Period. Full Stop.

Sometimes, like very recently for me, I start to fall for the jaundiced and biblically unsupportable teaching that we can never be sure of our salvation until we die.

Pretty close to every week, I hear that seductive lie from people who have nary a clue of the length, breadth, and depth of Scripture and God’s promises. They do not seem to know that God knows our frame. They do not seem to know that He knows we are ‘but dust.” They do not seem to trust the promises of God who vows to those who’ve been baptized into Christ, who follow Him, who strive to know Him, to love Him, to serve Him – that they HAVE eternal life.

Please do not misinterpret what I just said. It is well-supported by Scripture that we CANNOT expect eternal life if we actively live in sin. If we have no desire to obey Christ, if we routinely live according to our own will and see no reason to repent of and turn from our sins, then we do NOT have eternal life dwelling within us.

Period. Full stop.

But my point is NOT addressed to those who live that kind of delusion. Jesus gave some pretty stiff warnings to those self-deceived liars, such as Matthew 7:21-23.

My point, however, is to those who strive to live humbly and obediently before Jesus (occasional slips into sin – of which all Christians are subject – notwithstanding). Scripture tells us they HAVE – present tense – they HAVE eternal life. St. John’s words in his first epistle is only one example: “He who has the Son has the life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have the life. These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life.” (1 John 5:12-13)

I’ve labored under that dark cloud of uncertainty for a week now. Maybe two. Time gets away when you get depressed. But then the Lord reminded me this morning through this song by the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir, that if I die before I finish this sentence, I HAVE – not MIGHT have – I have eternal life. And the lyrics of this song describe what all who love the Lord have to look forward to.

I hope this song encourages you as it encouraged me. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Hm8jJYHCgM