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
sensitive our heart will become to God…the more our hearts will hate sin and convict us.
If we stay close to Jesus then the Holy Spirit will show us in our heart (NOT HEAD) what is right and wrong. (G & L in S.F. – Love???)
The heart will never RATIONALIZE or make EXCUSES
The "heart" in Scripture often does not refer to the blood pump, but to our inner-consciousness our conscience.
What your physical heart is to your body, you conscience is to your spirit
The Holy Spirit inhabits you and works with your conscience, your "heart."
When you are doing all you know to do and you still feel distant from God that means you are sensitive to God’s presence!
God allows us to feel condemned so we can get back to where we need to be.
The more we grow spiritually, the more sensitive we will be to God’s commands and sin resulting in more confidence we will have, thru Him.
Allow God to confirm us!
Bill Hybill; Willow Creek Church - Too Busy Not To Pray
Sometime when you’re in an airport, observe the difference between passengers who hold confirmed tickets and those who are on standby. The ones with confirmed tickets read newspapers, chat with their friends or sleep. The ones on standby hang around the ticket counter, pace and smoke, smoke and pace. The difference is caused by the confidence factor. If you knew that in fifteen minutes you would have to stand in judgment before the Holy God and learn your eternal destiny, what would your reaction be? Would you smoke and pace? Would you say to yourself, "I don’t know what God’s going to say--will it be ’Welcome home, child,’ or will it be ’Depart from me; I never knew you’?
This is who we are not supposed to be…
We are suppose to live in celebration because we are redeemed
Sin is not “US!
1 Corinthians 5:6 “Your boasting is not good. Don’t you know that a little yeast (sin) works through the whole batch of dough? 7Get rid of the old yeast that you may be a new batch without yeast--as you really are. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. 8Therefore let us keep the Festival, not with the old yeast, the yeast of malice and wickedness, but with bread without yeast, the bread of sincerity and truth.
We are a brand new creation; we are not about Sin…BUT ABOUT HIM!!
Sin is the cause of an unconfident heart
II. The result of an Unconfident Heart (vs.19-20).
A. Our enemy (Satan) attacks our faith.
1 Samuel 17:23 "…As he was talking with them, Goliath, the Philistine champion from Gath, stepped out from his lines and shouted his usual defiance, and David heard it. 24 When the Israelites saw the man, they all ran from him in great fear.
-Enemy (Satan) gets out of line -We allow this
Influences our kids, co-workers, family, friends, church
-Shouted his usual (Familiar) defiance - Most of the sin in our lives “familiar” sin.
Habits, attitudes, jealousies, tolerance
-The Children of God ran in fear – They had no confidence (vs. 11 and vs. 24)
They caved in to the temptation and fear
- But David with a CONFIDENT heart ran into battle (I Sam17:48)
He was confident in what ability he had from God, not Saul’s armor.
God’s people throughout history have been intimidated because they lacked the confidence that He brings
"The army of Israel thought Goliath was too big to defeat; David thought he was too big to miss."
1 Peter5:8 "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour."
If we are not staying focused on God and making our heart “pay attention” then we can easily get distracted, give into sin, and get “devoured.”
Focusing on other people, habits, relationships and “things” over time will cause us to miss what God has for us.
David focused on the Throne…
He had been anointed to be KING…
He knew His purpose in life!
He was mighty in the hand of God
We need to be focused on the Throne…(of God)
We are created to be Gods holy people…
His holiness manifested in our lives is our purpose in life!
NO DISTRACTIONS, NO DETOURS, NOTHING LESS – HOLINESS
HE WAS CONFIDENT IN HIS PURPOSE
God turned away from Saul and took the kingdom from him because he was disobedient.
Saul didn’t do what he was anointed and called to do
Doubt, unbelief, unfaithfulness, and disobedience …we will NEVER reach our potential for living with this JUNK!!!!
Today many churches have lost their position in Christ…
No fresh revelation,
No fresh anointing,
No fresh presence of God,
No fresh Word in due season…thus we have
No changed lives,
No altered communities,
Sin runs rampant,
No miracles,
People live in the darkness…
When God wants us to live and walk in His marvelous light!
God is trying to reveal Himself to us and we ignore Him…
IT IS IN HIM WHERE WE FIND OUR CONFIDENCE AND FULFULL OUR PURPOSE!!
Let me ask you:
Are you confident in your relationship God?
Does your heart condemn you about something?
Is your relationship with Him grown cold and stale??
Are you hungry, dry and empty?
