I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God that you may know (emphasis mine) that you have eternal life. (1 John 5:13 ESV)

Which do you have: a KNOW SO salvation or a HOPE SO salvation? The difference between the two is profound. Someone who is depending on a HOPE SO salvation will vacillate with each failure, each misstep, each decision. That person will always be wondering, did I blow it this time, did I go too far, did I make a bad decision that will result in my dismissal? In a HOPE SO relationship you never know where you stand. You will always wonder if you are good enough, have performed well enough, or have made an adequate impression. What will it take for this relationship to fall apart, what will create a strain too great, what will be the last straw? Some people think that, given the fickleness of the human heart and possibly, the fickleness of God Himself, we can never really be sure about our relationships.

I am thankful that God is not fickle. “God is not man, that he should lie, or a son of man, that he should change his mind. Has he said, and will he not do it? Or has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it?” (Numbers 23:19 ESV) God says that we can KNOW that we have eternal life. “He who has the Son has life and he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.” It’s simple. Do you have the Son, or not? Have you trusted Jesus Christ for your salvation, or not? “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16 ESV) This is NOT rocket science. If you trust someone, you will not constantly question them, second-guess them, or doubt them.

A KNOW SO salvation is the kind that God has promised to provide. He wants us to have a certainty about our relationship with Him. He wants us to walk in confidence, knowing where we stand with Him. If we have fallen into some sin, if we have failed to love, if we have experienced any uncertainty about where we stand, we can come to Him, confess our sin, confess our doubts, and bare our souls. He is faithful and just to forgive our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. His Spirit will restore our inward confidence. His Word will renew our confidence. We can walk in confidence, knowing that God is guiding us.

The steps of a man are established by the LORD, when he delights in his way; though he fall, he shall not be cast headlong, for the LORD upholds his hand. (Psalms 37:23-24 ESV)

Don’t settle for a HOPE SO salvation, when God wants you to have a KNOW SO salvation!