Lesson Introduction
How can we know that eternal life is ours through Jesus Christ? What makes the Christian believer confident that God’s promise is trustworthy?
The answer begins with God’s own testimony concerning His Son.
In 1 John 5, the apostle John explains that God has given eternal life and that this life is in His Son. John also explains why he wrote to those who believe on the name of the Son of God: so that they may know they have eternal life.
This means that our assurance is not based merely on human opinions, religious traditions, personal achievements, or changing emotions. It is grounded in what God has revealed about Jesus Christ.
In this lesson, we will examine the meaning of God’s testimony, understand why Jesus is central to eternal life, and learn how to use Scripture as the foundation of our confidence.
Opening Prayer
Heavenly Father, thank You for revealing Your truth through Your Word. Thank You for sending Jesus Christ and giving eternal life through Him. As I study this lesson, open my understanding of the testimony You have given concerning Your Son. Help me distinguish Your truth from human opinions and personal assumptions. Teach me to trust Your Word, understand Scripture in context, and grow in confidence through Jesus Christ. In His name, Amen.
1. God Has Given His Testimony Concerning Jesus Christ
Scripture — 1 John 5:9 (KJV)
“If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater: for this is the witness of God which he hath testified of his Son.”
John explains that God’s testimony is greater than human testimony.
In everyday life, we often accept information from people we consider trustworthy. Yet human beings can make mistakes, misunderstand situations, or give incomplete information.
God’s testimony concerning His Son is the foundation upon which Christian faith rests. We learn what God has revealed through the Scriptures, rather than treating every religious opinion as equally authoritative.
This does not mean that every interpretation someone claims to receive from God is automatically correct. Such claims must be examined in the light of Scripture.
Practical Example: A person hears conflicting opinions about whether eternal life is a gift or a reward for good works. Instead of accepting the loudest voice, the person examines passages such as Romans 6:23 and Ephesians 2:8–10.
Remember: Build your understanding of eternal life on God’s revealed testimony concerning Jesus Christ.
2. God’s Testimony Reveals That Eternal Life Is His Gift
Scripture — 1 John 5:11 (KJV)
“And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.”
Notice the words hath given. John describes eternal life as something God has given.
The foundation of our assurance is God’s provision through Jesus Christ, not our ability to earn salvation through religious performance.
This agrees with Paul’s teaching in Romans 6:23, where eternal life is described as the gift of God through Jesus Christ our Lord.
A gift is received; it is not purchased as a wage earned through personal merit.
Practical Example: A believer serves in the church, helps others, and studies Scripture. These activities can be valuable expressions of Christian living, but they are not payments that purchase eternal life.
Remember: Eternal life is God’s gift through Jesus Christ, not a wage we earn.
3. Eternal Life Is Found in God’s Son
Scripture — 1 John 5:12 (KJV)
“He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.”
John places Jesus Christ at the centre of eternal life.
Christianity is not simply a collection of moral teachings or religious activities. Its message centres on who Jesus is and what God has accomplished through Him.
To have the Son is to belong to Christ through faith. Eternal life is not obtained independently of Him.
This truth directs our attention away from trusting our own achievements and towards trusting the Saviour God has provided.
Practical Example: Someone may know many religious practices but still need to understand the importance of personally trusting Jesus Christ rather than depending on outward activities alone.
Remember: Jesus Christ is central to God’s gift of eternal life.
4. God Wants Believers to Know They Have Eternal Life
Scripture — 1 John 5:13 (KJV)
“These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.”
John explains the purpose of his writing: that believers may know they have eternal life.
This is significant because it shows that Christian assurance is not intended to be based entirely on guesswork.
Believers can learn what God has said and place their confidence in His testimony concerning His Son.
We should also read John’s letter as a whole, paying attention to its teaching about faith, love, obedience, and the life of believers. The purpose is not to create fear over every weakness but to help believers understand the life that comes through Christ.
Practical Example: A believer who feels uncertain can return to 1 John 5:11–13, read the verses carefully, and reflect on what John says about God’s gift and the believer’s confidence.
Remember: God has provided His Word to help believers understand and know the truth about eternal life.
5. Believing God’s Testimony Means Trusting His Record of His Son
Scripture — 1 John 5:10 (KJV)
“He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son.”
John presents belief in Jesus Christ as a response to God’s testimony.
To believe on the Son is more than agreeing that Jesus existed as a historical person. It means trusting Him in accordance with the truth God has revealed about Him.
This verse should be understood in its context. John is addressing God’s testimony concerning His Son and the life found in Him. The passage directs us to trust God’s record rather than replace it with our own ideas.
Practical Example: A person acknowledges that Jesus lived but believes that eternal life must be earned through personal perfection. Studying the biblical testimony can help that person understand the relationship between Christ, grace, and salvation.
Remember: Biblical faith receives God’s testimony concerning Jesus Christ rather than rewriting it to fit personal assumptions.
6. Jesus Himself Testified About Eternal Life
Scripture — John 6:47 (KJV)
“Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life.”
Jesus directly teaches that the person who believes on Him has everlasting life.
The word hath is important. Jesus speaks of eternal life as a present possession for the believer.
This does not mean that believers already experience every aspect of the future resurrection. Scripture also teaches that the fullness of our future hope includes resurrection and the redemption of our bodies.
Nevertheless, Jesus’ words give believers a clear foundation for understanding that eternal life is not merely a distant possibility.
Practical Example: A believer does not need to wait until the end of life to discover whether Jesus’ promise has any relevance today. The believer can trust His testimony and live in the reality of the life received through Him.
Remember: Jesus teaches that the believer has everlasting life.
7. Jesus Reveals the Father
Scripture — John 14:9 (KJV)
“Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father?”
Jesus spoke these words to Philip when the disciples were seeking to understand the Father.
Jesus reveals the Father’s character and works. As we study His life and teaching, we learn about God’s love, holiness, compassion, truth, and purpose.
This is important for assurance because our understanding of God should be shaped by His revelation in Christ rather than by fear-based assumptions about His character.
We must read Jesus’ words and actions in their biblical context, allowing Scripture to shape our understanding.
Practical Example: Someone imagines that God is unwilling to show mercy. Reading the Gospel accounts of Jesus’ interactions with people can help the person understand God’s compassion while also recognising Jesus’ call to truth and repentance.
Remember: Jesus Christ reveals the Father to us.
8. The Resurrection Supports Our Confidence in Christ
Scripture — 1 Corinthians 15:20 (KJV)
“But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept.”
Paul declares that Christ has risen from the dead. In the surrounding passage, he explains the importance of the resurrection to Christian hope.
Our confidence in eternal life is connected not only to Jesus’ death but also to His resurrection.
The resurrection confirms that death does not have the final word in God’s plan. Believers look forward to the future resurrection because Christ has risen.
This hope does not mean that Christians never experience grief or fear. It means that they have a foundation for hope beyond the present circumstances of life.
Practical Example: When a Christian mourns the death of a loved one who trusted Christ, the resurrection of Jesus provides a foundation for hope while allowing room for genuine grief.
Remember: The risen Christ is central to our hope of resurrection and eternal life.
9. God’s Testimony Is More Reliable Than Changing Circumstances
Scripture — Numbers 23:19 (KJV)
“God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?”
These words were spoken by Balaam in a specific biblical setting. They affirm God’s faithfulness in contrast to human unreliability.
We should not take this verse to mean that every personal expectation or statement someone attributes to God must come true. We must distinguish God’s revealed promises from our own assumptions.
The principle remains that God is faithful to what He has truly spoken.
When circumstances change, we should not automatically conclude that God’s character has changed. Instead, we should examine what He has actually promised and trust His faithfulness.
Practical Example: A believer experiences a difficult season and begins to doubt God’s love. Rather than assuming that hardship proves rejection, the believer returns to the biblical testimony concerning God’s love in Christ.
Remember: Trust God’s faithfulness to His revealed truth, not every expectation you may have formed.
10. Let God’s Testimony Shape How You Live
Scripture — Colossians 2:6–7 (KJV)
“As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him:
Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.”
Paul encourages believers to continue walking in Christ, becoming rooted and established in the faith.
God’s testimony about Jesus Christ is not merely information to memorise. It provides a foundation for Christian living.
As we grow in understanding, our response should include gratitude, love, faithfulness, and a willingness to learn from God’s Word.
We do not live this way to purchase eternal life. We live in response to the grace we have received through Jesus Christ.
Practical Example: A believer who understands eternal life as God’s gift begins each day with gratitude, studies Scripture to grow in understanding, and looks for opportunities to serve others in love.
Remember: Let your confidence in Christ lead you into a life rooted in faith and gratitude.
Lesson Summary
In this lesson, we learned that:
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God’s testimony concerning His Son is the foundation of Christian assurance.
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Eternal life is God’s gift through Jesus Christ.
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Eternal life is found in the Son.
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God wants believers to know they have eternal life.
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Faith receives God’s testimony about Jesus.
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Jesus teaches that believers have everlasting life.
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Jesus reveals the Father.
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Christ’s resurrection supports our hope of eternal life.
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God’s faithfulness should shape how we respond to changing circumstances.
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Our confidence in Christ should lead to a life of faith and gratitude.
Final Takeaway
My confidence in eternal life rests on God’s testimony concerning His Son, Jesus Christ. I will trust what God has revealed, continue learning His Word, and live with gratitude for the life He has given through Christ.
Reflection Question
According to 1 John 5:11–13, what has God testified concerning His Son, and how does this testimony help believers know that they have eternal life?
Write your answer in your own words and include the key truth you have learned from these verses.
Next Lesson
Lesson 6: The Role of Faith in Our Assurance of Eternal Life
We will explore what biblical faith means, how it relates to assurance, and why trusting Christ is different from relying on feelings or personal achievements.