desire for each and every one of us and to be able to sing ...

“Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine!

O what a foretaste of glory divine!”

To be saved and to know for sure that you are saved is a foretaste of Heaven here on earth. To have the assurance of salvation is to experience Heaven on earth. But the question is, is it really possible to have full assurance of my salvation? Is it really possible to know for sure that I am saved, and I am on my way to heaven? If so, how can I know that I know God? How can I be assured that I know Him? How can I be assured that I am a Christian? That’s what we are going to explore today. The blessed assurance of salvation.

In this epistle, the apostle John lays out three tests for knowing that you and I are Christians, namely, the doctrinal test, the moral test, and the social test. The doctrinal test examines what we believe.  This is the test of true belief. Do I believe? The moral test examines how we live. This is the test of true obedience. Do I obey? The social test or relational test examines our relationship with others. This is the test of true love. Do I love? Throughout this epistle you will see John uses these three tests and his goal in presenting these three different tests is to assure Christians while exposing the lies of the false teachers and false professors. Also, understand that the apostle John is not giving these tests so that we will begin to examine others or to judge the rest of our congregation as to how they stand with the Living God, but that you and I might look at ourselves and ask how we stand with the Living God.

Before we proceed, I want to make sure that we understand that the passages we read today have nothing to do with a believer’s security, but with a believer’s assurance. Please don’t confuse assurance of salvation with eternal security. Assurance of salvation is knowing for sure that you are saved and that you have eternal life while eternal security is knowing that you will never lose eternal life and salvation. There are those who teach that you cannot know that you have eternal life and there are also those who teach you can know but can lose eternal life. One has no assurance of salvation and the other has no eternal security. But the good news is that the Bible clearly teaches both assurance of salvation and eternal security. We can know for sure that we have eternal life, and we can be assured that we can never lose it. But today, I want to focus on this truth of assurance of salvation. So, consider with me 1 John 2:3-6 in three headings, namely, the Confidence of the Believers, the Commitment of the Believers, and the Conformity of the Believers.

I – Confidence of the Believers

1 John 2:3 And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. 4: He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.

Is it really possible to have full assurance of one’s salvation? Can I really know that I am saved, and I am on my way to heaven? The apostle John under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit says yes. You and I can have full assurance of our salvation. Isn’t this one of the reasons why he wrote this letter?

1 John 5:13 These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.

As it is possible for a saved person to doubt one’s salvation, it is also possible for a saved person to be fully assured of his or her salvation. Actually, not only does the Bible teach that assurance is possible, but it also encourages us to make every effort to make sure of our salvation. Peter wrote in 2 Peter 1:10, “give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall.” So, assurance is not only possible, but also commanded and encouraged.

There are examples of people in the Bible who have assurance of salvation. My first example is Job. Listen to his testimony in Job 19:25-26, “For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth: And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God.” Another example is David. He says in Psalm 17:15, “As for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness: I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with thy likeness.” He also says in Psalm 23:6, “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.” Another example is the apostle Paul. Paul spoke of this assurance of salvation in 2 Timothy 1:12, “For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.” He also says in Romans 8:38, “For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, 39: Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

These are testimonies of people who are confident in their salvation. They are fully assured of their salvation. And this is not just the experience of great men and women in the Bible, this ought to be the experience of every true child of God. Many times, in my witnessing, I ask people if they are 100% certain of their salvation and that they know beyond the shadow of doubt that they are going to heaven, and the common answer I get is: “I think so,” or “I believe so,” or “I hope so.” I am glad the Bible salvation is not a “Hope So” but a “Know So” salvation. Assurance is a wonderful reality in the Word of God.

My prayer is as we look at this vital subject you will have the full assurance of your salvation today. The importance of this doctrine cannot be overemphasized since in order to have fellowship with God, we must come to the point where we know with certainty that we know God, and that we are in Him. But how do we know that we are truly children of God? How do we know that we have eternal life? How do we know that we have fellowship with the Father and the Son? How do we know that Jesus Christ is our Advocate and our Propitiation? How do we know that we are on our way to heaven and not to hell? We must answer these questions in order to have assurance of salvation.

II – Commitment of the Believers

1 John 2:3 And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. 4: He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. 5: But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him.

Notice how John speaks of salvation in terms of knowing God (verse 3) and being in God (verse 5). Our Lord Jesus Christ also in His great prayer in John chapter 17, describes eternal life and salvation with knowing God and Himself.

John 17:3 And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.

According to our Lord eternal life is not simply eternal existence in Heaven, nor is it just about knowing and believing right doctrines, nor is it about do’s and don’ts. No, eternal life is knowing God and His Son Jesus Christ. Understand that there is a big difference between knowing about a person and knowing that person. You and I may know many things about Abraham Lincoln, by reading history books or watching historical movies about him. But none of us know him personally. We have never met him or spent any time with him. In the same way, you may know a lot about God, but if you have not entered into a personal relationship with Him through faith in Jesus Christ, you do not know God personally. This is what our Lord is saying that Christianity is not just knowing right doctrines, not about do’s and don’ts, not just knowledge about God but in its very core true Biblical Christianity is an intimate and eternal relationship with God that begins by grace through faith in Christ Jesus our Lord.

And now John says, “And hereby we do know that we know him ...” In other words, this is how we know that we know Him; this is how we know that we have a personal relationship with the Father through His Son Jesus Christ—if we keep His commandments. Here John uses the moral test to identify a true Christian. Its focus is upon a person’s moral behavior. It is a test of obedience to the commandments of God. Then he goes on to say in verse 5, those who are in God, those who belong to God keep God’s Word.

John’s point is that only if we obey Him can we claim to know Him and that we are in Him. Now, don’t misunderstand John, he is not saying that we are saved by keeping the commandments of God. John is not talking about how a person come to know God. He is not talking how a person is saved and justified. As we have learned in our lesson on “Justification,” no one is saved by keeping the law.

Galatians 2:16 Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.

So, John is not saying, “If you want to know God, then obey His commandments.” No, that’s not what he is saying. What he is saying is, “This is how you know that you know God—it’s demonstrated in the way that you live; it’s demonstrated in your obedience.”

I like how J Ligon Duncan explains it, “So, it’s very important for us to note that John is not saying that we know God by keeping His commandments. Rather, he is saying, “We know that we know God by keeping His commandments.” Those are two, distinct questions, and we need to keep them distinct. That is, John is not teaching salvation by obedience, nor is he even teaching assurance by obedience; but John is teaching that salvation is evidenced by obedience, and, in turn, that obedience contributes to our assurance.”

If a person claims to know God but his or her life is not changed by knowing Him, that is a sign that that person doesn’t really know God. There is no knowledge of God that does not also lead to the keeping of His commandments. John goes on to warn anyone who claims to know God, and yet does not obey God’s commandment.

1 John 2:4 He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.

We see also Paul giving the same warning in Titus 1:15-16, “Unto the pure all things are pure: but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience is defiled. They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate.” It was Charles Spurgeon, the prince of preachers, who once said, “An unchanged life is the sign of an uncleansed heart.”

The reality of our faith and love for God is demonstrated by keeping the commandments of Christ. That’s what our Lord says in John 14:15 “If ye love me, keep my commandments.”  Then he goes on to say in verse 21 “He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.”

Now, obedience doesn’t mean perfection. John is not calling for perfection. We saw that when he addressed those who say they are without sin (1 John 1:8, 10). No man has ever obeyed God perfectly in his lifetime.  Salvation doesn’t make a man perfect, at least not in this life, but it does begin to change his desire and one of the change desires is to obey what God says in His Word.

Let me say it again, John is not speaking of perfection, but direction. He is calling for assessment of our life’s direction! A true child of God may stumble and fall but if he falls, he will get up and keep on keeping the commandments of God.

Psalm 37:23 The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in his way. 24: Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the LORD upholdeth him with his hand.

That’s our new heart. That’s the perpetual practice of our lives. It’s a new pattern of life for us.

Before I leave this point, look at verse 5 again, “But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him.”

The love of God could refer to either God’s love for us or our love for God. The word ‘perfected’ is the same word that our Lord Jesus used when He cried out from the cross “It is finished!” It means accomplished or brought to completion or brought to the intended goal. In other words, God’s love achieves its purpose when we keep His word. When a person keeps God’s Word, love, whether God’s love for us or our love for Him, accomplishes its intended goal. God’s love achieves its purpose when we keep His word. The end goal of love is obedience. Our Lord affirms it in John 14:15, “If ye love me, keep my commandments.” John 14:23 “... If a man love me, he will keep my words.” Love and obedience go hand in hand.

III – Conformity of the Believers

1 John 2:6 He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.

Here John writes that the one who claims that he or she abides in Christ ought to also walk as Jesus walked. But what does it mean to abide in Christ? The word “abide” means to continue in or to remain and it indicates a close, intimate relationship between the believer and God. It implies fellowship, communion, and dependence. And if we claim we have intimate fellowship with Father and Jesus Christ then according to John, we ought to walk as He walked. Anyone who claims to abide in Christ, that is identified with Christ and have intimate fellowship with Him has a moral responsibility and obligation to walk as Christ walked. We see this idea in 1 Peter 2:21, “For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps.”

As we saw before to “walk’ is an expression repeatedly used in the Scriptures to indicate the entire life. To “walk” is synonymous with live, how you conduct your life, how you live, what you do. So, to “walk as Jesus walked” means to live a life patterned after our Lord. Jesus Christ is to be our example for our spiritual walk. Jesus Christ is the Christian’s example. He is our pattern. Our pattern is not the world. Our pattern or standard is not one another, that would be a very low standard. No, our pattern is Jesus Christ Himself. Paul spoke about this in 1 Corinthians 11:1, “Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ.” “Follow me,” Paul says, “only as I follow Jesus Christ.”

1 John 2:6 He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.

You and I cannot claim to abide in Him, to know Him, to have intimate fellowship with Him unless we behave like Him. Of course, John is not saying that we can perfectly imitate the walk of our Lord. There is no way we can do all that the Lord Jesus Christ did. The reformer Martin Luther said, “It is not Christ’s walking on the sea, but His ordinary walk, that we are called on to imitate.”

I like how Jack Arnold explains it, “To walk as He walked must be put in the context of obedience. It does not mean to do the same things that Christ did (for Christ did many things we can never do) but it means to act from the same principle upon which He acted, to reflect the same kind of relationship to the Father that He had.  Christ lived in conscious fellowship with the Father which resulted in continual obedience to the Father’s will.”

Jesus said in John 4:34, “My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work.” Then in John 5:30, our Lord also said, “I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me.”

In other words, Jesus Christ submitted Himself in obedience to His Father. Even though He was equal to Him, as the Man He submitted Himself in obedience. We are to walk as He walked. We also must humbly submit to the Father’s will as Jesus did.

Philippians 2:5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: 6: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: 7: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: 8: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.

Closing Thoughts

In all these things that John has written, he is not telling men how to be saved. He is talking about knowing that we have eternal life, knowing that we know God, knowing we have a intimate relationship and fellowship with God. How? By keeping His commandments. 

The mark of a true child of God, is not that he is perfect, but that he completely believes the Bible regarding salvation through faith in Christ alone, and the Spirit bearing witness in the heart through the Word and which leads, which produces obedience. 

God wants you and me to enjoy the reality of our salvation. It will make us better and stronger Christians. To know and to say you are saved is not pride or presumptuous, but it is simple faith and trust in God’s Word. It takes humility to be saved. It takes humility to acknowledge your sins before God, that you deserve to be punished for your sins, to acknowledge that you cannot do anything to save yourself, to acknowledge and cry out to God for Christ’s sake.

God gave us principles whereby we may know that we have been born again, that we have been justified, that we possess eternal life. It is through the Word of God, through the witness of the Holy Spirit and through the supernatural life that we live.

2 Corinthians 13:5 Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?

The word ‘reprobate’ signifies those who have been tried and found wanting. If you examine your life and fail the test, keep in mind, that the goal of examination is not to condemn but to save. The goal of the moral test that John gives here is not condemnation but salvation for the lost and assurance for the saved.

As Paul goes on to say in verse 6, I also say, “But I trust that ye shall know that we are not reprobates.”

AMEN!