“EVIDENCE”

24 “Whoever keeps his commandments abides in God, and God in him. And by this, we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit whom he has given us.”

1 John 3:24

Are you lacking assurance? Are there moments when you wonder if you are even saved? Are you worried that you may be one of the people to whom Jesus said, “I never knew you”?

John’s First Epistle is a great book to read if you are looking for evidence of true conversion.  As our last blog discussed, there are three important elements that tell us whether or not we’re Christians: faith, love, and obedience.

In verse 23, John points out that believers are to believe in Jesus and love one another as Christ commanded them. In verse 24, John says that whoever keeps this commandment abides in God and God in him. The word abide comes from the Greek “meno,” “to remain, i.e., about state or condition.” He says that continued living in obedience to God’s commands and believing in Jesus results in a healthy fellowship with the Almighty.

The whole point of this passage is to assure believers of having God in their lives, so John adds another indelible mark of God’s ownership of them: the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit. As the third member of the Triune God, the Holy Spirit plays an important part in the life of believers. He affirms those who truly belong to the Lord, guarding them against false spirits (1 John 4:1-6). He reminds them of the Lord’s words (John 14:26). He abides in them forever (John 14:16).

These two verses give us clear evidence of the work of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit in our lives. The Father commands us to love one another (1 John 3:23); the Son gave us the ultimate example of love (1 John 3:16);  the Holy Spirit produces love in us (Galatians 5:22).

Some of us Christians have moments where we doubt our own salvation and ask ourselves, “Am I truly born-again? Am I a child of God?” But the Bible is crystal clear, giving us signs of true conversion, i.e., the fruit of the Holy Spirit.

I think every one of us should come to a point where we check ourselves and see if we truly are living the Christian life. One of the saddest things that can happen to any of us is to be convinced we’re born-again, but discover that we aren’t.

Thankfully, the Holy Spirit’s indwelling presence validates our claims to faith in Jesus. And the best part: He stays forever; He never leaves.

Pursue the Savior today!

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