The hope within us
1 John 3:1-10
Introduction-
This morning as we continue to look for answers.
I want us to look at bettering our relationship with Christ.
Everyday Christians walk around wondering if they will make heaven.
You ask them the question- “when you die, will you go to heaven? They respond, “I hope so,” and then go into what accomplishments they have done in their life and how hard they have tried to be a good person.
This morning, the text 1 john 3:1-10, toward the back of your Bible a little before the book of Revelation. 1-2-3 John, Jude, and Revelation.
1 John 3:1-10
Everyone of us has an opportunity to be a child of God.
Because God cares and loves each one of us.
Each one of you has value.
Each one of you Jesus chose to go to the cross for. But not everyone in the world will make heaven.
Each one in the world is not a child of God.
The difference between a child of God and who the Bible calls children of the devil is our response to Jesus Christ, and how we live our lives.
The question I want to ask you as we look for answers is “How do I know that I will make heaven? How can I be sure?
Have you seen the commercial “Got Milk?” well, I will begin to answer and ask you- “Got Hope?”
Our ability and strength to live healthy, productive lives depends on the hope that is in our hearts.
I think that a life without hope is a living hell.
The one thing that scares me about hell is that there will be an absence of hope. (you can never for eternity change the situation)
Romans 15:13-
“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust him so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”
You ask God to fill you with joy and peace as we trust God. That hope may overflow us by the power of the Holy Spirit within us.
Hope is a contagious thing!
I like being around people with hope.
I love being around people that I can see the Holy Spirit working in them.
John tells us (v1) “How great is the love the Father has lavished, that we should be called the children of God.”
That God loves us.
That He cares for us.
He desires to be a part of our lives.
That gives me hope! That should give you hope.
Unless, you’re here this morning and you do not know if you are a child of God.
Unless you battle everyday struggling inside of who you belong too.
Being a child of God- keeps me going when my tank is empty.
Because of that great hope of one day standing before God and enjoying heaven because of Jesus Christ.
That is hope in action.
I also know that the devil knows how powerful hope is, and that he does everything he can to rob me/ us of that hope.
Society trying to answer the heaven question with I think so…., and God is saying put your trust in Jesus Christ and know so this morning.
I am not a child of God because I am better than anyone else.
I am a child of God because I have received the gift of salvation through Jesus Christ. Amen!
Song-
My hope is build on nothing less, than Jesus blood and righteousness
When darkness seems to hide his head, I rest on his unchanging grace.
When He shall come with trumpet sound, may I then in Him be found.
Chorus
“On Christ, the solid rock I stand, all other ground is sinking sand, all other ground is sinking sand.”
I am not a child of God for what I accomplished, it is because of what Jesus Christ did for me.
John is speaking to believers, believers who are being deceived, distracted, and had doubts of who they are in Christ.
John tells us to remember or recall how much God loves us.
This is the foundational love that makes us a part of the family of God.
By the power of the Holy Spirit we are in a relationship with God and have spiritual communion with Him.
The Father gave this love, we did not earn it. He offered it to us first!
It is what the term Prevenient grace is all about! Two Latin words meaning “to come before.”
Prevenient Grace makes coming to God possible, because God has first come to us.
Participation in the family of God makes the believer a mystery to the world, because, “They don’t understand the Christian because they do not know Jesus.
The standard of holiness is quite clear. We are to be just like Him as children of God. We must reflect His character, His attitude, His values, His life-style.
We are to conform to the image of Christ.
So let’s apply the Scripture to our lives.
Maybe you’re here this morning, and if you ask the heaven question, you would have to answer “I hope so” I want you to see, by the authority of God’s word, you can know if you are on your way to heaven or not!
So how can I know?
I. The Holy Spirit will bear witness with your spirit
Rom. 8:16-
“The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.”
1 John 3:24-
“Those 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.
1 John 4 answers the question of how we can recognize the spirit of God.
4:2- “Every Spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God”
He tells us in 3:3- Everyone that has the hope in him purifies himself, just as he is pure.” Everyone who has the spirit of God dwelling in them will live a life that is pleasing to God, because as Jesus is pure, we will live our lives Christ-like.
Does that mean we are perfect? No!
Does that mean we won’t stumble? No! But it does mean that we are attempting to live a life pleasing to God.
Not keep on sinning, but allowing God to help us in that area of our lives. When we stumble, we grab unto God’s promise in 1 john 1:9-
“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”
Full consecration to God is evidenced by our choice toward being holy.
Only God can purge and change a life.
To purify ourselves is to allow God to work in us to be a living sacrifice to God.
A surrendered life gives God unhindered space to work in our lives.
When we do that- we can know that we are God’s children.
II. We know were God’s by life-style changes.
Again, works don’t save us. It is grace alone.
But a new life in Christ will change the way we behave.
1 John 2:3-
“We know that we have come to know him if we obey His commandments.”
Acts 15:8-
“God, who knows the heart showed that he accepted them by giving the Holy Spirit to them, just as he did for us.”
God is not a respecter of persons, He sent the Holy Spirit to the disciples and He desires the Spirit for each one of our lives.
You do not have to be good enough for God to like you, or bless you
You don’t have to earn His favor, He accepts you…. you must accept what he has done for you.
Approved by God because of the blood of Christ.
Worthy because of what Christ did.
The blood of Christ cover you and God sees His Son.
Did you get that?
When you fail and fall short of the glory of God, does not mean that you run from God, but draw near to Him. You are invited to the throne of God.
God convicts-
Satan condemns-
Don’t let the accuser run you away from God. But let God lift you up when you fall short.
Sometimes we don’t act like children of God, and your heavenly Father has to deal with us-desiring that lifestyle change. We must allow the Father to do what is needed and we do not rebel.
III. We know we are God’s by our love towards others.
1 John3:14- “we know that we have passed from death to life, because we love our brothers. Anyone who does not love remains in death.”
2 Tim. 2:19-
“The lord knows those that are His, and everyone that confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness.”
We should love our brothers and sisters in Christ
We should be concerned for the salvation of our neighbors.
Listen,
The second mouse get’s the cheese!
When everything is coming your way, you are on the wrong side of the road.
Why is love so important?
Because a lack of love is a spiritual problem that gives the devil a foothold in your life.
(16) This is how we know what love is- Jesus Christ Laid down His life. We ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.
Let me bring this home and make it personal.
If you answer the question about heaven with “I hope so” you probably would have to admit that relationship I not where you would like it to be.
If you cannot say this morning that the Spirit of God bears witness with yours, there is uncertainty.
If you have not seen a life change or cannot remember a time that God tugged your heart- you have uncertainty.
If you do not have a love for others, truth be told, if it is all about you and your family- today is the day the Lord is speaking to you.
In a world that does not believe in absolutes, there is an absolute!
God loves you and desires for you to be a strong and active part of the family of God.
Jesus death on the cross was not an accident. It had purpose.
He gave His life, and it was not taken. He laid His life for you and for me.
He surrendered His life for us, and we must surrender our’s to Him.
When we do that- (surrender).
Our spirit will bear witness to His.
We will see a life change.
We will have a brand new love for others.
We can answer the heaven question- “I know so” Because of what Christ did for us- and we do not have to muster up what we think we did to earn heaven.
Close with this verse again
“Dear friends, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God, and receive from him anything we ask, because we obey his commands and do what pleases him, and this is the command to believe in the name of His son Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us. Those 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.
Altar Call
