You Were There All Along

John 5:13 I write these things to you who believe so that you may know that you have eternal life.

The sensation of her touch was as gentle as the kiss of a breeze. Her voice matched her stroke and in a scarcely audible voice she whispered, "Mommy, I need you." In the midst of deepest sleep, I felt the brush of her hand and heard her delicate plea. I knew she was there. I fluttered my eyes only briefly to confirm that my sweet Carynne was beside me. In one sweeping motion I scooped her onto to my chest and invited her to join me in the delight of deep rest.

Today I am studying 1 John 5. In this final chapter, John reassures his readers that their salvation is real. He wants them to know with certainty that eternal life awaits them with their final breath. Those who believe in the Christ are saved.

Do you ever wonder if you're really saved? There was a time in my life when I battled this kind of doubt almost daily. I wanted to hear God. To know that I was His. I have since realized that His voice is no louder than a breath; His touch nearly imperceptible. How the can I know He is standing at my side?

When I first had kids, "mommy radar" did not come naturally to me. Both practice and familiarity were required for me to distinguish my instinct from my worry. After nearly 36 years of combined parenting, however, I have come to perceive the lightest brush of their hand across my skin. I now have great confidence in my intuition and that assurance empowers my parenting.

Far greater than the joy of emboldened parenting, is the peace of security in my relationship with Jesus. In this passage, John gives us two ways we can increase our level of confidence in our salvation.

• Love for fellow believers (Verse 1) - If I earnestly love God, I will love His people. The two can not be separated. Throughout this letter, John has urged believers to demonstrate the sincerity of their love for God by loving others. Love is asking how someone is and actually caring about the answer. Love is taking the time to ask questions that extend beyond the surface. Love is sharing your talents and gifts with the church. Love is making time to gather with other believers both at church and away from church. Love is action (1 John 3:18) and those actions lead me closer to the heart of Christ.
• Obedience (Verse 3) - Just as my children demonstrate their love for me by listening to what I advise and doing it, so do I show my love for God. I take to heart what He asks of me and then not perfectly but increasingly learn to do as God asks. As I learn to obey God, my relationship with Him is enriched thereby granting greater certainty of that relationship.

Jesus, I want to know that You are with me. I want to perceive You standing at my side so You can scoop me into Your arms and invite me into that place of quiet rest. Both practice (obedience) and familiarity (loving You by loving others) are required. As I grow in both love and obedience, I realize it's You that's been there all along caressing my soul and whispering tender words of Your great love for me.