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1 John 5:14-21
Stephen Caswell © 2001
Introduction
Last week we saw how that personal faith in Jesus Christ */assures/* us of eternal life.
The moment we believe we can be */confident/* we have salvation.
We are on our way to heaven.
/But what about the here and now?/ */Is Christianity just pie in the sky for when you die?/*/ Or is it relevant today also?
As we go through the struggles of life will God help us along the way?
Will He assure us we are on the right track?
Can we have confidence in our salvation?/
Man has a deep desire for certainty, and he will even dabble in the occult in his effort to find out something for sure.
*/Nothing is certain but death and taxes./*
Benjamin Franklin wrote those words in 1789.
Of course, a man like Franklin knew that many other things are also certain.
The Christian also knows that there are many certainties.
Of spiritual truth, Christians are not afraid to say, */we/ /know!/*
In fact, the word */know/* occurs 39 times in John’s letter, 8 times in this chapter.
The life that is real is built on the divine certainties that are found in Jesus Christ.
The world may accuse the Christian of being proud and dogmatic, but this does not keep him from saying, */I know!/*
In these closing verses of John’s letter we find three Christian certainties on which we can build our lives with confidence.
Every Christian should */know/* these three things in their life.
*/To Know God Hears Our Prayers, To Know We Are God's Children, To Know God Personally.
/*/Christianity is not just pie in the sky for when you die.
It's also steak on your plate while you wait.
/
/Firstly,/ To Know God Hears Our Prayers
/a.
Pray For God's Will/
*1 John 5:14-15: */Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.
And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him./
/It is one thing to know that Jesus is God and that we are God’s children; but what about the needs and problems of daily life?
Jesus helped people when He was here on earth; does He still help them?
We know that earthly fathers take care of their children; how does the Heavenly Father respond when His children call on Him?/
/ /
*/Firstly,/* believers have confidence approaching God in prayer.
We know that God hears our prayers because we want to do God's will.
Since God is omniscient He hears all prayers.
But God hears believers prayers favorably because we ask according to His will.
He will always grant that kind of request.
When Jesus taught the disciples to pray He told them to pray that /God's will might be done on earth as it is in heaven./
The unsaved person doesn't ask for the Father's will.
He prays selfishly.
*Robert Law said:*/ Prayer is a mighty instrument, not for getting man’s will done in heaven, but for getting God’s will done on earth./
*George Mueller wrote:* /Prayer is not overcoming God’s reluctance.
It is laying hold of God’s willingness.
/
There are times when we can only pray, Not my will but Thine be done, because we simply do not know God’s will in a matter.
But usually, we can determine God’s will by reading His Word, listening to His Spirit, and discerning our circumstances.
Unconfessed sin is always an obstacle to answered prayer.
*Psalm 66:18:* /If I regard iniquity in my heart the Lord will not hear me./
We must first confess our sins and grievances if we want God to grant our requests!
Prayer And God's Will
When children first start to color in, they have two problems.
*/First,/* they choose colors that are inappropriate.
*/Secondly,/* once the colors are chosen, they have a difficult time staying within the boundary lines.
As they mature and keep on coloring, they learn to keep within the guidelines and to choose the appropriate colors.
This results in great looking pictures and increased confidence in their artistic endeavors.
As children of God, our prayer life resembles a child's coloring in.
At first, we don't know what to pray for nor do our prayers stay within the guidelines of His will.
As we mature and continue praying, though, we begin to pray for the right things and stay within the His will.
This gives us confidence in our prayer life.
/b.
Pray For God's Wayward Children/
*1 John 5:16-17:* /If anyone sees his brother sinning a sin which does not lead to death, he will ask, and He will give him life for those who commit sin not leading to death.
There is sin leading to death.
I do not say that he should pray about that.
All unrighteousness is sin, and there is sin not leading to death./
Our prayers should include the needs of others.
God wants us to pray for one another.
Since we're all part of one family we should be concerned about each other's needs.
An important way that we can help each other in the Christian life is prayer.
This is especially true of struggling saints.
Unfortunately, too often we gossip about our sinning brothers instead of praying for them.
If we gossip about them we are only making the situation worse.
The Devil accuses the brethren day and night before God's throne.
When we gossip about our brethren we do the Devil's work.
If we love one another we will take the time to pray for a wayward brother.
Abraham, Moses, Daniel and Nehemiah all prayed on behalf of their people and God heeded their prayers.
This may also involve graciously challenging them about their sin.
/c.
Don't Pray For Sins Unto Death/
Although all sin is offensive to God some sins are more serious than others.
When a believer sins God punishes him so that he will repent.
If the believer continues in His sin God may take him home early so that he won't bring further shame upon the name of Christ.
John talks about this situation here.
The words, */a sin that does not lead to death/, *can be easily misunderstood.
All sin ultimately leads to death, but the expression that does not lead to death should be understood in the sense, not punished by death.
The distinction is between sins for which death is a rapid consequence and sins for which it is not.
The Bible mentions people who died because of their sin.
Ananias and Sapphira lied to God about their offering, and they died.
Some believers at Corinth died because of the way they had acted at the Lord’s Supper.
There are times when God punishes and will not show mercy because the sin is too great.
*Jeremiah 7:16 says:* /Therefore do not pray for this people, nor lift up a cry or prayer for them, nor make intercession to Me; for I will not hear you./
/ /
Application
*/Firstly,/* God's children receive assurance from answered prayers.
We can come before God's throne with confidence.
/Do answered prayers encourage you in your Christian life?
/
/Do you pray for God's will to be done on earth?
Do you pray for others?
Do you pray for your brethren?
When a brother stumbles do you pray that God will deliver them from sin? Or do you gossip about them to others and do the work of the Devil?/
If we really love our brother we will pray for him!
/Secondly,/ To Know We Are God's Children
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