Confidence
1 John • Sermon • Submitted
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Intro:
Intro:
AG: "Five Million Dollars."
One thing I know—I cannot speak for others, but I can speak for myself; I cannot read other minds and other hearts; I cannot read the Bible and lay hold for others; but I can read for myself, and take God at his word. The great trouble is that people take everything in general, and do not take it to themselves. Suppose a man should say to me, "Moody, there was a man in Europe who died last week, and left five million dollars to a certain individual. "Well," I say, "I don't doubt that; it's rather a common thing to happen," and I don't think anything more about it. But suppose he says, "But he left the money to you." Then I pay attention; I say, "To me?" "Yes, he left it to you." I become suddenly interested. I want to know all about it. So we are apt to think Christ died for sinners; He died for everybody, and for nobody in particular. But when the truth comes to me that eternal life is mine, and all the glories of Heaven are mine, I begin to be interested. I say, "Where is the chapter and verse where it says I can be saved?" If I put myself among sinners, I take the place of the sinner, then it is that salvation is mine and I am sure of it for time and eternity.
TS: John has been writing about confidence. He repeated reminds us that we can know that we have been made new by Jesus. He has been laying out evidence which gives us assurance.
RS: We don’t have to “think”, “guess” or “hope” the blessings of eternal life are ours. God says we can KNOW. Today I want to answer the question, “Can we have confidence that we have eternal life?”
By this we shall know that we are of the truth and reassure our heart before him;
for whenever our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and he knows everything.
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.
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.
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.
Assured Hearts
Assured Hearts
By this we shall know that we are of the truth and reassure our heart before him;
for whenever our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and he knows everything.
Assurance Isn’t based on feelings!
“{19 By this we shall know that we are of the truth and reassure our heart before him; 20 for whenever our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and he knows everything.”
New life brings demonstrable proof with it.
Isn’t based on feelings!
Even if our heart “feels” a lack of assurance, John says, “IF our heart condemns us, God is greater”
God declares us to be saved and that settles it
He called us
We repented believing Him and accepting the free gift of salvation.
There is no wavering from that in the future!
HE enters our lives and starts transforming us.
John has given us several “proofs” of our new nature.
1. (Walking in the Light)
This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.
If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.
But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.
2. (Confession of Sin)
If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.
2. (Obedience)
And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments.
Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him,
3. (Love for the Brethren)
Whoever says he is in the light and hates his brother is still in darkness.
Whoever loves his brother abides in the light, and in him there is no cause for stumbling.
But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.
4. (Hatred for the World)
Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world.
And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.
5. (Perseverance in Doctrine)
Let what you heard from the beginning abide in you. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, then you too will abide in the Son and in the Father.
And this is the promise that he made to us—eternal life.
6. (Righteousness)
By this it is evident who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother.
As evidence mounts, we have assurance of our spiritual condition.
This demonstrates reality, not creates it!
Salvation happens and then sanctification as He works on us.
As we grow in the Lord, the evidence becomes increasingly apparent.
As we grow in the Lord, the evidence becomes increasingly apparent.
Benefits of Confidence
Benefits of Confidence
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.
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.
We have confidence before God
21 Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God; 22 and whatever we ask we receive from him, because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him.
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.
1. Answered Prayers
1. Answered Prayers
The Promise: Answered prayer
The Condition: keep His Commands
Believe in the name of Jesus
Be saved!
There is no promise to the lost that they can ask God for anything except salvation!
Verses addressing them tell them to repent and believe.
Once saved:
Many verses promise answered prayer
Faith is often put as the condition.
And Jesus answered them, “Have faith in God.
Truly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will come to pass, it will be done for him.
Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.
Important note:
Love one another
Never are we promised that we will have God’s help fuliflling our selfish lusts.
You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask.
You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions.
We should follow Jesus’ example:
James
Not my will, but yours be done
As we grow in the Lord, our desires begin to conform to His.
We will want, what He wants.
Love one another
A lack of love is a “deal breaker” in our prayers
When we harbor bitterness and envy, it hampers our prayer lives.
Loving each other reveals
2. He abides in us
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.
The Spirit abides in us
24 Whoever keeps his commandments abides in God,[d]and God[e] in him. And by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit whom he has given us.
What a blessing to have God residing within us doing His work.
Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you.
And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment:
concerning sin, because they do not believe in me;
concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you will see me no longer;
concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.
“I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now.
When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come.
He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you.
All that the Father has is mine; therefore I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you.
John 16:7-
A. seals us
B. Reveals truth
Conclusion:
Conclusion:
C. gives gifts
Is there evidence in your life of the change God has brought?
If so, you can have confidence that God will keep you secure. He is working in us even now to make us what HE wants us to be.
D. produces fruit