THE CERTAINTY OF SALVATION

1 John 5:11–13 KJV

11 And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 12 He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. 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.

The question is… Can a Person Really Know?

There are many people who live their whole lives under the heavy burden of spiritual uncertainty.

Many believe in God, try to do right, attend church, and still live wondering if they have done enough.

But the Bible does not present salvation as a spiritual guessing game.

John did not write so we would wonder, hope, or wait until death to find out. He wrote “that ye may know.”

1 John 5:13 KJV

“These things have I written unto you … that ye may know that ye have eternal life”

That is not arrogance….That is assurance.

That is not pride in self….. That is confidence in Christ.

The Christian does not say, “I know I am saved because I have done enough.”

The Christian says, “I know I am saved because Christ has done enough.”

That is the difference between Bible salvation and man-made religion.

Religion says, “Keep working, and maybe God will accept you.”

The gospel says, “Christ has finished the work, and by faith in Him, you may know you have eternal life.”

I. CHRIST’S PROMISE

1 John 5:11 “And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.”

Salvation begins with the promise of God.

Before I ever reached for God, God reached for me.

Before I ever believed on Christ, God had already promised a Redeemer.

Before Bethlehem, before Calvary, before the empty tomb, God had already declared that salvation would come through His Son.

A. This Promise Was Given in Prophecy

The gospel was not God’s last-minute rescue plan… Christ was promised from the beginning.

After Adam and Eve sinned in the garden, God gave the first great gospel promise.

Genesis 3:15 gave the first gospel promise — a coming Redeemer who would crush the serpent’s head.

The promise continued through the Old Testament.

Isaiah 7:14 KJV

“Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, And shall call his name Immanuel.”

Immanuel means God with us.

The promised Savior would not merely be a good man or a prophet or a religious teacher … but He would be God in flesh.

Micah 5:2 KJV

Prophecy of Bethlehem where Christ would be born

B. This Promise Was Fulfilled in Christ

Galatians 4:4–5 KJV

But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, 5 To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.

God did not forget His promise.

God did not fail His promise.

God did not change His promise.

At the exact right time God fulfilled His promise, and sent His Son.

Jesus is the fulfillment of every saving promise God ever made.

That means my salvation does not rest on my ability to hold on to God’s promise.

It rests on God’s ability to keep His promise.

C. This Promise Is Received by Faith

John 5:24 KJV

Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.

Notice the certainty in that verse.

He hath everlasting life.

He shall not come into condemnation.

He is passed from death unto life.

That is not a maybe-so salvation, That is a know-so salvation.

💡 Imagine someone receiving a signed document from a king guaranteeing that a debt has been canceled. The strength of that document does not depend on the trembling hand of the person holding it. It depends on the authority of the king who signed it. The believer’s assurance does not depend on how strong he feels today. It depends on the authority of the God who promised eternal life through His Son.

So I do not trust my soul on religious uncertainty, I trust my soul on the promises of God.

II. CHRIST’S PERSON

1 John 5:12 “He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.”

The promise of salvation is only as good as the Person who promises it.

John says eternal life is in God’s Son.

That means salvation is not primarily in a system, a ceremony, a church or a religious organization.

Salvation is in a Person named is Jesus Christ.

A. He Is the Son of God

John does not say, “He that hath Jesus hath life.” He says: “He that hath the Son hath life…”

This speaks of His deity.

Jesus is not merely a created being, a teacher sent from God, or a prophet … He is the eternal Son of God.

John 1:1 KJV

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

John 1:14 KJV

“And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us”

The One who came to save us was God in flesh, because only God could provide the salvation that man needed.

But Jesus is the Son of God…. He is eternal, holy, sinless, and sufficient.

B. He Is the Source of Life

John 14:6 KJV

Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

Jesus did not merely point to the way, teach the truth, or offer life. He said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.”

C. He Is Sufficient for Salvation

Colossians 2:10 KJV

And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power:

The Bible says the believer is complete in Him.

Not almost, Not partially, Not complete after adding human merit…. We are Complete in Him.

III. CHRIST’S PAYMENT

Romans 5:8–9 KJV

But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.

The promise of salvation was secured by the payment of Christ.

Jesus did not come merely to teach….. He came to die.

He did not come to show us the way…. He came to make the way.

A. His Payment Was Necessary

Sin created a debt man could not pay.

Romans 3:23 KJV

For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

Every person has sinned — the immoral man, the moral neighbor, the church member, and the preacher. All have sinned, and sin has a penalty.

Romans 6:23 KJV

For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

The wages of sin is death……That is what we earned.

But eternal life is not a wage…….It is a gift.

And that gift comes through Jesus Christ our Lord.

B. His Payment Was Complete

When Jesus cried, “It is finished,” He was declaring the work of redemption complete.

He did not say, “I have done My part, now you do yours.”

He did not say, “I have opened the door, now you earn your way through it.”

He said: “It is finished.”

1 Peter 1:18–19 KJV

“ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold…19 But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:

We were not redeemed with silver.

We were not redeemed with gold.

We were not redeemed with religious works.

We were redeemed with the precious blood of Christ.

That is why salvation cannot be earned, It has already been purchased.

C. His Payment Was Accepted

The resurrection is God’s receipt that the payment was accepted.

Jesus rose again… The empty tomb is God’s receipt that the payment was accepted.

Hebrews 10:12 KJV

But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God;

Jesus sat down because His sacrifice was complete.

One sacrifice, For sins, Forever.

That is why the believer can have assurance.

If the payment is complete, then the debt is gone.

If the sacrifice is accepted, then the sinner can be forgiven.

If Christ has finished the work, then I do not have to spend my life wondering whether I have done enough.

💡 Suppose a man owes a debt so large he could never pay it. Every week he brings a few dollars, hoping it will be enough. But the debt keeps hanging over his head. Then one day, someone steps in and pays the entire debt in full. The man would be foolish to keep bringing pennies to pay a debt that has already been satisfied. That is what works-based religion does. It keeps offering pennies of human effort after Christ has paid the debt in full.

Christ’s payment is complete.

IV. CHRIST’S POWER

Romans 8:16 KJV

The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:

The certainty of salvation is not only based on what Christ promised, who Christ is, and what Christ paid.

It is also confirmed by Christ’s power through the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit gives life, bears witness, and changes the believer

A. His Power Convicts the Sinner

No one is saved apart from the work of the Spirit of God.

The Holy Spirit shows us our sin, our need, and our Savior. He opens blind eyes and draws the sinner to Christ.

Salvation is not man climbing up to God, It is God reaching down to man.

B. His Power Converts the Soul

Titus 3:5 KJV

Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;

That verse is plain.

Not by works of righteousness which we have done.

Not by our merit, performance, or religious record — but according to His mercy He saved us.

How?…. By regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost.

Salvation is more than turning over a new leaf, Salvation is receiving a new life.

Religion can reform the outside, but the Holy Spirit regenerates the heart.

C. His Power Confirms the Believer

Galatians 4:6 KJV

And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.

The Holy Spirit gives the believer the witness of sonship.

He teaches us to cry, “Abba, Father.”

That is family language, That is relationship language.

The believer is not merely a servant trying to earn his way into the house.

He is a child who has been born into the family.

The Spirit does not give assurance by pointing us to our perfection.

He gives assurance by pointing us to Christ.

When the devil says, “Look at your failures,” the Spirit points us to the finished work of Jesus.

When the flesh says, “You are not strong enough,” the Spirit points us to the strength of Christ.

When religion says, “You have not done enough,” the Spirit points us to the cross and says, “Jesus has done enough.”

D. His Power Changes the Life

Now, let us be clear.

Assurance is not an excuse for sin.

Bible salvation does not lead a man to say, “I am saved, so I can live however I want.”

No, if the Holy Spirit lives inside of a person, He will begin changing that person.

2 Corinthians 5:17 KJV

Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

We are not saved by good works, But we are saved unto good works.

Works are not the root of salvation, Works are the fruit of salvation.

I do not obey to become saved, I obey because Christ has saved me.

I do not serve to earn God’s love, I serve because God has loved me.

I do not live holy to purchase eternal life, I live holy because eternal life has been placed within me.

💡 An apple tree does not produce apples in order to become an apple tree. It produces apples because it already is an apple tree. In the same way, a Christian does not bear spiritual fruit in order to become saved. He bears fruit because the life of Christ is in him.

Christ’s power is transforming.

Conclusion:

The Question Is Not “Have I Done Enough?”

The great question is not:

Not, “Have I prayed, confessed, worked, or been religious enough?” The question is, “Do I have the Son?”

The great question is: Do I have the Son?