Cofidence In Purpose

1 John 3:19-24

19This then is how we know that we belong to the truth, and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence 20whenever our hearts condemn us. For God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything. 21Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God 22and receive from him anything we ask, because we obey his commands and do what pleases him. 23And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us. 24Those who obey his commands live in him, and he in them. And this is how we know that he lives in us: We know it by the Spirit he gave us.

Confidence is vital to success in any area of life.

We have to believe in order to achieve.

Whether it is advancing at work, in school, in athletics, in business you must be confident in order to win.

"Before you can win, you have to believe you are worthy." - NFL coach Mike Ditka

To know that we are worthy also means we need to have the confidence that God gives by having a clean heart.

A clean heart is:

A heart that has nothing in it that you are “trying hide” from God

God sees everything we do…hears everything we say

Syringe from the Doctors office

A heart that is obedient to the Word of God

Accusations fall to the ground

A heart that has nothing to be ashamed of

Cocker Spaniel “Baby” sitting in the corner

A heart that has nothing to fear

Hurting my father when I broke his rules

A heart that is confident

A heart that is at rest! (vs. 19)

John 2:28 “And now, dear children, continue in him, so that when he appears we may be confident and unashamed before him at his coming. “

When our heart is condemning us we have no confidence and we walk as a child who is ashamed of what we have done.

“Many never ‘pick up their cross’ & follow because they feel unworthy.”

After John Wesley had been preaching for some time, some one said to him, "Are you sure, Mr. Wesley, of your salvation?" "Well," he answered, "Jesus Christ died for the whole world." "Yes, we all believe that; but are you sure that you are saved?" Wesley replied that he was sure that provision had been made for his salvation.

"But are you sure, Wesley, that you are saved?" It went like an arrow to his heart, and he had no rest or power until that question was settled. Many men and many women go on month after month, and year after year, without power, because they do not know their standing in Christ; they are not sure of their own footing for eternity. Latimer wrote Ridley once that when he was settled and steadfast about his own salvation he was as bold as a lion, but if that hope became eclipsed he was fearful and afraid and was disqualified for service. Many are disqualified for service because they continually doubt their own salvation.

Our confidence in not ourselves, but in our God.

Confidence is a key to success in our spiritual lives as well.

• Proverbs 3:26 "For the LORD will be your confidence, and will keep your foot from being caught."

• Proverbs 14:26 "In the fear of the LORD there is strong confidence, and His children will have a place of refuge."

• 2 Corinthians 5:6-7 "So we are always confident, knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord. For we walk by faith, not by sight."

• Philippians 1:6 "…being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ."

That we may remain confident confidence and

That we will not be ashamed before Him at His coming.

I. The cause of an Unconfident Heart (vs.19-20).

A. Our hearts condemn us because of sin in our lives.

1 John 3:20 " whenever our hearts condemn us. For God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything …" (A more literal rendering says not “if” but “when” our heart condemns us suggesting that from time to time our hearts will condemn us)

Sin in our heart will condemn us unless we are desensitized to it.

It is a slow conscience descent over time…to the point where out heart grows cold and distant from God and we don’t feel condemned any more.

This is the last step before spiritual death and many times physical death

Q. What does it mean, "our heart condemns us?"

A. The more we live in truth; the more we abide in Jesus, the more