"Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life." –I John 5:12
Do you know the details of Christianity to believe in? Christ is truly God and became human, suffered and died on a cross, buried, then on the third day rose again? Chances are you say, “Yes, I believe this.” Yet, there is a nagging doubt which creeps up in the Christian’s mind time and again telling us, “you know these details, but will they save you when death comes for you?”
John assures the Christian of eternal life in this: whoever has the Son has life. My righteous deeds and my strength waxes and wanes, my life is but a vapor. I cannot fix my confidence in these things to quiet my restless, anxious soul with any assurance. Rather, I must fix my confidence on eternal righteousness, strength, and life that never fails for assurance.
Martin Luther was a 16th Century monk plagued with doubts and troubles of the soul when he fixed his confidence on himself. Luther pursued the monastic life with an exhausting, self-deprecating attempt at holiness before a perfectly holy God. Lacking assurance of salvation, with anguish in the soul viewing God as a tyrant to demand such perfection, Luther discovered the Greek verse of Romans 1:17, “in [the gospel] the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, ‘The righteous shall live by faith.’” Faith, that is, in Christ.
Christ obeyed the Father even to the point of death, and He is eternally righteous as the righteousness of God revealed. By faith you are in Christ. By faith His perfect obedience and the righteousness of God is yours as far and as long as Christ is righteous. By faith His eternal life is yours as long as Christ lives. By faith His mighty grip of His right hand holds you as long as He has strength.
Take comfort, Christian, in He who overcomes the world. Be diligent, wrote Peter, “to confirm your calling and election” with self-examination. May such an examination drive you more to Christ for assurance. This is the very reason John said he wrote these things, that those who believe in Jesus “may know that you have eternal life” (I John 5:13).
Look at Christ’s baptism when you consider your own. “This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased” (Matthew 3:17). By faith in Christ you have the Son. The Father says of you, “This is My beloved Child, with whom I am well (eternally) pleased.” Take your restless, troubled soul by faith in Christ to the Father by the strength of the Holy Spirit. Take your rest there and you will find assurance of your salvation.
Heavenly Father, help us fix our confidence in Christ Your beloved Son to find assurance of Your salvation, this precious gospel, for our souls troubled by our feebleness. May such assurance of Your strength by Your eternal purposes drive us to the good works You created us in Christ Jesus for. And be glorified in Your church. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
