On what basis can you have real, lasting assurance of your salvation?

Few questions are as tender—or as personal—as this one: can you really know for sure that you’re going to heaven when you die? Many sincere believers carry that question with uncertainty around in their hearts, especially in seasons of weakness or doubt.

1 John 5:1-21 speaks to us with the voice of a loving pastor, not to unsettle us, but to give us assurance.

John begins by turning our eyes away from ourselves and toward Jesus. “Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God.” Notice the order. Faith is not the cause of our new life; it is the evidence of it. If you find in your heart—even imperfectly—a trust in Christ, that is already a sign of God’s gracious work in you.

Our assurance rests even deeper than our faith. It rests in God’s own testimony. God has spoken clearly about His Son, and He does not lie. He has given us eternal life, and that life is found in Jesus. Eternal life is not a fragile gift we must constantly protect; it is a settled gift secured by Christ’s finished work and sustained by God’s faithfulness.

Because of this, we are invited to come to God with confidence. We pray not as strangers hoping to be heard, but as beloved children who already are. Even when our prayers feel clumsy or our hearts feel unsure, God listens with the attentiveness of a Father who knows us and keeps us.

John ends with a loving warning: “Keep yourselves from idols.” This is not a threat to our assurance, but a fruit of it. When we know we are safe in God’s love, our hearts slowly loosen their grip on false saviors. Assurance does not make us careless—it makes us free.

So today, if your faith feels small or your confidence shaken, hear this good news: Your salvation does not rest in the steadiness of your grip on God, but in the steadiness of His grip on you. And He does not let go.

One of the most beloved, succinct lines from Richard Sibbes that often accompanies reflections on the assurance of our salvation is:

“There is more mercy in Christ than sin in us.”  

Prayer:

Gracious Father, when doubts rise and fears whisper, help me rest in Your promises. Thank You that eternal life is a gift, held secure in Your Son. Teach my heart to trust You more deeply today. Amen.