Our Confident Walk

Introduction

Recap Series

Not a week by week, but an overview of what Jesus said in chapter 1

that John is an eye witness to the things of Jesus and he is giving us this message that we might be in fellowship, or participate with him and with God.

Today - Our Confident Walk - 1 John 2:3-11

1 John 2:3-11 This is how we know that we know him: if we keep his commands. 4 The one who says, “I have come to know him,” and yet doesn’t keep his commands, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. 5 But whoever keeps his word, truly in him the love of God is made complete. This is how we know we are in him: 6 The one who says he remains in him should walk just as he walked. 7 Dear friends, I am not writing you a new command but an old command that you have had from the beginning. The old command is the word you have heard. 8 Yet I am writing you a new command, which is true in him and in you, because the darkness is passing away and the true light is already shining. 9 The one who says he is in the light but hates his brother or sister is in the darkness until now. 10 The one who loves his brother or sister remains in the light, and there is no cause for stumbling in him. 11 But the one who hates his brother or sister is in the darkness, walks in the darkness, and doesn’t know where he’s going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.

Two main themes in 1 John - Recognizing false teachers and eternal security

today, this passage speaks of the latter mentioned.

Do we know that we are saved

goal for today is not that you would leave here questioning your salvation

goal is that you would know that you know him

Confidence illustration - Bear Bryant

John McKay, of the NFL, tells a story illustrating the supreme confidence of University of Alabama football coach Bear Bryant: "We were out shooting ducks, and finally, after about three hours, here comes one lonely duck. The Bear fires. And that duck is still flying today. But Bear watched the duck flap away, looked at me and said, 'John, you are witnessing a genuine miracle. There flies a dead duck!'" 

maybe not confidence in ourselves that much, but that confident in our salvation

PRAY!

Confidence Because of Obedience

1 John 2:3-6 This is how we know that we know him: if we keep his commands. 4 The one who says, “I have come to know him,” and yet doesn’t keep his commands, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. 5 But whoever keeps his word, truly in him the love of God is made complete. This is how we know we are in him: 6 The one who says he remains in him should walk just as he walked.

We want to know that we know Him

we must understand what it means to know Him

we do not always understand intimacy

speak of relationships between husband and wives

know = ginosko, intimacy

we must understand the consequences of not knowing him

Matthew 7:21-23 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven. 22 On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, didn’t we prophesy in your name, drive out demons in your name, and do many miracles in your name?’ 23 Then I will announce to them, ‘I never knew you. Depart from me, you lawbreakers!’

this passage can be terrifying

in terms of actions, many of us cannot match that list

Jesus sends to hell people who use the right titles, do the right things

in context, it is those that know - ginosko - are intimate with Jesus that are allowed in

Our question is how do we know that we are intimate with him

God wants us to be confident in our knowledge of him

greek - this is how - present tense - right now, once and for all

His desire for our confidence reveals that he sees our doubts

How we live our lives is the answer to, “Do I know Jesus?”

are we obedient to His commands

Luke 6:46 Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and don’t do the things I say?

If we say that we do the things of God and yet do not John calls us a liar

again, like the word we looked at last week, not a lie, but our personality, we are living a lie

I have stated that there are only about 7-8% percent of the people in our country that are actually saved, that would mean that about 65-70% of the people who claim Christ would be lost

look at our world, does this seem accurate

do we live or walk as Jesus walked

do your interactions with God, with other people, declare that you know Jesus

we can have confidence in our relationship with him by seeing how we obey him

Confidence in His Commands

1 John 2:7-9 Dear friends, I am not writing you a new command but an old command that you have had from the beginning. The old command is the word you have heard. 8 Yet I am writing you a new command, which is true in him and in you, because the darkness is passing away and the true light is already shining. 9 The one who says he is in the light but hates his brother or sister is in the darkness until now.

This is nothing New -

Nothing new for us right, how many times have we talked about loving God and loving people

I know that you do not remember all my messages

Craig in Sunday school one week

I am happy if you can remember one thing… and not being something stupid that I said

Nothing new for them either, loving your neighbor was not new with Jesus

Leviticus 19:18 Do not take revenge or bear a grudge against members of your community, but love your neighbor as yourself; I am the Lord.

why do we look for something new

we think that we have graduated that part of the faith

we are selfish and self centered - serving others gets old

John tells us our confidence is in an old command - love others

not how good we are at it, but are we doing it

I am not convinced that God is looking for results as much as genuine effort

At the same time, it is new

Jesus redefines what it means to love

who - your neighbor,

the good samaritan

Jesus was asked who our neighbor is as a trap

when - 1 Thessalonians 5:15 See to it that no one repays evil for evil to anyone, but always pursue what is good for one another and for all.

always = constantly

not just all the time, but forever

how - as yourself

The darkness is passing away

believers are the light of Christ in a dark world

like a sunrise showing the light of the coming sun

to give glory to God, shine a light, that is LOVE

without love we are a clanging cymbal

we are bankrupt without love

Confidence in Eternity

This is why we want to know that we know him

we want eternity with him

all the sermons or questions about heaven, about eternity… whatever the answer, they all for short if they focus on anything other than being with Jesus

those that know Jesus, that is what they are excited about… HIM

discussion with somebody this week, “All the questions that we say we will ask when we get there, they will all fade away when we see his glorious face

remain - to stay or continue

because we do not just want to be there, but remain

John 15:5 I am the vine; you are the branches. The one who remains in me and I in him produces much fruit, because you can do nothing without me.

Our fruit is our love for other people

we cannot do this without being connected to Jesus

understand, that our love for others not only gives us confidence that we know him but that we will spend eternity with him!

This confidence does not relax us, but grows our desire for others and for the Lord

we do not want others to stumble

we want them mature in Christ

Our confidence is not in our actions of love, but in the love itself

in the actions, makes people a means to an end

not love, other than a love for self

this is opposite of what we are called to, John calls it hate

those who hate are in darkness and blinded

it is hate - how much do you have to hate somebody to not care if they are going to Heaven or Hell

Our love for others, reflects our love for Jesus