Topical Bible: Eternal Life: Saints: May Have Assurance of

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Eternal life is a central tenet of Christian theology, representing the everlasting life that believers are promised through faith in Jesus Christ. This assurance of eternal life is a source of hope and comfort for the saints, who are those set apart by God through faith in His Son.

Biblical Foundation

The assurance of eternal life is rooted in the promises of Scripture. In the Gospel of John, Jesus explicitly states, "Truly, truly, I tell you, whoever hears My word and believes Him who sent Me has eternal life and will not come under judgment. Indeed, he has crossed over from death to life" (John 5:24). This passage underscores the immediate possession of eternal life for the believer, emphasizing that it is not merely a future hope but a present reality.

Furthermore, in John 10:28, Jesus assures His followers, "I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one can snatch them out of My hand" . This promise highlights the security and permanence of the believer's eternal life, safeguarded by the power of Christ Himself.

The Role of Faith

Faith is the key to obtaining eternal life. As stated in John 3:16, "For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that everyone who believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life" . This verse encapsulates the gospel message, affirming that belief in Jesus Christ is the pathway to eternal life.

The Apostle Paul further elaborates on this in his epistle to the Romans, where he writes, "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 6:23). Here, eternal life is presented as a divine gift, contrasting the death that results from sin with the life that comes through Christ.

Assurance through the Holy Spirit

The assurance of eternal life is also affirmed by the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit. In Ephesians 1:13-14, Paul explains, "And in Him, having heard and believed the word of truth—the gospel of your salvation—you were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the pledge of our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession, to the praise of His glory" . The Holy Spirit acts as a guarantee of the believer's inheritance, providing assurance of eternal life.

Living in the Assurance of Eternal Life

The assurance of eternal life influences the daily lives of the saints, encouraging them to live in a manner worthy of their calling. In 1 John 5:13, the Apostle John writes, "I have written these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life" . This knowledge empowers believers to live with confidence and purpose, rooted in the certainty of their eternal destiny.

Moreover, the hope of eternal life motivates believers to persevere through trials and tribulations. As Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 4:17-18, "For our light and momentary affliction is producing for us an eternal glory that is far beyond comparison. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal" . The assurance of eternal life provides perspective, enabling the saints to endure hardships with the expectation of future glory.

Conclusion

The assurance of eternal life is a profound and comforting truth for the saints, grounded in the promises of Scripture and the work of the Holy Spirit. Through faith in Jesus Christ, believers are granted the gift of eternal life, a present reality that shapes their lives and offers hope for the future.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

2 Corinthians 5:1
For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

1 John 5:13
These things have I written to you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may believe on the name of the Son of God.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

The Blessing of Full Assurance
... Brethren, if you know that you have eternal life, you are prepared to live, and
equally ... May sinners begin to believe in Jesus, and saints believe more firmly ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 34 1888/the blessing of full assurance.htm

Eighteenth Sunday after Trinity Treasure Christians have in the ...
... of God, which is the word of eternal grace and ... among ourselves true members of the
Church and true saints. ... who show neither faith nor a godly life, it would ...
/.../luther/epistle sermons vol iii/eighteenth sunday after trinity treasure.htm

Perseverance of Saints.
... danger, but a certainty that they will fail of eternal life. ... have the assurance that
they are saints, we have seen the sense in which they may be influenced by ...
/.../finney/systematic theology/lecture l perseverance of saints.htm

"That which we have Seen and Heard, Declare we unto You, that Ye ...
... had found, how rare a jewel,"eternal life,"he cannot ... see that unexhausted fountain
of life,"that unemptiable ... be fellow citizens with the saints, with the ...
/.../binning/the works of the rev hugh binning/sermon v that which we.htm

The Communion of Saints.
... 1:13); and the seed of this eternal life is not ... And as the Saints, by virtue of this
Communion with ... Resurrection of the Body" and "The Life Everlasting." For ...
/.../burbidge/the kingdom of heaven what is it/chapter x the communion of.htm

Assurance of Salvation.
... to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light ... life." "I am the resurrection
and the life: he that ... Matthew 14:31.) He had God's eternal word, which ...
/.../moody/the way to god and how to find it/chapter vii assurance of salvation.htm

Perseverance of Saints.
... the self-existent, the naturally immutable and eternal, are certain ... not intended
by the perseverance of the saints, as I ... in obedience to the end of life, in a ...
/.../finney/systematic theology/lecture xlvii perseverance of saints.htm

The Purifying Hope
All Saints' Day and Other Sermons. ... again to God, as many of them as have eternal
life, having become ... in hymns which express weariness of this life and longings ...
/.../kingsley/all saints day and other sermons/sermon iii the purifying hope.htm

The Excellencies of the Saints' Rest.
... the wages of my sin, but this eternal life is the ... of desire and prayer, but that
is a life of satisfaction ... rest is very suitable to the saints' necessities also ...
/.../baxter/the saints everlasting rest/chapter iii the excellencies of.htm

The Perseverance of the Saints
... fall of David, Peter, and other saints described in ... in the faith, true believers
themselves may and do ... that they have the forgiveness of sins and life eternal. ...
/.../anonymous/synod of dort/the perseverance of the saints.htm