It is great to be together tonight, and it is great to have Pastor Steve here. We missed him and Esther last Sunday morning, but they have good reason to be away, and we continue to rejoice that Esther is doing well, and baby Benjamin is doing well, and we trust you are doing well. Tonight we are going to turn to 1st John chapter 4 verses 13 through 18. I will continue where we left off the last time that I substituted for Pastor Steve in the Thursday night Bible study. So 1st Corinthians chapter 4 verses 13 through 18. And of course the coronavirus has caused a anxiety, but also fear in all over our country. And that fear has been fueled by the fear of death. And every day on the news, if you follow the news, you get the latest death count. And that constantly is putting before the American public the reminder that death is all around us. And there are a lot of people then that makes them fearful, as they begin to think they might die. And whether people acknowledge it or not, they are made in the image of God, as God's Word says. And according to Ecclesiastes chapter 3 verse 11, God has planted eternity in every heart. So the people all around us who do not have salvation, do not have the hope that we have in Christ, and yet in their heart God has placed what that verse says as eternity deep down inside. They know someday they will die, and they know that someday they will stand before God after they die. Hebrews 9.27 says it is appointed unto man once to die, and after this, the judgment." Now our generation, especially as we are going through this, needs this passage, especially verse 17, where John says that we may have confidence for the day of judgment. What a passage for our country today, when people are fearful of dying, and with that eternity in their heart and that internal knowledge of standing before God in judgment. And yet, in verse 17, part of what the reason John is writing this is that we may have confidence in the day of judgment. And this confidence is possible because, as Paul said in Romans chapter eight, verse one, there is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus. So as a believer, we know that when we die, first of all, we know that when we die, we will enter into the presence of the Lord and we will be free from all the trials and sufferings down here, but we also know that that there will be no condemnation when we stand before God. And that is a very freeing thing, a tremendous message that John wants us to really get a hold of as we study 1 John. Now this great statement in 1 John about having confidence for the day of judgment is in a context John wanting us to know that God abides in us and we abide in him. Look back at verse 13 that we studied the last time we were in 1st John, verse 13. By this we know that we abide in him, that is abide in God, and he in us because he has given us of his Spirit. then we're going to see in verse 16 that same principle that John is giving to us. So this great statement about having confidence in the day of judgment is in this context of God wanting us to know this important and wonderful truth that as a believer, God abides in us and we abide in him. Let's stand together in honor of God's word you're able and follow as I read 1st John chapter 4 verses 13 through 18 verse 13. By this we know that we abide in him and he in us because he has given us of his Spirit and we have seen and testified that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment because as he is, so also we are in this world. There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear, for fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love. This is God's word. You may be seated. So John tells us in this passage how to know that we have confidence for the day of judgment. It's in the context of verse 12 where we are told that a Christian is a person. So one of the definitions of a Christian, it's a person who God abides in and God's love is perfected in. And so in that context, he goes a step further to show that we have a confidence as we would someday stand before God, that we will not come under judgment or condemnation. And how is all that possible to have that confidence? That's where we're going in these verses. First of all, if you have the outline in front of you that was sent out in the email today, first of all, number one, we have the Holy Spirit. And so as we are wondering, well, how can I have that confidence? Number one, we have the Holy Spirit. He says in verse 13, by this, by this we know. Now when he says by this, these words alert us to the fact that we are about to learn something that's an important piece of information that has a big impact on our Christian life. So when he says by this, it's kind of like he's saying Pay attention in big flashing red lights. Pay attention to what I'm about to say. By this we know. This phrase, by this we know, is found 11 times in the Gospel, in the book of 1 John. Five chapters and it's found 11 times. John raises, these 11 times, John raises a spiritual truth that Christians can know for sure. And so it's a very key phrase in the gospel or in the epistle of 1 John. Let me just kind of quickly show you what the other 10 are. In chapter 2 verse 3, by this we know we've come to know him. In chapter 2 verse 5b, We come to know by this, we come to know that we are in him. Chapter three, verse 10. By this, we know who the children of God are. Chapter three, verse 14. By this, we know that we are passed from death to life. Chapter three, verse 24 B. By this, we know that he lives in us. Chapter four, verse two. By this, we know the spirit of God. chapter 4 verse 6b by this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error chapter 5 verse 2 by this we know that we love the children of god and chapter 5 verse 13 where we are tonight by this we know that we have eternal life now john tells us in this passage another way that we can know that we have eternal life. And it's a wonderful one. He says, by this we know that we abide in him and he in us. Now he's using that expression that we abide in him as a synonymous term for being a Christian. Every Christian, this is true, so much so, that it can be a definition of a Christian. A Christian is a person in whom God abides. And it's one of John's favorite terms for the Christian and for salvation. Back in the Gospel of John, chapter 15, John gives the wonderful words of our Lord that night. among the words that he gave that night in which he was betrayed and and Was arrested in the garden of Gethsemane and all the wonderful things that he told the disciples in John 15 Jesus said Abide in me and I in you as the branch abides in the vine So you abide in me." And Jesus gave this wonderful picture of our Christian life is that we are in Christ and we are having fellowship with him. We are drawing nourishment from him, just like the branch draws nourishment from the vine. And if we're not in the vine, we're not a believer and we're not a Christian. We're not going to be without fear at the judgment. And so here, many years later, after he wrote the Gospel of John, he returns to this tremendous theme about abiding in Him. But how do we know that we abide in Him, and how do we know that He abides in us? Which is another wonderful picture, that God would abide in us. Imagine the privilege of having God abide in you. In the Old Testament, they were used to the fact that in the tabernacle and then later the temple, God's presence was in the Holy of Holies, which was a room in the tabernacle and in the temple. And you had to go into the courtyard of the temple. And then if you were a priest, you could go further. And then if you were a Levite, you could go into the holy place, but only if you were the high priest could you go into the inner sanctum, the holy of holies, the very place where God dwelt. One person, once a year, the high priest. And there's all kinds of ramifications in that about Christ, our high priest. when Jesus died on the cross. Remember, in the moments after his death, a very striking thing occurred. The curtain that separated the holy place from the Holy of Holies was split in two. It was torn from top to bottom. And the Bible doesn't give us detail, but Josephus and Jewish history tells us that was have a very, very thick barrier there, very thick cloth that was making that separation. And for that just to rip like that from top to bottom, and it opened, and it showed that the way into the presence of God had been opened, and that we as a believer have access And that's some of the picture that is here, that we have such access, even to the point where you can say we abide in Him and He abides in us. There's nothing that would be any more making access possible than that. And when God takes up residence in us, we have Him abiding in us. Now in John 14, 20, hold on to first John, but turn to John chapter 14, gospel of John, chapter 14 and verse 20, John 14, 20, Jesus, and also in that night before going to the cross, he had so much to tell the disciples. And in that night, he said in John 14, 20, In that day, you will know that I am in the Father and you and me and I in you. Jesus promised. What is this day? Well, this day he has addressed here is the day when the Holy Spirit would be sent by Christ to indwell believers. That happened on the day of Pentecost. And ever since the day of Pentecost, when someone comes and repentance and faith in Jesus Christ, they have the Holy Spirit. And so it is when the Holy Spirit comes, then the disciples would know that they are in Him and He in them because of the witness of the Holy Spirit. And so how can we know that we abide in Him? It is through the ministry of the Holy Spirit in our lives. Look at Continuing back in 1 John 5, 13, by this we know that we abide in him and he in us because in fulfillment of what Jesus said in John 14, he has given us of his spirit. Jesus, after Jesus ascended into heaven, the Holy Spirit was sent to indwell every believer. And there are evidences that the Holy Spirit is within us. such as the fruit that he produces in our life Galatians 5 22 and 23 talks about the fruit of the spirit is love joy peace and a wonderful list there that's an evidence that this is true and it gives us the power to obey him and to serve him that's an evidence that this is true. Now Paul told us the same same wonderful truth when he wrote that the presence of the Holy Spirit is how the Holy Spirit bears witness that we are children of God. That's in Romans chapter 8 verse 16. And so the Holy Spirit bears witness with our spirit that we are a child of God. The opposite is true also. Paul said that in Romans chapter 8 in verse 19, that if you don't have the Holy Spirit, you don't belong to God. We come then to verses 14 and 15, and number two on the outline. Again, on how to know we have confidence for the judgment day, number two. We acknowledge that Jesus is the Son of God in verses 14 and 15. Look at verse 14. And we have seen and testified that the Father has sent his Son to be the savior of the world. Notice he says, we have seen, he makes it personal. Now, John and the other disciples personally saw Jesus, of course, and spent time with him. And by the way, when it says we have seen, that Greek word seen means not just a passing glimpse, You may be out shopping and you're in a mall in the future when we can go into a mall and you're just walking by and you just happen to glance at and see something that's in a display window. That's not what he's talking about here. The Greek word that he uses is not a passing glance, but it is to sit in amazement and to have contemplated It's the same word in John 1 14 where John said of Jesus the word he says and we beheld his glory the disciples sat in marvel just seeing his glory that he manifested when he walked on the water when he healed the sick, when he raised the dead, over and over and over again. They just sat in marvel at his glory, and they contemplated it. So this we would include John as an apostle, as well as the other apostles, but the we also includes every believer, even us. who've lived so many years after Jesus was here in the flesh. It includes all of us because we have the witness of the Holy Spirit within us. And we read the Word of God, we read the Gospels, and we behold the glory of the Lord and of the glory of Christ as we read through the Gospels. And the Holy Spirit bears witness with our heart about how true this is and what this means and all the implications of it. And as we are in our Christian life, we marvel at that. So in a real sense, we too, we can say, have seen and testified that the father has sent his son to be the savior of the world. Now, to be a savior of the world was, of course, his purpose in coming to the world. In Mark 10, 45, Jesus told the disciples for the Son of Man, speaking of himself, the title that he used of himself more than any other taken from the book of Daniel, which is a title for Messiah referring to his deity. And Jesus said, for the son of man didn't come to be served, but to serve and to give his life a ransom for many. And to give his life as a ransom for many means to be a savior from sin. And so it's exactly as John says here, that he sent his son to be the savior of the world. When John the Baptist introduced Jesus after Jesus, when Jesus came to be baptized. He said, behold, or in other words, look at the Lamb of God, that what? Takes away the sin of the world. That's a savior that saves us from sin. So he came to this earth, he lived a perfect life without sin, perfect obedience to God. He paid the price for our sin on the cross. We should have died for our sin, but he died in our place, making it possible for our sins to be forgiven and for us to be given perfect righteousness. It's not just that our sins are removed, as great as that is, but we are given his righteousness. God treated him as if He had sinned like we had and treated us as if we had never sinned as he had. What a Savior that has done that. Now he calls him, he could have just ended, he sent his son to be the Savior, but he says the Savior of the world. That is the world of humanity. Humanity is separated from God by sin. in need of a Savior. And so it's in that sense that he sent his son to be the Savior of the world. That is not saying that everyone that's ever lived on planet Earth somehow, someway is going to make it to heaven, whether they believe in Christ or not. That's not what that is saying. But it is saying that he came to be the Savior of this world of humanity. that there are sinners on this earth who God, in his grace, will bring to himself for salvation. And Jesus' death on the cross paid the penalty for their sin, making that possible. What a Savior! Verse 15, whoever confesses that Jesus is the son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. Now that word confesses, we've seen in 1 John before. The most famous probably reference to confessing is in 1 John chapter 1 verse 9. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. It was also used in chapter 4 verse 2. By this, you know, the Spirit of God, every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God. So this word confesses. Some people have really cheated that word of its meaning, where they give the impression, oh, let's just say these words with no emphasis on what's in the heart. and on repentance and meaning it. So it is confesses as the idea of speak it from the heart. It is a heartfelt conviction of sin and submission to Jesus Christ. That's the kind of confession that he's talking about. So whoever has that kind of confession where they are recognizing their sin, and they are recognizing that they have to bow in submission to Jesus Christ, and they confess that Jesus is the Son of God. Jesus, of course, he's referring to the one who was born of the Virgin, Mary, meaning he was sinless, and he died on the cross, and he was raised from the dead, That Jesus is the Son of God. That is such an important biblical truth with so many ramifications. If he is the Son of God, that means he's sinless, absolutely no sin in his life. If he is the Son of God, that means he is the Lord of the believer's life. Lord means sovereign, master, owner, the one who dictates the terms. If he is the Son of God, that means we as a believer are his slave, if you were. Quite often in most of our translations of New Testament epistles, for instance, they will use the term of us being a servant of God, but really the Greek word is stronger than servant. It is slave. that we are totally to be submitted to what He wants. He calls the shots. He is the boss. Those are some ramifications of the fact that He is the Son of God. Now, in 1 Corinthians 12.3, we see that no one can, quote, say, unquote, that Jesus is Lord, except in the Holy Spirit. Paul in 1 Corinthians 12.3 has said that it is impossible for a person to say it in the full sense of the meaning to say that Jesus is Lord unless the Holy Spirit within him is prompting him, is convicting him of that, is showing him of that. And if a person truly confesses that Jesus Christ is Lord, that's an indication that the Lord dwells, that the Holy Spirit dwells within him. Because the world is not going to say that with conviction. The intelligentsia of the world, the in crowd, they say, well, Jesus was a good man. And he was a good teacher. in all of these things, but they're not going to say it in the sense that this is talking about. They do not have the Holy Spirit within them, and they are speaking simply as the natural man and are not able to say in the true sense of the word that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, the Savior of the world. Then we come to the third way of how to know that we have confidence for the judgment day, and that's in verse 16. So in verse 16, so we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. Now, how have we come to know the love that God has for us? I love the writings of Martyn Lloyd-Jones, which really was the preaching and teaching of Martyn Lloyd-Jones that was put into book form. And Martyn Lloyd-Jones, in his exposition of 1 John, he gives a tremendous section on this that I wanted to share with you. How have we come to know this? He says we have come to know. and believe the love that God has for us. Martin Lloyd-Jones listed ten ways that we can tell we really know the love that God has for us, and I included those on your notes. First of all, is there a loss of the sense that God is against me? The non-believer has that sense that God must be against me. Well, Romans 5-1 says that we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. The opposite of thinking, oh, he's against me. But the believer has that awareness that he is for us and has lost that sense that he is against us. Or Romans 8.31, Paul said, if God is for us, Who can be against us? Great statement in the New Testament. Or other verses in scripture. The unsaved person always feels that God is against them. We have examples of that all around us with the coronavirus. Because many people are saying things like, God must be against me. Or he would never have allowed me to get the coronavirus. Or he must be against me because otherwise he would never allow me to lose my job. Those kinds of feelings are in people all around us. But you can tell that you know the love that God has for you if there is a loss of that. Is there a loss of being fearful of God and a corresponding increase in godly fear? Or often in the New Testament and in the Old Testament also that is the fear here is called AWE First John 4 18 and Hebrews 12 28 where the author of Hebrews says let us offer to God acceptable worship with reverence and Another word for that is this word fear and awe, A-W-E, and another word for that is fear. So is there a loss of that being fearful of God and a corresponding increase in godly fear? Godly fear is awe and reverence instead of, oh no, I'm going to be under the judgment of God, I'm so scared. And then another one, the next one. Do I sense the love of God for me? Do I sense that God is kind to me, concerned about me? And we have it here in chapter 4, verse 16. The next one, do I know my sins are forgiven? That is evidence that we have come to know and comprehend the love of God. Romans 4. 7 and 8, wonderful verses on that. Romans 4, 7 and 8. Romans 4, 7, blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven and whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man against whom the Lord will not count his sin. And then the next one, do I have a sense of gratitude to God? Colossians chapter 2 verses 6 and 7 Colossians 2 6 Therefore as we have received Christ Jesus the Lord so walk in him Rooted and built up in him and established in the faith just as you were taught abounding in Thanksgiving not just having a little Thanksgiving but abounding in Thanksgiving in our in our talking about the Lord The next one, do I have an increasing hatred of sin? I won't turn there, but Romans 7 verses 15 and 16, well-known passage where it talks about this increasing hatred of sin as he was growing in the Lord. Next one, do I desire to please God and live a holy life? That is an evidence. that we have really come to know the love of God and God's love for us. That we want to please Him and live a holy life. John 14, 21 talks about that and 1 John 2, 5 and 6. The next one, do I have a desire to know God better and draw near to Him? That's an outgrowth of knowing the love of God. Wonderful verse in Philippians 3, 10. where Paul talks about that, I may know him and the power of his resurrection. The next one, do I have a regret that my love for him is less than what it ought to be? Boy, the more you grow as a Christian, I think this just also grows more and more that you have a desire to or regret that your love for him is less than it ought to be. The more you mature, the more you see, I want a greater, greater, greater love for him. He is worthy. The last one from Martyn Lloyd-Jones, do I have a sense of delight in hearing about God and the things of God? Wonderful First two verses of the book of Psalms, blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, who standeth in the way of sinners, sitteth in the seat of the scornful, but his delight is in the law of God, the word of God. And this just increasing of our sense of delight in hearing about God and the things of God. That's another evidence that we've really come to know the love of God. Well, verse 16 continues on. So we have come to know and believe the love that God has for us. God is love. Now, that's not the first time we've read that in 1 John. That was back in verse 8 of this chapter as well. It's telling us that love is part of the nature of God. God is holy. God is just. God is also love. But in a real sense, you could say it's the heart of his character. Verse 16 continues, God is love and whoever abides in love. Now, what does it mean to abide in love? It means that our love for God and our love for others is a controlling factor of our life. contrast that with the focus on ourself. The non-believer is focused on themself. Gotta push ourself, make ourself more well-known, more comfortable, richer, all kinds of things. And yet the controlling factor for the child of God is the love of God, love for him and expressing his love for others. So he says, that whoever abides in love abides in God. So this, our being controlled and influenced by God's love, that is an evidence that we abide in God. We could never abide in love if we weren't abiding in God. Because the natural man will not abide in love. God is dwelling in the believer and Therefore we are able to have this kind of love. It's an impossibility for the non-believer Then we come to number four We have boldness at the judgment and that's in verses 17 and 18 so verse 17 by this, so there's one of those other by this statements, by this, by our abiding love, by our abiding in God and God's abiding in us, by this is love perfected within us. Now, when most people say something has been perfected, they mean there were some flaws. in that it was in a state of imperfection and needs to be brought into a state of perfection. For instance, in these days, we hear a lot about developing a vaccine for the coronavirus or about medicines to treat coronavirus. And there are treatments out there and they're working on the vaccine and so on. But, you know, there's imperfections. along the way as they are developing these things. And so finally the day will come when the vaccine is perfected and the treatment is perfected. That's the common way of thinking of the word perfected. But in the New Testament, the Greek word that is translated perfected here generally means something that is finished, completed, or accomplished. Now that's a little different. than saying something that where all the imperfections have been removed. So this talking about love is perfected, it isn't saying that our love for each other is a flawless expression of God's love. But what he is saying is that love is perfected. He's saying that it is God's love being put into action. That is love perfected. God's love being put into action. God's love is reaching its goal in unselfish, self-sacrificial love. So when God's love is at work within us and we are growing in that relationship and the fruit of the Holy Spirit is being produced in our life, That love is perfected, it's not flawless, won't be that way until we go to heaven. But it reaches its accomplished goal of God's goal for that love in our lives that we would be loving him and we would be loving one another with an unselfish love. So he says, by this is love perfected with us so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, confidence for the day of judgment. God won't condemn people who are like his son. And this passage is reminding us that as we repented and came to faith in Christ, we were made like his son. We were given the righteousness of Jesus Christ. and he will not condemn us because we are now his adopted children and we are like his son. So the believer can have no fear of judgment because we have solid evidence that we have been regenerated and that we possess eternal life. And John says, look at that evidence in the love of God that has been perfected in you. He goes on in verse 17, because as he is, so also are we in the world. When it says as he is, some people have argued, is the he referring to God the father or is the he referring to God the son? And you can look at it both ways. But I think we can take it as both. because the Father and the Son are one. And so I think that we should take it that way. But as he is, as the Father, as the Son is, so also are we in this world. Second Corinthians 5.21, that God made him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might be made the righteousness of Jesus Christ, that great, great New Testament promise. So when he says that, as he is, so also are we. We are righteous. We are given the righteousness of Jesus Christ. Therefore, we don't need to fear the judgment because we will stand before God in the righteousness of Jesus Christ. Continuing in verse 18, there is no fear in love. When you love someone, you can approach them, you can be yourself. You don't have to put on an act when you love them and they love you and so on. And so he says, you don't have that kind of fear with God. You don't have to put on a false front. There is no fear that, oh, God might not accept me the way I am. So there is no fear in love. But perfect love, there's that word perfect again, not flawless love. Only God has that. But the love that has become complete and perfect, that is God's love put into action in our life. But perfect love casts out fear. In this case, it's a particular fear. Now I've heard this verse used of just about every fear you can imagine. But what it's specifically referring to in the context is the fear of the judgment day. And so perfect love casts out that fear. We don't have to be afraid of standing before God after we die. And then we have the fifth one. We are made perfect in love. Again, with what he's been talking about. Perfect love. Not flawless, but perfect. Look at the next part of verse 18. For fear has to do with punishment. In other words, believers don't face the punishment for their sin. And you know, you can find lots of verses on that in the New Testament. Romans 5, 9, Since we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. What a great promise. 1 Thessalonians 1, 10, And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus, who delivers us from the wrath to come. And 1 Thessalonians 5, 9, For God has destined us for wrath, has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. You know, you would have fear if you had broken some rule of your company and you were called into the boss's office. You would have a fear of, oh, I know I broke that. They know it. What are they going to do? fire me? Are they going to dock my pay? All kinds of thoughts like that. But if you're innocent, you walk in there without that fear because you know that you are innocent. And so he says, whoever fears has not been perfected in love. Someone who professes faith in Christ but fears his return and fears his death, gives evidence that something is seriously wrong, because believers are to love his appearing. 2 Timothy 4.8 says, Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day. And not only to me, but also to all who have loved his appearing. And we love his appearing. And we love standing before him someday because we have assurance of escaping the judgment. Do you fear the day of judgment? If you do, this passage is saying examine yourself. Are you really a child of God? Have you really come in repentance and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ? If you are a believer, you don't have to have that fear because you can have the confidence that there is no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus. But also think about how many around us are fearful of death. They need the good news. They need this passage that you can have confidence in the day of judgment through the Lord Jesus Christ. Let's pray. Father, we thank you for these verses. Thank you for this confidence that you have given us. Thank you for your word, which has taught us all these things. yet, because we're going to be in your presence. We're not going to be under your condemnation. But, oh, Father, we pray that you would put in our hearts and minds that conviction that those around us who don't know you, that they need to hear that good news. Father, we pray that we would take advantage of those openings that you give us to share that. And we pray in Jesus name. Amen.