False Assurance

I have found that many well meaning Christians improperly use 1 John 5:13 to assure people of their salvation. John wrote, "These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life." It is a common practice to use this verse when a person makes a profession of faith. We tell them, that since they believe in the Son of God, they have eternal life. That is what the verse says, right? Yes! However, how can one be assured that they have truly believed in the Son of God? You can't know with this one isolated verse. It is possible to have the same type of belief that the demons have concerning the Son of God, and that is dangerous.

The key to being assured of your belief in the Son of God is found in these words, "These things I have written." You cannot be assured of your salvation without taking the whole letter into consideration and applying it. Then you can be assured that you have believed in the Son of God with a saving belief.

I believe that this verse is often used in a way that can possibly give false assurance to a person who is going to hell. When assuring someone of their salvation, don't use this isolated verse. Instead, use all the things John wrote in his letter. If they pass the series of test they can be assured that they have believed in the Son of God.