I John 5:12,13 “He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. (13) These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.”
I often hear people say that you cannot know if you are going to Heaven or not. The Bible is plain about this matter – especially throughout the New Testament.
The Bible makes it plain that you not only can know but that God wants you to know – for sure. Consider the above two verses. Before you read them again, eliminate all preconceived ideas about the matter and observe what the Bible – God’s Word – says.
In verse 12, the bottom line of knowing whether you are saved or not, is what the Bible says about believing on Christ. It declares that if you have the Son (Jesus) then you have eternal life. If you do not have the Son, then, you do not have eternal life. That is quite plain.
Now, people are not born physically having the Son. We know this because verse 13 says twice that you must “believe” to be saved. Babies do not believe anything. It is why Jesus said, in John 3:3, that to go to Heaven, you must be “born again.” The first birth is not sufficient.
To believe on Jesus Christ means to understand, first, what He said about salvation. He declared that He came to save sinners. Jesus said, in Luke 5:32: “I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”
After admitting to God that you are a sinner, you must know that Jesus died as your Substitute. All people, because of their sin (rebellion against God’s laws), are destined to go to Hell to pay for their sin. Repentance means turning from sin in your heart and being willing to start doing what God wants.
In prayer, tell God that you are sorry for your sin. Believe that Jesus died to pay for your sins and receive His payment for them, then ask Him to come into your life as Lord (Boss). If you are serious about it: you “may know that ye have eternal life” – based on the Word of God.
At that time, you have “the Son” – and not before.