Yes, I know I'm shouting with those caps, but someone needs to! This verse is used to assure brand new Christians of eternal life without the context of the whole letter. God gets angry at those who say, "Peace, peace," when there is no peace (Jer. 6:14; Ezek. 13:10). It is those who continue to the end that will be saved (Matt. 24:13), the rest of us must work out our salvation with fear and trembling (Php. 2:12-13). What 1 John says about assurance is that we can assure our hearts if we love in deed and truth (3:18-19).