How to Know That You Know Him

1 John 5:13 NIV - Anglicised

13 I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.

INTRODUCTION:

1. How would you respond if I asked you right now - Are you saved?

2. You should be able to say - Praise God, I know that I am saved.

But many Christians don’t know that they’re saved.

They wrestle with doubt & the assurance of their salvation.

Many believers walk around with a “hope so” salvation rather than a “know so” salvation.

Someone once said, if you could have it and not know it, you could lose it and not miss it.”

3. But John tells us that we can “know” that we have eternal life.

The word “know” means absolute assurance.

According to 1 John 5:13, it’s possible to be saved and know it.

But the very fact that John wrote this verse also shows that it’s also possible to be saved and doubt it.

NOTE: Doubt isn’t good.

Doubt is to your spirit what pain is to your body.

Pain is a warning that something is wrong.

It doesn’t mean you’re dead - It just means that something is wrong.

NOTE: If you have doubts and you’re truly a born again child of God, you are suffering from some kind of spiritual sickness.

And it’s a problem that needs to be overcome.

4. John said he wrote to us as God's children so that we may know that we have been saved.

5. The words know or known appears 38 times in this epistle on assurance.

NOTE: God wants us to know Him…and He also wants us to know that we know Him.

6. So, the next logical question to ask is "How can I know that I know Him?"

7. To answer that question, we need to ask ourselves 5 questions…and our answers to these 5 questions will give us a good indication as to whether or not we know Him.

1) AM I BEING OBEDIENT?

1 John 2:3–4 NIV - Anglicised

3 We know that we have come to know him if we obey his commands. 4 The man who says, “I know him,” but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him.

1. John doesn’t beat around the bush - He comes right out & says “if you’re keeping God’s commands, you know Him…but if you’re not being obedient, you’re a liar...”

2. Iow’s, don’t tell me that you’re saved, if you’re not being obedient to God and His Word.

NOTE: We're not saved because we keep the commandments, but we will keep the commandments if we’re saved.

NOTE: We're not saved by works…and we're not saved by commandment keeping or rule keeping…but if you are saved, you will have a desire to follow God’s Word and live in obedience to it.

This doesn't mean that we obey everything perfectly…but if you’re saved you will want your life to be guided by the Word of God.

The truly born again person will have as his hearts desire to obey and please God.

2) AM I BEING LOVING?

1 John 2:9–11 NIV - Anglicised

9 Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates his brother is still in the darkness. 10 Whoever loves his brother lives in the light, and there is nothing in him to make him stumble. 11 But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks around in the darkness; he does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded him.

1 John 3:14–15 NIV - Anglicised

14 We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love our brothers. Anyone who does not love remains in death. 15 Anyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life in him.

1 John 4:7–8 NIV - Anglicised

7 Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. 8 Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.

1. When we are saved we become a part of the family of God…and when we are saved, love will automatically be in our hearts, because God is love.

NOTE: To be a child of God is to share God's nature…and since God is love, His children should be people of love.

John 13:35 NIV - Anglicised

35 By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

NOTE: If you want to know that you're saved, ask yourself - Do I love God and other believers? Do I have a desire for unity, peace, and fellowship?

NOTE: Love is the main characteristic of true believers.

3) AM I GROWING IN HOLINESS?

1 John 3:2–3 NIV - Anglicised

2 Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. 3 Everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, just as he is pure.

1 John 3:6–10 NIV - Anglicised

6 No-one who lives in him keeps on sinning. No-one who continues to sin has either seen him or known him. 7 Dear children, do not let anyone lead you astray. He who does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous. 8 He who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work. 9 No-one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God’s seed remains in him; he cannot go on sinning, because he has been born of God. 10 This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not a child of God; nor is anyone who does not love his brother.

1 John 5:18 NIV - Anglicised

18 We know that anyone born of God does not continue to sin; the one who was born of God keeps him safe, and the evil one cannot harm him.

1. A believer will not continue to live a life of habitual sin.

NOTE: There is no such thing as a saved sinner - Iow’s, you can’t be saved & go on sinning like you always have been.

NOTE: A true child of God turns from sin & seeks to distance themselves from sin.

This doesn’t mean that we will be perfect & sinless…but we should be striving to live a life of holiness.

NOTE: God still expects His people to be pure & holy.

We should be purifying ourselves & laying aside the hindrances in our life.

Hebrews 12:1 NIV - Anglicised

1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.

2 Corinthians 7:1 NIV - Anglicised

1 Since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God.

NOTE: If you’re saved, you should be bothered by sin in your life…and you should be confessing it to God & seeking to overcome it.

4) AM I BELIEVING IN JESUS?

1 John 5:1 NIV - Anglicised

1 Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves the father loves his child as well.

1 John 5:10 NIV - Anglicised

10 Anyone who believes in the Son of God has this testimony in his heart. Anyone who does not believe God has made him out to be a liar, because he has not believed the testimony God has given about his Son.

1. Biblical faith isn’t just an intellectual exercise.

Iow’s, you don’t just believe about Jesus, you believe inJesus…you commit yourself to Jesus.

2. Notice verse 10 is in the present tense.

It doesn’t say “anyone who believed” …it says, “anyone who believes.”

NOTE: Our confidence is always in the present tense.

The Bible never says to point back to some experience to determine the status of your soul, it says to look at your current relationship.

The question isn’t, “Did you believe in Jesus?”but rather, “Are you believing in Him right now?” Are you trusting Him now?

Do you have a relationship with Jesus at this present moment?

NOTE: If you are trusting Jesus – present tense – you are saved…if not, don’t rely on some past experience.

Too many people want to point back to a time they walked an aisle or prayed a prayer…and that’s what they rely on.

But our faith must be in Jesus & Jesus alone…not some experience from the past.

5) DO I HAVE THE INNER WITNESS OF THE SPIRIT?

1 John 3:24 NIV - Anglicised

24 Those who obey his commands live in him, and he in them. And this is how we know that he lives in us: We know it by the Spirit he gave us.

1 John 4:13 NIV - Anglicised

13 We know that we live in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit.

1. If you’re saved, the HS lives inside of you…and He will assure you that you belong to God.

NOTE: God’s presence in your life is proof that you belong to Him.

Romans 8:16 NIV - Anglicised

16 The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.

2. If you can say that the HS is working in your life, you can have assurance that you are saved.

CONCLUSION:

1. If you’re here today & you’re still struggling with doubt & don’t have assurance of salvation…it’s possible that you’re not saved.

NOTE: I can’t assure you & affirm you in your salvation - Iow’s, I can’t tell you whether you’re saved or not.

But I can tell you what the bible says...

Romans 10:9–10 NIV - Anglicised

9 That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.

If you’ve never done that, today is the day to get things right with God.

2. If you are saved and having doubts, Ask yourself this moment: Am I trusting Jesus?

If you do that and you still have doubts, let me tell you what is probably wrong. You probably have some sin in your life.

You need to confess that sin because nothing is more damaging to faith and confidence than unconfessed and un-repented sin in your life.

Let’s pray!!!