Absolutely Sure

I always feel a little nostalgic as we come to the end of a series like the one we’ve had in 1 John. We have been led on an important spiritual journey of hearing – believing – living – and knowing. This is the road map of life! When you get to the knowing stage you’re no longer bogged down by fear and doubt. You can enjoy the journey and live life with joy because you know where you’re going.

In the last series of verses John gives us six things we can know with absolute certainty:

1. Jesus is God

2. Eternal life can be known

3. God answers our prayers (according to His will)

4. We can have victory over sin

5. Believers belong to God

6. Jesus has come for us

Let me bring us back to the spiritual journey John mapped out for us: hearing, believing, living, knowing. Where would you put yourself on that road map?

Maybe you're still in the hearing stage, still investigating the life and teachings of Jesus. That's okay; you're on your way. Maybe you have come to believe the message of Jesus sometime recently or in the past. That's good; that's an important step. That's when you're born again and become a child of God. You don't want to get stuck there, merely believing, you want to start living your faith, growing in your knowledge, becoming like Christ, and giving of yourself to others in love. Once you start living your faith on a regular basis, you find yourself in the knowing stage, where you no longer worry and wonder, but step out in confidence every day, knowing who you are, why you're here, and where you're going.

None of us knows what the future holds for us, for our children, and certainly not for our grandchildren. What we do know, for certain, is that God has given us eternal life and that this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has the life. When you know that, you can face anything.

Press On,

Pastor Brian