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Confidence in Christ
The security, certainty, and confidence we have as believers is in the very strength of the unity between the Father and the Son.
Scripture: 1 John 5:13-21
Sermon Notes:
- John was someone who knew and experienced the things he wrote about in this letter. He himself abided in Christ.
- John reveals the heart of Christ and gives us a unique picture of who Jesus is.
- The Holy Spirit sanctifies us, making us holy, giving us a new heart, and causing us to walk in obedience.
- We have confidence in prayer if we are God’s children and if we pray according to His will.
- We ought to be a people who pray as David, who prayed confidently in his distress (Psalm 34; Psalm 16:1-2).
- Christ is our advocate; the Son of God is interceding on our behalf so we may eagerly look for God’s response.
- A condition of right prayer is that we pray according to God’s will as revealed in His Word.
- We need to come to God in prayer with an attitude of repentance.
- When you see a brother committing, sin pray for Him. We exercise our love for one another by praying for each other that God may give us life.
- Sin that does not lead to death is sin that is confessed and covered by Christ. Abiding in unrepentance leads to death.
- The one who turns his back on Christ does not receive forgiveness.
- We know that we are from God and that we do not abide in sin not because we are sinless, but because we continue to confess our sins.
- The reason we know and believe God is because the Spirit of God has revealed Him to us (1 Cor. 2:12 cf. Jn. 1:18).
- Jesus’ purpose as the Good Shepherd is to secure eternal life for His sheep by laying down His own life (Jn. 10:11, 15, 28).
- The security, certainty, and confidence we have as believers is the very strength of the unity between the Father and the Son (Jn. 10:30).
- Peter says that our inheritance is secure because we’re being guarded by God (1 Pet. 1:3-5).
- Keep your eyes fixed on Christ and abide in Christ by repenting and feeding on Christ, as we do weekly in the communion meal.
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Application Questions:
- What is the work of the Holy Spirit in the believer’s life?
- What is the basis of our confidence in prayer?
- Do we pray with eager expectation, looking for and expecting God’s response?
- How is living in obedience connected with praying according to God’s will?
- What is the sin that leads to death?
- What is the basis of the believer’s eternal security?