What You Can Know for Sure? - Audio

Big Idea - John begins this letter (1 John 1:8–2:1) with what seems a bit contradictory. First, he urges us to live a life free from sin. At the same time, he tells us that we will sin, and we call God a liar if we say we don’t sin, and thankfully, there is grace and forgiveness in Christ if we confess our sins. There is tension between two wrong ideas and, like walking a tightrope, it is pretty easy to slip off one side or the other! On the one hand, we could convince ourselves that we have grown and matured so much sin really isn't a problem for us. This is the person who overlooks the "log" in their own eyes while seeing the spec in everyone else. We all have our blind spots, but the blind spots are much bigger for the person who is not being honest with themself. On the other hand, we could be quite aware of our sin and the daily failures to walk in holiness but say to ourselves, “well, I am just a sinner saved by grace.” This person accepts that sin is just a normal part of the Christian life, and they will never change, but that’s ok because God promises always to forgive sin. But, John urges us to resist both of these errors. Instead, we are to be brutally honest about our sins and, at the same time, strive to conquer sin and its power over our lives. So, how do we be honest about sin and at the same time pursue and experience real victory over sinful habits and temptations? And not only in our own lives, but how can we help others who are struggling with sin? What is the strategy to help them walk in true holiness? In this passage, John tells us that as a result of our faith in Jesus, the Son of God, we can know with confidence three things that are so profound that they are life-changing. That is, when we know and practice these three things, it will give us success in overcoming sin. The three things we can know are: 1) that we have enteral life; 2) that God hears us when we pray; 3) and, that God will deliver those trapped in the bondage of sin when we pray for them.