Assurance of Eternal Life and Confidence in Prayer

Like many of my readers, I am closer to the date of my death than the day of my birth. It won’t surprise you that I’m not looking forward to death.

You’re probably like me and don’t relish the pain that often accompanies death.

You may also worry about the impact your death will have on the people you love. You probably don’t want to miss out on graduations, weddings, and other events for children and grandchildren.

For these reasons and many more, the subject of eternal life is of interest to us.

John’s words about eternal life should comfort and encourage us about the next phase of God’s plan for our lives.

I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life (1 John 5.13).

Eternal Life

What is meant by “eternal life”? There is both a quantity and quality aspect to eternal life.

The quantity aspect is often thought of when we speak of living forever.

The quality component is essential. Who wants to live forever in torment and separate from God?

Imagine living in an atmosphere that is flooded with the character of God. Think of never being in a place where God’s love, joy, and peace are absent.

Every interaction is colored by these characteristics of God.

This is the “quality” of eternal life and the blessing is that the “quantity” is everlasting.

The Assurance

John wrote to followers of Jesus “so that you may know that you have eternal life” (verse 13).

Followers of Jesus need not fear the unknown as they contemplate their death. Neither do they need to fear non-existence or eternal punishment.

We can know that the next thing on God’s agenda for us is a quality of life that is so profound it can only be described as “eternal.”

What is our assurance? The personal relationship that we have with Jesus gives us a glimpse of the future.

And this is the boldness we have in him, that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.

And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have obtained the requests made of him (1 John 5.14-15).

Verses 14 and 15 are another of God’s prayer promises to his children. They are also the way we can be assured of our place in God’s eternal life plan.

As followers of Jesus, we face real fears about death. However, we can be confident in His eternal plan for us because of the friendship we have with Him.

An old deacon in a former church shared with me a story about his mother’s passing. In the hours before her death, she was speaking so softly that he couldn’t hear her.

He said, “Mom, what are you trying to tell me?”

She said, “I wasn’t talking to you. I’m talking to Jesus.”

This deacon’s mother exemplified the assurance that comes with having an active relationship with Jesus through prayer.

Although friendship with Jesus may not eliminate all fear of death for most of us, having that friendship at the time of our passing is the best place to be.

God’s gift of prayer allows us to take Jesus’ hand and be led to an atmosphere of love, peace, joy, and more. Once there, we will never have to leave for eternity.

YouTube Video

Rudy Ross and I conclude our study of 1 John today. The video can be found on the Bob Spradling YouTube channel.