How To Know That You Know
1 John 3:18-24
1Jn 3:18-19 Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth. By this we shall know that we are of the truth and reassure our heart before him;
1. We have Assurance because we love Him and love like Him.
• We read verse 18 again because John begins verse 19 with “By this we shall know…”
• It could be read, “This is how we know…”, reflecting on loving in truth, deed and word.
• John then speaks of reality and the assurance of the reality.
• I know that sounds fancy, but what he is saying is what is real and how you can know it is real.
• The reality: We are of the truth. If you are saved, you are “of the truth.”
• By loving in truth, deed and love, we have the knowledge that we are in the right way.
• But also, when you love in truth, deed and love, you also have the assurance before God.
• What is the difference between assurance of salvation and assurance before God?
• Psa 130:3 “If you, O LORD, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand?”
• None of us truly grasps the glory and greatness of God.
• We cannot imagine what it will be like to be in His presence.
• John grasped it on one occasion that he records in the Book of the Revelation.
• Rev 1:12-17a “Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking to me, and on turning I saw seven golden lampstands, and in the midst of the lampstands one like a son of man, clothed with a long robe and with a golden sash around his chest. The hairs of his head were white, like white wool, like snow. His eyes were like a flame of fire, his feet were like burnished bronze, refined in a furnace, and his voice was like the roar of many waters. In his right hand he held seven stars, from his mouth came a sharp two-edged sword, and his face was like the sun shining in full strength. When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead…”
• When someone comes to me to seek greater assurance of their salvation, they are usually talking about assurance in the presence of their trials and doubts.
• Yet John isn’t talking about assurance in light of the troubles and the doubts we have, but assurance in the presence of God. Let me illustrate.
• When I was talking with another counselor once, he asked if he could take me through an exercise that he uses to help people struggling with assurance or attaining victory, and/or were stalled in Christian growth.
• He had me close my eyes and imagine that Jesus Christ walks into the room, looks at me and comes and sits beside me.
• Where would my mind go? What would I think? What would I feel? How would I react?
• Even though I know what the answer should be, sheer honesty tells me that I would be embarrassed about my lack of commitment, ashamed of my lack of love, awkward in conversation, and totally uncomfortable in His presence.
• He knows too much about me. As far as that goes, I know too much about me.
• Maybe this is some of what John experience when He recognized Jesus, yet saw him the clothed in His full glory for the first time. (Ref. Revelations 1:17a).
• He fell down like a dead man, and I can think of no more comforting posture should I see Him in His glory.
• I would have very little assurance before Him.
• Someday I am going to meet face to face my Savior. Someday we are going to sit and converse.
• How can I know that today I am on the right track to be able to sit with Him and enjoy His presence instead of being miserable about my shortcomings?
• John answer the question: “Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth. By this we shall know that we are of the truth and reassure our heart before him”.
• It means, “to Love God and Love Like God.”
• When I do that, I have the confidence and assurances to run to Jesus, not run from Him.
• There are those who might say, “Brother Tim, you are taking this the wrong way. You are over-emphasizing love and under emphasizing obedience.”
• I don’t think so. I can bring proof texts that will keep us here all night. But consider this….
• Rom 13:8-10 “Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. For the commandments, "You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet," and any other commandment, are summed up in this word: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.”
• OK, but is there an example of this in the scriptures? I think I know a very good one.
• I remind you that Peter was the one who said he would follow Jesus even to His rejection and death.
• Jesus said, “Peter, you are going to deny me three times before the rooster has his morning coffee.”
• And Peter did.
• After the resurrection and things continued to settle down a bit, Peter said, “I’m going fishing.”
• Yes, Peter, this one who Jesus called from fishing when He said, “Follow me and I will make you fishers of men.”
• Peter, ashamed, defeated, self-accusing, reverted back to his old life, disqualifying himself from that to which he was called.
• Yet Jesus could not leave him alone. He came to the disciples and cooked them some breakfast fish.
• (OK, remember they didn’t do bacon and sausage).
• Then as they ate, awkward conversation and all, Jesus breaks the ice and addresses the elephant in the room.
• “Peter, do you love me?” Peter’s answer was that he loved Jesus with an imperfect love, for he had failed.
• Jesus twice asked him if he “agapeo” Him. Agape is a perfect love, full of sacrifice and self-denial.
• Both times, Peter responded with “you know I ‘phileo’ you.” Phileo is a mutual beneficial love of friendship.
• In other words, he was saying, “I have failed the test. I have disqualified myself.”
• Similar to the Prodigal son, he said, “I am no longer worthy to use ‘agape love’ to define our relationship, so I have resolved to just be considered your friend.”
• The third time, Jesus asked, “Peter, are we buds? Are we cool? Are we friends?”
• Peter answered, “You know we are.”
• Please notice the qualifications of acceptance for Jesus: Simply, “Do you love me?”
• “I don’t care how much you fail,” Jesus says. “I just want to know, right now, do you love me?”
• Notice the results of acceptance of Jesus: Service.
• “OK, if you love me, feed my sheep.” What about penance? What about the guilt and shame? What about restoration?
• Simply, do you love me? Get to work then.
• Love God first and love others like God does.
• He, the High, Holy, Magnificent Jesus said, “Peter, do you know how to qualify for being assured in my presence and usable in my kingdom? Just love me and love like me.”
• But I love God with all my heart and I try to love others, and I just feel that is not good enough. Look…..
1Jn 3:20 for whenever our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and he knows everything. Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God;
2. We have assurance because He says so.
• There are two kinds of hearts; condemning and confident.
• The previous illustration shows you can be affirmed, or assured, before God, but still have an accusing, condemning heart.
• This is the topic of a good percentage of counseling sessions: a forgiven soul with haunting, unforgiven memories.
• The question is, “How can I be clean before God and still feel so guilty and worthless?”
• John answers, “God is greater than our hearts. He sees the big picture. He knows everything.”
• He did more than see Jesus crucified and our debt paid. He sent Jesus to die for our sins.
• He knows every sin is paid for and washed away from our lives.
• What greater assurance can one have than to trust in God?
• Who can separate us from the love of Christ?
• Rom 8:37-39 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
• We used to say, “God said it, I believe it and that’s that."
• Truth is, “God said it and that’s that, whether I choose to believe it or not.”
• But what if I blow it and blow it good? What if I completely mess up in a way that is impossible for me to forgive in myself?
• 2Ti 2:13 “ if we are faithless, he remains faithful-- for he cannot deny himself.
• Beloved, my confidence in God is not found in my faithfulness.
• It is not based upon me being a third generation pastor.
• It is not based on my ability look like a Christian, talk like a Christian, or act like a Christian.
• It is not based on my ability look like a good pastor, talk like a good pastor, or act like a good pastor.
• It is not based on what I do in private, what I am when no one is looking, or any other character issues.
• It is not based on anything about me at all, else my heart would condemn me.
• It is based on the shed blood of Jesus Christ for my failures and the ruling and proclamation of a faithful Judge who proclaims me righteous because the righteousness of Jesus is credited to my account.
• 2 Corinthains 5:21 “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”
• He is faithful when I am faithless.
• God is greater than my condemning heart, failing performance, wandering tendencies and imperfect love.
• He simply asks me to be usable to His kingdom by His calling and definition
• He asks me to love Him most and love like Him.
1Jn 3:22-23 and whatever we ask we receive from him, because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him. 23 And this is his commandment, that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us.
3. We have assurance because of answered prayer.
• Answered prayer. The key: keep his commandments.
• Why can we ask what we want and be assured we get it?
• Because we obey Him and are seeking in our request to please Him.
• We want what He wants. And we do what He wants.
• What does He want?
• 23 And this is his commandment, that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us.
• There is nothing more assuring than to ask God for something and see His willing hand provide it.
• If you are saved, you have kept the command of His calling for your soul.
• If you love Him most and love others like He loves them, you are keeping His commandments.
• If your request fall into those requirements, why would he deny you?
1Jn 3:24 Whoever keeps his commandments abides in God, and God in him. And by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit whom he has given us.
4. We have assurance because we have His Spirit.
• When a pastor was trying at assure a teen of her salvation during times she didn’t feel it, the pastor asked her if she had ever trusted and called upon Jesus.
• She said, “Yes, I did that.”
• The pastor asked, “Did God do His part and save you?”
• She said, “Oh yes, it’s just that I don’t know if I still have it.”
• The pastor showed her scriptures to show that when she was saved, she was abiding in the Father.
• He showed her that if she was shaved, she is secure in Jesus Christ.
• He showed her that if she ever believed, she was sealed with His Spirit.
• He showed her that nothing could separate her from this salvation, the love of Christ.
• He took three envelopes and a piece of paper.
• He wrote her name on the piece of paper and put it in the first envelope.
• He licked it and sealed it and then wrote “Holy Spirit” upon it.
• The then folded the envelope and put it into the second envelope.
• After sealing it, he wrote “Jesus Christ.”
• Then he put folded the package and put it in the final envelope.
• He sealed it and wrote “God the Father”.
• He said, “Kathy, if Satan could get to you, he would have to get into the Father.
• “Then he would have to get into the Son.
• “Then he would have to get into the Spirit of God.
• “Do you know what would happen then?
• “At that time, he would be saved and forgiven and wouldn’t want to get out, more less carry you out.”
• “Whoever keeps his commandments abides in God, and God in him. And by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit whom he has given us.”
• You can have assurance because you are sealed in the Spirit.
• Eph 1:13-14 “In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.”
