Studies Through 1 John - Lesson 6
How Do I Know That I Am Saved - Part 2
Last lesson we looked at the internal evidence that we are saved - those things that if we honestly examined ourselves on the inside would assure us of our salvation. However, this alone can fool you. Even Paul did not trust his conscience. And sometimes, due to insecurity or non-loving upbringing, we might even feel insecure even though we are saved. Today we will look at the other evidence that we are saved - the external evidence - that we can see and that others can see. In fact, this may be more apparent to others than you just as the internal evidence is hidden from others but apparent to you.
1John 2:3-14
3 We know that we have come to know him if we keep his commands. 4 Whoever says, “I know him,” but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in that person. 5 But if anyone obeys his word, love for God is truly made complete in them. This is how we know we are in him: 6 Whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did.
7 Dear friends, I am not writing you a new command but an old one, which you have had since the beginning. This old command is the message you have heard. 8 Yet I am writing you a new command; its truth is seen in him and in you, because the darkness is passing and the true light is already shining.
9 Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates a brother or sister is still in the darkness. 10 Anyone who loves their brother and sister lives in the light, and there is nothing in them to make them stumble. 11 But anyone who hates a brother or sister is in the darkness and walks around in the darkness. They do not know where they are going, because the darkness has blinded them.
12 I am writing to you, dear children,
because your sins have been forgiven on account of his name.
13 I am writing to you, fathers,
because you know him who is from the beginning.
I am writing to you, young men,
because you have overcome the evil one.
because your sins have been forgiven on account of his name.
13 I am writing to you, fathers,
because you know him who is from the beginning.
I am writing to you, young men,
because you have overcome the evil one.
14 I write to you, dear children,
because you know the Father.
I write to you, fathers,
because you know him who is from the beginning.
I write to you, young men,
because you are strong,
and the word of God lives in you,
and you have overcome the evil one.
because you know the Father.
I write to you, fathers,
because you know him who is from the beginning.
I write to you, young men,
because you are strong,
and the word of God lives in you,
and you have overcome the evil one.
We see in verses 3 and 4 that someone can have the internal evidence that they are saved but they aren't if they don't have the ...
External Evidence
So what is the external evidence that someone belongs to Christ? From this passage, I would say the evidences are love and growth.
1. Love - it's not surprising that love is one of them as John mentions love 104 times and calls himself the "disciple whom Jesus loved" and is referred to as "the disciple of love." Notice verses 3 and 4 talk about "obeying His commands." What are those commands?
Matt. 22:35-40
One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: 36 “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”
37 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”
The commandments are summed up in one word- Love. Commandments 1-4 are Love for God - worship Him alone, don't have idols, don't take His name in vain and set a day aside each week to honor Him. Commandments 5-10 are Love for others. If you love people you won't lie about them, murder them, steal from them, take their spouse, or wish they didn't have something so that you could. John says that if we are a believer we will make love complete (vs.5). What does he mean by that? I think he is saying we complete the cycle. "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believes in Him..." This is the first part of the cycle - God loves, He gave, we believe, but like the Dead Sea that receives without giving out, the cycle stops and is dead. However if we then love others glory goes back to God and the cycle is completed.
Have you ever lead someone to the Lord and wondered if it "took"? How can you tell? The apostle Paul had the same dilemma. He, quite often had to do "hit and run" evangelism and he had to wonder if people were truly saved. You know how he knew? He gives us some insight as he wrote to Collosse and Thessolonica. Paul looked for their internal - their faith, and their external - their love.
2 Thes. 1:3,4
We ought always to thank God for you, brothers and sisters,and rightly so, because your faith is growing more and more, and the love all of you have for one another is increasing. 4 Therefore, among God’s churches we boast about your perseverance and faith
Col. 1:3-5
We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, 4 because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all God’s people— 5 the faith and love that spring from the hope stored up for you in heaven and about which you have already heard in the true message of the gospel
And this love that is proof of salvation is something as old as Lev. 19:18 ... "but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord" to something as new as Phil. 2:3-8
Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, 4 not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.
5 In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:
The commandments are summed up in one word- Love. Commandments 1-4 are Love for God - worship Him alone, don't have idols, don't take His name in vain and set a day aside each week to honor Him. Commandments 5-10 are Love for others. If you love people you won't lie about them, murder them, steal from them, take their spouse, or wish they didn't have something so that you could. John says that if we are a believer we will make love complete (vs.5). What does he mean by that? I think he is saying we complete the cycle. "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believes in Him..." This is the first part of the cycle - God loves, He gave, we believe, but like the Dead Sea that receives without giving out, the cycle stops and is dead. However if we then love others glory goes back to God and the cycle is completed.
Have you ever lead someone to the Lord and wondered if it "took"? How can you tell? The apostle Paul had the same dilemma. He, quite often had to do "hit and run" evangelism and he had to wonder if people were truly saved. You know how he knew? He gives us some insight as he wrote to Collosse and Thessolonica. Paul looked for their internal - their faith, and their external - their love.
2 Thes. 1:3,4
We ought always to thank God for you, brothers and sisters,and rightly so, because your faith is growing more and more, and the love all of you have for one another is increasing. 4 Therefore, among God’s churches we boast about your perseverance and faith
Col. 1:3-5
We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, 4 because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all God’s people— 5 the faith and love that spring from the hope stored up for you in heaven and about which you have already heard in the true message of the gospel
And this love that is proof of salvation is something as old as Lev. 19:18 ... "but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord" to something as new as Phil. 2:3-8
Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, 4 not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.
5 In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:
6 Who, being in very nature God,
did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;
7 rather, he made himself nothing
by taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
8 And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
by becoming obedient to death—
even death on a cross!
did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;
7 rather, he made himself nothing
by taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
8 And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
by becoming obedient to death—
even death on a cross!
The Old testament gave us laws to love people as ourselves. The new command is to love people more than yourself. The Old command is love God's people and hate the evil ...
When the righteous prosper, the city rejoices;
when the wicked perish, there are shouts of joy Prov. 11:10
when the wicked perish, there are shouts of joy Prov. 11:10
... and the new command is love your enemies. Not only do we have a new command but we have a new example... "It's truth is seen in Him and you" vs. 8 We have the example of Christ and the evidence in our lives of the Holy Spirit. Jesus said "Father forgive them as they mocked Him on the cross". Jesus died for those who rejected and hated Him. But what was the full extent of His love? It is something that we don't usually think about.
John 13:1-5 (NIV '84)
It was just before the Passover Festival. Jesus knew that the hour had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he now showed them the full extent of His love.
2 The evening meal was in progress, and the devil had already prompted Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus. 3 Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; 4 so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. 5 After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet
Jesus, the King and creator of the universe, put Himself beneath people and served them. Why is service such a big thing? At work this week I overheard someone saying "I was doing 5 things and she told me to do another thing and she wasn't doing anything. What- does she think I have an "S" written on my forehead for "Stupid"? I told her to do it herself." At this point I interjected, "Maybe the "S" stands for servant." In an unforeseen answer she said, "Yah, does she think I am her servant? Does she think I am her slave?" So interesting. From the Christian's perspective, servant and slave are a good thing but to the unsaved or those without the Holy Spirit transforming them from the inside out it is a bad thing. Why? Lets look at the definition of Love that Tim Kimmel gives in his books;
"Love is commitment of my will to your needs and best interests regardless of the cost"
Lets look at the opposite of that -
"Love is commitment of my will to my needs and best interests regardless of the cost" You see the opposite of love isn't hate. It is selfishness! And this is the condition we are born in. This is the root of sin. Therefore, when you serve or see someone serving, it is going totally contrary to their nature and showing signs that they are being run by a new person, the Holy Spirit. In fact when you look at the fruit of the Spirit you can see that the "greatest of these is love" as they all stem from love. Take Joy for example. As we said a few lessons ago, the Bible gives us some ways to increase our joy - fellowship, discipling, serving, worshipping. How about peace? When you find yourself filled with anxiety, chances are you are preoccupied with your safety, your comfort, and your needs being met. Longsuffering? "That person is irritating me to death" Gentleness - "I work hard for my money; they can too!" Faithfulness - "I know I promised but this is really starting to take a toll on me." And so on. You get the point.
The external evidence then is love. We should be asking the question, "What does love require of me?" and then doing it. Will we fail? Yes, but as seen in verses 12-14 it is a growing process. We begin as children and progress to adults. We start out with our sins being forgiven and entering a relationship with God and progress to battling Satan and knowing God's word, to finally becoming a spiritual adult. Quite often it is 3 steps forward and 2 steps backward but when we take a spiritual inventory, we should be looking more like Jesus this year than last.
A few questions to reflect on would be
1. Who can I serve this week?
2. Do I look more like Jesus this year than last?
3. What does love require of me in that situation that I am going through?
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