1 John 5:11-13. And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 12 Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life. 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.
Many believers live with either incorrect assurance or no assurance at all. Instead of grounding their confidence in the Word of God, they build their assurance on their own thoughts, feelings, and personal standards. Others seek reassurance from people, circumstances, or recognition from the world. Yet any assurance built on something other than the One who alone gives true and ultimate assurance will eventually lead to confusion and insecurity.
When people do not possess the assurance that comes from God Himself, they begin to search for substitutes. They devote themselves to outward religion, strict legalism, moral effort, or upright living in an attempt to secure peace within their hearts. However, these efforts can never provide the certainty their souls truly need.
Because their foundation is unstable, they become easy targets for the enemy. Scripture warns believers to cast all their anxiety on God because He cares for them, and at the same time to remain alert and sober-minded, because the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour (1 Peter 5:7–8).
When believers are not firmly assured of God’s perfect love, fear begins to dominate their hearts. Instead of resting in grace, they begin to live in anxiety about punishment or rejection. Scripture makes it clear that perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment, and the one who fears has not been made perfect in love (1 John 4:18). The question then arises: why do so many continue to live without this assurance?
First, many believers do not truly understand the new life that begins at salvation. A person who has been saved has become a child of God. This identity is not achieved through good works or moral effort but is given through faith in Jesus Christ. The Gospel of John declares that to all who receive Him and believe in His name, He gives the right to become children of God (John 1:12).
The moment a person accepts Jesus as Savior and Lord, a new relationship with God begins. Christ Himself comes to dwell within that person. Jesus declares that He stands at the door and knocks, and if anyone hears His voice and opens the door, He will come in and fellowship with that person (Revelation 3:20).
Christ dwells in the believer through the Holy Spirit. This indwelling does not depend on one’s ability, status, or spiritual maturity. The apostle Paul reminds believers that they themselves are God’s temple and that the Spirit of God dwells in them (1 Corinthians 3:16). Because of this new life, the believer’s identity has been permanently changed.
Nothing can destroy or reverse what God has done. The Spirit Himself testifies to the truth of Christ, for no one can confess that Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:3). Through Christ, believers are now living under the law of the Spirit of life, which has set them free from the law of sin and death (Romans 8:2). This is the true life that God has given.
People do not clearly understand the spiritual condition of those who do not have Christ. Scripture plainly states that the one who has the Son has life, but the one who does not have the Son of God does not have life (1 John 5:11–12). Those who are without Christ remain in the same fallen condition as Adam and Eve after the fall, separated from God and from true life.
The Bible teaches that Satan actively influences the lives of unbelievers. Jesus Himself said that those who reject the truth follow the desires of their father, the devil (John 8:44). Even if unbelievers achieve wealth, success, or recognition, their hearts remain restless and burdened. That is why Jesus invites the weary and burdened to come to Him for rest (Matthew 11:28–29).
Without Christ, true peace cannot be found. Outward success cannot resolve the inner conflict and division that exist within the human heart. Jesus taught that a house divided against itself cannot stand (Matthew 12:25). Scripture also explains that unbelievers unknowingly follow the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit now at work in those who are disobedient (Ephesians 2:2–3).
As a result, many experience spiritual, emotional, and even physical suffering. The book of Acts records numerous instances of people tormented in their minds and bodies until the power of God set them free (Acts 8:4–8; Acts 16:16–18). Ultimately, without Christ, people face eternal separation from God, as illustrated in the account of the rich man and Lazarus (Luke 16:19–31).
Second, people also struggle with assurance because they do not fully understand the blessings they have received through salvation. Before coming to Christ, humanity was spiritually dead because of sin, living under condemnation and separated from God (Ephesians 2:1). But through Christ, believers have been completely freed from the curse and condemnation caused by sin. This includes the guilt of original sin, the inherited consequences of sin, and the personal sins committed in life.
Because of this, the apostle John confidently declares that the one who has the Son has life (1 John 5:12). Through salvation, believers are freed from the power of Satan that once influenced their lives (Ephesians 2:2). They are also delivered from the destiny of eternal condemnation and instead are raised up with Christ and seated with Him in the heavenly realms (Ephesians 2:6). Furthermore, God intends to display the riches of His grace through the lives of believers for generations to come (Ephesians 2:7).
Third, many believers do not recognize the privileges that belong to them as children of God. Jesus spoke about these privileges when Peter confessed that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God. In response, Jesus promised that He would build His church upon that confession and that the gates of Hades would not overcome it (Matthew 16:18).
Those who believe in Christ are given the privilege of proclaiming the gospel and participating in God’s work of building His church. They are also given authority to stand against the power of Satan. Scripture calls believers to resist the devil and assures them that he will flee (James 4:7). God Himself promises that the God of peace will soon crush Satan under the feet of His people (Romans 16:20).
Believers are also given the privilege of prayer. Through Christ, they can approach God with confidence and speak directly to Him. Jesus promised that He would give His followers the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and that whatever they bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever they loose on earth will be loosed in heaven (Matthew 16:19). Prayer is therefore not merely a religious habit but a powerful connection with the throne of heaven. It is one of the greatest privileges granted to those who belong to God.
Finally, many believers lack assurance because they do not understand the way a child of God is meant to live. The Christian life is not sustained by human effort but by the guidance and power of the Holy Spirit. Jesus promised that the Holy Spirit would teach believers and remind them of His truth (John 14:26–27). Because of this, believers are called to cast their anxieties on God and trust in His care (1 Peter 5:7). Instead of relying on their own strength, they must depend on the One who loved them and gave Himself for them.
The apostle Paul described this life of faith when he said that he had been crucified with Christ and no longer lived, but Christ lived in him. The life he now lived in the body, he lived by faith in the Son of God, who loved him and gave Himself for him (Galatians 2:20). Living by the Spirit also requires sincerity before God. Hidden motives and hypocrisy cannot deceive Him. The story of Ananias and Sapphira reminds believers of the seriousness of pretending to be spiritual while hiding deceit in the heart (Acts 5:1–10).
If a believer desires to be led by the Holy Spirit, Christ must remain the center of life. Anyone who is in Christ has become a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17). Prayer must become a priority in daily life, as seen in the early church (Acts 16:13, 16). The believer’s life itself must become a testimony of the gospel as the Holy Spirit empowers them to be witnesses (Acts 1:8). As they walk in this life of faith, they can entrust even their long-standing problems to the care of the Holy Spirit.
Therefore, believers should live each day with confidence in the truth of God’s Word. They can declare with assurance that they are children of God and possess eternal life. When they pray in the name of Jesus, they can trust that God hears and answers them. When trials or temptations arise, they can stand firm in the knowledge that Jesus Christ, their true King, has already overcome the world and now lives within them. When the enemy attempts to trap them with guilt or shame, they can boldly proclaim that their true Priest, Jesus Christ, has broken the power of sin and the curse through His death on the cross, setting them free from the law of sin and death.
With this confidence, continue moving forward in faith, holding firmly to the promise of Jesus Christ, who declared that He would be with you always, even to the very end of the age (Matthew 28:20). In that promise lies the unshakable assurance that sustains the life of every child of God.
Prayer. Father, thank You for the assurance You have given through Your Word. Help me stand firmly on Your promises and not on my own thoughts or feelings. Fill me with Your Holy Spirit so that I may live with confidence as Your child. In Jesus’ name, Amen.