Can We Be Confident and Christian?

Posted by on March 21, 2010 under Sermons

1 John 5:13

    “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.”

Q: How do we know God loves us?
A: He sent his one and only Son so that we might live through Him.

This is Love …

  • God loved us first (4:10)
    – compare John 3:16
  • Jesus gave his life for us (3:16)
  • We may be called God’s children (3:1)
  • So, we should love God (5:2) and one another (3:11)

Q: How do we know what is true and what is false?
A: Every ‘spirit’ that does not acknowledge Jesus is false.

Recognizing the Spirit of God

  • The problem with false prophets (4:1)
  • They left the fellowship of believers because they did not believe that Jesus of Nazareth was the Christ, the Son of God (see 2:18-27)
  • Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ came in the flesh is from God
  • Those that do not are not (4:2-3)


(Romans 14, Colossians 2, 1 Corinthians 8-9, 2 John 9)

Recognizing the Spirit of God

  • God’s truth overcomes the ‘wisdom’ of the world (4:5-6)
  • We can know the truth (2:21)
  • So, we can set our hearts at rest in God’s presence and know we belong to the truth (3:18-19)
    – Confessing Christ (2:23)
    – Remaining in the Spirit’s teaching (2:27)
    – Putting love into action (3:19)

Q: How can we know that we know God and abide in Him?
A: Whoever claims to abide in God must live as Jesus did.

Recognizing the Children of God

  • Confessing Christ (4:15)
    – Relying on God’s love!
  • Walking in the Light (1:5-7)
    – Cleansing from sin (2:1-2)
  • Obeying his commands (2:3; 3:24)
    – Especially the command to love one another (2:7-11)

The One Who Has The Son

  • Proof of God’s Love
    – Jesus Christ
  • Test of God’s Truth
    – Jesus Christ
  • Standard of a Godly Life
    – Jesus Christ