Pray with Confidence
1 John 5:14-15
August 10, 2014
When a new college graduate takes his first job, one of his concerns will be, “what kind of benefit package do you have?” He wants to know what added privileges there are for working in this job — is there health care and a retirement package or a matching savings plan or stock options?
When a couple looks to purchase a new home, they want to know about the neighborhood — is there a community center? what is the school district like? are the neighbors friendly or aloof? is the area close to necessary conveniences? They want to know whether there are benefits with this new home.
We look for benefits in every purchase we make — I want this car instead of that one and this brand of soap over that one because of a perceived value or benefit of the one over the other.
When I was in seminary I learned a method of sharing the gospel through Evangelism Explosion. One of the men I subsequently taught that method to was a good friend named John. One evening as we returned to the church after sharing the gospel at the local mall John expressed some frustration with the method he was learning; he said something like, “what good is the gospel? Are we telling people that the gospel and salvation is only about Heaven and something that will happen someday? Or are we telling them there is a benefit now, and what is that benefit? What good is the gospel today?”
It was a fair question. For there are a great many benefits to the gospel — not only in eternity, but also in this day, today. And that is actually one of the apostle John’s points to his readers in he closes his first letter. We said about 1 John 5:13 that those who believe in Jesus Christ can be sure of their salvation. And because that is true, it can also be said that,
Those who are sure of their salvation can also be sure that God answers their prayers.
This is one of the benefits of our salvation — God hears and answers our prayers.
John offers four implications of our security in salvation for our prayer life. Because we are secure in our salvation, that assurance should influence the way we pray.
- Because You are Sure of Your Salvation, Pray with Confidence (v. 14a)
- Because You are Sure of Your Salvation, Pray Submissively (v. 14b)
- Because You are Sure of Your Salvation, God Hears Your Prayers (v. 14c)
- Because You are Sure of Your Salvation, God Answers Your Prayers (v. 15)
Download the rest of this sermon on 1 John 5:14-15.
The audio will be posted on the GBC website later today.
Words of Grace 