Evidences of Salvation / 1 John / 1. The Conviction Test
Over the past few weeks, we’ve been exploring the various means of grace - those practical, tangible instruments that God uses to work in our lives. We’ve looked at how God uses His Word, prayer, the ordinances, and the fellowship of the local church to shape us and conform us more and more into the image of Jesus. These ordinary means are the very tools God uses to keep us, strengthen us, and enable us to persevere in the faith so that we might be found blameless when Christ returns.
But the means of grace do more than simply prepare us for the future; they bring about real, tangible change in the here and now.
When God’s means of grace are active and operative in our lives, they don't remain passive - they produce real spiritual fruit. Now, we recognize that none of us grow at the exact same pace. We have different personalities, different backgrounds, and different struggles. Yet, despite those differences, the Bible shows us that when the Holy Spirit is working through these means of grace, certain marks will consistently become evident in the life of a genuine, growing believer.
These evidences of spiritual growth are a wonderful gift from God. They are not a list of burdens to earn His favor, but a reliable, biblical way for us to find deep assurance that we truly belong to Him.
That was the very heart of the Apostle John when he wrote the letter we call 1 John. In 1 John 5:13, he makes his purpose explicit:
"I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life."
John wanted believers to look at their lives and recognize the supernatural fruit that God’s grace produces. This morning, we are going to look at these evidences of salvation - the marks that demonstrate that God's preserving grace and His active tools are truly at work in our hearts.
1 JOHN – EVIDENCES OF SALVATION
First of all, let’s look at John’s purpose in writing his letter. Look at 1 John 1:1-3:
1 John 1:1-3 ¶ That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life - 2 the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us - 3 that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ.
John is writing authoritatively as an eye-witness of Jesus’ life and teaching. John knows how one comes by eternal life, and the nature of such life when one has it. Therefore, he is in a somewhat unique position to be able to proclaim it. His purpose is that those who read his letter might know that they have “fellowship” with believers.
He says, in verse 3, “that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ.”
In 1 John 2:19, John will speak fo those who:
1 John 2:19 They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us. But they went out, that it might become plain that they all are not of us.
John is saying in the first few lines of his letter,
“I want you to know that you are of us. I want you to know that you are part of the fellowship. I want you to know that you share in the eternal life which the Father and the Son possess, and which all genuine believers possess. Everything that I am no proclaiming as an eye-witness of Jesus is so that you might know that you too have this fellowship.”
That’s our hope this morning too. We don’t want to cause genuine believers to doubt their salvation, but to rejoice in their salvation as they test themselves to see whether or not they are in the faith. As Paul said to the Corinthians:
2 Corinthians 13:5 Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you? - unless indeed you fail to meet the test!
So, with that, let’s continue. The first test which John offers to help us to know that we are part of the fellowship of genuine believers is what we will call, “The Conviction Test”
1. The Conviction Test
1 John 1:5-10 This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. 6 If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. 7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. 8 If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.
What John is saying is that someone cannot claim to be part of the fellowship of genuine believers, sharing in the eternal life of the Father and Son, if their life reveals a pattern of unconfessed sin.
I say “a pattern” because John is holding two truths in tension here. On the one hand, he’s making it clear that we still sin (8,10), on the other he’s saying that genuine believers do not ‘walk’ in darkness of sin. That is, they don’t make it a regular pattern of living. This becomes clearer in chapter 3:
1 John 3:4-10 Everyone who makes a practice of sinning also practices lawlessness; sin is lawlessness. 5 You know that he appeared to take away sins, and in him there is no sin. 6 No one who abides in him keeps on sinning; no one who keeps on sinning has either seen him or known him. 7 Little children, let no one deceive you. Whoever practices righteousness is righteous, as he is righteous. 8 Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil. 9 No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God's seed abides in him, and he cannot keep on sinning because he has been born of God. 10 By this it is evident who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother.
Keeps on, practices. If continually submitting to sin as a pattern of life. This is that one who sins on with impunity. He flagrantly disobeys God as a pattern of living without regard for God’s judgment and a disregard for Christ’s sacrifice for that sin. There is no evidence that he is practicing righteousness.
Sinning and even sinning frequently is not the same as making a practice of sinning. The overall pattern of your life ought to be that of obedience to God and genuine repentance when you disobey. This is the mark of a genuine believer. The Holy Spirit sees to it:
9 No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God's seed abides in him, and he cannot keep on sinning because he has been born of God.
The Holy Spirit sees to it that genuine believers do not return to a lifestyle of sin. On the contrary, genuine believers make a habit of practicing righteousness.
10 By this it is evident who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother.
The Holy Spirit works in the life of genuine believers to produce a pattern of decreasing sin and increasing righteousness (sanctification). Not perfection but a progressive growth into Christlikeness.
REFLECT
Does your own sin grieve you? That is, are you troubled by your propensity for sin? Do you feel personal conviction when you know you have violated God’s holiness by disobeying him? When you sin are you driven to confess your sin so as to ensure you have unbroken fellowship with God?
I’m not talking about a worldy grief that only grieves over the consequences of sin or bad choices, I’m talking about a godly grief that mourns over your lack of holiness, laments your disobedience towards the God who loves you and longs for the day when you can worship him without the fetter of sin.
DAVID – AN EXAMPLE OF REPENTANCE
I’m talking about a conviction and repentance like David experienced after being confronted over his adultery, by Nathan the prophet. We read his response in Psalm 51:
Psalm 51:1-19 Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions. 2 Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin!
3 For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me. 4 Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you may be justified in your words and blameless in your judgment.
5 Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me. 6 Behold, you delight in truth in the inward being, and you teach me wisdom in the secret heart.
7 Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. 8 Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones that you have broken rejoice. 9 Hide your face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities. 10 Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. 11 Cast me not away from your presence, and take not your Holy Spirit from me. 12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit.
13 Then I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners will return to you. 14 Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, O God of my salvation, and my tongue will sing aloud of your righteousness.
15 O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise. 16 For you will not delight in sacrifice, or I would give it; you will not be pleased with a burnt offering. 17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise. 18 Do good to Zion in your good pleasure; build up the walls of Jerusalem; 19 then will you delight in right sacrifices, in burnt offerings and whole burnt offerings; then bulls will be offered on your altar.
David does not minimize or excuse his sin. He owns it fully: “I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me.”
He recognizes that his sin is first and foremost against God: “4 Against you, you only, have I sinned.”
He admits he deserves judgment and that he is a sinner by nature, not merely by isolated action. “5 Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me.”
He understands that God desires truth and sincerity in the inner person, not mere outward reform: “6 Behold, you delight in truth in the inward being, and you teach me wisdom in the secret heart.
Yet he does not sink into despair. He appeals to God’s steadfast love and covenant mercy, and he looks to God alone for cleansing: “7 Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.”
He recognizes that the consequences he’s experienced because of his sin are brought about by the Lord. “8 Let the bones that you have broken rejoice.”
He knows that only God can produce the deep change he needs: “10 Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.”
He longs for the joy of restored fellowship and a willing spirit to serve again: “12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit.”
He offers what God truly accepts - not empty ritual, but a broken and contrite heart: “17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.”
That is the pattern 1 John describes. Genuine conviction leads us to confess our sins, trusting that God is “faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” because of the blood of Jesus.
REFLECT
When you do sin, and you do, do you see yourself as one who needs God’s mercy? One who deserves God’s judgment against sin? Do you see yourself as a sinner by nature who has violated God’s standard of holiness? Then, do you remind yourself that God is not only holy and just, but that he is merciful and the loving, covenant-keeping God? Do you ask for God’s forgiveness recognizing that such a cleansing is only possible because of the sacrifice of his Son? Then, do you embrace that forgiveness by faith and go on serving your loving, merciful and gracious Saviour?
The conviction test is important, but I would like to attach a warning. You don’t want to stay here. You don’t want to rest much confidence upon this test alone. Why? Because our consciences can bother us for a host of reasons which may not be genuine repentance.
Our consciences are shaped by a myriad of influences – family, society, religion, etc. You can experience shame and guilt for a variety of reasons which may not actually be genuine repentance.
2 Corinthians 7:10 For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death.
Every genuine Christian will experience conviction over their sin, however, not everyone who feels guilt from sin, is a Christian. Therefore, don’t trust the fact that you feel guilt when you sin as a sole indicator that you are saved. The real test is what you do once the conviction occurs. Genuine believers will go to God in prayer, sincerely seeking his forgiveness through Jesus.
So, what I’m saying is don’t be content assuring yourself that you are a genuine believer simply because you feel guilt when you sin. This is just a sort of baseline which so many other wonderful evidences of salvation build upon.
Next time, we will consider the “Submission Test.”
