Friday
1 John 5:18-21

According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, the definition of assurance is “the state of being sure or certain about something.”

John concludes this chapter with three assurances pertaining to our relationship with God, each beginning with the words “we know.”

• We know anyone born of God does not continue to sin. This does not make us immune to temptation, nor from sin. We all sin. Rather, we have been forgiven. The Holy Spirit helps us resist the evil one. But even when we mess up and do things apart from the Holy Spirit, we have the assurance we are guarded and kept by the power of God. We do not lose our salvation in Christ. As we continue to grow in Christ, we find God helping us overcome the temptations that once used to hold us captive.
• We know we are children of God. We have been set apart. Yes, we are still in the world, but we are not of the world. We are supposed to be separate, different, once Jesus comes into our life. It will be uncomfortable at times. We will have to make choices our world does not have to make. As children of God, we no longer “fit in” with the world. And that’s a good thing! So we shouldn’t worry when we don’t fit it; rather, we should rejoice we are God’s children!
• We know the Son of God has come and has given us understanding. Because of Jesus’ sacrifice, when we receive the Holy Spirit and become a Christ follower, we enter into God’s family. We become adopted princes and princesses of the One True King. It is through this relationship we gain understanding and the ability to discern the truth.

John’s letter has been about the importance of knowing the true God. We can have confidence that if we are in Christ, we are his forever—he will sustain us to the very end.

Thank God today for the assurance of an eternal relationship with him!