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Confidence in Christ

1 John 2:28-3:3; 3:19-24; 4:17-18; 5:13-15

²⁸ And now, little children, abide in him, so that when he appears we may have confidence and not shrink from him in shame at his coming. ²⁹ If you know that he is righteous, you may be sure that everyone who practices righteousness has been born of him. ¹ See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him. ² Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. ³ And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure.
1 John 2:28-3:3

¹⁹ By this we shall know that we are of the truth and reassure our heart before him; ²⁰ for whenever our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and he knows everything. ²¹ Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God; ²² and whatever we ask we receive from him, because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him. ²³ And this is his commandment, that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us. ²⁴ Whoever keeps his commandments abides in God, and God in him. And by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit whom he has given us.
1 John 3:19-24

¹⁷ By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as he is so also are we in this world. ¹⁸ There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love.
1 John 4:17-18

¹³ I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God that you may know that you have eternal life. ¹⁴ And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. ¹⁵ And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him.
1 John 5:13-15

Digger Deeper

The Bible is clear that Jesus is coming again and this time that he is returning in judgment.  Spend some time reading through these passages about the return of Christ, the joy of being in his presence, and prayer.

• 2 Chronicles 7:14
• Psalm 66:18
• Proverbs 15:19
• Isaiah 59:1-2
• Daniel 7:13-14
• Matthew 13:24-30; 24:29-31, 45-41; 25:31-46
• Luke 11:1-13
• John 16:23-24
• 2 Corinthians 5:6-10
• Ephesians 3:11-12
• Colossians 3:4
• 1 Thessalonians 4:13-5:11
• Hebrews 4:14-16
• James 4:2-3

Digesting the Text

• When you think about the return of the Lord, what feelings, thoughts, or concerns come to your mind? What is your general response to the truth that Jesus is coming back and this time in judgment?
• In this series, we have noted that Jon identifies 3 “signs of life.” Can you remember what they are?  Read 1 John 2:23-24 and 5:1-5.  Pastor Will noted in this sermon the significance that these are “signs” of our life in Christ and not the “sources” of our life in Christ.  What did he mean by this?  Why is it significant?  Can you find support for this statement in John’s letter?
• John writes not only so that we can have confidence before the Lord on the “day of judgment” but so that we can have confidence before the Lord now! How does John encourage us to practice this confidence now?
• John tells us that we can know that the Lord hears our prayers but places two conditions upon them. What are these two conditions?  Do these conditions obligate or force the Lord to give us what we pray for?  If not, what is the significance of these conditions?
• What is the condition of your current prayer life? What steps can you take to grow in your prayer life?