Class Lesson September 19, 2021

 3. SURE OF THE TRUTH

Question 1:

When have you believed something that 

turned out not to be true? 

THE POINT

Truth is found in Jesus alone. 

THE BIBLE MEETS LIFE

It seems our culture has become less adept at determining what is true and what is not. In a culture of 24/7 news feeds and online opinions masquerading as fact, it should be no surprise that many Americans believe ideas that are just conspiracy theories. In fact, half of Americans believe at least one conspiracy theory.1

For example:

40 percent believe the FDA is withholding natural cures for cancer.2

27 percent believe America is hiding aliens in Area 51.

23 percent believe 9/11 was an inside job.

19 percent believe the government is using chemicals to control the population.3

Typically, conspiracy theories start with a fringe group and then are picked up by a credible source. It’s hard to know what to believe with all the opinions out there. People are confused which produces doubt.

It goes without saying that the struggle for truth is real. However, there is good news! Absolute truth does exist, and it is found in Jesus Christ. 

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?

1 John 2:18-21

18 Dear children, this is the last hour; and as you have heard that the antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come. This is how we know it is the last hour. 19 They went out from us, but they did not really belong to us. For if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us; but their going showed that none of them belonged to us. 20 But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and all of you know the truth. 21 I do not write to you because you do not know the truth, but because you do know it and because no lie comes from the truth.

Since the coming of Jesus, believers have known they were living in the “last days.” The expression “last hour” is only found here in the New Testament and is synonymous with the idea of the last days. The phrase points to the imminent return of Christ and the final judgment. For believers, this is a day of joyful expectation. However, for the unbeliever, this will be a day of judgment. Every man’s heart will be laid bare before the Lord. All those who trusted in Christ and persevered in righteousness will receive eternal life. But those who persisted in unbelief and acts of unrighteousness will receive eternal death.

John highlighted the reality of the last hour by telling us, “antichrist is coming.” Paul described this same figure as “the man of lawlessness” and “the man doomed to destruction” (2 Thess. 2:3-4). In the future, this man will set up himself to oppose God. In the meantime, “many antichrists have come.” While the last days will involve a central figure who will oppose Christ, multiple antichrists also exist, who even now are working in opposition to the kingdom of God.

These are individuals who are opposed to the clear teaching of Scripture, primarily the doctrine of Christ. John reminded us of their existence so that we would not be caught off guard by them. The presence of these false teachers is a sign of the end times.

Question 2:

How does our culture reflect antichristian views? 

How are we to identify these false teachers? We know them by their unwavering commitment to falsehood and their departure from the church. In John’s day, these peddlers of deception gave evidence of their real character by leaving the church. These false teachers were nothing more than wolves in sheep’s clothing. As they persisted in unrighteousness, it became evident that they were never truly a part of the church.

We see the same thing today. Virtually every false teacher leaves the true church in order to start his own. According to these charlatans, everyone else is getting it wrong and they are the only ones getting it right.

Thankfully, true believers “have an anointing from the Holy One, and . . . know the truth.” This anointing is the Holy Spirit’s indwelling, which all believers receive at the moment of their conversion. The Holy Spirit is the ultimate teacher, guiding us into all the truth (John 16:13); therefore, He teaches and leads us as we study the Bible. As we rely on the Spirit of God, we are protected against error.

1 John 2:22-26

22 Who is the liar? It is whoever denies that Jesus is the Christ. Such a person is the antichrist—denying the Father and the Son. 23 No one who denies the Son has the Father; whoever acknowledges the Son has the Father also. 24 As for you, see that what you have heard from the beginning remains in you. If it does, you also will remain in the Son and in the Father. 25 And this is what he promised us—eternal life. 26 I am writing these things to you about those who are trying to lead you astray.

John also declared that every antichrist is a “liar.” The fact that they are anti—opposed to—Christ means they deny the reality of who Jesus is. The antichrist lies because he denies that Jesus is the Christ. And whoever denies the divinity of Jesus—that He is the Christ, the anointed One from God—ultimately denies the Father as well. A person cannot believe whatever he wants about God’s Son, Jesus, and think he can have a relationship with the Father. To believe wrongly concerning Jesus is to believe wrongly about God. Why? Because Jesus is God. Indeed, He is God who came in human flesh.

The false teachers of John’s day blatantly denied the truth of who Christ is. The particular falsehood that was being taught was called Gnosticism. Gnosticism had two primary errors.

• Docetism. The Gnostics believed the body is evil. Therefore, God, who is Spirit, could not take on flesh. So, according to them, Jesus did not come in the flesh, it only appeared that He did. This is a blatant denial of the incarnation: God becoming man.

• Cerinthianism. Cerinthus taught that Jesus had a real human body, but that He was not the Christ until the Spirit came upon Him at His baptism. Cerinthus taught that the Spirit remained upon Jesus throughout His public ministry, but the Spirit left Him before the crucifixion, since the Spirit could not be associated with suffering.

Of course, the Bible teaches that Jesus is fully God who came in human flesh (John 1:1-5,14). To deny either is defiance against God. Jesus is the eternal God who stepped out of eternity into time, born of a virgin, clothed in human flesh, who died upon a cross, and subsequently rose from the dead.

What believers had heard from the beginning, though, was the preaching of the gospel. They were to let the truth of the gospel remain in them. They were to hold on to it and not be moved away from it. The heart of the gospel message is that all who know the Father through the saving work of His Son have the promise of eternal life. So many people hope for eternal life, but eternal life is a sure promise for every believer in Jesus Christ because the truth is found in Him alone. 

Question 3:

What are some truths about Jesus that are 

difficult to grasp or believe? 

1 John 2:27-29

27 As for you, the anointing you received from him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about all things and as that anointing is real, not counterfeit—just as it has taught you, remain in him. 28 And now, dear children, continue in him, so that when he appears we may be confident and unashamed before him at his coming. 29 If you know that he is righteous, you know that everyone who does what is right has been born of him.

The proof of true salvation is not just believing the right thing. Conforming to the doctrine is not enough. Our belief should translate into right living. We are to pursue righteousness in light of the imminent return of Christ. John mentioned the return of Christ to motivate his readers to righteous living. Our attitude toward Christ’s second coming says a lot about our spiritual state.

Question 4:

How does the Holy Spirit help us discern truth? 

John urged his readers to “remain in Him.” We are not to be moved away from the hope of the gospel. We are to hold to the Christ of Scripture, while living for the glory of God. John mentioned two of the benefits of remaining in Christ.

• Confident. This could also be translated boldness. God desires that all will be prepared to meet Him and will have solid confidence in His return.

• Unashamed. Sadly, many people do not have confidence; instead, they carry the weight of guilt and shame. However, God desires that His people would remain in Him and thus have no reason to be ashamed when Jesus returns.

Because many people don’t see the return of Christ on the horizon, they may not see a need to change their routines or live with His return in mind. For the Christian, however, the right belief must be consistently supported by the right ethic. We look to Christ and in response to the new birth He offers, we seek to live right in His power. “If you know that he is righteous, you know that everyone who does what is right has been born of him” (v. 29). That practical righteousness is proof of genuine salvation. We can be sure of our salvation, and we can be sure of the truth found through a relationship with Jesus. 

Question 5:

What role does our group play in helping 

us remain in the truth? 

TO TELL THE TRUTH

Fill in the blanks below. Then offer a prayer to God for help in discerning the truth.

Describe how you can tell the difference between a lie and the truth:

A lie is known by: 

_____________   ____________   ____________

Truth is known by: 

        ________   __________   _________

Offer a prayer that the Holy Spirit will reveal the truth to you about something you are struggling with.

My Prayer:

________________________________________ 

Jesus answered, ‘I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.’”

JOHN 14:6

LIVE IT OUT

Truth is found in Jesus alone. Choose one of the following applications:

Examine your life. Have you genuinely embraced the truth by trusting in Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior? Look at your life. It will tell you everything you need to know. If you’re not sure of your relationship with God, there’s help on the inside cover of this book.

Prioritize your life. In light of Christ’s imminent return, are your priorities in the right order? If not, what changes need to be made to rearrange them? This week do a thorough evaluation of your priorities and be honest with yourself. Ask God to help you with these priorities.

Invest in someone’s life. Do you know someone who needs to hear the truth? Perhaps a neighbor, a coworker, a classmate, or a friend? If so, then share the truth of the gospel with them this week. Take it a step further and buy them a Bible, if you believe they may not have one.

There are many ways to be misled these days. But the truth of God’s Word will lead us to the One who is the way, the truth, and the life.

Teacher Notes:

Click Play to Watch

Sure of the Truth: Video: Searching for the Truth

 

What’s the wildest conspiracy theory you’ve heard?

For example:

40 percent believe the FDA is withholding natural cures for cancer.2

27 percent believe America is hiding aliens in Area 51.

23 percent believe 9/11 was an inside job.

19 percent believe the government is using chemicals to control the population.3

 

People are confused which produces doubt.

 

It goes without saying that the struggle for truth is real. However, there is good news! Absolute truth does exist, and it is found in Jesus Christ.

 

1 John 2:18-21

18 Dear children, this is the last hour; and as you have heard that the antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come. This is how we know it is the last hour. 19 They went out from us, but they did not really belong to us. For if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us; but their going showed that none of them belonged to us. 20 But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and all of you know the truth. 21 I do not write to you because you do not know the truth, but because you do know it and because no lie comes from the truth.

 

What is the last hour John is talking about?

• Since the coming of Jesus, believers have known they were living in the “last days.” The expression “last hour” is only found here in the New Testament and is synonymous with the idea of the last days.
• 2:18-23 John is talking about the last days, the time between Christ’s first and second comings. The first-century readers of 1 John lived in the last days and so do we. During this time, antichrists (false teachers who pretend to be Christians and who lure weak members away from Christ) will appear. Finally, just before the world ends, one great antichrist will arise (Rev. 13; 19:20; 20:10). We do not need to fear these evil people, however. The Holy Spirit shows us their errors, so we will not be deceived. However, we must teach God’s Word clearly and carefully to the peripheral, weak members among us so that they won’t fall prey to these teachers who “come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves” (Matt. 7:15).

 

I thought there was just one antichrist, why does John say many have come?

 

How can you recognize an antichrist today and could they be in the church?

• Anyone who opposes Christ is an antichrist.
• Those who voluntarily leave the fellowship of believers in Christ and reject Him as Christ are giving evidence their so-called profession of Christ was only pretense.
• 2:19 The antichrists were not total strangers to the church; they once had been in the church, but they did not really belong to it. John doesn’t say why they left; it’s clear that their reasons for joining in the first place were wrong. Some people may call themselves Christians for less than the best reasons (a family tradition, social/business contacts, a long-standing habit). They never really stop to ask themselves, why they do it.

 

 

John says those anointed by the Holy One know the truth – what is he saying?

• When a person becomes a Christian, he or she receives the Holy Spirit. One way the Holy Spirit helps the believer and the church is by communicating truth. Jesus is the truth (John 14:6), and the Holy Spirit guides believers to him (John 16:13). People who are opposed to Christ are also opposed to His truth, and the Holy Spirit is not working in their lives. When we are led by the Spirit, we can stand against false teachers and the antichrist. We should ask the Spirit to guide us each day.

 

 

1.  Truth keeps us anchored in the faith.

 

1 John 2:22-26

22 Who is the liar? It is whoever denies that Jesus is the Christ. Such a person is the antichrist—denying the Father and the Son. 23 No one who denies the Son has the Father; whoever acknowledges the Son has the Father also. 24 As for you, see that what you have heard from the beginning remains in you. If it does, you also will remain in the Son and in the Father. 25 And this is what he promised us—eternal life. 26 I am writing these things to you about those who are trying to lead you astray.

 

What kinds of lies is the world currently telling us?

• The truth of God is revealed in the Person of Jesus Christ.
• To say that one can be in right relationship with God apart from Jesus Christ is a lie; hence, the one who declares it is a liar, who is to be shunned.
• To deny Jesus is the Christ is to call God a liar.

 

Apparently, the antichrists in John’s day were claiming faith in God while denying and opposing Christ.

Do we see any of these antichrists today?

• To do this is impossible because Jesus is God’s Son and the Messiah, to deny Christ is to reject God’s way of revealing Himself to the world. A person who accepts Christ as God’s Son, however, accepts God the Father at the same time. The two are one and can’t be separated. Many cultists today called themselves Christians, but they deny that Jesus is divine. We should expose these heresies and oppose such teachings so that the weak believers among us do not succumb to their teachings.
• No truth will ever contradict the Bible.

 

2.  Truth is grounded in who Jesus is.

1 John 2:27-29

27 As for you, the anointing you received from him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about all things and as that anointing is real, not counterfeit—just as it has taught you, remain in him. 28 And now, dear children, continue in him, so that when he appears we may be confident and unashamed before him at his coming. 29 If you know that he is righteous, you know that everyone who does what is right has been born of him.

 

How does belief in the truth translate into everyday actions?

• The visible proof of being a Christian is right behavior, not just believing the right thing.
• Those who are born of God into new life in Christ will show proof of it by living in ways that correspond to His will and purpose. Our belief should translate into right living.

• Many people do good deeds but don’t have faith in Jesus Christ. Others claim to have faith but rarely produce good deeds. A deficit of either faith or right behavior will be a cause for shame when Christ returns. Because true faith always results in good deeds.
• John mentioned the return of Christ to motivate his readers to righteous living. Our attitude toward Christ’s second coming says a lot about our spiritual state.

 

How does the Holy Spirit help us discern truth?

• He guides us to the truth: The bible teaches that Jesus is Truth, and the Truth can set us free; free from sin, death, loneliness. Free from anything that is contrary to His word. We find the truth by allowing the Holy Spirit to guide us to the truth about Jesus; that is, He came to be our Savor.

 

 

John mentioned two benefits of remaining in Christ – what are they?

Confident. This could also be translated boldness. God desires that all will be prepared to meet Him and will have solid confidence in His return.

Unashamed. Sadly, many people do not have confidence; instead, they carry the weight of guilt and shame. However, God desires that His people would remain in Him and thus have no reason to be ashamed when Jesus returns.

 

3.  Following the truth leads to righteous living.

 

 

Jesus answered, ‘I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.’” JOHN 14:6

 

There are foundational truths that are non-negotiables. Regardless of whatever else they may get right; a denial of these key truths separates non-Christians from true Christ followers.

1.   The Bible is God’s revealed Word and contains all we need to know for life and salvation.

2.   God is one, but also three Persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

3.   Jesus is fully human and fully God.

4.   Humans are created in the image of God, but we are sinful, fallen creatures.

5.   Salvation is possible because of the death and resurrection of Christ. We receive salvation when we trust in Christ and confess Him as Lord.

6.   Jesus will return one day.

 

Close: Truth is found in Jesus alone.

 

Examine your life. Have you genuinely embraced the truth by trusting in Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior? Look at your life. It will tell you everything you need to know.

Prioritize your life. In light of Christ’s imminent return, are your priorities in the right order? If not, what changes need to be made to rearrange them? This week do a thorough evaluation of your priorities and be honest with yourself. Ask God to help you with these priorities.

Invest in someone’s life. Do you know someone who needs to hear the truth? Perhaps a neighbor, a coworker, a classmate, or a friend? If so, then share the truth of the gospel with them this week. Take it a step further and buy them a Bible, if you believe they may not have one.

 

There are many ways to be misled these days. But the truth of God’s Word will lead us to the One who is the way, the truth, and the life.

Class Lesson September 12, 2021

 

2. SURE OF RELATIONSHIP

Question 1: Who do you know that almost always exudes confidence? 

THE POINT

My relationship with God is reflected in how I live.

THE BIBLE MEETS LIFE

Life has a way of surprising us and throwing us into a sea of unknowns. We saw this in early 2020 when a virus from the other side of the globe came crashing down on us.

• One day parents were dropping off their kids at school. The next day, the schools were closed indefinitely.
• One day people had steady, stable jobs. The next day, many businesses had to shut their doors. For many, not working meant not getting paid. Even worse, many lost their jobs.
• One day people were free to move about, but suddenly they were told to stay in for fear of catching or spreading the COVID-19 virus.

When life is full of unknowns, confidence and assurance can disappear. In their place come fear and doubt.

We all need confidence and assurance, and when it comes to living the Christian life, confidence and assurance become critical. David Allen said trying to live the Christian life without either is “like driving a car with the brakes on.”1 These passages show us we can take our foot off the brakes! 

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?

1 John 2:3-6

3 We know that we have come to know him if we keep his commands. 4 Whoever says, “I know him,” but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in that person. 5 But if anyone obeys his word, love for God is truly made complete in them. This is how we know we are in him: 6 Whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did.

In short order in these passages, John used the word know four times. John wrote that Christians can know with certainty they are in a relationship with God. Assurance of salvation is based on the right conditions.

The right conditions for a Christian to have the assurance of his or her relationship with God result from walking in obedience to God’s commands. We don’t obey out of legalism, but out of gratitude for all God has given us, especially the gift of His Son.

Obedience happens as we keep His word. This phrase stresses the importance of consistent compliance with the Word of God. We still will falter on occasion, but all true Christians seek to live their lives in obedience.

Obedience is the natural outcome of the new birth. Jesus said, “If you love me, keep my commands” (John 14:15). We demonstrate our love for Jesus through our obedience. Therefore, if we lack assurance of salvation, we should look at the pattern of obedience in our lives. Obedience to God’s commands doesn’t save us; we are saved by grace through our faith in Jesus. Now we obey because we have that relationship.

Question 2: What do you find challenging about walking in Jesus’ footsteps?

However, for those who don’t obey, John had some harsh words: “Whoever says, ‘I know him,’ but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in that person” (v. 4). It’s like the guy who claims to be a football player but never shows up to practice or for the game. His claim is not backed up by reality. Unfortunately, this is the same for many so-called Christians today. They profess Christ without any life change whatsoever.

True love for God is reflected through gracious obedience to His commands. If you desire to obey the Word out of gratitude for all Christ has done for you, and if you see that desire producing an overall pattern of obedience, then you have no reason to doubt your salvation. Your relationship with God is reflected in how you live.

1 John 2:7-11

7 Dear friends, I am not writing you a new command but an old one, which you have had since the beginning. This old command is the message you have heard. 8 Yet I am writing you a new command; its truth is seen in him and in you, because the darkness is passing and the true light is already shining. 9 Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates a brother or sister is still in the darkness. 10 Anyone who loves their brother and sister lives in the light, and there is nothing in them to make them stumble. 11 But anyone who hates a brother or sister is in the darkness and walks around in the darkness. They do not know where they are going, because the darkness has blinded them.

Love repeatedly shows up in 1 John. It appears 24 times in the 105 verses that make up this letter! In this passage John wrote of love as both an old and new command. Love is “an old command” in that it is mentioned in the Old Testament law (Lev. 19:17-18; Deut. 6:5). In fact, Jesus said the whole law could be summed up in the commands to “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind” and to “Love your neighbor as yourself” (Matt. 22:37-40).

So, in what sense is the old command also new? We see the newness of this old command in how Christ perfectly obeyed and manifested it. Up to that point, no one had demonstrated love perfectly on earth. Jesus showed us what obedience to these commands looks like. Jesus told His disciples, “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another” (John 13:34). Shortly before He spoke these words, Jesus had even given them an example of love by washing their feet. Love humbly serves others no matter how insignificant the task.

When God’s children choose to love, they walk in the light, and the darkness flees. For this reason, John wrote, “Yet I am writing you a new command; its truth is seen in him and in you, because the darkness is passing and the true light is already shining. Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates a brother or sister is still in the darkness” (v. 8-9).

The light John referred to is God’s kingdom, which was inaugurated at Christ’s first coming: “the true light is already shining.” Jesus is “the light of the world” (John 8:12), and His kingdom is characterized by both light and love. Our love for God and for others is proof we are citizens of that kingdom.

As citizens of Christ’s kingdom of light, we push back the darkness when we walk in love. If we don’t walk in the light, we will be blinded by the darkness. Loving as Christ loves doesn’t come easily. Love can be costly. God’s love for us led Him to the costly sacrifice of His Son. But when we love sacrificially, we are reflecting the love of God, and we are reflecting a right relationship with God. Of course, there will be times when we don’t love as we should, but the Christian life is characterized by light, not darkness—love, not hate.

Question 3: How would you describe spiritual blindness? 

1 John 2:15-17

15 Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. 16 For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world. 17 The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever.

John taught us the critical importance of loving our brothers and sisters, but there is a limit in what we are to love. We are not to “love the world or anything in the world” (v. 15). When John used the word world, he was not referring to the people who inhabit this planet. That would be a glaring contradiction to what he wrote in his Gospel: “For God so loved the world . . .” (John. 3:16). Nor was John’s use of world referring to creation. It would be a contradiction to love God if we hated what He created. Instead, John was talking about the organized evil system of darkness that encompasses this world. This sin-filled, worldly mindset is manifested in those actions and attitudes that oppose the things of God. This corrupt system loves nothing more than to tempt us away from God.

Question 4: What are some things in the world we are tempted to love? 

The world’s temptations can be grouped into three categories:

1. The lust of the flesh. This is the desire for selfish pleasure; the person who cares more about himself than others.
2. The lust of the eyes. This type of temptation is tied to the greedy longing for gain, always wanting more but never satisfied.
3. The pride of life. This temptation refers to envy and the love of popularity, recognition, and applause.

We are all vulnerable to these sins. Satan and the world are good at marketing these sins to us! The world appeals to humanity’s greatest needs, but it tempts us to meet these needs in wrong ways. The great news is that “whoever does the will of God lives forever” (v. 17). Only God can give meaning and hope through life’s trials. The person who seeks the things of God is someone who can be assured of eternity through their relationship with God.

Question 5: How can our group help one another overcome the ways of the world in our lives? 

LIVING OBEDIENTLY

Choose one of the following images that best represents an opportunity for you to live obediently this week. Then ask God for strength to make it happen.

My prayer:

______________________________________

“True love for God is expressed not in sentimental language or mystical experience but in moral obedience.”

JOHN STOTT

LIVE IT OUT

My relationship with God is reflected in how I live. Choose one of the following applications:

• Examine your life. Consider the fruit of the Spirit listed in Galatians 5:22-23. If, after examining your life, you feel as though you have fallen short in manifesting a true Christian’s character, then repent and trust in Christ now.
• Align your life. Perhaps through this study, you have been assured of your relationship with God. However, you also realize there are a few things in your life that need to be re-aligned under God’s will. If so, begin making those changes this week. It might be something as simple as waking up earlier so you can spend quality time with God.
• Make a difference in someone else’s life. Be intentional this week to share about your relationship with Christ. Look for opportunities to serve someone, and when you see it, don’t hesitate. Serving others gives a great opportunity for sharing the gospel.

This past year has certainly thrown us plenty of curveballs, things that could cause us to doubt. But our relationship with Christ gives us confidence and assurance to overcome anything that seeks to undermine our faith. 

Teacher's Notes:

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!

 

Yesterday was the 20^th anniversary of the 9-11 attack that many describe as the Pearl Harbor of the 21^st Century – a day that will go down in infamy. (FDR)

If you look at the home page of any news site right now, you will find a million things that are going terribly wrong in the world. At the end of August, we watched in horror as Afghan civilians attempted to flee the Taliban in desperation. The Covid-19 Delta variant is ripping through much of the country, and the world, renewing fears of Covid-19 that we thought were finally in the past. Flooding in Tennessee is claiming lives, and there is a hurricane whipping toward the northeastern states. And these are just the news headlines from this past week.

 

Adding to this daily deluge of terrible news is the isolation and social anxiety many experienced after quarantining and social distancing in some form for the past year. Now, even attempting to “go back to normal” is stressing people out, as they attempt to navigate relationships that were once a daily part of their lives and find themselves feeling lost. We are in a world full of people who cannot seem to find their footing. Everything feels unsure.

 

But through it all, God has given us the gift of His relationship with us. His ever-loving presence has never diminished in this time, even when the world appears to be on fire. The more we trust in the truth of His love and power, the more freedom we have to live in joy, even in the face of trials and tribulations. When we trust fully in the love of our Savior, we can still mourn with the world—but we can mourn knowing that in the end, Christ will return and wipe away every tear. Our ultimate truth is the eternal hope of our heavenly Father.

 

How has this past year changed your relationship with the Lord?

 

Sure of Relationship: Who do you know that almost always exudes confidence?

Video: Ali visits a Kid in School

 

It’s tempting to view our relationship with Christ in terms of what we have accomplished or what we can do. Our confidence comes from past achievements, good deeds, or times of Bible study and prayer—proof that we have earned our relationship with Christ. But we can’t earn our salvation, nor can we buy it. Christ has paid that price and there was a price He paid. Therefore, instead of clinging to past accomplishments, we can have confidence of our relationship with Christ when we walk in His footsteps, and sacrificially love others.

 

THE POINT: My relationship with God is reflected in how I live.

 

Setting: To this point in our series, John has established the basis for having fellowship with God, that is, forgiveness of sin through the atoning advocacy of Jesus Christ. The person in right relationship with God is not perfect, but neither does he adopt a lifestyle of sin. John’s word of choice for referring to lifestyle is a walk. Walk denotes the way a person regulates and conducts his life, his deportment, the way he lives. Therefore, when one is in right relationship with God it will be seen in how he conducts himself before God and toward others. Believers ought to be obedient to the Word of God, walk in the light of the love of Christ, and determine to follow the will of God.  

When we walk away from God, from His Word, and from fellowship with other believers, we can begin to question our relationship with God. This is not always a bad thing because God often uses that questioning to bring us back into fellowship with Him. The relationship always stays intact, but the fellowship may be better at times than at other times.

 

1.   Walk in obedience - Walking with Agreement

1 John 2:3-6

We know that we have come to know him if we keep his commands. Whoever says, “I know him,” but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in that person. But if anyone obeys his word, love for God is truly made complete in them. This is how we know we are in him: Whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did.

 

John used the word know four times. John wrote that Christians can know with certainty they are in a relationship with God. Assurance of salvation is based on the right conditions. The right conditions for a Christian to have the assurance of his or her relationship with God result from walking in obedience to God’s commands. We don’t obey out of legalism, but out of gratitude for all God has given us, especially the gift of His Son.

 

How do you know if you are walking with God?

We start to think more like Him. We start to act more like Him. He begins to influence us by His presence in our lives. As we walk with God in His Word and through His Spirit, He begins to make His love complete in us and it changes us little by little. We may not be all that we want to be, but we are not what we used to be. People sometimes say that those who spend time together start acting alike, talking alike, and some would say even looking alike. Certainly, this is true in the spiritual realm as we see ourselves and see the Lord and realize that changes need to take place in our lives. As we walk in agreement with God, we begin to look more like our Father.

Liberty Mutual dog/man look alike

Our obedience to the Father is evidence that we are in a right relationship with Him. Jesus is the preeminent example of what it means to live in right relationship with God.

 

 

Obedience happens as we keep His word. This phrase stresses the importance of consistent compliance with the Word of God. We still will falter on occasion, but all true Christians seek to live their lives in obedience. Obedience is the natural outcome of the new birth. Jesus said, “If you love me, keep my commands” (John 14:15). We demonstrate our love for Jesus through our obedience. Therefore, if we lack assurance of salvation, we should look at the pattern of obedience in our lives. Obedience to God’s commands doesn’t save us; we are saved by grace through our faith in Jesus. Now we obey because we have that relationship.

 

True love for God is reflected through gracious obedience to His commands. If you desire to obey the Word out of gratitude for all Christ has done for you, and if you see that desire producing an overall pattern of obedience, then you have no reason to doubt your salvation. Your relationship with God is reflected in how you live.

 

 

 

 

2.   Walk in the light - Walking with Vision

1 John 2:7-11

Dear friends, I am not writing you a new command but an old one, which you have had since the beginning. This old command is the message you have heard. Yet I am writing you a new command; its truth is seen in him and in you, because the darkness is passing and the true light is already shining. Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates a brother or sister is still in the darkness.  Anyone who loves their brother and sister lives in the light, and there is nothing in them to make them stumble.  But anyone who hates a brother or sister is in the darkness and walks around in the darkness. They do not know where they are going, because the darkness has blinded them.

 

Love repeatedly shows up in 1 John. It appears 24 times in the 105 verses that make up this letter! In this passage John wrote of love as both an old and new command. Jesus said the whole law could be summed up in the commands to “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind” and to “Love your neighbor as yourself” (Matt. 22:37-40).

 

What makes this kind of love so difficult?

Loving as Christ loves doesn’t come easily. Love can be costly. God’s love for us led Him to the costly sacrifice of His Son. But when we love sacrificially, we are reflecting the love of God, and we are reflecting a right relationship with God. Of course, there will be times when we don’t love as we should, but the Christian life is characterized by light, not darkness—love, not hate.

 

 

 

 

 

We were introduced to this light and darkness last week. John says to walk in the light – what does that mean to you?

The light John referred to is God’s kingdom, which was inaugurated at Christ’s first coming: “the true light is already shining.” Jesus is “the light of the world” (John 8:12), and His kingdom is characterized by both light and love. Our love for God and for others is proof we are citizens of that kingdom. As citizens of Christ’s kingdom of light, we push back the darkness when we walk in love. If we don’t walk in the light, we will be blinded by the darkness. Those who live without Christ live in darkness and will be blinded by the world; hence, they are unable to know the will of God.

Those who abide in Jesus live in the light of His love.

Those who abide in Jesus love their fellow believers.

 

 

3.   Walk according to God’s will - Walking with Purpose

1 John 2:15-17

Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever.

 

Why does loving the world come more naturally than loving others?

 

 

The world’s temptations can be grouped into three categories:

1.   The lust of the flesh. This is the desire for selfish pleasure; the person who cares more about himself than others.

2.   The lust of the eyes. This type of temptation is tied to the greedy longing for gain, always wanting more but never satisfied.

3.   The pride of life. This temptation refers to envy and the love of popularity, recognition, and applause.

 

Walking with God gives us a heart for heavenly things rather than the things of this world. It takes our focus off of the temporary and puts our eyes on things that will matter for eternity. When we invest only in temporary things, we are shortsighted and will fall short of what we could have done and been in this life. John said that the one thing that remained forever was the will of God.

 

Have you ever raised a strong-willed child? Maybe you were that strong-willed child. You can see the tension brewing between parent and child when they refuse to give in to the will of their parent. They have strength of will, but they do not have wisdom. The parent has wisdom, and they have to summon the strength of will to correct the strong-willed child. Thankfully, God knows that His will is best, and He knows how to deal with His strong-willed children.

Believers do not crave the world or things of the world but in love give themselves completely over to God and the things of God.

When we are driven by our natural appetites, seduced by what we see, and succumb to self-centered ambitions, we are treading the path toward destruction.

The one who loves God and does what pleases Him will enjoy the eternal life only He gives.

 

 

LIVE IT OUT

My relationship with God is reflected in how I live. Choose one of the following applications:

Examine your life. Take a look at the fruit of the Spirit listed in Galatians 5:22-23. If, after examining your life, you feel as though you have fallen short in manifesting a true Christian’s character, then repent and trust in Christ now.

Align your life. Perhaps you realize there are a few things in your life that need to be re-aligned under God’s will. If so, begin making those changes this week. It might be something as simple as waking up earlier so you can spend time with God.

Make a difference in someone else’s life. Be intentional this week to share about your relationship with Christ. Look for opportunities to serve someone, and when you see it, don’t hesitate.

This past year has certainly thrown us plenty of curveballs, things that could cause us to doubt. But our relationship with Christ gives us confidence and assurance to overcome anything that seeks to undermine our faith.

 

Conclusion: Our relationship with God is evidenced by the way we act and our actions will reflect our desire to be obedient to God’s Word. Adopt a lifestyle that puts you on the path of being more like Jesus. Have a love for others that manifests the light of life that comes from our relationship with Christ. Love for God and others is the central responsibility of every Christian believer. If you have experienced the love of God, then you will live by the love of God. Such a commitment and practice affirm that we are in right relationship with Him.