1) “Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been begotten of God, and everyone who loves Him who begets, loves him who has been begotten of Him” (1 John 5:1).
Once we believe that Jesus is the Christ, we are born of God. God is love (1 John 4:16), and the life of God is also the life of love. Therefore, everyone who is begotten of God loves God and loves him who has been begotten of God, him who is a brother in the Lord.
2) “We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers” (1 John 3:14).
This word states that, as believers, our love for the brothers in the Lord is a proof that we have God’s eternal life. Loving the brothers in the Lord is an experience in the eternal life of God after we have believed in the Lord to be saved. There is an inexplainable joy and feeling of dearness when a saved person sees a brother in the Lord. This kind of love toward a brother in the Lord is also a proof for us to know that we have been saved. It can be called the proof of love, the proof of our experience in the life of God.
Therefore, whether it is by the definite word of the Bible, by the witnessing of the Holy Spirit in our spirit, or by our experience of love in life, we may know assuredly that we are saved. Furthermore, the salvation that we have received is an eternal salvation (Heb. 5:9). Once we have received this salvation, we shall by no means perish forever, and no one can snatch us out of the Lord’s and the heavenly Father’s hands (John 10:28-29).
1) “The joy of...salvation” (Psa. 51:12); “songs of deliverance” (Psa. 32:7).
Salvation is a joyful matter, and God’s salvation brings us joy. Therefore, when we are saved, and especially when we know that we have been saved, joy will flood us and we will overflow with songs of salvation, singing forth the joy of salvation. This kind of joyful singing will spontaneously arouse our gratitude and adoration toward the very God who loves us and the very Lord who saves us.
2) “Behold, God is my salvation...and my song... Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation” (Isa. 12:2-3).
When we are saved and have obtained God’s salvation, we will not only sing for joy, but we will also draw water out of the wells of His salvation, receiving from them a continuous and endless supply. This becomes the very encouragement and strength to us Christians that we may be delivered from sins and lusts and overcome the Devil and the world.