Focus On Our Standing With God

1 John 3:19-24

A Continuing Study In The 2^nd Half Of First John:

• 1^st Half: God Is Light:
• 2^nd Half: God Is Love:

ONE: Love In Action: God's Love Flows Through Us To One Another.

TODAY:

TWO: OUR STANDING BEFORE GOD:

RIGHTEOUSNESS PURSUED IS AN ASSURANCE OF OUR SALVATION

1 JOHN 3:19-24 EXPLAINED:

Our Actions Confirm That We Belong To The Way Of Truth.

If We Are Guilty In Our Hearts,

We Can Still Have Peace Before God,

Because God Is Greater Than Our Hearts.

He Knows Everything.

If We Are Confident In Our Pure Hearts,

We Can Be Without Fear When We Come To God.

God Gives Us What We Ask Because We Obey God’s Commands.

And What Does God Command?

- That We Believe In His Son Jesus Christ.

- That We Love Each Other.

All Who Obey God’s Commands Live In God.

And God Lives In Them.

How Do We Know That God Lives In Us?

We Know Because Of The Indwelling Holy Spirit Tells Us So.

1 JOHN 3:19-24 OUTLINED:

THE ASSURANCE FROM THE PRESENCE OF LOVE

Two Sections:

(1) THE CONDEMNING HEART AND THE BASIS FOR ASSURANCE (3:19-20);

When Our Hearts Condemn Us, We Must Rest On The Basis Of Assurance;

THE ASSURANCE OF BEING IN THE TRUTH, 1 JOHN 3:19-20

Love is the evidence that we belong to Him and it is how we can set our hearts at rest. (v.18-19)

When your heart condemns you, look back and ask “Why?” (v. 19-20)

Your conscience is not there to cause you to doubt your salvation, but to help you live in a way that pleases God. (v. 19-20)

Assurance Is Based:

- On The Knowledge Of How God Has Already Worked In Your Life:

• Love Expressing Itself In Practical Good Deeds In His Name.
• Self-Sacrificing Love Is The Mark Of The Christian,
  • When Troubled By Doubts And Self-Condemnation, Don’t Focus On Your Failures.
  • Focus On Times That God’s Love Has Flowed Through You Since You Became A Believer.
  • Those Acts Of Self-Sacrifice Are Your Evidence You Are Of The Truth So Cease Doubting.
• Self-Centered Hatred Is The Mark Of The World.

- On The Knowledge Of God’s Greater Knowledge Of Your Heart:

• Who Will Bring A Charge Against God’s Elect?
• God Is The One Who Justifies; Who Is The One Who Condemns?
• God Is Greater Than Your Heart.
• He Wants You To Be Confident In His Love.
• He Wants To Assure You That You Are His Child.

- While You Were A Sinner, He Saved You Anyway !

- He Wants All Of His Children To Be Assured Of His Great Love.

Our Hearts Condemn Us--That Is Inevitable.

But God Is Greater Than Our Hearts; He Knows All Things.

Not Only Does He Know Our Sins; He Also Knows Our Love, Our Longings, Our Intentions;

And The Greatness Of His Knowledge Gives Him The Sympathy Which Can Understand And Forgive.

It Is This Very Knowledge Of God Which Gives Us Our Hope.

Mankind Sees The Deed, But God Knows The Intention.

Men Can Judge Us Only By Our Actions,

But God Can Judge Us By The Longings Which Never Became Deeds

And The Dreams Which Never Came True.

God Judges Us By The Deep Emotions Of The Heart;

If In Our Heart There Is Love,

Then, However Feeble And Imperfect That Love May Be,

We Can With Confidence Enter Into His Presence.

The Perfect Knowledge Which Belongs To God,

And To God Alone, Is Not Our Terror But Our Hope.

(2) THE CONFIDENT HEART AND THE BLESSINGS OF ASSURANCE (3:21-24);

When Our Hearts Are Confident, We Will Enjoy The Blessings Of Assurance.

THE ASSURANCE OF ANSWERED PRAYER, 1 JOHN 3:21-22

We receive what we ask from God because we obey His command and do what pleases him. (v. 21-22)

Confidence Before God Gives Us The Blessing Of Answered Prayer (3:22-23):

John Makes A Staggering Claim (3:22), “and Whatever We Ask We Receive From Him….”

John 14:13-14: Whatever You Ask In My Name, That Will I Do, So That The Father May Be Glorified In The Son.

There Are Conditions Attached To The Promises.

The Bible Never Teaches That We Can Pray For Selfish Wishes.

To Pray In Jesus’ Name Is To Pray In Accord With His Will.

Because We Keep His Commandments And Do The Things That Are Pleasing In His Sight.

NOTE: God Does Not Answer The Prayers Of The Disobedient.

THE ASSURANCE OF UNION WITH CHRIST, 1 JOHN 3:23-24

This is God’s command: believe in the name of His Son and love one another. (v. 23)

We know he lives in us by the Spirit he gave us. (v. 24)

Confidence Before God Gives Us The Blessing Of The Abiding Relationship Through The Spirit (3:24).

Obedience Is The Condition Of The Abiding Relationship.

Walking In Obedience To The Lord Jesus:

- We Can Enjoy Close Fellowship With Him

- He Can Enjoy Close Fellowship With Us.

His Life Flows Through Us: Producing Fruit: Pleases Him.

THE GOSPEL MOTIVATES US

TO BE IN OUR DAILY EXPERIENCE

WHAT WE ARE IN OUR STANDING BEFORE GOD

His Death And His Resurrection

Luke 22:7-20

Easter Sunday 2020

Easter Looks A Lot Different This Year For Everyone,

What Never Will Change Is The Meaning Of The Lord's Supper

A Time To Remember What Christ Has Done For Us

We Follow Instructions From The Word Of God

We Know Jesus Established This Memorial With The Disciples

Jews Celebrated Passover Each Year

It Represented God’s Mercy And Grace Toward His People

Jesus Eagerly Desired To Do This With His Disciples

- This Meal Would Celebrate: Passover And Fulfill The Law

- This Meal Would Change: The Passover To A New Covenant

- This Meal Would Establish: A Way Of Remembrance

- This Meal Would Disclose: Jesus Is The Sacrificial Lamb Of God

The Last Supper: Luke 22:7-20:

Then Came The Day Of Unleavened Bread On Which The Passover Lamb Had To Be Sacrificed.

Jesus Said To Peter And John:

Go And Make Preparations For Us To Eat The Passover.

They Asked:

Where Do You Want Us To Prepare For It?

He Replied:

As You Enter The City,

A Man Carrying A Jar Of Water Will Meet You.

Follow Him To The House That He Enters And Say:

The Teacher Asks: Where Is The Guest Room, Where I May Eat The Passover With My Disciples?

He Will Show You A Large Room Upstairs, All Furnished.

Make Preparations There.

They Left And Found Things Just As Jesus Had Told Them.

So They Prepared The Passover.

When The Hour Came:

Jesus And His Apostles Reclined At The Table.

Jesus Said:

I Have Eagerly Desired To Eat This Passover With You Before I Suffer.

He Took The Bread, Gave Thanks

Saying Divide It Among You

For I Tell You I Will Not Eat It Again Until It Finds Fulfillment In The Kingdom Of God.

He Took The Cup, Gave Thanks

Saying Divide It Among You

For I Tell You I Will Not Drink Again From The Fruit Of The Vine Until The Kingdom Of God Comes.

He Held Bread, Saying:

This Is My Body Given For You

Do This In Remembrance Of Me

(Pray)

Father, Thank You For The Broken Body Of Your Son For Us On The Cross.

(Eat The Bread)

In The Same Way, He Held The Cup, Saying:

This Cup Is The New Covenant in My Blood

Which Is Poured Out For You

(Pray)

Father, Thank You For Sending Jesus To Pour Out His Blood For The Forgiveness Of Our Sins.

(Drink From The Cup)

The Passover Sacrifice LESSON:

1 Corinthians 15:12-19

1. The Death Of Jesus Christ On The Cross:

It Was Not An Accident.

It Was Not A Bad Ending To A Noble Effort By A Good Man.

It Was Not The Ending Of His Story Or His Life.

It Was Not The Triumph Of Satan.

It Was The Triumph Of God.

It Was The Goal Of His Life.

It Was Really The Beginning Of Our Salvation.

It Was The Beginning Of Our Eternal Lives.

When The Romans Nailed Jesus To The Cross,

When The Romans Raised The Cross Toward The Sky,

Christ Had Won.

God’s Lamb Was Dying Triumphantly Over The Forces Of Evil.

He Had Conquered And Provided Salvation For His People.

His Whole Life On Earth Was Lived In Anticipation Of His Cross,

He Said: To Give His Life A Ransom For Many (Mark 10:45),

He Came To Die,

He Came To Offer Himself As The Only Sacrifice For Sin,

He Came To Satisfy The Wrath Of God,

He Came To Make The Payment For Sin,

He Came So God Can Forgive Sinners.

All Scripture Points To His Sacrificial Death. We Are Taught:

Adam And Eve:

Sacrificial Death Of An Innocent Provides Covering For The Guilty.

Abel:

Sacrificial Death Is The Only Way To Please God.

Abraham:

The Proper Sacrifice Will Be Provided By God Himself.

The Passover:

The Sacrifice Must Be An Unblemished Sacrifice.

The Central Truth Of All The Sacrifices

In The Entire Sacrificial System Of The Old Testament,

We Are Taught: It Was A System Pointing To A Final Sacrifice:

There Has Never Been A Final Satisfactory Sacrifice;

That’s Why They Go On Year After Year After Year Until The Sacrifice Of God’s Lamb Who Takes Away The Sin Of The World.

God Is Satisfied

A Perfect Sacrifice Has Been Offered

On Behalf Of All Who Believe

God Pours Out His Wrath On Christ,

His Wrath, His Justice Is Satisfied,

He Grants Forgiveness And Salvation To Those Who Believe,

This Is The Theme Of Scripture.

All The Old Testament Pointed Toward His Death.

All The Events Of His Life Pointed Toward His Death.

He Repeatedly Promised:

-That He Would Die In Jerusalem At Hands Of Jewish Leaders.

-That He Would Rise Again The Third Day.

He Planned Every Detail Of His Life To Unfold In Perfect Accord With The Will Of His Father.

The Father Had Designed The Plan.

The Spirit Empowered The Plan,

The Lord Jesus Enacted The Plan.

Doing Only What The Father Willed Him To Do,

When The Father Willed Him To Do It.

He Was On A Divine Schedule,

He Controlled Every Detail.

The Accounts Of Christ In Scripture That Show Us:

- His Deity,

- His Miracle Power,

- His Astonishing Words,

- His Knowledge,

- His Ability To Control Every Micro Detail In His Life,

Jesus: No Man Takes My Life From Me. I Lay It Down Of Myself.

When He Came To The End Of His Suffering On The Cross,

When He Had Expended God’s Wrath In His Infinite Suffering,

He Died By His Own Will.

It Is Finished, And He Yielded Up His Spirit.

And The Soldiers Were Stunned That He Was Dead So Early.

But He Had To Die On A Specific Day At A Specific Time.

He Controlled That. He Controlled Everything Else.

Those Who Thought They Controlled The Events Of His Death:

The Jewish Leaders, The Romans, The Crowd, The Devil,

No One Really Does.

Everything Is Under God’s Sovereign Control.

2. The Resurrection Of Jesus Christ From The Grave:

The Crucifixion Was Not The Last Thing In This Story.

It Was A Part Of The Equation Resulting In The Resurrection.

The Resurrection Is The Final Word

In The Life Of Believers

The Resurrection Is Crucial To Our Faith

1 Corinthians 15:12-19

1. Without The Resurrection Our Faith Is Useless:

• 1 Corinthians 15:12–14

Now If Christ Is Proclaimed As Raised From The Dead, How Can Some Of You Say That There Is No Resurrection Of The Dead? But If There Is No Resurrection Of The Dead, Then Not Even Christ Has Been Raised. And If Christ Has Not Been Raised, Then Our Preaching Is In Vain And Your Faith Is In Vain. (ESV)

2. We Misrepresent God:

• 1 Corinthians 15:15

We Are Even Found To Be Misrepresenting God, Because We

Testified About God That He Raised Christ, Whom He Did Not Raise If It Is True That The Dead Are Not Raised. (ESV)

3. Our Faith Is In Vain And We Are till In Our Sin:

• 1 Corinthians 15:16–17

For If The Dead Are Not Raised, Not Even Christ Has Been

Raised. And If Christ Has Not Been Raised, Your Faith Is Futile, And You Are Still In Your Sins. (ESV)

4. The Dead Have Perished, We Are Hopeless After This Life, And To Be Pitied:

• 1 Corinthians 15:18–19

Then Those Also Who Have Fallen Asleep In Christ Have Perished. If In Christ We Have Hope In This Life Only, We Are Of All People Most To Be Pitied. (ESV)

CONCLUSION:

Who DOES NOT Have The Final Word In The Life Of Believers?

Satan

Through Guilt, Addiction, Pain, Despair, Death, etc.

Who DOES Have The Final Word In The Life Of Believers?

The Lord Jesus Christ

Through The Resurrection:

Our Sins Are Forgiven

Life In Christ Both Now In Abundance And In Eternity With God

Thank God For His Plan Being Accomplished!

Focus On Love In Action

1 John 3:11-18

Focus On:

Adoration: Who God Is And What God Has Done;

Confession: Agreeing With God About Our Sin;

Thanksgiving: God Wills That We Be Thankful All The Time;

Supplication: Pleading A Humble Petition To God;

Fellowship: Be Ready To Do Any Good Work In His Name;

Joy: Spiritual Maturity Produces Lasting Joy.

Walking In The Light: A Strong Desire To Know Jesus And Spend Time With Him.

A New Kind Of Love: Our Love For One Another Is Motivated By Our Love For Christ.

The Church Family: Intentional Spiritual Growth And Fellowship.

The Things Of God: Love The Father Or Love The World.

The Truth: Guard Your Heart And Mind Against Error.

The Lord's Return: Be Courageous Until He Returns.

Abiding In Christ: Be Delivered From The Practice Of Sin.

I JOHN IS WRITTEN IN WHAT CAN BE UNDERSTOOD IN 2 SECTIONS:

GOD IS LIGHT,

GOD IS LOVE.

THIS STUDY BEGINS THE SECTION OF GOD IS LOVE:

FOCUS ON LOVE IN ACTION: GOD'S LOVE FLOWS THROUGH US TO ONE ANOTHER.

1 JOHN 3:11-18 EXPLAINED:

- To Say And Do Acts of Philadelphia Love.

- To Have Proof That One Has Passed From Death To Life.

Life Without Love Is Death.

To Love Is To Be In The Light;

To Hate Is To Remain In The Dark.

- To Show That Hate Can Turn A Person Into A Potential Murderer.

- To Follow In The Steps Of Jesus The Christ.

He Laid Down His Life Upon The Cross.

He Said To Lay Down Our Life For HIS Family.

1 JOHN 3:11-18: OUTLINED:

Hatred Is In Direct Contrast With God’s Love: It Will Distinguish The Believer:

The Conflict Between Love And Hate:

The Mark Of The World Is Hatred.

The Mark Of The Church Is Love.

1. THE MARK OF THE WORLD IS HATRED:

A. HATRED IS REPRESENTED IN ADAM’S FIRSTBORN, CAIN (3:12).

The First Person Born On This Earth Under The Curse Of Sin.

The Self-Centered, Evil Bent Of The Fallen Human Heart.

Hate Seldom Goes To The Extreme Of Murder; The Roots Are There.

Represents The Hatred Of The Fallen Human Race.

Abel Obeyed By Faith.

Cain, In Defiance And Disobedience, Brought An Unacceptable Offering.

When His Brother’s Offering Was Accepted And Cain’s Was Rejected, His Envy Began To Boil and Seethe.

Even Though God Confronted Cain And Exhorted Him To Repent.

Cain Ignored The Warning.

As A Result, He Slit the Throat Of His Brother.

“DO NOT” BEHAVE LIKE CAIN:

- Cain belonged to the EVIL ONE and murdered Abel his brother.

- Murderers don’t have eternal life residing in them.

- Cain kills Abel because the works of Cain were evil,

- Cain hated Abel because the works of Abel were righteous.

B. HATRED ORIGINATES WITH SATAN (3:12, 15).

Cain Was “of The Evil One” (3:12).

The Murderer Was A Murderer From The Beginning.

Hatred Or Love Finds Their Roots In The Human Heart,

Hatred Finds Its Source In Satan,

Love Originates With God.

“DO NOT” BE SURPRISED IF THE WORLD HATES YOU.

- The Evil World System Resents the Christian Way Of Life.

- An Evil Person Will Instinctively Hate A Person Living Upright.

- Righteousness (Living Upright) Always Provokes Hostility In The Minds Of Those Whose Actions Are Evil.

- The Reason Is That A Person Living Upright Is A Walking Rebuke To An Evil Person.

- A Person Living Upright Passes A Silent Judgment On An Evil Person.

- A Person Living Upright Senses The Guilty Conscience Of A Society.

- A Person Living Upright Makes An Evil Person Feel Condemned.

C. HATRED DIVIDES PEOPLE AND MAY RESULT IN THE TAKING OF LIFE (3:12, 15).

Hatred Becomes Indifference Or Avoidance Of Another Person,

Causes Separation And Distance In Relationships.

Selfishness And Hatred Become Murder.

Anger Is The Same As Murder In God’s Sight,

All Murder Begins There.

We Cringe When We Hear Of Someone Murdering Someone Else,

We Often Tolerate The Roots Of This Sin By Excusing Our Anger As Justifiable.

We Need To See Our Own Selfish Anger As Hideous And Serious.

D. HATRED IS MOTIVATED BY PERSONAL SIN (3:12).

John Asks, “And For What Reason Did He Slay Him?”

It Was Not Because Abel Was Doing Evil.

Rather, Cain’s Deeds Were Evil And Abel’s Were Righteous.

The Root Of Cain’s Slaughter Of His Brother Was Rebellion Against God.

So, While Hatred May Be Directed At Other People, Invariably The Hateful Person Is At Odds With God.

He Needs To Confront His Own Sinful Heart.

Hatred Is Shown In Adam’s Firstborn, Cain,

It Originated With Satan.

It Divides People And May Result In Murder.

It Is Motivated By Personal Sin Or Rebellion Against God.

E. HATRED IS THE EVIDENCE OF SPIRITUAL DEATH (3:14, 15).

A Person Whose Life Is Marked By Selfish Hatred Of Others Shows No Evidence Of New Life In Christ.

Paul Was A Murderer.

David Was A Murderer.

Moses Was A Murderer.

A Person Marked By A Pattern Of Selfishness, Envy, Jealousy, Strife, And Hatred Demonstrate Spiritual Death.

However, Overall Direction Of A Person’s Life Changes With A New Life In Christ.

John’s Words Are A Test, Based On Evidence, Of A Person’s Spiritual Condition.

John's Words Are An Exhortation To Those That Profess To Believe In Christ.

As Believers, We Have To Battle The Hatred That Stems From Our Own Selfishness.

Spiritual Growth Results Inevitably From Spiritual Life With Constant Effort.

We Must Put Hate To Death And Replace Them With The Fruit Of The Spirit.

2. THE MARK OF THE CHURCH IS LOVE:

A. LOVE IS REPRESENTED IN GOD’S FIRSTBORN, CHRIST (3:16).

That One Who Laid Down His Life For Us.

Demonstration Of Real Love—God’s Love—

The Righteous One, Who Willingly Sacrificed Himself On Behalf Of The Ungodly.

NOTE: Hatred Sacrifices Nothing For Others.

“DO” LOVE ONE ANOTHER:

This Message Was From The Beginning Of Christianity.

Jesus Said: Know You Are My Disciples Because You Have Love For One Another.

B. LOVE ORIGINATES WITH GOD.

Love In The Believer Comes From God.

One Who Does Not Love Is Not Of God,

One Who Loves Is Of God.

NOTE: Hatred Divides People And May Result In Murder.

C. LOVE UNITES PEOPLE AND RESULTS IN LAYING DOWN OUR LIVES FOR OTHERS (3:16-17).

Jesus Showed His Love By Laying Down His Life For Us.

One Ought To Make Sacrifices For The Family Of God.

Self-Sacrifice Is Never Convenient.

Love Unites People Through Practical Deeds Of Self-Sacrifice.

NOTE: Hatred Is Motivated By Personal Sin.

D. LOVE IS MOTIVATED BY GOD’S LOVE IN CHRIST.

Beloved, If God So Loved Us, We Also Ought To Love One Another.

NOTE: Hatred Is The Evidence Of Spiritual Death.

E. LOVE IS THE EVIDENCE OF SPIRITUAL LIFE (3:14).

Passed Out Of Death Into Life, Because We Love The Brethren. He Who Does Not Love Abides In Death.”

This Fruit Of The Spirit Never Grows To Perfect Maturity In Life,

One Should Be Able To See Growth In Love

When One Compares:

A Self-Centered Life Before Conversion

TO

A Focus On Others Since One Was Saved

To Say That One Knows Christ,

- But Continues To Live For Self,

- But Continues To Be Unwilling To Be Inconvenienced

- But Continues To Be Unwilling To Meet The Needs Of Others

One Needs To Examine If Truly One Has Passed To A New Life.

The New Direction Of New Life Will Be To Grow In Love For Others

HOW DO WE KNOW WHEN A PERSON BELONGS TO GOD?

We Know That We Demonstrate A Righteous(RIGHT LIVING) Lifestyle

We Know That We Demonstrate A Love For The Family Of God.

CONCLUSION:

GOD’S LOVE FLOWING THROUGH US

TO ONE ANOTHER THROUGH THE CHURCH

MARKS A SHARP CONTRAST BETWEEN US AND THE WORLD.