Essential Truths for Assurance
Selected Scriptures from 1 John 1-3
January 19, 2014
One essential for learning is repetition. Few of us memorize a Bible verse the first time we see it. We go over it again and again. We write it down, read it in our Bibles, review it on notecards, look it up on our phone app… We need repeated exposure to it to memorize it.
So it is that this morning I want to remind us of the big picture of what John is doing in his first letter to the churches in Asia Minor. We started this study last Spring and have had 19 sermons on the book so far. We’re now about halfway through the book. But since mid-November (because of my vacation time and holidays), we’ve looked at this book only once and it seems to me that it would be worth going back to remind ourselves of John’s purposes and what John has taught as a big picture.
So here we go. The theme of this letter is that…
John has written to assure believers of their salvation through tests of their doctrine and morality — what they believe and do.
1. Two Reasons Why 1 John Was Written
- This book was written for believers to be assured of their salvation (2:12-14)
- This book was written for unbelievers to be confronted with their sin (1:6-10)
2. Six Marks of Assurance for the Believer
- Do you have fellowship with the Father? (1:3-4)
- Do you experience conviction for your sin? (1:6 – 2:1)
- Do you obey God’s Word? (2:3-11)
- Do you hate the world? (2:15-17)
- Do you long for Christ’s return? (3:1-3)
- Do you see sin’s influence diminishing in your life? (3:4-10)
3. Two Actions for Those Who Remain Unassured
- If you are a believer, confess your sin (1:9 – 2:1)
- If you are an unbeliever, repent and trust Christ (2:2)
Words of Grace 