With Full Assurance of Faith

Speaker: Bob Whan

With reference to the passages in the apostle John's first letter, in which John speaks of what we, in Christ, know and are assured of, Bob encourages us in difficult days concerning the power and security we have in Jesus as we trust in Him in simple child-like faith.

A Trial of an Auto-Generated Transcript (will have odd typos):

Good morning. Bob one bringing you the first of our messages today in our new circumstances with the rain Adonis meaning that were separated physically from each other, but still enjoying the word of God hopefully these are troubled times with a Corona virus, and it's wonderful that we know that by faith. We have the strength of God to prevail no matter what happens to us in this life right to the Hebrews says this let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith.Having a heart sprinkle to cleanses from the guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water so in short today. This message is about to God in full assurance of faith Ross and Phil have drawn messages from the writings of the Apostle John and today. I wanted to continue in that on the first Bissell of John to grab some note paper and a pen that you can drop down v send you can look things over a little later. So here. We have the Apostle John is an old man now somewhere around 9 and he remains full of faith and hope.Over and over again, he talks of the faith values each one of us can claim and most of surely knows spas more of that a little later. We're constantly reassured by John that when it comes to our relationship with Christ there are things we can be absolutely sure about in a troubled world many many times. He uses phrases like this we know by this we know you may know we have. No there is no room for wish you washing us when it comes to matters of our confidence assurance of faith in what god says. He's worth Robert Louis Stevenson was one of my favourite childhood poets.These were the days in primary schools when children were obliged to learn Palms behalf of himself as a child, he wrote a poem like this. When I was sick and Leia bed, I had two pillows at my head don't rightly remember much of what follows his life. Expectancy was not great as a child. I'm on occasion. Little do you know your own blessedness travel? Hopefully, is it better thing then to arrive? Why are these words in body Stevenson's own religious outlook on life? They also Express the commonly held view that in the realm of the spirit? We can't be certain of anything the Apostle John on the other hand is quite adamant that there are certain things we can know for sure in full assurance of faith, which is the title of message today. Here are some examples. You know that he appeared to take away since you know you have passed. We know that here by Gina's by the spirit that he is getting us we have known and believe the love that God has forests and lastly this, but there are many more these things. I have written to you that you may know that you have eternal life. It seems the aging Apostle draws near to his fellow believers. The fact that the more and more precious these promises become. All of us have doubts from time to time the debt. If you say to me. I've never had it out in areas of faith, then you are truly remarkable. One of the first things that Satan and his emissary does is to plant out in our minds? This can be a real test to determine whether our faith is real remember struggling with this between Enlightenment and coming to a point of full Salvation there is a bit of a process there and what's happening in our life often and in that period as a young Christian the was wanting to come to Christ knowing more of him. Satan was at work, but the time I was sitting on my bed. Melbos. Leaning on the window looking up the Stars at night. And these thoughts were presented to my mind. You think you're a Christian you haven't changed does God exist. I recognise that this was not the voice of God this is the voice of Satan most of us came to faith in Christ in the first place by choosing to believe his word or if it wasn't was the witness of a relative. already or associate that exhibited the characteristics of Christ but caused us to hunger for more in our lives and what we were currently experiencing. If the spirit is working, it's hard to get around a clear-cut statement like believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved for this. He who has the sun has life. He who does not have the son of god. Does not have life decision time our faith from first to last is based on the word of god. Just as a bathing the word of god. Had most to do with our becoming a Christian we go on in the Christian life our growth in faith will be directly proportional to our obedience to the spirits leading through the word obedience is the key to live in the Christian life to having an at full assurance of faith. In 1 John 3 18 222 we read these words dear children. Let us not love with words. What time but with actions and in truth? This is how we know that we belong to the truth and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence? whenever our hearts condemn is 4 God is great at that our hearts and not We have confidence before god and receive from him anything we ask because we have a his commands do what pleases him and he in them, and by the spirit he gave us. Yes. God by spirit into the Apostle John tells us for things that bear witness to the fact that God and Wells his children by his spirit. Firstly, as we suggested his personal spirit bears witness in first John 3:24. It says this is how we know that he lives in us we know it by the spirit he gave us. That means there is an inner voice of the spirit of the living god confirming we belong to him and our god the spirit of Gods children of sonship daughtership, and we did in response to the Abba Father an intimate term from the RMA it is equivalent to DFO other precious father. It's a loving term a term of great intimacy 25. John says that what you have heard remains in you if it does, you also will remain in the sun and in the father, and this is what he has promised even eternal life. 1 John 2 5 and 6 says if anyone obeyed his word gods love is truly made completing him. This is how we know we are in him whoever claims to live in here. Must walk is Jesus dead. Very direct language. No misunderstanding here. Thirdly his love that abides within a Spares witness to the fact that we belong to him in 1 John 4:16 to 17. We know and rely on the love. God has for us. God is love whoever lives in love lives in God and God in him in this way. Love is made complete Among Us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgement. There is no fear in love. Paul put it this way hope does not disappoint us because God has pulled out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit whom he has given to us. This hope that he's talking about is quite a different. Hope a somewhat wishy-washy. Herb Robert Louis Stevenson this hope is an assured. Hope one that we can take by gods word as something that will come to eventual allity. This love that we talking about here is a different kind of love. God is poured out his love into our hearts. By the Holy Spirit him. He has given us didn't come from us and come from any stirring up of ourself. Will to love better or anything like that. It comes from an understanding of a Greek word, which really essentially is gods Kind of Love In the Greek language, it means herself disinterested love. I love that reaches out to others. I love the put others about themselves. I love that has no interest in self-aggrandizement. I love that testifies to the things of God confidently and in league with God himself. Speak the very words of God Words of Love That is the kind of love. We should be aspiring to John says makes us complete in God and there is no feeling up perfect drives out fear. We can have peace with we can know that we are his and we are his precious children. Bossy we have the assurance of gods indwelling. By The Very enablement to confess Christ just to ourselves but two others 1john for two and three says this is how you can recognise the spirit of God every spirit acknowledges that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. Q1 John 415 if anyone that knowledge is that Jesus is the son of God lives in him and he in God Paul part mightily agrees? No one who is speaking by the spirit of god says Jesus but then more importantly this and no one can say Jesus is Lord except by the holy spirit is conclusive, isn't it? When we acknowledge when we confess to others Jesus is Lord we living in? Let me conclude with two short stories that will help this. In our understanding back in 1959. I was called up to National Service it was a 3 months tent that if the number spell on you, you are obliged to comply. And so I was a Christian of only some 6 to 9 minutes standing at the time. still learning with just a smattering of Christianity a friend said to me before I went international service bob. This will either make you a break you as a Christian As I joined the other fellas in the early days, I recognise something was happening and that was that the normal restraints of society with falling off these men are giving themselves over to foul language telling failed stories talking of their exploits with women and that sort of thing and I decided very belated. No, this is not the path. I want to follow so I started praying that I might have an influence on these young men. I'm so over the course of time. I had opportunity to speak with one or two here and there. One night because of my witness, I guess I got into bed, and there were squishy ripe tomatoes between the bed sheet. I decided that I just sleep among them clean up the next morning not say a word which is what I did that seem to be a turning point. Ander the numbers seem to increase over the period of time sometimes 45 half a dozen would gather around the bed and be playing me with questions that I really didn't have the answers to in myself out of my mouth words that I knew were being given to me in my limited understanding of scripture and even being able to quote anything much still the Lord gave me words to speak and at the end of that 3 months. I would have been happy to stay. I was so energized in the spirit knowing that God was using me to try and influence some of these young men. No, I don't know the outcome of all of that. All I know what it was a huge growing experience for me as young Christian And a blessed experience. the other story comes from our days in Papua New Guinea to a call that came. At 1 in the morning. The setting is the Bible College at Zumba in Papua New Guinea where we were the principal couple looking after the students. The common thing by way of a call was for them to come and wrap on the bamboo Sachin that form the wall sheeting for our house right next to it, and then you knew there was some emergency on off and it would be a medical emergency, but this time it was one of the student saying that I should come because two of the students were greatly trouble. When I came they were shivering and shaking quivering and really really troubled spiritually oppressed, and I knew something. Very serious going on. I should say that the students are just got back from their approach to new to new areas. And two of these tunes Timothy and a friend had gone to speak with an old sorcerer one who had delde in the things of evil spirits or adult life. And they were working with him to try and get him to see that Jesus was the answer. Brawler if it's at the end of the time, they left him, hopefully that he would come through to decide for Christ and now they had return back to the college and we're in this terrible state and the students were quite concerned. They gathered around in a circle and been praying with them for sometime when I join them. I asked them. About their average experience, and they told me about this sorcerer and out of that story and Insight was given to me that perhaps this sorcerer had come through for Christ and now w assurance checklist largely these are from first. John the epistle the first John and you can search those through for yourself now. It's not a Formula I'm not suggesting that for a moment. But if you don't tick all the boxes than you can't be insured Christian it's not saying that it's always just saying these are the sorts of things that should come into play when we are secure in Christ we belong to him, but we are held by him and that his spirit and then all of these things are the sorts of things that should apply or come to apply in our lives as we continue to grow in the Christian life. God bless you and in the new circumstances each of us face. You may not see each other face to face on regular periods may the lord keep your true to him. Keep your treated the fellowship and enjoying the experience, but knowing Christ more and more for to know him is life and life eternal and that eternal life is secure in him. Let's pray Heavenly Father we thank you that you hold us in the hollow of your hand. We thank you that you news from the foundation of the world that we were created in your image that image was mad. Yes, but you have recreated us in the image of your son. And they Lord we bought when we hear that because we know that we have so much further to go in a spiritual growth nevertheless. There are some things that are totally secure and totally things that we can rely upon and that is your love. That is your constancy that is the fact that is we continue in you we know for you for the future. We know that we are in you and that is all we need so lord blessious and strength anise and help us to continue faithfully and to know the blessedness in uncertain times that you Conquer all and that we are more than conquerors through him that Optus in Jesus name. We pray amen.