Based on 1 John 2:23–27 | From the series “I Know That I’m a Christian” by Joshua Gibson of EBFC, Sunbury, PA
Every generation of Christians faces the same ancient question: How can I know that I truly belong to Christ? The apostle John writes his first epistle to believers who were surrounded by false teachers, shifting ideas, spiritual confusion, and cultural pressure—much like we are today. Yet John’s message remains simple, steady, and profoundly comforting:
“Let what you heard from the beginning abide in you.”
— 1 John 2:24
Assurance is not found in discovering something new. It is found in holding fast to what God has already revealed.
In 1 John 2:23–27, we are given four blessings—four anchors—that show us how we can know Christ and know that we know Him: the blessing of relationship, the blessing of truth, the blessing of promise, and the blessing of protection. Each one grows out of the gospel message we already received, the once-for-all truth given through Christ and the apostles.
Let’s walk through these blessings one by one.
The Blessing of Relationship: Through the Son, We Truly Know the Father
John begins with a foundational reality:
“No one who denies the Son has the Father. Whoever confesses the Son has the Father also.”
— 1 John 2:23
Christian assurance doesn’t begin with feelings, performance, or spiritual experience.
It begins with relationship—a relationship given, not earned.
To confess Christ is not merely to repeat words; it is to embrace Him with faith, acknowledging Him as Savior, Lord, God, and the only Mediator between God and man.
And when we confess the Son, an incredible reality follows:
We are welcomed by the Father.
- Christ, as fully God, has the authority to save us.
- Christ, as fully man, identifies with us.
- Christ alone brings us into fellowship with the Father.
This means:
- The Father will never disown you.
- He will never cast you out.
- He will never abandon His children.
Because of Christ, you have unlimited access to the Father. As Timothy Keller said:
“The only person who dares wake a king at 3 a.m. for a glass of water is a child.”
That is the kind of access we have to God.
So when you sin—run to Him.
When you’re afraid—run to Him.
When you doubt—run to Him.
Assurance begins here: You are His, because you are in Christ.
The Blessing of Truth: We Already Have What We Need
John continues:
“Let what you heard from the beginning abide in you.”
—1 John 2:24
The early church was encountering teachers claiming new spiritual insights, new revelations, and new knowledge about God—just as many voices do today.
John’s response is timeless:
There is no such thing as “new truth.”
If it’s new, it isn’t true. If it’s true, it isn’t new.
God has already given us:
- the full gospel,
- the full revelation of Christ,
- and the Scriptures inspired by the Holy Spirit.
Anyone claiming to bring new teachings about Jesus, or new revelation from God, is presenting false teaching.
John’s antidote is not chasing the next spiritual idea—it’s returning to the original gospel.
The truth we received at salvation is the same truth we need today.
- Struggling to forgive?
→ Return to the truth that Christ forgave you fully. - Struggling to love?
→ Return to the truth that Christ loved you first. - Struggling with doubt?
→ Return to the truth that Christ died and rose for you.
The gospel is not a shallow well we quickly outgrow.
It is a bottomless fountain we return to again and again, always discovering more depth, power, and joy.
As John warns, moving beyond the gospel is not spiritual growth—it is spiritual danger.
Clinging to the truth is one of the clearest evidences that Christ truly lives within you.
The Blessing of Promise: Eternal Life Is Already Yours
John writes:
“And this is the promise that he made to us—eternal life.”
—1 John 2:25
But here’s the astonishing truth:
Eternal life is not merely a future destination. Eternal life is a Person.
Jesus said:
- “I am the bread of life.”
- “I am the living water.”
- “This is eternal life: that they know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.” (John 17:3)
To know Christ is already to possess eternal life.
This means:
- You are not waiting for eternal life—it has already begun in you.
- Your hunger for God, your frustration with sin, your desire for holiness—all evidence that eternal life is at work in you.
- You cannot “sin your way out” of God’s promise. The idea that a true believer can lose salvation directly contradicts the nature of the promise, the character of God, and the finished work of Christ.
God’s promise is unbreakable because He, not you, is the One who keeps it.
But this doesn’t lead to careless living.
Far from it.
Eternal life changes our desires now.
It draws us away from sin and toward Christ, transforming our hunger and thirst.
The promise shapes our present as much as our future.
The Blessing of Protection: God Guards Us From Deception
John concludes:
“I write these things to you about those who are trying to deceive you…
And the anointing you received from Him abides in you.”
—1 John 2:26–27
False teachers were actively attempting to lead believers astray—just as they are today.
But God does not leave His people unprotected.
We have the Word.
We have the Holy Spirit.
We have the truth given “from the beginning.”
John is not saying we don’t need pastors, teachers, or Christian instruction.
Rather, he is saying that all true Christian teaching is rooted in Scripture, empowered by the Holy Spirit, and consistent with the original gospel.
Anything that goes beyond Christ or adds to Christ is false:
- Jesus + additional revelation = false
- Jesus + new spiritual insight = false
- Jesus + new teaching or prophecy about His nature = false
The Holy Spirit guards believers by helping us recognize errors, cling to the truth, and reject the lies.
Because of the Spirit’s work, John can confidently say:
“You will not be deceived.”
Not because we’re clever.
Not because we’re strong.
But because God Himself keeps His people.
The Final Word: Abide in Him
John wraps up this entire passage with one simple command:
“Abide in Him.”
—1 John 2:27
Abiding is not striving—
It is staying.
Remaining.
Continuing.
Resting.
To abide in Christ is to live your life anchored in the relationship, truth, promise, and protection God has already given you.
When you are in Christ, you have:
- A Father who welcomes you
- A truth that forms you
- A promise that sustains you
- A Spirit who protects you
This is assurance.
This is salvation.
This is eternal life.
And it is already yours in Christ.
