What We Know

I. Unknowns sometimes throw our lives into confusion.

A. Broad issues

B. What will happen this election year? Will the troubles in Iraq end soon?

C. Personal issues

D. Will my children be safe and grow up to serve God? What will happen tomorrow at work?

E. Apollo 13

F. I enjoyed the Apollo 13 movie and the drama of bringing back our astronauts when it seemed that all was going wrong on the mission. When the team realized that the carbon dioxide levels in the space capsule would soon approach dangerous levels, and they noticed all of the systems that were failing, the project manager cleared the issue by asking, “What do we have that works?”

G. Sometimes we need to focus less on what is wrong and what is unknown and find confidence and strength in what we know. The first epistle of John tells us many things we can know confidently.

II. We know the truth

A. The cry of this world is “there is no such thing as absolute truth.”

B. The phrase is self-contradictory The philosophy of the world is that there is no absolute right or wrong because if there were, we would be obligated to follow it.

C. God reveals truth

D. 1 John 4:6 – Those who are of God follow the truth given by the apostles John 17:17 – The word of God is truth1 John 5:20 – We have understanding of truth through Jesus

E. By knowing truth, we can see what is false, 1 John 2:18-23

F. Antichrist is simply that which is against Christ; false religion Those who are antichrist have left the truth

G. The anointing of the Holy Spirit

H. They had the anointing of the Holy Spirit which I believe we can clearly associate with spiritual gifts of knowledge that Paul, in 1 Corinthians 13, said would pass away. Ephesians 3:2-5 – Paul reveals his understanding of God’s will

I. Lying about the truth

J. If we walk in darkness, we do not have the truth, 1:5 If we say we have not sinned, we do not have truth, 1:10 If we do not keep His commandments, we do not have truth, 2:4 If our heart condemns us, we do not have the truth, 3:19-20

K. Truth is a solid foundation upon which we build our lives, Matthew 7:24-27 (the two builders)

III. We know God

A. If we listen to the truth, we know Him, 1 John 4:6 (read previously).

B. If we obey the truth, we know Him.

C. 1 John 2:3-4 – We know we know God when we obey Him1 John 3:10 – Our lives manifest a knowledge of God

D. If we hear the truth and obey it, God abides with us

E. 1 John 3:24 – We are in God and He in us It will do us little good to try to explain how God, through the Spirit, dwells in us for that is a matter beyond our comprehension; we trust it is so.1 John 5:19 – We belong to God

F. God hears us, 1 John 5:14-15

IV. We know that we have eternal life

A. Jesus came to remove sins

B. 1 John 3:5 – He was manifested for this purpose1 John 4:10 – “propitiation” is something that atones, or pays for, sin

C. If we walk in the light our sins are removed

D. We must be born into the light of His fellowship

E. John 3:3-6 – Born of water and the Spirit John 3:18-21 – Belief and doing the truth puts us into the light

F. Must abide in the light of His fellowship

G. 1 John 1:5-2:1 – We must walk in the light and confess our sins1 John 2:2-9 – We must purify ourselves for we are not permitted to sin1 John 3:14-16 - If we would pass from death to life, we must love one another

H. The saved will be resurrected to eternal life

I. 1 John 2:8-3:2 – We will be as Jesus is if we abide in Him1 John 5:10-13 – If we know Him, we can have confidence in eternal life We are of God; therefore, we will go home to live with Him.

V. Conclusions

A. Christians can have confidence because they know God and the truth He revealed and that eternal life with God awaits them.

B. Do you have that confidence?

C. Do you know the truth? Do you know God? Do you know that you have eternal life? If not, let me study with you and show you how to get that confidence. If you have heard the truth and you know what to do to get into the light of God’s fellowship, why wait in a world of doubt? You can know that your sins are washed away and that you have eternal life but you must first be in Christ.