Eternal Life (2)

Assurance matters. Do you know that you know that you’re headed to heaven? God says that we can know.

I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God that you may know that you have eternal life. I John 5:13 (ESV)

Poll your friends, “Do you know that you know that you’re headed to heaven?” and you’ll get all kinds of answers. “I hope so.” “No one can ever know.” “I think so.” “Nah, I’m going to hell with all my friends.”

Look at the verse. Notice that the verse doesn’t say, “hope” or “think.” God wants us to know that we know that we have eternal life.

The word “know” in the Greek is eido, to understand, to perceive, to see it. To get it. To know that we know.

And what is it that God wants us to know? That we have…

The words “eternal life” in the Greek are aionios zoe, without end, everlasting, genuine, vitalized life

Do you know that you know that you are headed to heaven? Would you be able to tell someone else how they can know?

When it comes to assurance of salvation, we have four options.

1. We can be not saved and not sure. These are people who do not have eternal life. They don’t know they are headed to heaven.

2. We can be not saved and sure. These are people who do not have eternal life. But they would say that they know they are going to heaven.

3. We can be saved and not sure. These are people who do have eternal life. But they would say that they do not know they are going to heaven.

4. We can be saved and sure. These are people who do have eternal life and they do know that they are going to heaven.

I John was written to help us have eternal life and to know it. God wants us to live with option 4.