I WAS preaching some time since, in a watering-place in the West of England, from the words, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth My word, and believeth on Him that sent Me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life” (John 5:2424Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life. (John 5:24)), when I sought to impress upon my hearers that all who had really heard the life-giving words of the Son of God, and had believed God, who sent His Son to put away our sins by the sacrifice of Himself, were in the present possession of everlasting life; that it was not left to them or to me to say that they had it, for Christ Himself. said that; but what they had to do was to believe that they had everlasting life, because Christ said so.
An earnest but questioning person, sitting at the extreme edge of the congregation, said, loud enough to be heard by those sitting alongside, “Yes, Christ did say ‘hath everlasting life;’ but He did not say that we were to know that we had it.” I did not know what thoughts were passing through the minds, or what words were dropping from the lips of any in my audience, but at the moment the words that I have just given fell from the lips of the one who uttered them, I was led of the Holy Ghost, who was personally present in the meeting, and who knew all that was going on in it, to turn to 1 John 5:1313These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God. (1 John 5:13), where the following strikingly blessed words occur: “These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that YE MAY KNOW that ye have eternal life.” And I was informed by the one who heard the words spoken that the questioner was confounded and silenced by the force and clearness of the word of God.
When I turn to the Scriptures, where the words “known,” “knowest,” “knoweth,” “knowing,” “knowledge,” and “known,” occur altogether above one thousand times, as any reader of the Holy Scriptures may see for himself who will take the trouble to look them out as they are given in Cruden’s Concordance, I am perfectly amazed at the daring boldness of the man who can write or say that it is impossible for any one to know that they have eternal life or the forgiveness of sins in this world.
What would be the state of society if God, who has instituted and given the relationships of husband and wife, parent and child, had at the same time prevented our knowledge and enjoyment of those relationships? Imagine wives not knowing their own husbands! husbands not knowing their own wives! parents not knowing their own children! and children not knowing their own parents! Could you conceive of anything more truly sad and sorrowful, and as far removed as possible from all intelligent enjoyment of the relationships of life, morally and socially? To say nothing of how unworthy such a state of society would be of Him who is the author of our natural relationships! And where would be the goodness and love of God in forgiving me, saving me, giving me eternal life, making me His child, putting His Holy Spirit in me, making me one with Christ, and fitting me for the glory, and then preventing my having, or not giving me, the knowledge and enjoyment of all these divine and eternal blessings? Such teaching is a slur upon a kind, good, and loving God, and is totally opposed to the word of God.
But I will turn to a few scriptures which are infinitely preferable to all our words and illustrations. “And He said unto them, Unto you it is given TO KNOW the mystery of the kingdom of God but unto them that are without, all these things are done in parables.” (Mark 4:1111And he said unto them, Unto you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God: but unto them that are without, all these things are done in parables: (Mark 4:11).) Are you within the favored circle of His own blood-bought and blood-washed ones to whom “it is given to know”? or are you “without,” and therefore in darkness and uncertainty?
The blind man in John 9:2525He answered and said, Whether he be a sinner or no, I know not: one thing I know, that, whereas I was blind, now I see. (John 9:25), whose eyes Christ opened, said, “One thing I KNOW, that, whereas I was blind, now I see.”
If you heard anyone saying that it was impossible to distinguish colors, you would be justified in immediately concluding that such an one was color-blind. So when I hear persona saying that nobody can know they are forgiven and saved in this world, I cannot avoid coming to the conclusion that such are not forgiven or saved themselves, Some have the hardihood to say that Paid the apostle did not know that he was saved. I find him speaking very differently himself in 2 Tim. 1:1212For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day. (2 Timothy 1:12), where he says, “For I KNOW whom I have believed, and am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I have committed unto Him against that day.” Again, in 2 Cor. 5:11For 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. (2 Corinthians 5:1), where he associates others with himself, he says, “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.” And in 1 Cor. 2:1212Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. (1 Corinthians 2:12) he traces this wonderful knowledge up to its source: “Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that WE MIGHT KNOW the things that are freely given to us of God.” There is no uncertainty in these scriptures, where we have heard Paul saying by the Holy Ghost What was true of himself, and equally true of all saved persons. And remember, the scriptures cannot be broken, and cannot contradict themselves.
Now, let us listen to what the apostle John has to say upon this subject of assurance. “But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby KNOW WE that we are in Him.” (1 John 2:55But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him. (1 John 2:5).) And again, in 3:2: “Beloved, NOW are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but WE KNOW that, when He shall appear, we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as He is.” “And YE KNOW that He was manifested to take away our sins.” (v. 5.) “WE KNOW that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren....” (v. 14.) “Hereby KNOW WE that we dwell in Him, and He in us, because He hath given us of His Spirit.” “And we have KNOWN and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him” (4:13, 16.) “These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that YE MAY KNOW that ye have eternal life.” And WE KNOW that we are of God.... And WE KNOW that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that WE MAY KNOW Him that is true, and we are in Him that is true, even in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life.” (v. 13, 19, 20.)
What can we say, in the face of such an overwhelming and unanswerable body of Scripture proof as to the doctrine of assurance, but what the blessed Lord Himself says in John 7:1717If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself. (John 7:17): “If any man will do His will, HE SHALL KNOW of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself”?
And yet once again Christ says, speaking prophetically of the days in which we are living, “At that day” (the day of the Holy Ghost being given, which was ten days after Christ’s ascension) “YE SHALL KNOW that I am in my Father, and ye in Me, and I in you.” (John 14:2020At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you. (John 14:20).) I ask in all solemnity, Who am I to believe? Christ, who says that the characteristic of Christianity is, that “ye shall know,” or those who teach it is impossible to know, and presumption to say that we do know? What is the object of “the tender mercy of our God whereby the dayspring from on high hath visited us,” if it be not “to give KNOWLEDGE of salvation unto His people by the remission of their sins”? (Luke 1:77, 7877To give knowledge of salvation unto his people by the remission of their sins, 78Through the tender mercy of our God; whereby the dayspring from on high hath visited us, (Luke 1:77‑78).)
Poor, anxious, troubled soul, drop all your reasonings and questionings; flee from the dreary regions of frames, fears, feelings, and experiences which you are now putting in the place of simple faith. Cease from those who teach you cannot know that you are saved, and take God at His word, for He says “YE MAY KNOW.”