We know
1 John 5:13-15 “These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.
And this is the confidence that we have in Him, that , if we ask any thing according to His Will, He heareth us:
And if we know that He hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of Him.”
1 John is the “fellowship book”…it shows us how we attain this fellowship and how we maintain it.
“This is the confidence”…..and “we know”.
This is the reality of fellowship with the Lord Jesus Christ.
This is to know the reality of your faith…and walk with Him.
1 John begins by talking of the walk of fellowship….it is in the Light…
1 John 1:6-7 “If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:
But if we walk in the Light, as He is in the Light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin.”
When we are first born again….we eagerly rush forward to experience the care of our Father, and learning to be His servant. These experiences lead us into more maturity….and into a simple walk, everyday with Christ.
When we picture a walk with someone….we picture side-by-side. Perhaps talking, perhaps enjoying the view around us, perhaps going someplace together.
Each picture is a picture of our walk. But it must be in Light…..His Light.
Genesis 5:24 “And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him.”
If you read the fifth chapter of Genesis….it begins with Adam, stating his son’s name….and then the fact that….”and he died”.
Each progressive son….would have a son, ,…and then, “and he died”…..except one, Enoch.
Enoch walked with God….this means that each day he separated himself from the world’s growing darkness and unbelief in God….
….and walked in fellowship with the Lord.
In all the tasks he performed, the means of feeding his family, the conversations he had (and he warned those around him, which were turning to idols and darkness, and speaking contemptuously of God….. of God’s coming judgment. Read Jude 14-15)….
…..in all these ways, and in all these days….Enoch walked with God in fellowship.
When I read of his “rapture” or translation….I picture Enoch out walking in prayer and fellowship….and God just taking his arm and leading him up to Paradise…still talking and walking along. God and Enoch walking on out of this scene….into God’s Presence.
A walk with us is always what the Lord wanted….from the first, till now with us.
Sin is our greatest enemy…..and it comes through temptations from the world, the flesh and the devil.
1 John 1:8-9 “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
Light….Christ’s Light, shines on sin….on the darkness in our lives….and when we receive the Light….we are illuminated by faith, hope, and begin to trust the Lord.
That is why we need to:
Come to the Light….that we can confess our sin.
Stay in the Light….that the Lord can show us everything about our sin.
Walk in the Light….that the fellowship with the Lord will keep us from sin.
This is to know the reality of our profession of faith…..this is to have Light and Love, and Life.
These three things are the backbone of fellowship with the Lord Jesus. To have His light…to love Him, knowing He loves us…..to know His life, by the Holy Spirit in us and in our living everyday.
1 John 5:12-13 “He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.
These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.”
John is plainly saying to those that believe on Christ….that they should know, and can know that they have eternal life in Him….and that because they know….that will encourage and strengthen their faith, their trust, by believing on His Name….the name of the Son of God.
For prayer, for trials, against sin, for fellowship in life….for the next step with Jesus Christ.
To have confidence in….to know; this is a firm foundation against sin, and the darkness it brings.
(My husband told the testimony of when the Lord was dealing with him about a certain sin in his life, when he was very young.
The Lord showed him the sin, and told him to get it out of his life.
Some sins are hills….and some are mountains, having been formed over many years…and this was one of them.
Well, he ran away from home…..all the way across the country. But his sin was still with him. He was hitchhiking,…
…..till out on a lonely stretch of mountain road one day….he knew that he belonged to the Lord….he knew the sin in his life….
….and all of a sudden the Lord thundered in his soul…”Get this out of your life!”
He tells that he was going to walk on….and consider just what the Lord said….
…when the Lord said, “Now!”
And he quickly took a step back….he did not want to even consider a step forward without getting this taken care of….getting the sin out of his life. And he did remove that which stood between him and the Lord.
For him, he believes, it would have been a sin unto death if he had not…then…got this out of his life.)
1 John 5:16 “If any man see his brother sin a sin which is not unto death, he shall ask, and he shall give him life for them that sin not unto death. There is a sin unto death: I do not say that he shall pray for it.”
When a Christian sins a sin unto death….they have become unusable…and will be set aside in death. The life they should have had will be done.
To refuse the Lord so many times,….when He gives us HIs Light, when He shows us HIs love….when He is ready to give us His life, by the Holy Spirit in the situation….is very serious.
God has a Purpose for each of HIs own.
For each one He has saved, there is a Way to go….but not by ourselves (Praise God!)…for we are called to walk with the Lord.
“Ring out the old….ring in the new.
Another day is through.
Someone slipped and fell,
Was that someone you?
You may try another day,
your courage to renew,
Do not be disheartened,
for I have news for you…
It is no secret, what God will do,
What He’s done for others,
He will do for you.
With Arms wide open, He’ll welcome you.
It is no secret, what God can do!”
Preaching, Teaching, and Notes 