"OUR HEARTS BEFORE GOD"

>>>Everyone stands before God-saved/unsaved/guilty/innocent.

>>>Our feelings of conviction/guilt can cause us to doubt salvation.

1 JOHN 3:19 “By this we shall know that we are of the truth and reassure our heart before him;”

>>>“Reassure” is “have confidence”

>>>The goal is for believers to have confidence of their salvation.

>>>The verses that follow will answer this question.

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1 JOHN 3:20 “for whenever our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and he knows everything.”

>>>There can sometimes be conviction/wrestling in the heart of the believer when he does wrong.

*“heart” is “inner self”/“conscience”

>>>God is “greater” than conflict/guilt in the believer’s heart.

*To be “greater” is to be “bigger” in size/importance

*God is bigger than what we’ve done.

>>>God knows everything

*Nothing is hidden

*Actions/circumstances/motives are all seen/known to God-and He runs it out!

GOD IS BIGGER THAN OUR MISTAKES.

>>>There will be times where torment is in our hearts (conviction, holding onto guilt, doubts-from Spirit/flesh/devil)

>>>Peter denied Jesus-grieved and runs away weeping.

>>>Goes back to old way of life

JOHN 21:15-19 “When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Feed my lambs.” He said to him a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Tend my sheep.” He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time, “Do you love me?” and he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep. Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were young, you used to dress yourself and walk wherever you wanted, but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will dress you and carry you where you do not want to go.” (This he said to show by what kind of death he was to glorify God.) And after saying this he said to him, “Follow me.””

>>>Jesus was greater than Peter’s mistake.

>>>The call was to continue following Him.

>>>Let go of what you’ve done and follow Jesus!

>>>God overcoming our guilt/forgiveness is act of assurance-he restores us.

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1 JOHN 3:21-22 “Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God; and whatever we ask we receive from him, because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him.”

>>>This is the opposite of the previous verse.

>>>Not having conviction/guilt gives confidence/boldness before God.

>>>(v.22) Why is there confidence? Keeping God’s commandments and living how He desires.

*Throughout this letter, John refers 10 times to Gods commands.

*“Keep” is “Conform one’s actions”

*In between verses is intimacy with God when the believer lives by His ways.

CONFIDENCE BEFORE GOD IS KNOWING WE FOLLOW HIS COMMANDMENTS.

>>>We will only feel confident operating within God’s commands.

>>>We will only feel conviction/guilt operating outside God’s commands.

>>>Thoughts on conviction: not a feeling!

*Conviction based on feeling is not based on Bible.

*Operating outside God’s commands while not being tormented means not saved (false confidence)!

*No such thing as Christian in sin w/o conviction.

>>>There will be torment in believer’s life (don’t quench Holy Spirit).

*Impacts worship/preaching/small group-nagging even if ignored.

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1 JOHN 3:23 “And this is his commandment, that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us.”

>>>There is a command to believe/repent/restored to fellowship.

>>>To believe is to “trust in”/ “commit”

*Commit to the Person (name) of Jesus Christ

*Love His people (signs of salvation)

GOD COMMANDS US TO WALK IN REPENTANCE AND LOVE.

>>>The ultimate commandment of God is to be reunited w/Him and in fellowship w/His people.

>>>If we have committed life to Jesus/fellowship w/His church, we have salvation.

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1 JOHN 3:24 “Whoever keeps his commandments abides in God, and God in him. And by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit whom he has given us.”

>>>There is unity/fellowship with God when His commandments are kept by His people.

*We are in God and He is in us.

>>>God assures His people of His abiding through the Holy Spirit.

THE HOLY SPIRIT IS THE ASSURANCE GOD REMAINS/LIVES IN US.

>>>The Holy Spirit witnesses to our spirit that we are saved.

>>>Do we see are lives influenced by the Holy Spirit?

*What is the Spirit’s influence? (conviction; teaching; guidance; perfection)

*The importance of devotion time-out of Bible, more prone to sin, more prone to doubt

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>>>Assurance, confidence, and obedience are the three themes of this passage.

>>>Let’s combine them.

CONFIDENCE BEFORE GOD, THROUGH OBEDIENCE TO HIS COMMANDS, AND BY THE POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT, GIVES US ASSURANCE OF SALVATION.

>>>The way we can stand before God in full assurance of salvation is that we know we are striving to live after Him.

>>>If we obey God and are able to stand confidently before Him, it should be impossible to doubt if we are saved or not.

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SMALL GROUP QUESTIONS:

1.) Coming out of the message, what is something that resonated with you?

2.) Main Point:CONFIDENCE BEFORE GOD, THROUGH OBEDIENCE TO HIS COMMANDS, AND BY THE POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT, GIVES US ASSURANCE OF SALVATION.

*How does true confidence before God come through obedience? How does that assure us we are saved?

*In what ways do people have a “false confidence” before God?

3.) What does obedience to God look like?

4.) Right now in your life, do you feel condemned or confident in your heart before God? Why/How?

5.) Looking at your life right now, where is the Holy Spirit?