An Uncommon Truth

Introduction

We live in a world that is utterly filled with uncertainty and it seems that it is nearly impossible to be certain of anything anymore.

Sadly this is often true for many individuals regarding their salvation and eternal destination.

In my experience the most common answer when someone is asked if they know where they would go if they were to die today is “I hope...” or “I would like to think...” or “I guess...”. It is extremely rare to have someone say that they “know” where they will spend eternity.

It seems the prevailing ideology of our day is that you simply do your best and hope that what you have done is enough to satisfy God so that He will let you into heaven.

Many people simply believe that it is impossible to know for sure where you will spend eternity. They are convinced that you simply have to wait and see.

Thankfully the Bible says otherwise. Contrary to popular belief, it is absolutely possible to be absolutely certain where you will spend eternity.

I John is a book filled with encouraging verses regarding the assurance of our salvation and, as John brings the book to a close, he writes to remind his readers that they can know that they have eternal life!

These few verses will help us to settle some things. The first is that:

Can You Really Know?

It was never God’s intent for us to take a “wait and see” approach to our salvation, rather He wants us to know right now that we have eternal life.

The idea that we have to merely hope that some day, when all is said and done, that we have done enough to inherit eternal life is contradictory to what the scriptures teach.

This very moment everyone on the face of the earth is headed either to heaven or to hell. The problem is that many of them do not know where they are headed and most do not even think it would be possible to know where they would spend eternity.

Unfortunately a great many people have false ideas about heaven and hell and what it takes to enter heaven and avoid hell.

John here writes of a knowledge which is a settled absolute knowledge, knowing without a doubt that you have eternal life.

It is significant that John says that you may know that you “have” eternal life. He uses the present tense suggesting that you can know now, that you are currently in possession of eternal life. It is not something that you must wait to learn of in the future.

You don’t have to wait until this life is over to find out where you will spend eternity, you can know today with absolute assurance that you “have” eternal life.

There are some who would say that it is arrogant or boastful for anyone to state that they are absolutely certain that they will go to heaven, and this would be true if our confidence was in our own merit.

The truth of the matter is that our confidence has nothing to do with our own merits but solely the merits of Jesus Christ.

I am absolutely certain with 100% confidence that if I were to die today I would spend eternity in heaven. The question now is how certain are you that if you were to die today you would spend eternity in heaven? Are you 97% sure, maybe 99% sure, maybe even 99.9% sure? Is that enough? What if you could also be 100% confident?

How Can You Know?

We shall never know that we have eternal life based upon the opinions of men or our own intellectual reasonings.

The reason so many are merely hoping to make it to heaven is because they have a misconception about what it takes to get there.

We must first recognize that if any man thinks himself deserving of heaven, this man could not be further from the truth. Our confidence is not on the basis of what we have done. Isaiah 64:6- all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags.

You will never know where you will spend eternity if you believe that you must earn your way there. Matthew 9:10-13- not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.

What man is there who could say that he had been good enough to deserve heaven?

Our confidence cannot be based on some emotional experience, for our feelings and experiences may often deceive us.

Our confidence must be on the basis of the truth of the Word of God alone!

The only question that must be asked is “Have I done what the scriptures say I must do to inherit eternal life?”

As John writes regarding the assurance of salvation he makes it clear to whom he is writing, to those who “believe on the name of the Son of God”

Mark 10:17-22- rich young ruler- put away all else and place your trust solely in Christ/ The Philippian Jailor- Acts 16:30-31- what must I do to be saved,

A person can only know that he/she has eternal life based on the plain truth of scripture. Your salvation is not dependent upon your feelings or even your experience, but on your response to the message of the gospel either by placing your trust in Christ or by rejecting Him and refusing to believe.

There is only one source of eternal life and that is Jesus Christ the Son of God. This is why John writes I John 5:12- he that hath Son hath life.

You do not need to go through life doubting or wondering if you have been truly saved, you need only to examine yourself and determine if there is a point in your life when you placed your trust solely in Christ for salvation from your sins.

If you have sincerely believed on Jesus Christ then you can know for certain that you are currently in possession of eternal life.

Do You Know?

The final question only you can give an answer to. I and others around you can examine the evidence of your life and make a reasonable assumption that you are saved or unsaved, but only you can know for certain.

It may be that you have become very good at playing the part of a Christian but you have never really been born again.

It may be that you have battled doubts because there you have failed to live out your faith for some time now. It may be that you have struggled with the assurance of your salvation because you have struggled to live as you know you should.

Personal doubts about my salvation because of the carnal life I was living.

It may be today that you are among those whose hope rested in your good works, your baptism, your church membership, your family ties, etc...

Maybe it is time that you examine yourself (II Corinthians 13:5) as Paul recommended to the members of the church at Corinth as to the reality of your salvation.

If there are any doubts in your mind today concerning where you will spend eternity it is time to settle them once and for all.

John 3:36- either you have believed on Christ and you have everlasting life or you have not and at this very moment the wrath of God abides upon you. John 20:31- the intent of John’s gospel writing

Today I say along with the writer of Hebrews 2:3- how shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation.

God has provided the means for your salvation, please do not let anything stand in the way of your knowing that you know that you are headed for heaven someday.

Conclusion

What a joy today to know with certainty that you are in possession of eternal life because of your faith in Christ!

Yet would you pause for a moment to consider the great number of individuals in our community and around the world who lack this basic knowledge?

What is to be done for the millions who have no idea where they would spend eternity? WE MUST DELIVER THE MESSAGE OF THE GOSPEL TO THEM!

Romans 10:14- how shall they hear of Christ if we will not proclaim His name! #sayhisname

It may be that you and I have by our behavior proven that we are “ashamed of the gospel”. Let us boldly proclaim today that we will no longer be ashamed and that we will deliver the message of the gospel to someone who needs to hear this week! Romans 1:16- I am not ashamed.