The Abiding Life Leads to Assurance

Good morning.

As we begin this morning, I'd like for you to imagine with me a sad situation.

! Imagine that within the past year, a group of people have left Maranatha.

! Because of growing tension over some theological views that they had come to believe.

You see, as they had begun to consider Jesus, they began to ask questions like,

Is Jesus really God's Son? Is Jesus really the Messiah?

Is Jesus God? Is Jesus man?

As their thinking on these theological issues began to unfold and tension within the church began to build,

they decided that they would leave and go elsewhere.

That in and of itself would be a sad situation, but it gets worse.

Not only has this group left, but they've continued to be in contact with the people at Maranatha.

They continue to try to influence those that are still here to consider their new enlightened form of Christianity,

to question their beliefs.

Well, that in itself would also be sad, but it gets worse from there.

You find out that this group that's left has targeted some of your dearest friends.

They've begun to talk with them and try to persuade them that they've missed it,

that they haven't really believed the truth, that they've been deceived,

and they need to consider these things about Jesus.

Is he truly all that we make him out to be?

And to try to influence them, they are constantly telling them,

we must be right.

Look at how blessed we are in our lives.

God's given us all these material things.

Well, your friends are beginning to question,

are they really right?

Do they really have a relationship with Jesus?

Is their theology correct?

Do what they think about Jesus, is it true?

Is what they've thought was going on in their life and their relationship with God, is it true?

And as you find out your friends are struggling with these questions,

you're greatly concerned.

And so you sit down and begin to write a letter out to them,

to challenge them about what they truly believe,

to encourage them to see God's work in their life

and how he has worked faithfully in their lives in the past.

And it's important for us to have this picture in our mind

because that's exactly what is happening as John writes this letter to the church at Ephesus.

That's the background.

And John, as we have seen again and again as we've worked through the book of 1 John,

John is writing to challenge them to say,

this is true religion.

This is what it truly means to walk with Jesus.

And this is how God has been faithful in your life.

Don't overlook these things.

Don't be dissuaded.

Don't be discouraged.

Don't be led astray.

And this morning, the passage we come to is no different than that.

But before we begin, would you join me in prayer?

Father, we do come before you.

And we ask that your spirit would be at work in our lives.

Father, we come with various situations in our lives, in our home, our families.

We come with different struggles, with grief and loss, with struggling and suffering.

And we come before you now and before your word.

We ask that you would encourage us.

That you would strengthen us.

That you would convict us and change us.

That you would move each one of us closer to Jesus today through your word.

And it's in Jesus' name we ask these things and for his glory.

Amen.

This morning, we come to 1 John 4, verses 13 through 21.

1 John 4:13–21

1 John 4, verses 13 through 21.

1 John 4:13–21

And it reads,

And to believe the love that God has for us.

God is love.

And whoever abides in love abides in God.

And God abides in them.

By this is love perfected with us.

So that we may have confidence for the day of judgment.

Because as he is, so also are we in this world.

There is no fear in love.

But perfect love casts out fear.

For fear has to do with punishment.

And whoever fears has not been perfected in love.

We love because he first loved us.

If anyone says, I love God and hates his brother,

he is a liar.

For he who does not love his brother, whom he has seen,

cannot love God, whom he has not seen.

And this is the commandment we have from him.

Whoever loves God must also love his brother.

So this morning as we come to this section,

this passage of scripture,

the thing I'd like for us to see

is that John is writing this

to help the church at Ephesus

know, know without a doubt,

be sure that they are abiding in God.

And that God is abiding in them.

Be sure of their abiding relationship with God.

And you may recognize verse 13 in a sense

where it says,

By this we know we abide in him and he in us

because he has given us of his spirit.

It sounds very similar to what we see

in 1 John chapter 3, verses 23 and 24,

1 John 3:23

where it says,

And this is his commandment

that we believe in the name of his son, Jesus Christ,

and love one another,

just as he commanded us.

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.

And chapter 4, verse 13,

and chapter 3, verse 24

have a lot of similarities,

but I want to point out to you

the subtle yet important difference.

In chapter 3,

John tells them that we know this is true

because he's given us his spirit.

But in chapter 4,

John says,

We can know this is true

because he has given us of his spirit.

It's very little difference,

but it's an important difference.

It's not talking about the fact that

here we have some assurance

because we've gotten a part of the spirit.

Like we could subdivide the Holy Spirit into pieces.

It's not that we've gotten a part of the spirit,

but it's about the product of the spirit

in our lives.

And so I think we'll see in this passage here,

John trying to show us

we can have assurance

of our abiding relationship with God

because of the work of the Holy Spirit,

what the Holy Spirit is doing in our lives.

And there's two main areas

we're going to look at.

But in doing this,

I want us to try to make it practical

and accomplish the same thing

John is trying to do here.

I hope for us to be encouraged this morning

as we look at this,

to be assured of our abiding relationship with God.

And in order to do that practically,

we're going to stop seven times

throughout this sermon

and ask some questions for reflection.

Some things for you to just take a moment

and ponder about your own life,

hopefully so that we will be able to say

with confidence at the end of the message today

that we are assured

that we are abiding in God.

The first area we want to look at

as far as the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives

is that the Holy Spirit gives us true faith.

The Holy Spirit gives us true faith.

And we notice, starting in verse 14,

that the Holy Spirit gives us faith in God's Word.

It says,

And we have seen and testify

that the Father has sent His Son

to be the Savior of the world.

Now, John, again, is here referring back

to himself and the other apostles,

the first-hand witnesses

about the work of Christ,

even as he did at the beginning of 1 John.

And he's saying,

We bear testimony to these things,

the testimony of the apostles.

And I think what we can see in this

is that the Holy Spirit gives us faith

in the Word of God

and makes it meaningful to us.

Now, I want you to stop and consider for a second.

Consider how amazing it is

that the Word of God is meaningful to you.

Okay?

Now, this is a book that's thousands of years old.

Thousands of years old.

And it's full of miracles

that many find unbelievable,

including the creation of everything,

a worldwide flood with a giant boat,

the sun standing still in the sky,

a man swallowed alive by a big fish,

innumerable acts of a supreme being

that truly are awesome,

in the fullness of the word awesome,

numerous prophecies,

a virgin birth,

a God that dies,

as resurrections,

a man that flies away into the clouds.

Now,

most books that you would read

with material like that,

you would easily just sort of classify as,

well, that's entertaining,

or that's mythological,

or that's nice.

But let's not stop there.

Think about this.

Not only does the Bible contain

all of these miraculous stories,

but the Bible is full of horrible stories.

I mean,

it's full of stories of murders,

and rapes,

incest,

things that constantly are showing us

again and again

how wicked humanity is.

I mean,

honestly,

as we look at it,

we see even the majority of the heroes

that we see in the Bible

are capable again and again

of the worst possible things.

Basically,

Scripture leaves no question

about the fact that

there's no disgusting or gross act

that's beyond us.

We're completely broken

with no way to fix ourselves.

We're dead

with no way to heal ourselves.

I mean,

it's the opposite of a self-help book,

isn't it?

Right?

Time and time again,

as you read the Word,

it cuts to the very core

of who we are as people

and says,

there is no one that's good.

Now,

if you read any other book

full of these kind of miracles,

full of this kind of

harsh truth about humanity,

you would easily set it aside.

But yet,

through the work of the Holy Spirit

in your life,

the Bible is meaningful to you.

Let's stop and consider

these first set of reflective questions,

okay?

Do you believe the Bible

is God's Word?

Do you accept it

as the very words of God?

Do you believe

it is completely trustworthy

and reliable?

Do you desire for the Bible

to be the supreme authority

in your life?

If those things are true,

if that's true

in any measure in your life,

you need to understand

that is the work

of the Holy Spirit

in your life,

that is an evidence

that you are in

an abiding relationship

with God.

If it was not

for the faith given you

by the Holy Spirit,

the Bible would be

no more meaningful

to you than any other book.

But wait,

not only does the Holy Spirit

make the Bible meaningful to us,

but it makes it precious

to us, right?

It's not just a book,

it's not just that we

intellectually agree

this is important

or this is true,

but it's precious to us.

We long for it,

we desire it,

we find comfort in it,

we find hope in it,

we love it,

we would be willing

to die for it.

That's the work

of the Holy Spirit.

Consider these questions.

Reflection number two,

do you cherish God's Word?

Do you long for it?

Do you savor it?

Are you hiding it

in your heart?

Are you meditating

on it with your mind?

That's the work

of the Holy Spirit

in your life.

It's an evidence

that you are in

an abiding relationship

with God.

Now, let me give you

a little disclaimer here.

I'm not asking

or even implying

that you never have

dry times

or there are never times

that you feel

more indifferent to

or more distant from

or too busy

or neglect the Word of God.

That's not my point at all.

But as you look

at your life

and the direction

of your life,

looking back

to where you've come from,

looking forward

to where you're going,

do you see

in your life

a growth

in your desire

for God's Word,

your love

for God's Word,

your hunger

for God's Word?

If you do,

that is the work

of the Holy Spirit

in your life

and an evidence

that you are in

an abiding relationship

with God.

So He gives us,

the Holy Spirit

gives us faith

in God's Word.

But He also gives us

faith that Jesus

is the Son of God.

Jesus is the Son of God.

In 1 John 4, 15,

it says,

whoever confesses

that Jesus

is the Son of God,

God abides in Him

and He in God.

Now,

the Holy Spirit

not only makes

God's Word meaningful

to us,

but the Holy Spirit

makes Jesus

meaningful to us.

Again,

stop and consider

how amazing it is

that Jesus

is meaningful to you.

According to the Internet,

which knows everything,

there are 4,300

religions in the world.

4,300 religions

in the world.

And in each

of those religions,

there are people

that started it,

there are prophets,

there are leaders,

there are teachers,

there are messiahs.

And out of all of them,

you don't believe

in Muhammad

or Buddha.

You don't believe

in Joseph Smith

or Charles Russell.

You don't believe

in Mary Eddie Baker,

Mary Baker Eddie

or in L. Ron Hubbard.

You believe in Jesus.

You see,

He has become

meaningful to you.

And notice,

even in these verses,

here we see

Matthew chapter 24,

Matthew 24:23

verses 23 and 24.

Jesus Himself

warning us,

He says,

Then if anyone

says to you,

Look,

here is the Christ,

or there He is,

do not believe it.

For false Christs

and false prophets

will arise

and perform great signs

and wonders

so as to lead astray,

if possible,

even the elect.

Peter says it

in 2 Peter chapter 2,

2 Peter 2:1

verses 1 and 2.

But false prophets

also arose

among the people,

just as there will be

false teachers

among you

who will secretly

bring in destructive

heresies,

even denying the Master

who bought them,

bringing upon themselves

swift destruction,

and many will follow

their sensuality,

and because of them

the way of truth

will be blasphemed.

And even John,

as we read earlier,

1 John chapter 4,

1 John 4:1

verse 1,

where He said,

Beloved,

do not believe

every spirit,

but test the spirits

to see whether

they are from God,

for many false prophets

have gone out

into the world.

You see,

our world is in

no want for Messiahs.

There's tons of them,

thousands of them,

throughout history.

They come again

and again and again,

and yet,

amongst all of those,

Jesus,

has been made

meaningful to you.

It's the work

of the Holy Spirit.

But again,

as we also see,

oh wait,

I gotta pause

for reflection number three.

Reflection number three.

Do you believe

that Jesus

is the Son of God?

Do you believe

that Jesus

is 100% God

and 100% man?

Do you believe

that Jesus

lived a perfect,

sinless,

God-centered life?

Do you believe

that Jesus died

to take the wrath

of God

that you justly deserve?

Do you believe

that Jesus rose again?

Do you believe

that Jesus will return?

Do you believe

those things?

That is the work

of the Holy Spirit

in your life,

bearing testimony

that you are in

an abiding relationship

with God.

But not only

has the Holy Spirit

made Jesus

meaningful to us,

but again,

He's made Jesus

precious to us,

right?

We love Jesus.

We long for Jesus.

We have a desire

to be near Him,

to be like Him.

Our hearts

are turned towards Him.

As we read

of His life,

our hearts

are stirred.

As we read

of His love,

we're emotionally moved.

We don't just

intellectually acknowledge

He was a great teacher,

but our hearts

are moved

with love

and passion

towards Him.

That is the work

of the Holy Spirit.

Reflection number four.

Do you find yourself

emotionally moved

at the thought

of Jesus?

Can you honestly

say that you love Him?

Do you desire

to grow

in intimacy

with Him?

Do you speak

to Him often?

Do you find yourself

desiring to be with Him

and to be like Him?

Are you overwhelmed

with His glory?

Again,

if those things

are true

in your life,

they are the work

of the Holy Spirit.

And it gives testimony,

assurance,

that you are

in an abiding

relationship with God.

Now, again,

I'll give you

the same disclaimer.

We're not saying

that there aren't times

when you are distant

or there aren't times

when you feel

more disconnected

or times when

you don't feel

as passionate

about Christ,

but looking at your life

from where you were

to where you're going,

do you see growth?

Are you growing

in your faith

in Christ?

Are you growing

in your love

for Christ?

Are you growing

in your intimacy

with Christ?

If so,

that's the work

of the Holy Spirit

in your life.

So we see

the Holy Spirit

gives us faith

in God's Word.

It gives us faith

to believe Jesus

is the Son of God.

It also gives us

faith to accept

God's love

for us.

Verse 16,

So we have come

to know

and to believe

the love

that God has

for us.

God is love

and whoever abides

in love

abides in God

and God

abides in him.

Now,

not only does

the Holy Spirit

give us faith

in his Word

and faith that

Jesus is the Son of God,

but it's

the very source

of our faith

that allows us

to accept

the fact that

God loves us.

Now,

I don't know

about you,

but I know

personally,

this is the area

that's hardest

for me.

Being convinced

of the fact

that the Bible

is God's Word,

seeing in that

all of his

great glory,

seeing in that

my own sin,

being convinced

that Jesus

is God's Son,

looking at his life,

how he walked

in intimacy

with the Father,

how he was willing

to give his life

sacrificially

for us,

and then

I look at me

and I see

how often

I struggle,

how often

I'm still rebellious,

how indifferent

I can be to God,

how much

there is

within me

that pulls

against

the very things

God longs for,

and I think

God's love

for me

truly is

incomprehensible.

it doesn't

make sense.

I don't

understand

grace.

And

truthfully,

it is only

through the work

of the Holy Spirit

that I could

have faith

to believe

that God

could love me.

Reflection

number five.

Do you believe

God really

loves you?

that he

loves you

in spite

of all

the reasons

he shouldn't?

Do you

abide in

that love,

reminding

yourself

regularly

of the

truths

of the

gospel?

Do you

find your

heart

overflowing

with thanksgiving

because of

God's love

for you?

Do you

find God's

love for you

overflowing

into the

lives

of others?

If you

do,

that's the

work of the

Holy Spirit

in your

life.

That's the

evidence that

you are in

an abiding

relationship

with God.

So we see

the Holy Spirit

giving us

true faith,

but I think

we also

see the

Holy Spirit

giving us

true love.

The Holy Spirit

giving us

true love.

He gives us

love as

God's

children.

love as

God's

children.

And that

true love

as God's

children changes

both our

relationship to

God and our

reaction to

God.

And let's

look at the

relationship with

God.

Romans chapter

Romans 8:15–17

8 verses

15 through

17 says

this,

For you did

not receive

the spirit of

slavery to

fall back

into fear,

but you have

received the

spirit of

adoption as

sons,

by whom we

cry,

Abba,

Father.

The Spirit

himself bears

witness with

our spirit that

we are children

of God,

and if

children,

then heirs,

heirs of

God and

fellow heirs

with Christ,

provided we

suffer with him

in order that

we may also

be glorified

with him.

Or Galatians

Galatians 4:4–7

chapter 4,

verses 4

through 7,

where Paul

writes,

But when the

fullness of

time had

come,

God sent

forth his

son,

born of

woman,

born under

the law,

to redeem

those who

were under

the law,

so that we

might receive

adoption as

sons.

And because

you are sons,

God has sent

the spirit of

his son into

your hearts,

crying,

Abba,

Father,

so you are

no longer a

slave,

but a son,

and if a

son,

then an

heir through

God.

You see,

the Holy Spirit

giving us true

love as God's

children changes

our relationship

with God.

We're no longer

enemies of God.

We come into

his presence as

his children,

and because of

that, it also

changes our

reaction to

God.

Our reaction

to God.

And we see

here in 1

John 4,

17 and

18,

that we

no longer

need to

fear death,

judgment,

and eternity

because we

have been

given this

love as

his children.

It says,

By this

is love

perfected with

us,

so that we

may have

confidence for

the day of

judgment.

Because as

he is,

so also are

we in this

world.

There is no

fear in

love,

but perfect

love casts

out fear.

For fear

has to do

with punishment,

and whoever

fears has not

been perfected

in love.

So, because of

the love that

we've received

as God's

children, we

no longer

have to fear

death.

We no longer

have to fear

judgment to

come.

We no longer

have to be

fearful of

eternity.

We don't

come before

him as

his enemies,

facing his

wrath, but we

come into his

presence as

his children.

We can run

into his arms

lovingly,

seeking to be

in the presence

of our

father that

we've longed

to be near.

But I also

think that

this love as

God's children

enables us to

handle the

challenges that

come every day,

even now,

without fear.

I don't know if

you're like me,

but when things

are hard, when

I'm struggling,

when I'm facing

suffering or

challenges,

things seem to be

falling apart,

something seems to

be broken or

I'm grieving,

somewhere in the

back of my

mind, there's

always this

thought, well,

here it is,

finally, God is

going to give me

what I deserve.

After all this

time, I know I

haven't been doing

what I should be

doing, and this

is it.

Finally, God's

going to give it

to me.

But that's not

what Scripture

tells us.

In Hebrews

Hebrews 12:7–11

chapter 12,

verses 7

through 11,

it says this,

it is for

discipline that

you have to

endure.

God is treating

you as sons,

for what son is

there whom his

father does not

discipline?

If you are left

without discipline,

in which all have

participated,

then you are

illegitimate children

and not sons.

Besides this,

we have had

earthly fathers

who disciplined

us, and we

respected them.

shall we not

much more

be subject

to the father

of spirits

and live?

For they

disciplined us

for a short

time as it

seemed best

to them,

but he,

he disciplines

us for our

good that we

may share

in his

holiness.

For the moment,

all discipline

seems painful

rather than

pleasant,

but later it

yields the

peaceful fruit

of righteousness

to those

who have

been trained

by it.

So the

Holy Spirit

pouring out

this true

love into

our lives

as God's

children

changes how

we can react

to everything

we're going

through,

especially when

we face

trials,

when things

are struggling

in our lives,

when we are

suffering,

when we're

facing pain

or brokenness.

We don't

have to see

it as God's

wrath.

even if we

are guilty

of sin,

which of

course we

are,

but even

if we are,

we are told

here as his

children,

his discipline

is not in

anger but in

love.

He's at work

in us to

change us,

to give us

the gift of

holiness.

And so we

no longer need

to respond in

fear,

even when we

face these

crises,

these pains,

these struggles

in this life.

So reflection

number six.

Are you

living in

love as

God's child?

Are you

living in

love as

God's child?

Do you

delight in

running to

him with

every need,

challenge,

struggle?

Do you

find comfort

in knowing

that you

can boldly

approach the

throne?

Do you

find comfort

in knowing

that any

trial,

struggle,

suffering that

you face

now is

still an

expression of

his love

for you?

Are you

looking forward

to eternity

with him?

Again,

if these

things are

true in

your life,

it's the

work of

the Holy

Spirit in

your life.

It's the

assurance you

are in an

abiding

relationship

with God.

But not

only does

the Holy

Spirit give

us true

love as

God's

children,

but he

gives us

true love

for God's

children.

Look at

1 John 4,

19-21.

It says,

we love

because he

first loved

us.

If anyone

says,

I love

God and

hates his

brother,

he is a

liar.

For he

who does

not love

his brother

whom he

has seen

cannot love

God whom

he has not

seen.

And this

is the

commandment

we have

from him.

Whoever

loves God

must also

love his

brother.

And we've

seen time

and time

and time

again as

we've gone

through the

book of

1 John.

John's

saying this.

You can

tell that

religion is

true.

The love

that those

people have

for the

children of

God.

We can

see their

faith is

real because

of the love

they have

for God's

children.

We can

see that

they really

are walking

with God

because they

will love

those whom

God loves.

He says it

again and

again and

again and

again and

there's still

more to come.

But it's

not really

surprising because

John's only

saying what

he's heard

Jesus say.

You know

Matthew

Matthew 22 · chapter mention

chapter 22

36 through

40 where

Jesus is being

questioned about

the greatest

commandments.

He says

teacher which

is the greatest

commandment in

the law?

And Jesus

says to him

you shall

love the

Lord your

God with

all your

heart with

all your

soul with

all your

mind.

This is the

great and

first commandment

and the

second is like

it.

You shall

love your

neighbor as

yourself.

On these

two commandments

depend all

the law and

the prophets.

Or in

John 15 where

he's speaking

to his

disciples he

says this is

my commandment

that you

love one

another as

I have

loved you.

Greater

love has

no one than

this that

someone lay

down his

life for

his friends.

Paul talks

about it in

Romans 12

10.

Love one

another with

brotherly

affection.

Outdo one

another in

showing honor.

Galatians 5

13-15 where

he says for

you are called

to freedom

brothers.

Only do not

use your

freedom as

an opportunity

for the

flesh but

through love

serve one

another.

For the

whole law

is fulfilled

in one

word.

You shall

love your

neighbor as

yourself.

But if you

bite and

devour one

another watch

out that you

are not

consumed by

one another.

love for

God's children

but love

for God's

children.

So

reflection

seven.

Ask yourself

these questions.

Do you

find yourself

growing in

love for

God's

children?

When you

act in

unloving

ways are

you saddened

and do you

actively seek

forgiveness and

commit to

change in

those areas?

Are you

actively

evolved in

the life of

the church in

order to love,

serve,

encourage,

and care for

your brothers

and sisters in

Christ?

Are you

seeking to

actively outdo

one another in

showing honor?

Intentionally

looking for ways

to show love,

care, and

concern to

those in the

church?

Are you

sacrificing of

your time,

your money,

your rights,

in order to

show God's

love to his

children?

If those

things are true

in your

life,

guess what?

It's the

work of the

Holy Spirit.

It's evidence

that you are

in an

abiding

relationship

with God.

Now,

it's interesting,

I got to

this point and

I realized,

really,

we're just

talking about

the gospel,

aren't we?

I mean,

think about it.

The Holy Spirit

giving us faith

to believe and

cherish God's

word,

seeing in it

God's great

glory in our

own sin,

the Holy Spirit

giving us faith

to believe

that Jesus

is the Son

of God,

the Savior

of the world,

giving us

faith to

believe that

God loves

us in spite

of our

sinfulness,

and that he's

made us his

own children

through the

work of

Christ on

the cross,

and that from

that everything

in our lives

change,

right?

Our relationship

to God

changes,

our reaction

to God

changes,

and our

relationship

and how we

deal with

each other

changes,

especially

those who

are our

brothers and

sisters in

Christ.

Really,

once again,

we just have

the gospel

presented here.

So,

here we are.

I hope by

this point,

everyone here

is at one

of two

places.

I hope the

majority of

you are able

to look at

how the

Holy Spirit

is at work

in your life,

how he's

given you

true faith

in God's

word,

true faith

in who

Jesus is,

and in God's

love for you.

I hope that

you can see

his true

love at work

in your life

as you come

to realize

his love

for you

as his

children,

and as your

love is

growing for

the other

children of

God,

and that as

you see the

Holy Spirit

doing that,

that you can

be encouraged,

that today

you can be

assured,

you can know

for sure

that you are

in an abiding

relationship with

God.

You are abiding

in God,

and God

is abiding

in you

now.

If any of

you are like

me,

I know,

for me,

it's much

easier to

look at

what's not

done than

at what

the Holy

Spirit has

already done.

And so

for you,

I want to

leave you

with this

quote,

or maybe

I should

say for

us,

by John

Newton.

John

Newton

says,

I am

not what

I ought

to be.

I am

not what

I want

to be.

I am

not what

I hope

to be

in another

world,

but still,

I am

not what

I once

used to

be.

And by

the grace

of God,

I am

what I

am.

And I

hope that

you can

take time

today and

rejoice in

the Holy

Spirit's work

in your life,

and rejoice

in God's

faithfulness to

you,

be able to

rejoice in

the assurance

that you are

in an abiding

relationship

with God,

and thank

him,

and rejoice

over that.

But now

maybe some

of you here

have heard

all these

questions,

and it

creates some

doubt for

you.

Maybe even

it's clear

to you that

you are not

in an abiding

relationship

with God.

you look

at all of

these things

and you

realize that

you are not

able to

have some

assurance

that the

Holy Spirit

is at work

in your

life.

If by chance

you fall

into that

category,

let me

challenge you

even today

to cry out

to Jesus

for mercy,

for grace,

to change,

because the

truth is

the condition

of your

eternal soul

is at

stake.

So this

morning,

if you have

questions,

if you have

doubts,

if you are

even sure

that you

don't have

a relationship

with God,

let me

encourage you.

We're going

to have a

prayer,

and it's

going to be

up on the

screen,

and you

can follow

along,

but I'll

pray it.

You just

pray silently,

and I

would beg

you,

start a

relationship

with God

today.

Let's

pray.

Oh,

merciful God,

I realize

even now

that I

don't see

in my

life the

evidence

of your

abiding

presence,

or the

fruit of

the Holy

Spirit at

work in

me.

Instead,

I see a

faith in

myself,

and a

self-centered

life,

and I

realize that

I cannot

change

without you

working in

me.

so even

now,

I humbly

ask that

you would

save me,

that by

your Spirit

you would

open my

eyes to

clearly see

the beauty

of your

word,

the glory

of your

Son Jesus,

and the

love that

you offer

me because

of his

death in

my place.

Please

give me a

clean heart

and a

spirit that

is willing

to turn

away from

self-centered

living and

live a

Christ-centered

life of

true love

for you,

and for

your

children.

Fill me

with joy

and peace

as I come

to accept

the love

that you

offer me.

From this

day on,

I will never

consider myself

to be my

own,

but to be

yours and

to surrender

my life to

Jesus as

my Savior

and my

King.

And for

his glory

and in

his name,

I ask

these things.

Amen.

Amen.