No Doubt
“Nothing is certain but death and taxes.” No one knows for sure who actually said this first, but I know one thing: it’s not true.
For example, most of us could quickly call out the names of people we are sure who love us. Mathematicians and accountants can be certain of the sum of a group of numbers. Of course, we also have a lot of things we can’t know for sure: Will our team win this year? What will the economy do? Will Lucy ever let Charlie Brown kick the football?
A lot of people struggle with certainty in their spiritual lives. Am I really saved? Will I go to heaven when I die? Those are questions we can answer with confidence! The apostle John’s short letter, 1 John, was written to answer those very questions. “I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life” (1 John 5:13). No doubt about it: John wanted us to have no doubt!
Join me as we dive into this wonderful little letter. We will discover six ways John assured us we can have assurance. We can live with no doubt.
No Doubt: Six Things We Can Know for Sure
Session 1 Sure of Forgiveness 1 John 1:5–2:2
Session 2 Sure of a Relationship 1 John 2:3-11,15-17
Session 3 Sure of the Truth 1 John 2:18-29
Session 4 Sure of Victory 1 John 3:19–4:4
Session 5 Sure of God’s Love 1 John 4:7-13,19-21
Session 6 Sure of Salvation 1 John 5:1-5,11-13,18-21
1. Sure of Forgiveness
Question 1: What are some sure things you can count on in life?
THE POINT: We are forgiven when we confess our sin and walk with Christ.
THE BIBLE MEETS LIFE
Can we be sure of anything? Some philosophers will tell you we can’t. After COVID-19 arrived last year and shook up the everyday routine of our lives, nothing seemed certain.
We can have assurance, though. God desires for every believer to have assurance of salvation. Sadly, many Christians struggle daily with doubt as it pertains to their eternal destiny. Some even believe it’s impossible to know with certainty that a person is eternally saved. At other times, believers who are not sure of their salvation find themselves plunged into the depths of doubt and despair, uncertain of whether or not God has truly forgiven them. Others allow their own self-condemnation to smother the assurance God desires for them to have.
But we can be assured of assurance! The apostle John stated this clearly in 1 John 5:13: “I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.” We have God’s assurance of eternal life even as we have the assurance of our forgiveness.
WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?
1 John 1:5-7
5 This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. 6 If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. 7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.
The character of God is the foundation for our forgiveness. When John wrote, “God is light,” he described the very nature of God. Since He is light, “in him there is no darkness at all.” To describe God as light refers not only to His holiness but also to His moral goodness. In His perfect righteousness and goodness, God determines the terms for our forgiveness. God’s terms are clear: we are forgiven when we confess our sins and commit our lives to walk with Christ.
Question 2: How should we understand the images of light and darkness in these verses?
We are forgiven when we turn from darkness to light. John underscored this by looking at this truth from two sides.
- Darkness. The idea of walking refers to a person’s way of life. If anyone lives a life of continual, unrepentant sin and claims to be forgiven or to have fellowship with God, he is tragically mistaken. The way he lives points to the reality that he is not in fellowship with God.
The gospel has the power to change a person’s life. When we embrace the gospel, His power leads to transformation. “If anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” (2 Cor. 5:17). The gospel’s powerful work in our lives is what moves us from sin to salvation. The ones whose lives have been transformed by the power of the gospel are transferred to the kingdom of the Son and their sins are forgiven!
Such radical change means walking in darkness is contrary to God’s terms for fellowship.
- Light. When we turn from darkness and walk with Christ, we are assured of forgiveness. To walk in the light is to live a life consistent with the will of God. Of course, this does not mean we are perfect, but that the trajectory and the purpose of our lives has become the pursuit of God. We are assured of forgiveness when fellowship is the longing of our heart.
If your life pattern is turning from darkness and pursuing holiness, then don’t doubt God’s forgiveness toward you. We are forgiven when we confess our sins and walk with Christ.
1 John 1:8-10
8 If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word is not in us.
In verses 5-7, John gave us a darkness/light contrast to underscore that we are forgiven when we turn from darkness to light. In verses 8-10, the apostle used a similar negative/positive pattern:
- Deception. Failure to admit sin is a mistake of the highest order. Why would a person fail to recognize and confess sin?
Self-righteousness. A self-righteous attitude says, “I’m not that bad; as a matter of fact, I’m pretty good compared to some people. Therefore, I have nothing to confess.”
Self-deception. We can convince ourselves that our sins are no big deal, but we’d be woefully wrong. People deceive themselves when they try to justify and make excuses for their sins. One day the deception of the self-deceived will come tragically upon their own heads. Worst of all, to deny one’s sin is to call God a liar.
- Confession. The opposite of deception is confession. Humble confession leads to forgiveness. We are forgiven when we look at our sin in light of Christ’s righteousness and willingly confess our sin for what it is: wickedness against God Himself.
FORGIVEN!
Fill in the blanks for the following activity. Then write a brief prayer to God, thanking Him for His forgiveness through Christ.
Imagine yourself standing before a judge to answer for a serious crime. List five characteristics you would want in an attorney or advocate.
Compare these qualities to Jesus Christ who is our advocate before the throne of God.
Describe how you felt when you received Christ as Savior and were forgiven of your sins:
My Prayer:
_____________________________
“For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.”
COLOSSIANS 1:13-14
You have no reason to doubt forgiveness when you confess your sin and walk with Christ. The trustworthy character of God secures the promise of forgiveness. I’m sure you have heard it said that a promise is only as good as the person giving it. Consider then, who is making this promise? God is “faithful and just,” and His promises are true.
Question 3: What have you found challenging about accepting forgiveness?
1 John 2:1-2
1 My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. 2 He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.
John assured his readers, “If anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One.” The word for advocate literally means “one who is called to come alongside another.” It’s the counselor for one’s defense in a court of law, a person who intercedes for someone else. I can think of nothing more encouraging than to know Jesus is the one who stands up on our behalf. Imagine for a moment that you’re being tried before a judge. Your lawyer stands and pleads your case to the judge, and then amazingly, you discover your defense attorney is also the judge! This scenario portrays the reality of our relationship in Christ. You have no doubt of forgiveness when Christ is your Advocate.
The foundation of Christ’s advocacy is the blood He shed for our atonement. The reason for atoning is to appease an offended party. Jesus, through His death on the cross, satisfied the righteous indignation of God. However, we are not to perceive God as some pagan deity who is reluctantly appeased because of blood being shed. On the contrary, God the Father provided the sacrifice Himself; thus, He satisfied His wrath by giving His only Son to die in our place. Furthermore, Christ willingly gave His life as our substitute.
Therefore, when we sin, Christ pleads our defense based on His finished work upon the cross, which the Father lovingly gave and received. This truth is truly good news! Christ died for the sins of the world. The extent of His atoning sacrifice is for everyone who believes—regardless of skin color, ethnicity, or economic status. He died so that people from every tongue, tribe, and nation could know Him and praise Him.
Question 4: How has God’s forgiveness impacted your life?
Patients often need blood transfusions after severe accidents or during surgery. However, the patients must be given a blood type that is compatible with their own. Mismatched blood can cause life-threatening complications. But researchers in Japan have developed artificial blood that possibly can be transfused into any patient regardless of blood type without that complication. Professor Manabu Kinoshita said, “It is difficult to stock a sufficient amount of blood for transfusions in such regions as remote islands. . . . The artificial blood will be able to save the lives of people who otherwise could not be saved.”1
Better than any artificial blood, the blood of Jesus saves everyone who receives it. Those who come to Christ face no compatibility issues, and they will find no scarcity of supply. When you find yourself in doubt, depend on Jesus as your Advocate and your atoning sacrifice, the One who shed His own blood for you.
Turning from darkness, confessing sin, and having Jesus as our Advocate and the one who shed His blood to atone for our sins leaves no room for doubt. Therefore, we can be certain of forgiveness because we confess sin and walk with Christ.
Question 5: How does this passage help you be sure of forgiveness?
LIVE IT OUT
We are forgiven when we confess our sin and walk with Christ. Choose one of the following applications:
- Examine. Consider the principles taught today. They will either encourage you as a believer or accuse you as a nonbeliever.
- Meditate. Every day this week pray according to Psalm 139:23-24, “Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”
- Share. Share your personal story of forgiveness with someone this week. “‘Do not fear their threats; do not be frightened.’ But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect” (1 Peter 3:14b-15).
If we’ve learned anything over the last year, it’s that there are plenty of things we can’t be sure about. But we have God’s assurance of eternal life even as we have the assurance of our forgiveness.
Teacher's Notes:
What are some sure things you can count on in life?
No
Doubt: Six Things We Can Know for Sure
A lot of people struggle with certainty in their
spiritual lives. Am I really saved? Will I go to heaven when I die? Those are
questions we can answer with confidence! The apostle John’s short letter, 1
John, was written to answer those very questions. “I write these things to you
who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have
eternal life” (1 John 5:13). No doubt about it: John wanted us to have no
doubt!
Sure
of Forgiveness:
The
Point: We are forgiven when we confess our sin and walk with Christ.
The
Passage: 1 John 1:5–2:2
Some
people have a difficult time believing that God can forgive them, and others
have a hard time forgiving themselves. The text anchors forgiveness in three
Biblical realities rather than in feeling or emotion.
Surely
you have heard this quote before: To Err Is Human; to Forgive, Divine. (Alexander
Pope, in An Essay on Criticism)
- The natural inclination of humanity is sin;
- The natural inclination of God is to forgive.
But
how can a person be sure that he or she is forgiven by God? How can people who
have sinned forgive themselves? How do we deal with lingering doubts that God
could ever forgive us or we could ever forgive ourselves?
1. The
fellowship of forgiveness occurs when we turn from darkness to light.
1 John
1:5-7
5 This
is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. 6 If we claim to have fellowship with
him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. 7 But
if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one
another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.
Light represents what is good, pure,
true, holy, and reliable.
Darkness represents what is sinful and evil.
In
these first verses, John confronts one of the false teachings that was going on
at the time. The false teaching was that we can have fellowship with God and
still walk in darkness. John is saying, no one can claim to be a Christian and
still live in evil and immorality. We can’t love God and court sin at the same
time.
We can
know God’s forgiveness only by living in the His light.
Why do
some people prefer the darkness to light?
- In the dark, good and evil look alike; in the
light they can be clearly distinguished.
- We are fooling ourselves if we think we can
live in darkness and still be in fellowship with God. Just as darkness cannot
exist in the presence of light, sin cannot exist in the presence of a holy God.
If we want to have a relationship with God, we must put aside our sinful ways
of living. To claim we that we belong to Him but then to go out and live for
ourselves is hypocrisy.
- John’s conception of forgiveness doesn’t start
with us but with God. In verse five he revealed that God is light without any
darkness. If we want to walk in the light with God, then it involves turning
from our sin and turning to the sacrifice Jesus made for us on the cross. This
is called repentance. The Hebrew word for repentance means to turn, and the
Greek word means to change your mind. Repentance goes hand-in-hand with
forgiveness.
Forgiveness
begins when we encounter God and turn from sin to Him.
2. The
fellowship of forgiveness depends on our willingness to confess our sin.
1 John
1:8-10
8 If
we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. 9
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins
and purify us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we claim we have not sinned, we
make him out to be a liar and his word is not in us.
Here
John is attacking a second claim of the false teachers: that people had no
natural tendency toward sin, that they were without sin. Or something we here
today a lot is God made me this way. The false teachers not only denied that
sin breaks our fellowship with God and that they had a sinful nature, but they
also denied that their conduct involved any sin at all. That was a lie that
ignored one basic truth: all people are sinners by nature and by practice. Denying
our sin is deceptively foolish and a rejection of God’s true word.
If at
conversion all our sins are forgiven – past, present and future – then why the
need to confess?
- This kind of confession is not offered to gain
God’s acceptance, but to remove the barrier to fellowship that our sin has put
between us and Him.
- Many Christians hold their own sin too lightly.
“Yes, it’s a sin, but it’s not that big of a deal.” They laughingly refer to it
as their “one little vice,” or they rationalize it away because it’s not as bad
as other sins. Or they’ve gotten use to the sinful habit and just write it off
as “just a part of who I am.” By that rationale, Adam and Eve could’ve said, “Hey,
it was just a piece of fruit. Fruit’s good for you, right? So, it’s not that
big of a deal.” What makes something a sin is when God says it’s a sin. Some
sins may have greater consequences on those around us, but any sin—no matter
how big or small in the world’s eyes — keeps us from a right relationship with
God. And that’s serious. Christian, we need to be honest with ourselves and
honest before God. Let’s call our sin—no matter how “small” we see it—what it
is: disobedience against a righteous, holy God. God takes our sin seriously,
and we should too. The amazing thing about God is that He has addressed our sin
through Christ. Through His death on the cross, Jesus offers forgiveness. All
that remains for us to do is give that sin to Him in repentance.
“If we
confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to
cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).
3. We
enter the fellowship of forgiveness through Christ.
1 John
2:1-2
1 My
dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody
does sin, we have an advocate with the Father — Jesus Christ, the Righteous
One. 2 He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also
for the sins of the whole world.
John’s
wish was that Christians would not sin at all. That is our goal also. However,
we still have the flesh warring with our spirit, and all of us yield to temptation
at one time or another. John revealed that in those times where we do yield to
temptation, we have an advocate to plead our case for us. Jesus, the righteous
one who died a sinner’s death for us, pleads our case for us. He does this
because of His great love for all of His followers.
- Believers may not have a lifestyle of sin, but
they still will occasionally sin.
- When we sin, Christ, who atoned for our sin,
stands as our advocate before the Father. Because of the atoning work of
Christ, forgiveness is always available.
What
prevents people from receiving forgiveness?
- “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and
righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1
John 1:9). What an incredible and gracious promise!
- These people look to God for forgiveness, but
they never let go of the sin themselves. It’s not that God hasn’t forgiven
them; they haven’t forgiven themselves. Many times, the hardest person to
forgive is yourself. You blew it. You
did the very thing—again—you told God you’d never do again. And I’m guessing
it’s not the first time you blew it. You feel true remorse over your sin and
you’re beating yourself up for letting God down. If this, is you, there’s a key
phrase in Micah 7 I want you to see: “Who is a God like you, forgiving iniquity
and passing over rebellion for the remnant of his inheritance? He does not hold
on to his anger forever because he delights in faithful love. He will again
have compassion on us; he will vanquish our iniquities. You will cast all our
sins into the depths of the sea” (Micah 7:18-19).
Conclusion:
Learning to receive and accept forgiveness is crucial since all of us are sinners.
We are sinners before we meet Christ, and we will struggle with sin until we stand
before Jesus and are changed by His glory (1 Cor. 13:12). If you are struggling
with issues of forgiveness, don’t be ruled by your emotions. Turn from your sin
and to God. Agree with God about your sin. Then, trust Jesus as the only one
who can provide the forgiveness that you need.
God
hurls our iniquities into the depths of the sea. In her book, Tramp for the
Lord, Corrie ten Boon said she imagines that, after hurling our sins into the
sea, God puts up a sign: NO FISHING ALLOWED.
Stop
fishing! Put the pole down and get on with the life God has for you. He wants
you to move beyond your sin. He wants to grow you and use you for His kingdom,
but He can’t so long as you hold on to your sin. The truth of your forgiveness
rests in Jesus; after all, He is the truth. “You will know the truth, and the
truth will set you free” (John 8:32).
Jesus
forgives you, so forgive yourself. Run in the freedom of His forgiveness.
God
through Christ on the cross makes it possible for all who believe to come into
right relationship with Him. This is a one-time event – salvation,
justification, redemption, reconciliation, and more describe this assurance.
But after salvation, we still commit sins, not as a lifestyle, but more like a
breakdown. These sinful acts don’t cause us to lose our salvation, but they do
cause a break in our fellowship – just as a rebellious child breaks fellowship
with parents. But it’s not the end.
This
breach of fellowship can be restored by confessing our sin to God. In response,
God forgives our sin and restores us to fellowship with Him. This was made
possible through Christ, who stands as our Advocate before the Father.
