A SIGN THAT YOU ARE SAVED OR LOST
1 John 2:3-5, "And hereby we do know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. He that saith, I know Him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoso keepeth His word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in Him."
The book of 1 John has what I call signposts of assurance. They indicate if a person is saved or lost. Anyone can say they are saved, but are they? In this passage we have the first signpost of assurance. A person who is saved will live in obedience to God's commandments. A commandment is not optional, it is something that God says you must follow and obey.
We have two different scenarios painted in verses 4 and 5:
Verse 4 tells of one who speaks of being saved but doesn't keep God's commandments. "He that saith, I know Him, and keepeth not His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him." This is a powerful statement from the Word of God. There is no need for anyone of us to judge another person's salvation, that is between him and God, but this verse states clearly that if a person lives life, and doesn't keep God's commandments, then that person doesn't know the Lord. This is one way for you to determine if you are saved or lost.
Verse 5, on the other hand, speaks of a person who is saved and the love of God is being perfected in their life. "But whoso keepeth His word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in Him." Two things are mentioned in this verse about a person who is born again. First, as you are keeping the Word, it is a demonstration that you understand the love that God has shown you through His Son Jesus. Your recognition of God's love, and the reality of it at work in you, produces a life of obedience. This is how the love of God is perfected or completed in your life. The other truth mentioned in verse 5 is the signpost of assurance, "hereby know we that we are in Him." God grows us in the assurance of our salvation as we obey His commandments. It is hard for a person to be convinced of his own salvation if he is not walking in obedience to the Lord. People will doubt, if their life isn't being lived in compliance with the Word of God, and they should, because you must KNOW you are saved.
May we meditate upon these three verses today, and come to a Biblical conclusion about the genuineness of our salvation.
Your Friend and His,
Pastor Abbott
MEDITATIONS
1. Are there any Bible commandments that you ignore? Why or why not?
2. Based upon 1 John 2:4 would you say you are saved or lost? Explain.
3. What is demonstrated most by joyfully obeying the Word of God?
4. How would you explain God’s love being perfected in your life?