Can We Be Confident and Christian?
Posted by Chris 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