1 John 4:13-5:5
From this passage I learn the following reasons for brotherly love:
- I have been born of God.
- I know God.
- God loves me.
- God dwells in me.
- God’s love is perfected in me.
- I dwell in God.
- As God is, so am I in this world.
- God loved me first.
- I love God.
- God commands it.
The summary of those reasons is their recurring point of reference: God.
(Excerpted from The Source of Love)
I do not believe there exists any significant difference between being saved and staying saved. Salvation is always by Jesus Christ. That truth remains unchanged regardless which side of the cross we live on. Only faith in Jesus will save us; only faith in Jesus will keep us. None of my works brought me into salvation, and none of my works will keep me in salvation. Christ, and Christ alone, is all I need.
When the Scripture says that our salvation is by faith alone, we need to understand what it teaches about faith! Whether you are a sinner needing that first work of redemptive grace, or whether you are a saint needing that ongoing work of grace, the only faith that will bring about your salvation is a living, working faith. If your faith is living, it is also working. If your faith is working, it is also living. And you are saved. But if your faith is works-free, it is also life-free; you are yet dead in your trespasses and sins.
God is such a merciful heavenly Father! He knew millions of us would sooner or later struggle with assurance of sonship. So He gave us a complete record of infallible proofs, requirements, and character traits. The two most foundational ones are these:
- Receive Jesus, believing on His name by faith (John 1:12; Galatians 3:26; 1 John 5:1).
- Accept the Spirit’s leading (Romans 8:14).
God guarantees absolute permanence to those who live in daily no-holds-barred surrender to His Son.
Adapted from Assurance of Salvation
