Are you Saved or Are you Lost? 1 John 3:13-24

Reminder

1 John 3:10 NASB95

By this the children of God and the children of the devil are obvious: anyone who does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor the one who does not love his brother.

Are you defined by Love or Hate? Verses 13-18

13-15

Covered Last week but it introduces what is being immediately discussed

How We Know Love Verse 16

John discusses this in his gospel

Greatest Love

John 10:11 NASB95

“I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.

John 15:13 NASB95

“Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends.

Sacrificial Living

Lay down our lives

1 Thessalonians 2:8 NASB95

Having so fond an affection for you, we were well-pleased to impart to you not only the gospel of God but also our own lives, because you had become very dear to us.

How we Apply Love Verse 17

James 2:15–16 NASB95

If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and be filled,” and yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that?

Do not Harden your heart to the need of our fellow man

NO SLIDE

A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature, 3rd ed. σπλάγχνον

as often in the ancient world, inner body parts served as referents for psychological aspects (s. καρδία): of the seat of the emotions, in our usage a transference is made to the rendering heart,

Deuteronomy 15:7 NASB95

“If there is a poor man with you, one of your brothers, in any of your towns in your land which the Lord your God is giving you, you shall not harden your heart, nor close your hand from your poor brother;

John will go on to say in Chapter 4

1 John 4:20 NASB95

If someone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for the one who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen.

Love in Action Verse 18

Not love with word and with tongue

Love in Deed and Truth

Deed is taking action or being on mission for Jesus

1 Corinthians 15:58 NASB95

Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord.

I have decided to stick with love. Hate is too great a burden to bear.

Martin Luther King Jr. (Baptist Minister and Civil Rights Activist)

Truth is Obedience to God’s Word

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A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature, 3rd ed. ἀλήθεια

of the content of Christianity as the ultimate truth

What is the Condition of Your Heart? Verses 19-22a

Heart Assurance Verse 19

1 John 2:21 NASB95

I have not written to you because you do not know the truth, but because you do know it, and because no lie is of the truth.

This is a reminder of those who hold to truth

Persuade or convince our heart before him

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A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature, 3rd ed. πείθω

conciliate, pacify, set at ease/rest

Which do we Believe: Our Heart or God Verse 20

Jeremiah 17:9 NASB95

“The heart is more deceitful than all else And is desperately sick; Who can understand it?

Romans 8:31 NASB95

What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us?

Does your Heart Demonstrate Faith Verses 21-22a

When we have a clear conscience towards God we demonstrate Trust

Faith ---God said it, I believe it, and I live my life like I believe it

Isaiah 26:3 NASB95

“The steadfast of mind You will keep in perfect peace, Because he trusts in You.

John 14:27 NASB95

“Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful.

1 Peter 3:21 NASB95

Corresponding to that, baptism now saves you—not the removal of dirt from the flesh, but an appeal to God for a good conscience—through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,

Unstable is from not completely trusting God

James 1:6–8 NASB95

But he must ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind. For that man ought not to expect that he will receive anything from the Lord, being a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.

John 9:31 NASB95

“We know that God does not hear sinners; but if anyone is God-fearing and does His will, He hears him.

Matthew 7:7 NASB95

“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.

John 15:7 NASB95

“If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.

Give me a stout heart to bear my own burdens. Give me a willing heart to bear the burdens of others. Give me a believing heart to cast all burdens upon Thee, O Lord.

John Baillie (Scottish Theologian)

Do you have Commitment to His Commandments? Verses 22b-24

Are you Following His Commandments Verse 22b

Repeating Idea

Keep His commandments

1 John 2:3 NASB95

By this we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments.

pleasing in His Sight

Hebrews 13:21 NASB95

equip you in every good thing to do His will, working in us that which is pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.

Matthew 25:21 ESV

His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’

You were created for good works

Ephesians 2:8–10 NASB95

For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.

Are you following His Son Verse 23

Believe in Jesus

John 6:29 NASB95

Jesus answered and said to them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent.”

John 1:12 NASB95

But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name,

John 3:18 NASB95

“He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

Romans 10:9–10 NASB95

that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.

The heart of the gospel is redemption, and the essence of redemption is the substitutionary sacrifice of Christ.

The Heart Of The Gospel, Volume 32, Sermon #1910 - 2 Corinthians 5:20, 21

Charles Spurgeon

Proof you believe in Jesus

Demonstrate the Love of Jesus

John 13:34 NASB95

“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another.

John 15:12 NASB95

“This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you.

Are you Filled with His Holy Spirit Verse 24

John 15:4–5 NASB95

“Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me. “I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.

How can I know?

Because His Holy Spirit lives in me and affirms my salvation.

Romans 8:9 NASB95

However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him.

John 14:15–17 NASB95

“If you love Me, you will keep My commandments. “I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you.