Confident Eternal Life In Him

"And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us an understanding, that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life." -1 John 5:20


I have confidence in my faith in Christ. This comes not from the strength of my faith, for often my faith waivers. This confidence comes from the object of my faith--Jesus Christ.

1) I have confidence in His person. He is the Son of God. No one else could have done the things that He did. No one else could have accomplished salvation for mankind. No one but Jesus, the Son of God, can give me confidence in my faith. Jesus never fails, Jesus never fails. Heaven and earth may pass away, but Jesus never fails.

2) I have confidence in His truth. He is the true God. Idols are powerless. Idols are fake. Idols cannot give truth. Jesus, on the other hand, is the source of all truth. He is the way, the truth, and the life. He is the faithful and true witness. His word is truth. You can trust the truth. You can build your life upon the truth and it will never fail. But if you build your life on anything else, it will crumble under the weight of life's trials.

3) I have confidence in His promise of eternal life. As the God of truth, you can trust what He promises. He promises eternal life to all those who put their trust in Him. I love how clearly John puts it: This is the true God and eternal life.

Do you have confidence in Jesus? He is trustworthy. You can know for certain that you are saved and that you will have eternal life through God's Son Jesus Christ. Your faith may falter from day to day, but Jesus will never fail.

Take Possession of the LORD

“I will love you, O LORD, my strength. The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. I will call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised; so shall I be saved from my enemies.” –Psalm 18:1-3

These verses are a prayer of commitment—a prayer to take possession of the Lord in life. David realized his greatest need was the Lord. He knew that the Lord provided so many things for him—strength, salvation, and security. He realized that without God, life would be completely useless and totally dangerous.

Look at these verses again, and then think about what David wouldn’t have if he didn’t take possession of the Lord. He wouldn’t have strength, a solid rock to stand on, a fortress to rest in, a deliverer, a shield, the strength of salvation, a stronghold, or salvation from his enemies. A life without those things is a life of insecurity. It is a life without power, resources, or salvation. It is a hopeless life.

Consider the following commentary by Matthew Henry:

“The Lord Jehovah is my God; and then he is my rock, my fortress, all that I need and can desire in my present distress.” For there is that in God which is suited to all the [urgencies] and occasions of his people that trust in him. “He is my rock, and strength, and fortress;” that is, 1. “I have found him so in the greatest dangers and difficulties.” 2. “I have chosen him to be so, disclaiming all others, and depending upon him alone to protect me.” Those that truly love God may thus triumph in him as theirs, and may with confidence call upon him”

Consider this as well:

“All we want in Christ, we shall find in Christ. If we want little, we shall find little. If we want much, we shall find much; but if, in utter helplessness, we cast our all on Christ, he will be to us the whole treasury of God.” – Henry Benjamin Whipple (1822-1901)

Christian, take possession of the Lord. Love Him with all your strength and you will find that He is everything that you need in every circumstance that life will throw at you.

Eternal Security...a Marvelous Experience

“But now, thus says the LORD, who created you, O Jacob, and He who formed you, O Israel; Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; you are Mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, nor shall the flame scorch you. For I am the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior;” –Isaiah 43:1-3a

There is eternal security for the believer. But this is not just a doctrine we believe, it is a truth that we experience day by day. The truth of our salvation is that God has redeemed us from the slave market of sin. We have been bought with a price, and now we belong to the Lord our God. He owns us. Here in Isaiah, we see this truth in a very real way.

We are owned by the Lord because He created and formed us. So in a sense, we belong to him simply because we are His creation. Not only that, God has redeemed us. He has bought us back. He paid the price. Not only that, God has called us by name. To be specifically known by God is a remarkable thing. There are billions of people on the planet; and God still knows your name.

This God—your Creator, your Redeemer—says ‘Fear not.’ There is no need for the believer to fear anything in life. Indeed, whatever you go through—no matter how high the flood waters, no matter how strong the river current, no matter how big the fire, no matter how hot the flames, God will be with you. Indeed, eternal security is not just a doctrine we believe, but it is a truth we experience day by day. “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.” –Romans 8:28