A father was at the beach with his children when his four-year-old son ran up to him, grabbed his hand, and led him to the shore, where a seagull lay dead in the sand. “Daddy, what happened to him?” the son asked.
“He died and went to Heaven,” the dad replied.
The boy thought for a moment and then said, “Did God throw him back down?”
Don’t worry, when you accept Jesus Christ in your life and become one of God’s children, he won’t ever throw you back.
How do you know if you really KNOW God? We have looked at 6 proofs so far:
• Obey God’s commands
• Loving one’s neighbor
• Remembering your spiritual growth
• NOT loving the world
• Guarding against antichrists or false teachers
• Letting the gospel remain in you
Tonight we look at yet another test, continuing in Christ. This seems to say the same thing that we talked about last time when we talked about letting the gospel remain in you. Isn’t that and continuing in Christ the same thing? Well, yes in a way, but not really. So let’s begin by asking the question, “Do we continue in Christ?”
Let’s recap for a moment. Christ is the only person who ever came out of heaven, out of the spiritual world. He is the Son of God who came to earth to reveal who God is and to show us what life is all about. Jesus Christ is the very nature of God.
He is righteous just like God is righteous. He always did what was right; He was righteous in every detail of life just like God is righteous. So, when we continue in Christ, we continue in the very nature of God.
That means that when we continue in Christ:
• We live like God lives, and we live life like it should be lived.
So the person who continues and lives in Christ is the person who knows God. READ verse 28.
Again the test is stated clearly: Continue in Christ. To continue in Christ means that we are at home, we are comfortable at home in Christ, in being fixed on Him. We are not ashamed of being called a Christian. Don’t ever be ashamed of Jesus and His words at school, at work, and among your friends. Stand up for what you believe. Jesus said, “38“For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him the Son of Man also will be ashamed when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels.”
The basic idea of continuing in Christ is that of dwelling. It’s like dwelling in a house. We are to dwell in Christ, in the kind of life He showed us how to live.
We know that Jesus lived a righteous life. He lived a life that was always right toward God and man. So we are to be right with God and man just like He was.
Now, let’s spend a little time specifically talking about what it means to continue in Christ. When a person continues in Christ, what kind of life does he live? What kinds of things are you supposed to do? How are you supposed to behave toward God and man?
Being a Christian is not easy. It carries with it a lot of responsibility.
First, continuing in Christ means that a person confesses that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. That means that you love God because of what God has done for you. John writes a little later in this same book: “All who proclaim that Jesus is the Son of God have God living in them, and they live in God. 16 We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in him.
God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them.(1 John 4:15-16)
Continuing in Christ means that a person walks and fellowships with Christ. Acts 17:28 expresses this when Luke wrote: “In Him we live, and move, and have our being.” We should live in a consciousness of the Lord’s presence. You know, if we lived everyday life truly believing that the Lord was watching our every move, we would probably do a lot of things differently. Remember back in 1 Jn. 2:6 John said “Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did.”
Continuing in Christ means that a person walks in open confession before God. What does that mean? That means that you live your life hour by hour all day long opening up your life to God. It means that you don’t walk in sin, and when you do accidentally slip into sin you don’t let that sin go unconfessed.
Continuing in Christ means that person continues in the Word of Christ and knows the truth.
Continuing in Christ means that a person lets the Word of God continue in his life. Let’s face it, it takes effort to keep God’s Word in our lives on a daily basis. Let me compare God’s Word to physical food.
You can tell by looking at me that I don’t miss too many meals. I have always been blessed by good cooks. My mom, my grandmas, Caran is a good cook. I have said jokingly that that is the reason I came to this church because all of you are good cooks.
Think about Thanksgiving and Christmas. We are usually surrounded by turkey and ham, potatoes and gravy, all kinds of rich desserts and unlimited variety of vegetables. Salted nuts, pies, cakes, candy. But there is usually fresh fruit available—bananas, apples, oranges, pineapple—and these fruits offer a “better way” if we choose it.
Now let’s confess, how many of us will choose an orange when you can have a piece of pecan pie? How many will eat an apple when chocolate-covered cherries are there also? We are all called upon to make choices when it comes to keeping God’s Word in our lives on a daily basis. But we shouldn’t have any fear of ingesting God’s Word when it is properly interpreted.
On the other hand there is a lot of religious “junk food” out there. Literature is available to make us feel good and forget our moral responsibilities. Even a lot of evangelical material caters to the human craving for entertainment and excitement.
Sometimes the best reading is hard. Sure, there are parts of the Bible that are difficult to practice. (Show of hands of how many keep all Ten Commandments) But usually that which is the most profitable for us is not the sweetest thing to ingest. The best spiritual food is that which causes us to love God more, love others more, and dedicate our lives to doing right. Continuing in Christ means that God’s Word lives in you daily—always.
Continuing in Christ means that a person experiences the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit. How many times have you had the opportunity to testify to your belief in God and you found yourself quoting Scripture that you didn’t really realize you even knew? When that happened, you were experiencing the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit. He was speaking through you.
Continuing in Christ means that a person has power to live like he should. Where does that power come from? “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” (Phil. 4:13)
Continuing in Christ means that a person dwells in love and in unity and fellowship with all other believers. Repeat 2 Times. Can any of you say that you have never been out of unity and love and fellowship with all other believers?
Continuing in Christ means that a person bears fruit and lives a very fruitful life. What fruit is it that we are to bear? Paul’s letter to the Galatians says, “22 But when the Holy Spirit controls our lives, he will produce this kind of fruit in us: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. Here there is no conflict with the law.”
Continuing in Christ means that a person loves others, that he lives and walks in love toward others.
Continuing in Christ means that a person has confidence in and is unashamed of the kind of life that prepares him for eternity. That is exactly what John said in verse 28. READ AGAIN.
Continuing in Christ means that a person actively surrenders himself to obey God’s commandments.
Continuing in Christ means that a person loves his brother and sister.
Continuing in Christ means that a person does the will of God.
And speaking of God’s will, have you ever said or heard someone say they would like to know what God’s will is for their life? Follow me on this one. You find the center of God’s will for you in the center of the Bible. The shortest chapter in the Bible is Psalm 117. The longest chapter in the Bible is Psalm 119. The center chapter of the Bible is Psalm 118. There are 594 chapters before Ps. 118 and 594 chapters after Ps. 118. If you add 594 and 594 you get 1,188. 1-1-8-8. The center verse of the Bible in Ps. 118:8.
Does this verse say anything significant about God’s perfect will for our lives? The next time someone says they would like to find God’s perfect will for their life and that they want to be in the center of His will, just send them to the center of His Word.
Psalm 118:8 – “It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man.” And isn’t it more than coincidence that this verse says in another way to continue in Christ?
Now the question is WHY should we continue in Christ? Verse 28 has already told us—so that we may have confidence and not be ashamed when Christ returns. Scripture declares that Christ is going to return to earth again. He is coming to judge the earth—every man and woman who has ever lived.
And our task is to be prepared for that 2nd Coming. How can we prepare ourselves? By doing just what we have been talking about, continuing in Christ.
Now I feel that I must note a very important fact about Christ’s return that we may not have a clear picture of. When Christ returns, it is NOT going to be all joy and rejoicing. That is the way many picture it. But there will be many that will be ashamed and embarrassed when Christ returns. The picture of nothing but joy and rejoicing when Christ returns is not a true picture.
There is going to be judgment, the judgment of every man’s and woman’s works no matter what the works are, and there will be the judgment of sinners no matter who they are, all unbelievers.
Yes there will be joy and rejoicing for some believers, for those who have continued in Christ. But there will also be shame, guilt, disgrace, and embarrassment—for those who have been walking unfaithfully. And if that doesn’t open your eyes to living for Christ I guess nothing will. Are you continuing in Christ? READ verse 29.
And there is the proof if you are continuing in Christ—living a righteous life. If a person continues in Jesus Christ, he lives a righteous life. This is the supreme and final proof that a person knows God. We can always tell if a person knows God by the fruit and treasure of his life. Jesus said, “21 Wherever your treasure is, there your heart and thoughts will also be.(Matt. 6:21) What do you consider to be your treasure?
One final point: We have already said that God is righteous. His very nature is righteousness. Therefore, a person who lives a righteous life is the person who has the nature of God. He is the person who allows God’s nature to be lived out and through his life.
A person who doesn’t have the nature of God does not live the life of God. And it doesn’t take a genius to tell whether or not a person knows God by the life he lives.
As we close out this portion of our series in 1 John, I think we have a good idea of what we must do to prove that we really know God. If we live as Jesus lived and try to be as righteous as God, we are doing the right thing. Make a list. On one side of the page list all the things in life that are right. List all the things that are wrong on the other side. Focus on the things that are right. That is basically all we have to do.
I came across an article that I think will wrap up this series on proving if we really know God. I want to use it today because it will probably be about the only thing you will remember out of this series. The article compares people to potatoes. Or as we call them here in the south, “Tators.” And it has to do with knowing the right the to do and doing it.
• Some people never seem motivated to participate, but are just content to watch others work. They are called “Speck Tators.”
• Some people can put up a front and pretend to be someone they are not. We call them “Emma Tators.”
• There are those who say they will help, but somehow just never get around to it. They are called “Hezzie Tators.”
• Some people are always looking to cause problems. We call them “Agie Tators.”
• Some are very bossy. They are called “Dick Tators.”
• Some people like to talk a lot. They are called “Comment Tators.”
Finally there are those who love others and always do what they say they will do. They are prepared to stop what they are doing and lend a helping hand. They bring real sunshine to the lives of others. They let Jesus live through them. We call them “Sweet Tators.”
What kind of Tator are you?
