Lesson Description
One important question new believers often ask is, “How can I know that I have eternal life?” Some people believe they must continually work to earn God’s acceptance, while others measure their relationship with Him by their feelings, experiences, or circumstances.
The Bible directs us to the promises of God through Jesus Christ. Eternal life is God’s gift, received through faith in His Son. In this lesson, we will examine the biblical foundation for assurance, the importance of believing God’s testimony, and the difference between trusting His promise and depending on our changing emotions.
We will also learn that assurance does not mean we never experience questions or difficulties. It means we have a reliable foundation in God’s Word as we continue growing in our understanding of Christ.
Opening Prayer
Heavenly Father, I thank You for Your Word and for the gift of eternal life through Jesus Christ. As I study this lesson, help me understand the assurance You have given through Your Son. Teach me to trust Your promises rather than allowing my feelings, past mistakes, or circumstances to become the foundation of my faith. Help me understand the gospel clearly and grow in the knowledge of Jesus Christ. May Your Word strengthen my confidence in what You have accomplished for me. In Jesus Christ’s name, Amen.
Lesson 1: God Wants Us to Know That We 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.”
Understanding the Scripture
John explains why he wrote to those who believe on the name of the Son of God: that they may know they have eternal life.
Notice the word know. John does not present eternal life as something believers can only guess about or hope they might receive if they perform well enough. He directs believers to the testimony given concerning Jesus Christ.
Assurance begins with understanding what God has revealed. When we read Scripture in context, we learn who Jesus is, what He accomplished, and what God promises to those who believe in Him.
We may still have questions as we grow, but questions do not have to become the foundation of our faith. We can return to God’s Word and continue learning.
Practical Example
A new believer may wonder whether they truly have eternal life because they do not yet understand every teaching in the Bible. First John 5:13 directs them to consider God’s testimony about His Son and to grow in understanding rather than assuming that complete knowledge must come before they can have assurance.
Remember
God has given His Word so that those who believe in His Son may know they have eternal life.
Lesson 2: Eternal Life Is God’s Gift
Scripture: Romans 6:23 (KJV)
“For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”
Understanding the Scripture
Paul contrasts wages with a gift. Wages are earned, but a gift is received. He explains that eternal life is the gift of God through Jesus Christ our Lord.
This distinction is essential to understanding assurance. If eternal life were something we earned by our own performance, we would continually wonder whether we had done enough. But Paul points us to God’s gift through Christ.
This does not mean that our actions are unimportant. It means that our actions are not the purchase price of eternal life. We can serve God, love others, and pursue godliness because we have received His grace, not because we are trying to buy His gift.
Practical Example
Imagine someone gives you a gift freely. You do not pay the giver back in order to make the gift genuine. In the same way, we receive eternal life through Jesus Christ rather than earning it through religious activities.
Remember
Eternal life is God’s gift through Jesus Christ, not a wage we earn through our works.
Lesson 3: We Have Eternal Life Through the Son of God
Scripture: 1 John 5:11–12 (KJV)
Verse 11: “And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.”
Verse 12: “He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.”
Understanding the Scripture
John identifies the source of eternal life: God’s Son, Jesus Christ.
The believer’s assurance is therefore not ultimately based on personal achievement, church membership, or an emotional experience. It is based on the life God has provided in His Son.
To have the Son is to have life. This points us back to faith in Jesus Christ and the relationship with God that comes through Him.
We should not separate eternal life from Jesus and treat it as a reward that can be obtained independently of Him. Christ Himself is central to God’s provision of life.
Practical Example
A person may attend church regularly but still not understand the gospel. Another person may be new to Christianity but has believed in Jesus Christ. This passage directs us to the Son as the source of life rather than treating church attendance or religious knowledge as substitutes for Him.
Remember
Eternal life is found in Jesus Christ; our assurance rests on God’s testimony concerning His Son.
Lesson 4: We Receive Eternal Life by Believing in Jesus Christ
Scripture: John 3:16 (KJV)
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
Understanding the Scripture
Jesus explains God’s love and the provision He has made through His Son. The promise is connected to believing in Him.
Faith is not a payment we offer to persuade God to love us. It is the response of trusting Jesus Christ and what God has revealed concerning Him.
This verse directs our attention to God’s love, His gift of the Son, and the promise of everlasting life. It reminds us that salvation begins with God’s provision, not our attempt to make ourselves worthy.
Believing in Jesus also means that our confidence is directed toward Him rather than toward our own ability to live perfectly.
Practical Example
Someone may believe that God will accept them only after they become a better person. John 3:16 points them to Jesus Christ as God’s provision and invites them to place their faith in Him.
Remember
God promises everlasting life to those who believe in His Son, Jesus Christ.
Lesson 5: We Are Justified by Faith, Not by the Works of the Law
Scripture: Romans 3:28 (KJV)
“Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law.”
Understanding the Scripture
Paul teaches that justification is by faith apart from the deeds of the law. In his discussion, he rejects the idea that people can establish their righteous standing before God through works of the law.
This truth helps us understand why assurance cannot be built on a record of perfect performance. If justification depended on our ability to keep the law perfectly, we would have no basis for confidence in our own achievements.
Instead, we trust in Jesus Christ. We can take God’s instructions seriously and seek to live faithfully without confusing obedience with the price of salvation.
Practical Example
A believer may think that missing a day of Bible reading means God no longer accepts them. Bible reading is valuable, but it is not a payment for justification. The believer can return to God’s Word because they desire to know Him, not because they must purchase His acceptance.
Remember
We are justified by faith, not by earning righteousness through the deeds of the law.
Lesson 6: Our Assurance Rests on God’s Faithfulness
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?”
Understanding the Scripture
In its original setting, this statement occurs in Balaam’s words concerning God’s purpose for Israel. It emphasizes that God is not deceitful or unreliable like human beings can be.
Although the passage was spoken in a particular historical situation, it reveals an important truth about God’s character: He is faithful to His Word.
When we consider God’s promises concerning eternal life, we should remember the character of the One who made them. Our confidence does not depend on God changing His mind because our emotions have changed.
We must, however, read each promise in its proper context and understand what God has actually promised. Assurance grows as we learn to trust His revealed Word rather than relying on assumptions.
Practical Example
A believer may experience a difficult season and feel distant from God. Instead of assuming that God has become unfaithful, the believer can return to the Scriptures and examine what God has promised through Jesus Christ.
Remember
God is faithful to His Word, and we should build our confidence on what He has actually promised.
Lesson 7: Our Feelings Do Not Determine God’s Truth
Scripture: 2 Corinthians 5:7 (KJV)
“(For we walk by faith, not by sight:)”
Understanding the Scripture
Paul describes the Christian walk as one of faith rather than sight. In context, he is discussing the believer’s confidence in God’s promises concerning life, mortality, and what is to come.
This principle helps us understand why our feelings should not be the final authority concerning eternal life. Feelings are real experiences, but they can change with tiredness, grief, disappointment, or difficult circumstances.
We should not pretend that our emotions do not matter. We can bring our concerns honestly before God and seek support when needed. But we should not conclude that God’s promises have changed simply because our feelings have changed.
Faith learns to take God at His Word, even when circumstances are difficult.
Practical Example
A believer may feel discouraged after a difficult day and wonder whether God still loves them. Rather than using that feeling as the final answer, they can return to Scripture, remember the gospel, and seek wise encouragement.
Remember
Faith rests on God’s revealed truth, even when our feelings and circumstances change.
Lesson 8: We Have Peace with God Through Jesus Christ
Scripture: Romans 5:1 (KJV)
“Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:”
Understanding the Scripture
Paul connects justification by faith with peace with God through Jesus Christ. This peace is grounded in what Christ has accomplished, not in our ability to maintain a particular emotion every day.
A person may experience fear, sadness, or uncertainty while still trusting in Christ. Emotional struggles do not automatically mean that the believer has lost their relationship with God.
Understanding peace with God helps us distinguish between our standing before Him and the feelings we experience during life’s challenges.
As we grow in Scripture, we learn to bring our concerns to God and to respond to life’s difficulties from the foundation of His grace.
Practical Example
A Christian facing financial pressure may feel anxious. They can acknowledge that anxiety honestly, seek practical help, and remember that their peace with God is grounded in justification through Christ rather than in having a life without problems.
Remember
Our peace with God comes through Jesus Christ and is grounded in justification by faith.
Lesson 9: We Are Kept by God’s Power Through Faith
Scripture: 1 Peter 1:5 (KJV)
“Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.”
Understanding the Scripture
Peter writes to believers experiencing trials and reminds them of God’s power. He describes them as being kept by God’s power through faith, with salvation to be revealed in the last time.
The verse directs attention to God’s power rather than human strength alone. Believers can face difficulties while remembering that God is able to sustain them.
This passage also points toward the future revelation of salvation. The New Testament speaks about salvation in relation to what God has done, what believers experience in the present, and what will be fully revealed in the future. We should pay attention to the context when studying these different aspects.
This verse encourages confidence in God’s power without giving us permission to ignore Scripture’s warnings or to treat faith as unnecessary.
Practical Example
A believer going through persecution or hardship may feel weak. This passage reminds them to depend on God’s power and continue trusting Him rather than assuming that hardship proves God has abandoned them.
Remember
God’s power sustains believers as they continue trusting Him through the challenges of life.
Lesson 10: We Can Continue Growing in Assurance Through God’s Word
Scripture: Romans 10:17 (KJV)
“So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”
Understanding the Scripture
Paul makes this statement while explaining the importance of hearing the message about Christ. In its context, the passage concerns the proclamation of the gospel and the response of faith.
God’s Word helps us understand who Jesus is, what He accomplished, and what He promises to those who believe. The more carefully we learn the gospel, the better equipped we are to recognize the foundation of our assurance.
We do not study the Bible to persuade God to give us eternal life after we have already believed. We study because God’s Word teaches us the truth and helps us grow in understanding.
When doubts or questions arise, we can return to Scripture, examine the context, ask honest questions, and seek sound teaching. Growing in assurance is not about pretending we never have questions; it is about learning where to find reliable answers.
Practical Example
A new believer may hear different teachings about salvation and become confused. Rather than accepting every claim immediately, they can examine the relevant Scriptures in context and ask how each teaching relates to the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Remember
God’s Word helps us understand the gospel and grow in confidence in what He has revealed through Jesus Christ.
Lesson Summary
The Bible teaches that eternal life is God’s gift through Jesus Christ. First John 5:13 tells us that John wrote so believers may know they have eternal life. Romans 6:23 identifies eternal life as God’s gift, while John 3:16 points us to faith in Jesus Christ.
Our assurance is not based on our ability to earn salvation, maintain perfect emotions, or avoid every difficulty. It rests on God’s testimony concerning His Son and His provision through Christ. Scripture also encourages us to continue growing in understanding, trusting God’s faithfulness, and examining His Word in context.
Assurance does not mean that we will never ask questions. It means that our questions can be brought to God’s Word as we continue learning about the life He has given us.
Final Takeaway
We can have assurance of eternal life because God has given life through His Son, Jesus Christ. Our confidence rests on His revealed truth, not on our ability to earn salvation or on the changing circumstances of life.
Reflection Question
According to 1 John 5:11–13, where is eternal life found, and how does this truth help you understand the assurance God gives to those who believe in Jesus Christ?