That you may know

These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God. - 1 John 5v13

Whenever I come across this verse one event come to mind. On Tuesday night, the 12th February, 1974 I was sitting in a basement room at the library of what was then Widener College in Chester, Pennsylvania. This really did not make any sense because I was fully ‘enjoying the freedom’ that came with living a thousand miles from home on my own. I was doing all the ‘stuff’ that college kids were doing in the 70’s (except drugs - they scared me) so going to a Bible study did not really fit in to that lifestyle. I had just happened to come across a flyer that had been torn from a bulletin board and thrown on the ground. I only picked it up because I hate litter so much. I saw the notice and had nothing else to do so I grabbed a Bible and headed out.

The study was led by a Christian professor (I wish I remembered his name) and sponsored by Intervarsity Christian Fellowship. He was doing a good study from 1 John about the importance of godly love. My eyes fell across the page to 1 John 5v13 and I saw these words for the first time – ‘that you may know that you have eternal life.’ I had heard he gospel here and there in my young life. I remember being in a gospel caravan at a county fair and a few years later at some kind of special meeting because a girl I liked invited me to go. I vaguely remember a VBS (Holiday Bible Club) from when I was very young. My broken neck the previous summer had reminded me of the frailty of life and uncertainty of the future. The seeds had been planted, God had sent me reminders, and this night was the time when He drew me to Himself and everything clicked.

As I sat there I remembered someone telling me that all I had to do to be saved was to acknowledge my sin and ask Jesus to forgive me and make me His child. So I did. I wanted to know it for a fact and no longer wonder. I yielded to God’s drawing and Christ saved me. The end of the verse says that we may believe, or as the NKJV puts it, continue to believe in His name.

I am so grateful that God used this verse to draw me to Himself. Since I put my faith in Christ I have known that I have eternal life and I continue to continue to believe in His name.

More than 35 years has passed since that February night. I knew that night that God gave me eternal life and I know it today.

Praise God for His word!