1 John 4:13–21 - Confidence of our Closeness to God

As we continue our worship. Please take your Bibles and turned with me to First John chapter 4 and we'll look together at verses 13 through 21. First John Chapter 4 verses 13 through 21. If you're visiting with us, feel free to use the blue Bible in the few pocket in front of you and you'll find that text on page a 1023. first John chapter 4 looking at verses 13 to 21.

Ameri Force by this we know that we abide in him and he an ass because he has given us of his spirit and we have seen and testify that the father has sent his son to be the savior of the world. Whoever confesses that Jesus is the son of God God abides in him and he in God so we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us God is love and whoever abides and love abides in God and God abides in him by this is love perfected with us so that we may have confidence for the day of judgement because as he is so also are we in this world? There is no fear in love, but perfect love cast out fear for fear has to do with punishment and whoever fears has not been perfected in love we love because he first loved us if anyone says, I love God and hates his brother. He is a liar. For he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen and this commandment we have from him. Whoever loves God must also love his brother. On February 4th 2005 in a small dorm room of the campus of Harvard University to roommates with launcher website that will be forever Remembered in the annals of internet history.

Which everybody's Whispering my punchline before I even get to it. Yes Facebook.

The site is fascinating because it was originally limited to Harvard University student. Then it would expand to other college students in the Boston area. Then to other Ivy League schools then to most universities in the United States and Canada and within two years, it would be available to virtually everyone in the entire world and back just a few months ago to .27 billion.

Billion people in the world were recorded as regularly using the service. the mission to give people the power to build community and bring the world closer together.

Sunoco mission and it's attempts to build community and bring people closer together. Facebook has offered as several tools and that's what they are there tools. Such as the status update. like button comment thread the profile picture and one of the most interesting the relationship status

Well, the feature has largely fallen out of use an entire generation of Americans. You may not be aware of this understood this feature to be the official recognition of a relationship. For millions of couples and curious onlookers. The question was no longer. Is it official but is it Facebook official?

For all who ever use that tool? Or maybe you never even knew existed until 60 seconds ago. The relationship status feature deep down appeals to us all. We all know what it's like to pursue or Ponder Clarity in a relationship with grandparent never wondered how things really are between them and the grandchildren they don't call as much as they want. What husband or wife never seeks out Clarity for where things are with their spouse? We're about that child who can't help but wonder if Daddy is angry or mommy is frustrated with him or her especially after a long day at work. Or how about that tortured single wondering if or when they'll find the one? It's relational Clarity. We long for that. And would it be fun just to know our real-time relationship status with everyone around us? Like if there was just a little dialogue box that kind of floated above everyone's head and it just immediately clarify like where we stand with them. maybe at the frightening

and all this had me wonder. What would it look like to enjoy relational Clarity with God at all times? Whenever we wanted to know we could just see it in the clear Christopher. I mean it's one thing for us to claim to be in a relationship with him. But if he chose what do you think he would post of us?

friend in a relationship or it's complicated.

You say just in case you haven't been with us in our study of First John clarifying are Divine relationship status is what this book is all about.

Many of John Traders seemed to have doubted their relationship with God unnecessarily. And all the other hand there were some who were confident of their relationship erroneously. And so they needed the Divine relationship status update be the Apostle rights to them to set the relational record straight and ever since chapter 3 verse 11 of First John. He has been telling us over and over again that one of the ways that you can know that you really have this relationship with God is through the means of love. for other people not just love for God love for other people. In fact, if I were to ask you to tell me what the love chapter is in the Bible, how would you answer that question? Somebody can ask her out loud. 1st Corinthians 13, right because we have three or four verses that mention the word law 13 times. But beginning here in chapter 4, we actually have the word love mentioned 27 * Here's the real love chapter. In the context of us being able to know where we really stand with the Lord. It's the last week. We saw that love was not only a reality, but it was also a responsibility. I mean what we're supposed to love. It should just naturally have Miss. Sometimes we need to remember that this is a command it is an uphill battle. And so we looked at several times for obeying this command Olaf. Maybe you remember those but it's important that you do because where we are today is actually an extension of where we were last week John says, alright this command to love it. It's reality and a responsibility and you you need to grasp the fact that you should be living out this command even when you don't feel like it because

It actually conveys the father's nature. It corresponds with the father's sacrifice and it completes the Father's Love. That's what we saw last week. But there is another motive for showing love. There's another motive for continuing to believe in Jesus to the degree that it leads us to love other people and that is it gives us confidence of the Father's Law confidence. John uses the strongest language of the epistle to describe our closeness the confidence that we can have a viral a tional closeness to God. He's going to speak of us are biting in God and got a biting and she's going to talk about us even having confidence on the day of judgement having no fear about relationship and in case you've ever wondered about your relationship status with the father Are text this morning offers just two proofs of our closeness to God two proofs of our closeness to God. The first is that confession of Christ as Lord proves our closeness to God just ask yourself the question do I confess Christ as Lord look at versus 13 to 15 by this we know that we abide in him and he had us because he has given us of his spirit and we have seen a testified that the father has sent his son to be the savior of the world. Whoever confesses that Jesus is the son of God God abides in him and he in God here's how to know where close here is how I don't know that we're so close to God that we could say that he lives in us and that we actually live in him the father gave us his Spirit as evidenced by our confession of the apostolic testimony of the sun about you can know that you were that close to God because you have his Spirit. How do you know that you have a spirit because you believe the apostolic testimony about Jesus and how do you know you believe the apostolic testimony about Jesus you confess him to be who he said he was the doctor noticed that the language of post this year is fascinating. We we hear that word abide abide by over and over and over again and John and this will actually be in this particular paragraph should be the last time John will use it for the rest of the letter. We got to make sure we get it I said in previous times that the word abide could mean to be at home to reside and that is true Jesus illustration of a by Dan and John 15. I think it's even better. He pictures the word abide with the metaphor of a Vine and branches. Have you ever seen a grapevine before? I mean looked at it closely. It's hard to really tell where the vine starts and stops. Excuse me in the branches begin. Oh you really know is that there's a difference between the vine and the branches but somehow the one is in the other and the other is in the one. It is literally agriculturally the closest possible relationship that you could communicate and that is exactly what he saying here. It's not just that we're tight. It's not just that we're like this. There is some sense in which is greater than that. It's that he abides in us and we abide in him. John typically uses this word a bye to denote and Edward and during personal communion with God.

Do you want to get an idea how close the relationship really is with God the same word is used in John 14:10 to describe the relationship that God the son had with God the Father. He says I abide in him.

and he says that if you

He says that if me.

Was that close things are that good? Really? In fact, he says it twice. He's just it at the beginning of first 13. He says it at the end of verse 15 does not want you to miss. This is how close you and got really are. How do we know that how do we know that? We're in that type of relationship that were that intimate? Well, it's because the father has given us of his Spirit. What does it mean by the spirit? How do we know that? We have The Spirit Well, if you're reading this as a letter from start to finish not breaking it up as we have over the last couple of months you remember that the spirit was identified in a very tangible way. Look at Chapter 4 verses one through six. Do you remember that? The spirit is introduced there as the person from God enables us to confess that Jesus is the Christ. He's the spirit of Truth. He's the one that leads people to listen to the apostles. And so God made himself at home in US. When he gave us his Spirit at Salvation God resides and brings you to reside in him through his Spirit regeneration of Divine Life. You were a spiritual courts your dead heart could not receive if your dead mine could not conceive of him and yet God gave us his Spirit bring us into the Divine Life. How do we know the end of that? We have that spirit cuz that all sounds fine and good cuz anybody could say well yeah, of course, I've got the spirit. I'm spiritually light. I'm spiritually enlightened. Well, this is where verse 14 becomes helpful. He says and we have seen and testify that the father has sent his son to be the savior of the world sweet. Here. We here are the apostles back to First John chapter 1 and when you look at verses 1 through 3, you'll see another instance of what I'm calling the apostolic. We sometimes John uses the word we to refer to all Christians. Sometimes he uses the word we to refer to the apostles look at verses 1 through 4 that which was from the beginning which we have heard which we have seen with our eyes which we have looked upon and have touch with our hands concerning the word of life. The life was made manifest and we have seen it and testify to it and Proclaim to you later. No life which was with the father and was made manifest to us. That which we have seen and heard we Proclaim to you. You see what's going on there? Who was the one that heard and saw it touched it wasn't you and me we didn't have that experience. This was the apostles. In the spirit enables us to recognize the confession or the teaching of the Apostles as they were the ones drain that Jesus was the savior of the world. It would be ridiculous messaged us a notion that we could not possibly can save up on her own and yet the spirit working in US enabled us to believe the apostolic testimony that's been recorded for us in the pages of scripture.

Personally verse 15 is where it gets down to us. Whoever confesses then that Jesus is the son of God God abides in him and he in God. So how do we know that? We have the spirit? How do we know that? We're in this most intimate relationship with God is it when we feel that way?

Is it when we speak in tongues?

Do we know that we have the spirit when we most perfectly sinless lives. Do we know that we have the spirit when we have dreams and visions? Do we know that we have the spirit when we can name and Claymore every desire.

We know we have a spirit because we believe Jesus Christ to be the son of God. only God and fully man our Ward and our God we know we have the spirit because we confess Jesus to be the only savior of the world world that rebelled against into which we all Brits listen only those who belong to the father through the spirit truly confess Christ. Maybe an analogy would be helpful. Just did something similar to those who belong to a country being able to pledge their citizenship or pledge allegiance to it. I say this every time I watch the medal ceremony at the Olympics and over right now in the Olympics Dead Zone. We're a long ways off before the next. I find that to be a fascinating time in the calendar year whenever it comes up because I will actually sit and schedule and watch sports that I would never watch any other time of the year. You do it. It's a fun experience you cheer for your team your country and maybe the most revealing aspect of at least my own patriotism in this is through the medal ceremony. As you know, when you win the gold or when the Victor wins the go he gets to hear his or her national anthem played over the speaker. the flag of sins Austin Dale sing-along. No, put their hand over their heart as they hear their own Anthem in Pride. It's great to be a part of this nation to which we belong and and and went America wins just as an American no offense to anyone else from another country. That feeling of Pride swells up within me as well. I sing a lot. I don't need this in front of so many people but I actually tear up.

What's going on there? When we have that experience what is happening? It's because we are actually confessing the United States because it is the country to which we Long As Americans is our joy. This citizenship is our privilege. But no respect to our neighbors up north. We had a Canadian friend here. The last two weeks. I don't get the same feeling when I hear O, Canada. That's just me. I don't even know the words. And I don't care.

Because I'm not a citizen of that country. Give me well the confession of Jesus Christ is Lord is something that is unique to those who were in God. Those who are citizens of his kingdom. It is the Anthem we sing. It is the Pledge that we make we are wholeheartedly in to this person of Jesus and that is something that we could not naturally do on our own the spirit had to come in and places in New Divine territory. He enables our heart to sing that Assam. How easy it is to neglect the uniqueness of the Christian confession. What are the compass is what it entails confessing Jesus as Lord is a radical work at the spirit that ensures us have our intimacy of God. Listen for it is one thing to believe historical record that Jesus was a good morning man. It's quite another thing to believe the apostolic testimony that he was and is the son of God. It is one thing to confess Jesus as a savior. It is totally different to confess Jesus as the savior.

It is one thing to have confessed that Jesus Christ is Lord. It is quite another to be confessing that Jesus Christ is Lord present tense verb in the text. Confessing Christ may be simple, but it is not simplistic. God works powerfully both before and after that initial confession of Christ is Lord. I mean prior to the time that we ever spoke the words Jesus is Lord Jesus. You are who you say you are. There was this electing and there was this redeeming headed after that something was taking place. There was this sanctifying Heather will be is glorifying and it's all evidence through the confession.

Do you know if you're close?

You want another relationship status between you and the father? Here's the question. Do you believe that Christ is Lord? You can be confident today. If the Holy Spirit has enabled you to First believe the apostolic work. Is Jesus Christ the savior of Your World do you believe that he is the Son of God? Is he the Bedrock of your life? We just saying just a few minutes ago Christ the solid rock. If he fascinated, you know, how many if you told the truth?

Can you honestly sing that your hope is built on nothing less than Jesus blood and righteousness.

Do you really dare not trust the sweetest frame, but holy lean on Jesus name.

Is Christ actually the solid rock on which you stand all other ground is sinking sand.

You can be confident today. Not only if the spirit is enabled you to believe the apostolic word. But if the spirit has enabled you to confess that Jesus is the son of God and friends. Please get this right it is initial and ongoing this assertion this pledge of allegiance that you believe Jesus is who he says he is there is a moment in time in which it takes place for sure. There's a some point in time where you will have had to have identified him with your mouth to be who he said he was Romans 10. And you make that Proclamation public baptism. That's when you actually physically identified yourself and alignment with him. I'm not saying that it saves you but you're confessing at the time you were identifying that this work of brace is taking place in your heart, but it's not only the initial confession the proclamation the assertion that the pledge of allegiance that Jesus when he says he is but there's an ongoing confession. We continually confession and communion. Where do that today? You know what you're doing every time you drink that cop every time you placed at Cracker and your mouth. Your identifying once more with Jesus you were singing The Anthem you were making the Pledge of Allegiance. I belong to him.

We do it in the hymns that we sing about him. The our church doesn't do this. It wouldn't bother me if we ever did. For some of you would weird you out that you just know that a lot of Christians actually every week in their service confess Christ verbally not in song but through liturgy. something like the Apostles Creed You know, the Apostles Creed is for those of you have come from those backgrounds. It is just people speaking the truth about who the father and the son and the spirit are that's where they are pledging Allegiance one more to the Risen Christ. They are saying that this is what they believe we continue to confess him and personal praise as we personally defend Jesus when we hear other people run his name down when we advance the gospel when we teach Christ to her family. That is what it looks like to be confessing Christ.

Hear me well friends. This is a costly confession. That only comes from those who are close to God. If this is you if this is you you can be confident that you're in a deep abiding relationship with your heavenly father. We have too much down play the Christian confession. I know how it is. You read a text like this. Oh, yeah. I know that I can fist you this check. You should really.

The work of the spirit isn't seeing and chills and thrills but in a settled conviction and conducts that confesses Jesus Christ is Lord.

It says something about you namely through the spirit. God is connected to you you were closer to God than you could possibly imagine as evidenced by the fact that you were confessing. So this is really simple. Confessing Christ is Lord. Fruits are closest to God. That's the first proof. But that's not all completion of Christian love also proves our closeness to God. It isn't just confession, but it's also the completion of Christian love also proves our closeness to God. We're going to sit at versus 6221. No, I'm using the word completion official of assuming that at least 75% of you were here last week to know what I meant by that. But just in case you weren't. You can look back through verse 12. John is assuming that you already know what the term completed love means. Will you see there and your text and verse 12 actually isn't the word completed. It should say in the ESV the word perfect it. Perfected completed they really mean the same things in Greek perfected the word behind it literally means the end the goal the completion of something there for a God's love is perfected in us. It is completed in us. It is reach its intended destination when we love one another. Ultimately what it conveys to us is that we're not just reservoirs were Rivers. We're not just containers of God's love we're conduits God's love has reached its fullest expression as it goes through us. So what is completed love completed love is God's love acted out to other believers. It is a conveyed love if you will. So John's assuming that you still remember that cuz it was only literally one verse before the text that we decided to take do that. No notice this it's going to be a challenge, but I think that 85% of your going to be able to hang with us. Industria for psychology Valley way I would love for those who were in the 15 to say. No I can get this everybody can get this now that you've got that background information. I want you to take a step into the most difficult portion of First John you ready? 416 so we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love and whoever abides in love abides in God and God in him. Now pause this is easy this so far. We're like, yeah, I get it. If we're in God's love we deliver in God we believe him God is love we're fighting in that love. We rest in God we have that close relationship. But here's where things get complicated verse 17 by this is love perfected with us so that we may have confidence for the day of judgement because as he is so awesome in this world, there's no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear for fear has to do with punishment.

The easiest way I could say this is that completing Christian law for conveying Christ. Love to others proves our closeness to God only those who know God's love will show God's love. This is only those who know God's love will show God's love if you do not know God's love you cannot show it to others. We know and believe that Christ is Lord. We know that God is loving and we have entered into that special love relationship. That's why he says we abide in that love we are close to him and we are so close to God. We are so confident in him that we will step into the day of judgment listen to this. without any fear

That is my boy.

When we love like Jesus love when we live as he live when we display completed love we will enter the judgement day with complete confidence. No fear. Look at Verse 18. There is no fear of judgement in love. But perfect love cast out fear of judgement. That's what he's talking about in context for fear of judgement has to do with punishment. And whoever fears judgement again can chase really has not been perfected in love. He's saying that God's people will be confident because they can pay us off. They know that they couldn't do it. Any other way wasn't God's love and you through others leads to confidence on the day of judgement and it is a resting at fault. When you think of the day of judgement Hebrews 9:27 says that it is appointed unto man once to die, but after this what it is a day on your calendar as real as your next dental appointment.

You've already seen it Shadows. You've already filled its weight. Same what way? I think every person in this room would know this experience. Again, it's a shadow. It's not the reality. But in that of something as simple and Mania was final exams.

You remember that? I mean this fall comes to a close in Winter or whatever we call this season around here arrives. Have you not seen the distraught look of students all around as they are entering their midterm exams for college students their final exams. Think back to those days. remember what that was like your academic capacity tested explored Pro quantify and then accepted or rejected.

It's a shadow judge. You know, you're going to be evaluated and it places within us anxiety nervousness queasy stomach sweaty Palms the scattered mind and for what a great. A grade on a paper maybe the capacity to move on to the next grade in which you get to do it all over again or as you get older you get into the degree program that you want to get into or you get the certification that you want or maybe you can now work the job that you really want to have to what's a job. What's a certification what is a report card and light of the final Judgment Day of God if you feel that type of fear and anxiety and uneasiness about something so menial. Put on the world are we supposed to have confidence and no fear in light of the day of judgement before God almighty.

John is his pie-in-the-sky realities just seems to think that we can have this.

how how do you have no fear?

Can we really have that kind of closeness in a relationship with God John says, yes, you look. to the proof a completed love you recognize that God has so richly and abundantly poured his love into you that it has Spilled Out and the other people.

See he can love you. He does love you because he sent his son to satisfy the bad grade. If you will Jesus took your grades he gave you his and not only did he set the record straight, but on top of that he gave you his mind and his heart he gave you a capacity to love and a way that you never had before a John says that is so unique that is so unimaginable that you should look to the love is being displayed through you to others and know that everything is going to be good between you and God on the day of judgement.

It's a complicated thought but it's a powerful one.

He explains it in Greater detail in verse 19 just in case you don't get it. He says we love we love because he first loved us.

I love for others are left for God Isn't a sign of our own virtuous a sign of God's grace. We love because he first loved us if anyone says I love God and hates his brother. He is a liar for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen and this command that we have from him. Whoever loves God must also love his brother. You see what he saying. You cannot show the swap to God apart from showing it for your brother another Christian.

Luther got it, right when he said God does not love because of our works. He loves because of his love. You didn't muster up love for Jesus and his people love to God and others is a reflection of God's love in Christ. Jonathan Edwards

preach this text and I thought I was having a hard time with this. Literally this was of all the sermons. I've done it first John. This was probably the hardest. I thought I was having a hard time because the first time that I wrote everything out my stuff with 18 pages. Jonathan Edwards just gave up. Just how long his sermon was on this text 84 pages.

Don't worry. I'm not reading a single page.

but I will read this line because Edwards why is often attributed with theological Acumen was actually fantastic illustrator?

And he saw this passage is depicting that of a fount. Fountain of God's love he says love should return back to the fountain. As God is infinite in love. He is the author of love and should be the object of it. He goes on to explain. It is a fountain because love comes from God to us and threw us to others back to God from us and through others. Do you see the pattern? You know, you're wrapped up in the intimate love relationship with God as you reciprocate his love through showing it to his children.

How do you know if Alan works? Because it was visibly shoots forth God's love.

How do you know that you are truly close to God because you visibly shoot for his life to UPS. Something clear something casual like something you could actually evaluate you can look back to last week and see whether or not you actually showed country accent while two others, you know, what he's doing here in this is so brilliant, especially in light of what was going on in the day. John is warning us against mysticism. Mysticism I seriously doubt anybody use that word this last week in your vocabulary. But I think you get the idea. There is this popular notion that spin around ever since the beginning that we can have some type of mystical Erie personal communion with God just us.

I will call a personal only relationship with God some people really do I sure themselves of closeness to God on the basis of personal religious experiences the idea that you can extend into the heights of God's love personal and private land for a family to be lost as it were in a deeply personal experience of living God and being loved by him. Why do you think the months would move out into the mountains?

They did it because they thought that they would have had more deeply. personal and intimate relationship with God apart from other people

It's on my way to the Y.

We think or can't be tempted to think that the richest expressions of our time with God or when we are by ourself.

And while indeed we can convey God's love privately in prayer that is not the means that he has chosen for us to show his love our love for him back to him.

And that kind of vertical Pursuit horizontal things of this world, even the people of this world to be a distraction from Godless, and I've seen this in my own life. As soon as my wife I was so committed to doing my personal devotions in the morning spending my personal time with God that I would literally be angry at my wife or interrupting wanting help with the kids.

Are you done it to stop laughing at me?

imagine the irony of the scene What is your problem when I'm spending time with Jesus?

Who's got the problem?

God didn't say that. I show my love to him.

For how much I can emotionally work myself up in a personal devotional time.

He says that I show my love to him by loving his children. And by the way every pair in the room knows how that goes. How do you feel when you hear that story of that teacher who is supposedly bullying your child? I say supposedly cuz it's often the misreported but the anger Wells opinion on the less or that kid who was the meaning them or mocking them in some way?

I just acted like you can't have a good relationship with me and ignore or be mean to my own children. Don't work that way.

You will never listen to me. You will never have some type of close relationship with God apart from meaningful vibrant fellowship with his children. Never he says you are a liar.

You beware of mysticism you need to beware. of intellectualism I'll Church like ours needs to be so careful of this listen to if you're visiting here today and let you know something unashamedly about our church. We love sound theology. We love to Bible. We want to get it right and its context and that type of thing because of that it can be easy for us to be so self-satisfied and are in Alex that we forget to express God's love to other people some people and I've done this before Asher themselves of closeness to God on the basis of biblical knowledge You going to do it by someone like this by how busy they are listening to podcast reading Christian books commenting on Christian blogs, but they never seem to find any time to show all the God's children.

I got more important stuff to do.

John says no. No no, no get it. Right you are not you are not showing love to God apart from also showing love to his children. Beware of mysticism of intellectualism and then friends, please. Don't get this wrong. Please beware. of legalism

what I am conveying to you and this text is the fruit of what God has done in us not the root. Some people really too sure themselves of closeness to God on the basis of their good works. And well, it may all sound the same. I need you to think carefully for a moment. There is a difference between operating out of love and out of legal obligation. It's one thing to love others out of the Overflow out of what God has given us because God has loved us. It is something else entirely to love. So you earn your way to heaven.

I think I'm going to scream if I hear another Pastor give a positive illustration of Mother Teresa.

And I don't mean to hurt your feelings, but I'm telling you that woman was loving and trying to love as many people as she possibly could and some of the most radical of ways with Francie was trying to learn it. What's legalism?

I know I'm not making any friends on Christmas, but talk to you about Mother Teresa. But listen.

It is a subtle lie, please please. Please don't walk out of here and think alright. Well, I'm just going to be a good person and I'm going to remain the Christmas cards that are right this year and everything's going to be good between me and God. No, it doesn't work that way.

This is not something that you do to earn God's love. This is something that you do to demonstrate the love of God. That is already been born within you.

So John says that when you do see it. When you know that you're not doing this turn. Favor when you're showing love freely and fully the other believers you my friend or wrapped up in the love of God you abide in him and he abides in you. I remember being in Greece I was going to missions trip. It was so cool to hear. In this church is language. I really couldn't understand a song that I recognized even from my own child. It's got kind of a Slavic to Knoll the deep deep love of Jesus.

We sing it here son, but we sing it with a different tune for the first verse is just beautiful and the way it describes what God's love through. Jesus does not only in us but through ice noticed this. Oh the deep deep love of Jesus vast a measured boundless free rolling as a mighty ocean in its fullness over me underneath me all around me is the current of vile of leading on were deleting home were to the Glorious rest of of You know that feeling out in the ocean. I'm not talking about the golf. I'm talking about the ocean. to be swept off in a current to just be overwhelmed by the power of the sea to be to be moved about a different spot. I mean just totally not even being able to help yourself. You can't resist it you just move. You saying the love of Jesus is so powerful in your life that it is moving you to God's destination. And in the context of this text. It is moving you it is compelling you it is constraining you go. Love to God's people around you.

That's how you know that you've been caught up in the current of God's love. Pushes you it compels you to show self-sacrificial Law to other believers serving them praying for them seeking them out helping them encouraging them Ministry to them.

And so

when I am confessing Christ, I know I'm close to God as I am completing Christian love. I know I am close to God. Let me put this door practical fast.

I want you to assess the quality of your relationship with God on a scale of 0 to 10.

0 would obviously mean it's non-existent. You do not have a relationship with God 10 would mean that it's perfect. I'll take a second cuz it You don't get asked that question every day. I know. Let's go in 0 to 10. What's your number?

I can only imagine your answer Smite. My assumption would be that most of you would put something less than 10 and something more than zero. I mean, I know that statistically I'm doing pretty well too hard to imagine that.

But I mean most the reason why I say that is because most of us don't think there were as close to God as we possibly candy. And at the same time most of us also wouldn't say that we are as far away from God as we possibly could be right. See why I would think that you would stay away from the zero in the tent.

If I understand this text properly.

There's a very real sense in which everyone of us should. Be able to walk out of here. with a 10

why?

Some biscuits and blasphemous attend perfect. Really why? cause he gave us his spirit.

Why? Because he poured out his love.

Do not get this text wrong. It is rooted in God's initiative.

Say how how do I know that? I really have a spirit. How do I know that I really poured out his love. What we know because we confess Christ is Lord. Only someone who has been given the spirit really confesses Christ is Lord.

I want no that's it. That's what really has gone inside me that he's poured it out on me because we can plead or convey his life to other believers. Number code for trying to earn something not because we're trying to get into his good graces. But because he's been so kind to us and we want to show that love back in the tangible way that he is enabled through loving his people.

I said what I said, but I struggle. Prince John is already made provision of this stuff. Of course you sent of course you struggle, but that's why you confess Jesus to be the savior of the world. That's what he saved you from.

I think the most dangerous group in this room right now would be anybody who answered like a 9 or 8 or 7? And the reason why I say that is because you think that you're actually really close to God because of something that you did you think that you could get to attend if you then fill in the blank. I don't mean to be mean and I'm not trying to keep you from being able to sleep. Well at night that you may not even be a Christian at all.

Are actually more encouraged by the people you put something at 5 or below. Is least you know that you need some type of intervention.

Hear me hear me hear me hear me. Be so careful here. But the root of legalism is just so subtle this idea that we are the ones that finish off the relationship with God. This is God's doing it is his grace.

Police is the evidence that the spirit is in US obedience is a fruit of his love. That is why by the way friends it says that the fruit of the spirit is love first one on the list. Not the root of the spirit. The fruit of the spirit is love. This is God's work and we see it in us as we believe in as we are Vedic Amanda love. Practically friends. I would encourage you to walk out of here. If this is true review. If this is true of you to walk out of here stepping into this week energized and ready for whatever comes your way because you know that God's love courses through you to others and back to him. You should be assured this week that you are caught up in the current of his love. You will pass the greatest test. Listen, I don't know what stresses you or what this freaks you out this week. I mean, maybe there's something on the calendar where you're thinking like I am not looking forward to that. The nervousness that anxiety that fear that hit in the stomach those sweaty hands.

Whatever it is. What does that compare? The God Almighty having brought you into the most intimate relationship with himself.

The greatest test you ever experienced in your life past on account of what Jesus has done for you. God does not intend for his people to come in just slumped over and depressed all the time. Although that isn't reality. Intentional to be confident of his love not fearful that he somehow or some way going to take it away whether you're sleeping or resting or Waking or working. God wants you to be settled assured confidence not unsettled or anxious or cautious.

Funny one other group. I need to mention. I don't care what you put on the test, but I do need to say this if you don't see any of these proofs in your life. I said everybody should walk out of here at a as a 10 not everybody could walk out of here as a 10. If you don't see these evidences in your life sin has broken your relationship with God. You got a problem. That's why you can't say attend but let's do this. Jesus has fixed it. He live the righteous life. You couldn't live. He died to death. You deserve to die. He rose again to give you the power and the capacity to have a him in a way that you never could before. And if you believe in him, it is evidence that you have received the gift of his spirit. If you have questions about that, and if you want that type of confident with God this Christmas season, I would encourage you to talk to another church member around you come find me after the service if you need to because there is no greater Assurance in all the world there to know that things are right between you and your heavenly father.