1. 1 John: Knowing a Loving God Sermon 7 Knowing God 1 John 5:13-21 Page 1903 Part One!

2. Knowing God. God wants us to know Him and we have the privilege of getting to know a loving God. What a blessing and what a responsibility.

3. The Conclusion. The problem with their claim is that the application of their special knowledge leads people away from Jesus. Loving God involves loving Jesus and God’s adopted children as well as being obedient to His commands. These truths are found in 1 John 5:1-2.

4. Which “Know”? Gnosis – knowing information. Eido –”seeing that becomes knowing”. John knew Jesus because he interacted with Him – cf 1 John 1:1-4. Deeper knowledge in 1 John 5:13, twice in verse 15, 18, 19, and twice in verse 20.

5. How About You? How much of your knowledge of Jesus is intellectual information and how much of it is experiential because of your interaction with Him and His truth? John concludes by writing about knowing Jesus, prayer, sin, worldliness, truth, and idolatry and we will be looking at these verses in a few minutes.

6. 1 John: Knowing a Loving God Sermon 7 Knowing God 1 John 5:13-21 Page 1903 Part Two!

7. 1 John 5:13-21on page 1903 Verses 13-15 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. 14 This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. 15 And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him.

8. Point #1 The false teachers had confused the people into questioning the validity of their salvation. Other members of the congregation may have also caused problems by not showing love to those who had been led astray. They need to have this knowledge deep inside them.

9. Point #2 The next few verses hang on the topic of prayer. He wants them to pray with confidence that God hears what is asked according to God’s will. God not only hears but we can expect Him to be active.

10. 1 John 5:16-17 If anyone sees his brother commit a sin that does not lead to death, he should pray and God will give him life. I refer to those whose sin does not lead to death. There is a sin that leads to death. I am not saying that he should pray about that. 17 All wrongdoing is sin, and there is sin that does not lead to death.

11. Two Types of Sin Mentioned NIV Study Bible Note: In the context of this letter directed against Gnostic teaching, which denied the incarnation and threw off all moral restraints, it is probable that the “sin that leads to death” refers to the Gnostics’ adamant and persistent denial of the truth and to their shameless immorality. This kind of unrepentant sin leads to spiritual death.

12. 1 John 5:18 We know that anyone born of God does not continue to sin; the one who was born of God keeps him safe, and the evil one cannot harm him. Victory in Jesus 1 John 5:4-5. Satan can not touch us.

13. 1 John 5:19-20 19 We know that we are children of God, and that the whole world is under the control of the evil one. 20 We know also that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true. And we are in him who is true—even in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life.

14. Note on “Understanding.” Helps Word Studies has this to offer: 1271 /diánoia ("critical thinking"), literally " thorough reasoning," incorporates both sides of a matter to reach a meaningful (personal) conclusion. He is the true God AND eternal life. They go together!

15. Vs 21 – The Final Imperative. 21 Dear children, keep yourselves from idols. Helps Word-Studies: 5442 /phylássō ("keep watch over, keep secure") emphasizes the needed vigilance to keep what is entrusted. " Personally be on guard against," stressing the constant, personal interest involved with the guarding.5442

16. Living the Truth in a False World. False teachers and false teachings abound and they always will. When we know Jesus we know the way, the truth and the life and we also know that no one comes to the Father except through Him.

17. Living the Truth in a False World. We can know a loving God and God calls us to know him with a deep connection instead of intellectual information. May we grow in grace and knowledge as we connect with Jesus and serve in His kingdom.

18. Next Week: We Begin our Thirsty Series with our first “Let Us” passages starting in Hebrews Chapter 4. The sermons are online at www.vernonchurchofchrist.com