The Abiding Life & Certainty

Well, a couple of years ago, I was reading a biography about Bonhoeffer.

! I'm not sure if any of you have read that book. It's by Eric Metaxas. It's about 500-600

! And I'm not much of a reader, but I thought, you know, maybe this is worth a shot and I'll

tackle this book and see how it goes. And what was interesting to me as I read through this

book, there was almost a sense in which Bonhoeffer became a close friend. There was, Eric did

such a good job at kind of leading the reader through the story of this man and his heart

for people and his willingness to risk much for the sake of Christ and for the sake of

the church and all of the struggles that he went through and the churches that he helped

to establish and the people he was able to encourage and the challenges that he faced.

And you knew it was coming. You knew at the end of this story that it was going to end

in the martyrdom of this man. And the closer and closer you got to the end of this book,

the slower and slower my pace became because I just didn't want to say goodbye. He had really

become a close friend. And this morning we come to the end of this letter in 1 John. And it's

my prayer that God has done for you what he has done for me and that Jesus has become sweeter

through the study of 1 John. And that the beloved apostle John has become a dear friend. Now,

fortunately, we don't have to say goodbye to this friend because we know that next week we're going

to, even though we're going to be in a different part of Scripture, we're going to be seeing and

coming to appreciate the same main character, the same person who is central in every part of the

Scripture from Genesis to Revelation. We'll see the story of God come to light for us again next week.

And so even though we're wrapping up our study in 1 John, really the same themes and the same truths

that we have been studying throughout our series in 1 John will continue in our study as we move in

to 1 Thessalonians. Last Sunday I had the opportunity of teaching the junior high and high school.

And I asked one of my kids afterwards, so what did you think? How did it go? And they said to me,

well, it was the same thing that Caleb taught on Wednesday. I mean...

So Caleb's doing a great job. I just have appreciated his ministry. But I want to let you know,

that is the truth. No matter where we go in the Scripture, whether we're in the minor prophets,

you know, Hosea and Joel and Amos and Obadiah, what do they have to add to the story? Well,

let me tell you, they have to add much to the story because it's all about God. From start to finish,

the story is a story about God. And so as we come to the Scripture, no matter where we are,

whether we're teaching about the life of David or teaching about the life of Joseph or we're in

the New Testament, we're learning about the abiding life, we're learning the story about God

and how to have that sweet fellowship with Him that He craves for us. Do you realize that God

desires and craves fellowship with you? He craves it so much that He sent Jesus Christ to this

earth, to die for us, to bridge the fellowship gap, the sin gap that disrupts fellowship with Him.

He bridged that gap to make salvation possible, to make fellowship possible, to make joy,

abounding joy possible for you, and to connect us not only to Christ, but to connect us to one another.

It really is a remarkable story and it's been encouraging to my own heart as we walk through

the study of 1 John and to pick up the same themes as we look again at 1 Thessalonians and

we're going to be moving through that in the coming weeks. So in the closing of our time with 1 John,

let me invite you to take your Bibles if you would please, as we open up to 1 John chapter 5.

1 John 5 · chapter mention

We're going to begin in verse 6 and we're going to move to the end of the chapter,

taking this piece by piece. Now maybe you're asking the question, how does this relate to

the communion service that we're going to be having here towards the end of our time together?

And I want to help make that connection. Some of you have probably already made that connection

or already very aware, but for those of you who have not made the connection,

I want us to realize that if the Bible is the story about God, whether we're in 1 Corinthians chapter 11,

1 Corinthians 11 · chapter mention

or whether we're in the Gospels, or whether we're in 1 John, or anywhere else in the Bible for that

matter, because it's the story about God, it's the story of redemption. It's the story of salvation.

It's the message of God's rescue. And so it's really great for me to be able to see the story of God,

even in unique places, and to appreciate that as we go to those places. And so this morning,

as we're in 1 John chapter 5, I want us to see that the message of the story of Christ is the same.

1 John 5 · chapter mention

It's the story of his redemption for us, his body, and his blood, and his price that he paid for us

to bridge the gap for salvation and fellowship with him.

As we look at this passage this morning, there's going to be something that stands out and is

inescapable for us as we look at these verses. And I hope that as you read the Scripture,

it's your habit to read with a pen, not only so that you can underline and highlight the things that are

important and that stand out to you, but so that you can take notes along the way.

Well, this might be a good opportunity for you to continue that practice, because what I want to

point out to you in the first part, or in these concluding words, is the certainty that we have

as those who abide in Christ. There is certainty in the Christian life.

Notice in verses 6 through 12, there is a recurring word that we're going to see over and over and over

again. It's the word testify. We see that word there at the very beginning of verse 6.

This is he who came by water and blood, Jesus Christ, not by the water only, but by the water and the blood.

And the Spirit is the one who testifies.

In verse 7, we find there are three that testify. In verse 8, we see these three agree, meaning in the

mouth of two or three witnesses, a thing will be established. They're testifying. In verse 10, we'll see

whoever believes in the Son of God has the testimony in himself. In verse 11, and this is the testimony.

Then if we, as we look at verses 13 to 21, he shifts from this use of the word testimony to a use of a word

to know. In verse 13, he says, I write these things to you who believe, that you may know. And I would

encourage you to underline that you may know. Verse 14, and this is the confidence.

In verse 15, and if we know, then we know that we have. Then in verse 18, we know. And in verse 20,

and we know, so that we may know. It is inescapable what John is trying to get at in these remaining

verses of his little letter to the church of Ephesus. There is something that can be known,

that can be examined, that can be rested on, and you can have confidence in the truths that he's been

articulating throughout this little letter. Over this past week, we had the privilege as a family,

we do Netflix from time to time. And my wife found a little movie called The Case for Christ.

It's really the story of Lee Strobel. And if you know anything about his story, he was an investigative

reporter for the Chicago Tribune. He was an atheist, and he was adamant about the fact that there was not

a deity that existed. Well, through some circumstances that took place in his family,

namely, his family was having dinner, and his daughter began to choke on some food.

And by God's providence, a lady came to help clear the food from the little girl's throat,

and lo and behold, she was a Christian. And through this interaction that was taking place between

this lady and her committed testimony to the gospel, and suggesting that this did not happen

by circumstance, but this was a divine appointment, the wife began to take some interest,

and went to church, and came and essentially committed her life to Christ.

Christ. Well, Lee was not interested in this taking place in his family, and so he determined

that as an investigative reporter, he was going to find the facts that would disprove Christianity.

One of his Christian co-workers says, well, if you're going to take Christianity out, you need to go

to the heart of Christianity, and that is the resurrection. So he spent the next several months trying to

disprove the resurrection, and through the course of that process, came to understand that the evidence

was overwhelming. And through that process, God led him to faith in Christ. You see, this world would

have us believe that those who are Christians are just living by blind faith. There's just ignorance in

them. They've abandoned all rational thinking. They're not thinking and evaluating the facts as they are,

the things that you can touch and see and evaluate and examine up close. But John wants us to understand

that the Christian life, although it is a life of faith, it is also a life of proof. It's a life of evidence.

It's a life that the criteria can stack up and help us to help to demonstrate that what we believe

really does have substance. There can be certainty in the Christian life. And so this passage this morning

is a passage of encouragement, really. There are at least five things that I see in this passage

that we can take comfort in and to know that God has established these truths,

and we can have certainty and confidence about these truths.

I think I'm going to do something a little different this morning. I usually spend the bulk of my time on

point number one, and then we don't have time to get to the others. I hear some chuckling.

I, I, I, I, guilty as charged, I, I understand. So we're, we're going to, we're going to move through

point number one. We're going to go two, three, four, and five, okay? So stick with me. And then we'll go

back to point one because point one really helps to fill out our time of communion. So pray for me in

this process so that we can really get to the, the real heart of, of what this is, is talking about this

morning. The first point, though, I, I want to just put it there for you so that you have it in your

reservoir. We'll come back to it in just a moment. But, but the first point that we see here in, in verses

6 through 10, is that we can have certainty about Jesus Christ. There is no question in this letter

who is the central figure of John's attention. He begins this whole letter with, with this

exuberance and enthusiasm about the person of Christ. He says, we, we have seen him. We've, we've heard him.

We've, we've touched him. We, we've spent time with him. We've, we've listened to his message and, and we

are commending him to you. Make no mistake about it. There is nothing that matters more than Jesus

Christ. He, he begins with that and he finishes with that very, very idea. We, we've seen it throughout

chapter 4. We've seen it here at the beginning of chapter 5. He finishes with that thought here in

chapter 5. He wants you to understand that you can be certain about Jesus Christ. And we'll look at

those witnesses towards the end of our message this morning. Point number two. That was the fastest

point number one we've ever had, huh? All right. Point number two. We're, we're, we're going to pick this

up here in verse 11. And John wants us to recognize that if there is certainty about Jesus Christ,

there is also certainty about the future. Certainty about the future. Notice what it says here,

beginning in verse 11. And this is the testimony, again, that key word, that God gave us eternal,

eternal life. And this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life. Whoever does not have the Son of God

does not have life. Can you hear the heart of this beloved apostle pleading with his audience in the

midst of difficulty that they're experiencing? Those that had abandoned this church, he, he alludes to them in chapter 2. And he says they were not of us because they, they went away from us. The, the turmoil that was taking place in, in this city of Ephesus and for this specific church. He wants this church to understand that however uncertain their circumstances are in the moment,

there is certainty about the future. There is certainty about eternal life.

There is certainty about eternal life. I write these things that you may know that you have eternal life.

life, he says in chapter 5, verse 13. Jesus' death and resurrection guarantees future life for all of those who are in Christ Jesus.

After all, that is why Jesus came in the first place. We all know John 3, 16.

God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life.

Jesus came so that you could have hope and confidence about the future.

And if there is confidence about the future,

what else matters?

What else is there?

If you know that the difficulties that you're facing are only temporary,

if you know the struggles and the conflicts that,

that you are experiencing right now are, are just superficial,

if you recognize that the, the challenges that you face are only momentary,

but there is a future hope in heaven,

there is eternal life with God,

nothing else begins to matter.

John wants his, his congregation,

these, these people that he has spent so much time shepherding and pastoring

to know,

if you know him,

you know everything that matters.

You can have confidence about the future.

And in this expression,

he is, he is pleading with,

with the rest,

those who don't know Jesus,

if you know him,

you can have eternal life as well.

So many during Jesus's ministry were,

were interested in this question.

We see the rich young ruler in Matthew chapter 19,

Matthew 19 · chapter mention

who, who came to Jesus and said,

good teacher,

what good thing shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?

And then in Luke chapter 10,

Luke 10 · chapter mention

the lawyer that comes and asks a similar question,

a lawyer stands up and,

and tested him saying,

teacher,

what shall I do to inherit eternal life?

This is the question of anyone who is really interested in what's coming in the future.

Any religious institution,

any orientation of,

of spirituality has the future and,

and the,

the eternal life as its final objective.

But only those who are in Christ can experience it.

Jesus says,

I am the way,

the truth,

and the life.

No one comes to the Father except through me.

You want life?

You must come through the author of life,

the initiator of life,

not only physical life,

but spiritual life.

Jesus came to bring life.

We see that in John chapter 10,

John 10:10

verse 10.

He says,

I have come

that they might have life

and that they might have it abundantly.

And those apart from Christ

will only know death.

Romans chapter 6, 23,

Romans 6 · chapter mention

for the wages of sin is death,

but the gift of God is eternal life

through Jesus Christ, our Lord.

The question for us this morning

is do you know Jesus Christ?

And if you know him

and have embraced him as Savior,

then you have the joy of eternal life.

You see,

the resurrection of Christ

changes everything for us.

Paul picks up this theme

in 1 Corinthians chapter 15.

1 Corinthians 15 · chapter mention

And basically,

he recounts the significance

of the resurrection.

He says,

it is the resurrection

that gives purpose to our message.

In 1 Corinthians 15, 14,

he says,

if Christ has not been raised,

then our preaching is in vain.

It is also the resurrection

that gives our faith substance.

In 1 Corinthians 15,

1 Corinthians 15:14

verse 14, it says,

if Christ has not been raised,

then our faith is in vain.

It is also the resurrection

that activates our obedience.

In verse 17, he says,

if Christ has not been raised,

then you are still in your sins.

And it is the resurrection

that gives us hope.

for the future.

In 1 Corinthians 15, verse 19,

1 Corinthians 15:19

he says,

if in Christ we have hope

in this life only,

we are of people most to be pitied.

But, in fact,

Christ has been raised from the dead,

the firstborn of those

who have fallen asleep.

Because of Christ's resurrection life,

we who are in Christ

will also experience

the life that he has to give.

What hope?

What certainty?

What certainty?

What certainty?

The certainty of Christ's resurrection

leads to certainty

of future life for those

who are in Christ.

And we come to our next point.

Not only certainty,

not only certainty

about the future,

but certainty about answered prayer.

We see that in verses 14 to 17.

Here's what it says.

And this is the confidence

that we have towards him,

that if we ask anything

according to his will,

he hears us.

And if we know that he hears us

in whatever we ask,

we know that we have the request

that we have asked of him.

This is the confidence,

John says.

If you are in relationship,

an abiding relationship with Christ,

then Christ will hear your prayers.

And if you are in a relationship with Christ,

an abiding relationship with him,

he not only hears your prayers,

but he fills that out

and defines what his hearing actually means.

Notice,

how does John describe the hearing?

If he hears us in whatever we ask,

we know that we have the request

that we have asked of him.

That's what it means when God hears.

Time out.

That is not my experience.

Is that your experience?

Everything we ask,

we receive of him?

Okay, so then there must be

something going on here.

There must be a dynamic

that we need to begin to understand

when John is describing

the asking and the praying,

the hearing and receiving.

What is taking place?

Remember,

as we have introduced this series

and as we have been talking about this series

through the past couple of months,

we've mentioned that this is really

just an exposition of the upper room discourse.

Okay?

So it shouldn't be any surprise to you

to know that Jesus,

on at least four occasions,

actually uses the exact same phrase.

In John chapter 14,

John 14 · chapter mention

I would just encourage you,

why don't you just keep your finger

for a moment in 1 John chapter 5

1 John 5 · chapter mention

and turn with me

to John chapter 14

John 14 · chapter mention

so you can see this

and maybe even underline it for yourself.

John 14,

John 14:13

verses 13 and 14.

Whatever you ask in my name,

this I will do,

that the Father may be glorified in the Son.

if you ask me anything in my name,

I will do it.

Now move to chapter 15,

verses 7 and 8.

If you abide in me

and my words abide in you,

ask whatever you wish

and it will be done for you.

By this my Father is glorified

that you bear much fruit

and so prove to be my disciples.

Now chapter 15,

verses 16 and 17.

You did not choose me,

but I chose you

and appointed you

that you should go and bear fruit

and that your fruit should abide

so that whatever you ask the Father

in my name,

he may give it to you.

These things I command you

so that you will love one another.

And then chapter 16,

verses 23 and 24.

Chapter 16,

verses 23 and 24.

In that day,

you will ask nothing of me.

Truly, truly,

I say to you,

whatever you ask of the Father

in my name,

he will give it to you.

Until now,

you have asked nothing in my name.

Ask,

and you will receive

that your joy may be full.

What in the world is going on here?

What in the world

is Jesus trying to commend

to his disciples?

Is there a magic formula?

Is there a process

that we need to go through

in order to get this answer

from God that we're looking for?

Well, if you were here last week,

you know the answer to that question

is no,

there's not a magic formula.

That's the old way of doing life.

But we've been called to the new way.

The new way that sets us free

from the pressure of this world

and the pressure of performance

and responsibility.

But what we're talking about here

is in conjunction

with who Jesus is himself.

And in conjunction

with the abiding life

that we've been called to.

Notice Jesus points to that

at least a couple of times

throughout this section.

and also says,

if you pray anything

or ask anything in my name,

then I will do it.

What in the world

is he talking about?

It begins and ends with Jesus.

That's the answer.

The abiding life

out of which flows

forgiveness

and cleansing

and obedience

and love

and confidence

satisfaction

and fellowship

boldness

in his presence

endurance

in the Christian life

hope

and joy

and clarity

and life.

What else

is there

to be had?

It is all found

in him.

And so if we

as we learn

to be satisfied

in him

and as we are praying

for the things

that are oriented

towards finding

sufficiency

in Christ

seeking his glory

strengthening his body

building his kingdom

then we will find

that all of our hopes

and dreams

and prayers

will be answered

in the power

of Christ.

Because as our

orientation

is moving

in the direction

of being satisfied

in him

and looking to him

for his glory

and looking for him

for his strength

and seeking

to be about

his purposes

then nothing else

matters.

And he is delighted

to answer those prayers

because those are

the things

that he wants

to accomplish

in and through us.

Perhaps the best

example of this

is Paul.

Paul

when he prays

in 2 Corinthians

2 Corinthians 12 · chapter mention

chapter 12

he says

remember

he has this

thorn in the flesh

right?

And he prays

three times

that God

would take it away

and the answer

at least

in that specific

request was no.

My grace

is sufficient

for you

for my power

is made perfect

in weakness.

Now listen

that was not

a no answer

that was a yes

answer.

That was a yes

answer because

at the heart

what Paul wanted

was for the glory

of God

to be known

and for the kingdom

of God

to be advanced

and the power

of God

working through

the life

of Paul

to be obvious.

And God says

Paul

you want

the right things.

The only way

this can happen

the best way

this can happen

is to strip you

of your personal

strength

so I can rush

in with divine

strength.

This is my

yes

yes

not a no.

As the author

says

for all

the promises

of God

find

their yes

in

him.

That is why

it is through

him

that we utter

our amen

to God

for his

glory.

all of the

answers

to our

prayers

are yes

in Christ

as long

as our

prayers are

oriented

towards the

glory of God

and the

desire for

him

to be

evident

in all

of the

affairs

of life.

His desire

is for you

to grow

in your

abiding

relationship

with him

and for

those who

are affected

by your

ministry

to be

drawn in

to relationship

with him

as well.

So God's

answers are

yes.

We have

confidence in

that.

But notice

as it moves

to verses

16 and

17

there is

also this

confidence

that we

have in

God's

answer of

forgiveness.

Forgiveness

of sin.

Let me

read this

for us

in verse

16 and

17.

If anyone

sees his

brother

committing a

sin not

leading to

death he

shall ask

and God

will give

him life.

To those

who commit

sins that

do not

lead to

death there

is sin

that leads

to death.

I do not

say that one

should pray

about that.

All wrongdoing

is sin but

there is sin

that does not

lead to

death.

What in

the world

is this

talking about?

I don't

know.

I don't

know definitively.

But here

are some

things that

we do

know.

First of

all we

understand

that what

John is

talking about

is not

talking about

praying for

somebody's

salvation so

they find

their way and

now all of a

sudden magically

become a

Christian.

Certainly we

need to be

praying for

the souls of

those who

are lost.

Jesus on

the cross

says Father

forgive them

they know

not what

they do.

We need to

be praying

for the

lost.

But we

cannot pray

them to

salvation.

We cannot

pray them

into heaven.

That is

something they

must do for

themselves.

Repentance

and obedience

and yielding

to God is

something that

has to happen

personally.

Something that

only can be

done individually.

We can't do

it for them.

So this is

not a prayer

for salvation

for those who

are lost.

lost.

This is

also not a

prayer for

forgiveness to

those who are

absent in the

process.

What I mean by

that is if you

are aware of

individuals in

your life who

are Christians

and are sinning

their sin

doesn't lead to

death meaning

their sin isn't

going to lead

them to eternal

destruction.

You can't just

shoot off these

prayers and pray

for forgiveness

for them and

that will all

of a sudden be

covered.

Okay?

I'll just pray

for everyone in

my church.

They're sinning

these various

sins and then

we'll be

perfectly sanctified.

No, as John

says in 1 John

1 John 1 · chapter mention

chapter 1,

if we confess

our sin, he is

faithful and just

to forgive.

That again is

also requires

personal

brokenness.

It requires

personal

confession.

A personal

recognition of

our own

dysfunction and

stepping out

of line.

Now, what I

think this is

talking about

is closer to

what we find

in James

James 5 · chapter mention

chapter 5.

James chapter

James 5 · chapter mention

5, that

verse 16,

where those

who are involved

in sin ask

for their

fellow brothers

and sisters to

come around

them.

And it says,

therefore,

confess your

sin to one

another and

pray for one

another that you

may be healed.

the prayer of

a righteous

person has

great power

as it is

working.

I don't know

about you,

but there have

been times in

my life where

I have been

so, felt so

bankrupt

spiritually.

I feel so

disqualified as

an individual.

I feel like I've

blown it so

much that God

couldn't possibly

hear my prayer.

and so I

confess my

sin to a

brother in

Christ and

say, would

you just please

pray for me?

I just need

God to rush

into my life

and to fill

the vacuum

of my heart.

And that

brother comes

alongside and

says, I'd just

love to pray

for you.

And in his

righteousness

carries me to

the throne,

pleads for

me on my

behalf for

forgiveness,

pleads for

God's mercy to

come through,

and I am

met by the

fellowship of

God and I

am joined in

fellowship with

him.

That is the

blessing that we

have as believers

in Christ, to do

that for one

another as we're

willing to confess

our faults to

one another so

that you might be

healed.

Galatians chapter

Galatians 6 · chapter mention

6, 1 and 2

says much the

same thing.

It says,

Brothers, if

anyone is caught

in a transgression,

you who are

spiritual, restore

such a one in a

spirit of

gentleness.

That's what we're

talking about here.

We're talking

about recognizing

the dysfunction

of your brother

or sister in

Christ, and

rather than

holding that

against them,

rushing to the

rescue to seek

to bring them

into fellowship

with God,

praying with

them over sin,

seeking God's

forgiveness,

filling the gap,

filling the void

of their own

spiritual life,

and seeking to

lead them in

communion with

God himself.

Verses 18 and

19, our next

point, talk about

the certainty of

spiritual preservation,

certainty of

divine preservation.

Let me read this

for us.

Let's see.

we know that

everyone who has

been born of God

does not keep

on sinning.

But he who is

born of God

protects him,

and the evil one

does not touch him.

We know that we

are from God,

and the whole world

lies in the power

of the evil one.

and we know the

Son of God has

come and has

given us

understanding so

that we may

know him who

is true,

and we are in

him who is

true,

in his Son,

Jesus Christ.

He is the

true God

and eternal

life.

Little children,

keep yourselves

from idols.

over the past

couple of weeks,

we have been

talking about

the overcoming,

victorious,

triumphant life

of the Christian.

Not because of

some resident

power that we

have in and of

ourselves,

but because of

the indwelling

power of the

Holy Spirit

who strengthens

us for this

walk that we

have from day

to day.

It is an

overcoming,

triumphant life

because of this

abiding relationship

that we experience

with Christ.

because of the

power of the

Spirit that is

working within.

That is what

John wants them

to have confidence

about.

No matter how

bad this life

becomes,

no matter how

great your

adversary might

be,

and he points

to how bad

he is,

he says here

that the evil

one cannot

touch him.

Peter,

in talking about

the characteristics

of the evil

one,

says,

watch out,

Satan walks

around like a

roaring lion

seeking whom

he may devour.

We have a

great adversary.

So often,

I find myself

becoming

complacent,

sometimes

apathetic,

maybe even a

little ignorant

to the involvement

of our

adversary in

this world.

It finds a

way to use

the systems

of this world

to corrupt,

to lead us

into sin,

to change our

orientation in

terms of how we

think, the

philosophies of

this world,

to lead us in a

direction that

takes us away

from God.

God says,

but those who

have this

abiding

relationship

with Christ,

God says,

in the end,

nothing can

touch you.

No matter how

bad it gets,

you are mine.

Kind of like

what he says

to Peter.

He says,

Peter,

Satan has

desired to

sift you

like wheat,

but I've

prayed for you.

I've prayed

for you.

You're mine,

Peter.

No one can

touch you

because you

belong to

me.

We have that

promise in

Ephesians chapter

Ephesians 1 · chapter mention

1 that the

Holy Spirit is

our guarantee

of salvation

until the

coming of

Christ.

Nothing can

touch you.

You don't

have to worry

about what's

coming.

They may

touch your

life, but

they cannot

touch your

soul.

They cannot

affect your

future

destiny.

You belong

to me.

You can be

settled in

that.

You can move

forward in

confidence because

of that and

because of the

confidence of

divine preservation,

there can be

great risk

taking in the

spiritual life.

I'm challenged

to think of

what we might

be able to

accomplish if

we were willing

to really trust

in the promise

of that divine

preservation.

what might

we be able

to do?

I was even

thinking about

this a couple

years ago when

one of my

kids started

learning Arabic.

I thought to

myself, what is

this going to

mean in terms of

where is she

going to end

up?

What is God

doing in her

life to move

her to places

of riskiness,

the jeopardy

of the

physical life?

life?

What might

her future

become?

That is,

should be a

minor concern

because what

really matters

is that we

are anchored

in him.

We are

preserved by

him.

We have a

future destiny

in heaven

because of

him.

It should

lead us to

great risk

taking in

our missions

endeavors,

in our

willingness to

accept much

for the sake

of him.

Finally,

verses 20

and 21,

we have

certainty

about the

truth.

Certainty

about the

truth.

We know

him,

we know,

excuse me,

we know that

the son of

God has

come and

has given

us understanding

so that we

may know

him who

is true.

We are in

him who is

true in

his son,

Jesus Christ.

He is the

true God

and eternal

life.

It is

astounding

to think

that we

have access

to truth.

We have

the ability

to walk

through this

life convinced

of the

truth,

anchored in

the truth,

walking in

the truth.

God has

given us

understanding

through his

word and

through his

Holy Spirit

spirit and

because of

the truth

that he has

given to us

through his

son, we

know we

can please

him and

fellowship with

him and

we can give

that message

to those who

desperately

need it.

As we

come to

the end of

our service

and now

move to

this time

of communion,

I want us

now to back

up to

point number

one.

certainty

about

Jesus

Christ.

What a

sweet truth

this is.

And God

has given

us evidences

in three

different ways.

Evidence

through the

water,

evidence

through the

blood,

and evidence

through his

Holy Spirit.

We could

spend an

entire message

talking about

these three

evidences that

God has given

to us.

The evidence

of the

water is

the evidence

of his

baptism.

It's the

evidence of

Jesus in

his willingness

to be

obedient.

John, if

you remember

John the

Baptist, when

Jesus came

to be

baptized,

pushed back

against Jesus

and essentially

said, what are

you doing here?

You don't need

baptism.

This is the

baptism of

repentance.

And Jesus,

in response

to him,

says, I

must fulfill

all

righteousness.

this is

necessary

because I

must now

be the

means of

righteousness

to all.

Instead of

forgiveness

flowing through

the sacrifices,

instead of

purity coming

through the

washing of

the priests

and their

communion with

God through

the context

of the

temple,

Jesus established

himself as the

means by which

we can get

to God.

Jesus must

fulfill all

righteousness.

That forgiveness

flows through

him.

Cleansing

comes through

Christ and

not through

any other

means.

Baptism was

the way for

Jesus to

fulfill all

righteousness.

The righteousness

that couldn't be

fulfilled through

the millennia,

through the

generations,

was finally

fulfilled in

Jesus Christ.

Christ.

Jesus ups the

ante in

Matthew chapter

Matthew 5 · chapter mention

5, the

Sermon on the

Mount.

And when they

couldn't fulfill

even what they

understood about

the law, the

letter of the

law, Jesus

raises the

bar to

extraordinary

levels and

says, well, you

have heard it

said, but I

say to you,

which essentially

was, you

thought the law

was hard before.

Let me tell you

what I really

mean.

Only Jesus

could fulfill

righteousness.

And that

testimony of

the pure,

radiant

righteousness of

Christ is a

testimony for

us of God's

authentication

through his

son that he

was truly

God.

It is the

first testimony

that speaks to

the fact that he

is who he said

he was.

only God could

live the holy

life.

I'm going to

pray for us

and we're going

to remember the

holy life of God

through the bread

because it was

through the bread

that Jesus says,

not my will but

thine be done.

I will let my

obedience lead to

the point of

death, even

death on a

cross.

Let me pray as

we remember the

bread this morning.