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The Basis of Christian Confidence: 1 John 5:13-21
By Ted Schroder,
www.tedschroder.com
November 23, 2014
How confident are you about your faith? Do you sometimes wonder whether you are whistling in the dark to keep your spirits up? Are there times when you are filled with doubt about the reality of the Gospel, and are uncertain whether it is true? When you listen to the news is your heart touched with dismay at the chaos in the world? When the phone rings are you fearful that there is another crisis or tragedy in your family or with your friends that you have to listen to and absorb? Do you wonder whether there is any rhyme or reason to your existence and any better future? Does all this cause you to be depressed and anxious?
St. John wrote to reassure his fellow Christians of the reality of the Gospel so that they would have confidence that all that they believed was worthwhile. "I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know....." He writes so that they may know with certainty the truth of their faith. Seven times he writes that "we know". Their confidence had been attacked by people who claimed to know more than they had been taught by the apostles. Our confidence in the Gospel may be attacked from time to time by people and circumstances in our lives. Spurgeon writes that "It is very possible for a man to be a very strong believer and yet to question whether he has a spark of faith!... I am personally taught to be tender of poor doubters, for I have often been one myself... it cannot be questioned that some of the best believers are, at times, sorely put to it to know whether they are believers at all!"
What can St John tell us that would give us a sound basis for our confidence in the Gospel?
First that we may know that we have eternal life(v.13). This is gift that we enter into in Christ by his Spirit now. "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life" (John 3:16). When we believe in Christ we know our eternal destiny. It is eternal life with Christ not eternal death by perishing. This eternal life is not just a promise, it is an inheritance enjoyed in the present and secured for us in heaven. It is fellowship with God who is eternal now. We share in his life-giving Spirit now. We have a future and a sure and certain hope of resurrection to life eternal now. This knowledge that we have eternal life is in stark contrast to the despair of atheistic humanism that haunts our academics, novelists and artists and logically leads to destructive behavior.
Second, that we may know that God hears us in prayer -- we know that we have what we asked of him if we ask anything according to his will (vv.13-15). We may be confident and bold before God as we pray. He delights to hear our prayers. Prayer is the expression of our faith. Jesus taught us to pray: "Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven." Prayer is conversation with God as we live in fellowship with him. We share all our cares and concerns with God in prayer. We give thanks for all our blessings in prayer. We are never alone, and we need never be afraid for he is with us, only a prayer away.
Have we trials and temptations? Is there trouble anywhere?
We should never be discouraged, Take it to the Lord in prayer.
Can we find a friend so faithful, Who will all our sorrows share?
Jesus knows our every weakness, Take it to the Lord in prayer." (Joseph M. Scriven)
Third, that we may know the power of prayer for others (v.16). When we know that those we love are in trouble, we should pray for them that they may be delivered from evil. We pray that they may enter into and experience eternal life. Sometimes we are discouraged by fellow-Christians who seem to be falling away from the faith. We need to be reassured that our prayers for them can be effective. Sometimes it is members of our family who are unbelievers. They may appear not to have any interest in the matters of the Spirit. Nevertheless we are called to pray that God will give them life, that he will awaken their hearts to his love.
Fourth, that we may know that God protects us and the evil one cannot harm us (v.18). Jesus prayed that his followers would be protected by the power of God's name (John 17:11) as he protected them and kept them safe. "My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one" (John 17:15). When our faith is under attack we need to be reassured that we are protected by the mighty name of God and the evil one cannot harm us. We can put on the whole armor of God (Ephesians 6:10-20).
Fifth, that we may know that we are children of God and that whatever happens in the world our heavenly Father has lavished his love on us and will take care of us (v.19). The world may be going to hell but we are going to be with our heavenly Father in heaven. "I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. My Father who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father's hand" (John 10:28,29).
Sixth, that we may know that the Son of God has come and has given us the understanding we need so that we know the truth that is in Jesus (v.20). This is the truth that we stand upon -- that Jesus is the Truth. He is the true God and the giver of eternal life. And we are in him by grace through faith. Everything else is false. We need to be on guard against being deceived by "clever facsimiles" (v. 21, The Message). We have the discernment necessary to tests the spirits to see whether they are of Christ. Jesus is the criteria of truth. He is the Gold Standard by which we measure truth from error, what is genuine from what is counterfeit, what will last from what will perish.
What does this say to the agnostic? The agnostic finds it difficult to have confidence in Christian faith for many reasons and therefore opts for uncertainty -- the comfort zone that is short of the confident unbelief of atheism. There are many things of which we can be legitimately unsure. We don't know the answers to everything. Humility is the virtue that acknowledges our limitations. But we need to know some things if we are make sense of life and find strength to live it to the fullest. Faith is the risk we take to enjoy the possibilities that God gives us. We have to make a choice of believing in Jesus as the truth or not believing. We have to either follow him or reject him. There is no middle ground. Agnosticism is not an option. It is like a man who wants to keep on dating but never will commit himself to be married.
Faith is commitment on the evidence. Jesus has given us enough evidence to belief and to know the truth. It is up to us to decide to act on it or not. We either live in the sure and certain knowledge that we have eternal life or not. We either know that God hears us in prayer or we don't. We either know the power of prayer for others or we don't. We either know that God protects us or we don't. We either know that we are the children of God or we don't. We either know that the Son of God has come and given us the understanding we need to know the truth that is in Jesus or we don't.
Do you have the confidence to believe in the name of the Son of God?
Ted's blog is found at www.tedschroder.com SOUL FOOD: DAILY DEVOTIONS FOR THE HUNGRY, Vol.1, January, February and March is available for gifts at Amazon.com
