If you will take your Bible, turn with me to 1 John. We are nearing the conclusion of this letter. 1 John chapter 5. This afternoon, verse 13 will be our focus. 1 John 5, 13. I write these things to you who believe, in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life. Again, I'll read, I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life. Let us pray. Father, we thank you that you have spoken. We ask, Lord, that you would help us to hear what you have said, help us to understand We thank you that there is assurance that we know you, and that is to those who believe upon the sun. And so we delight in Jesus this afternoon. We see him all the more clearly. May we worship him. May we be encouraged by your word this afternoon and strengthened in our faith. May we look unto him all the more, for he is our only hope. And it's through Jesus I pray this, amen. Christians can have confidence. Christians can have confidence, particularly for this verse. Christians can have assurance that they actually know the Lord, that they know the Lord. And that gives us great. That gives us great possibility that we can know the true and living God. John writes that he says that you may know that you have eternal life. Just quickly, I think it's helpful to see, let's turn to John, the Gospel of John chapter 20. The Gospel of John chapter 20, and then right at the end of that chapter, in verse 30 and 31. Gospel of John, chapter 20, beginning in verse 30. Now, Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book, but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name. John lets us know the purpose of writing the gospel there. It is that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, that by believing you may have life in his name. And then we go back to first John, chapter five, and we look at verse 13 here. I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may that you may know that you have eternal life. And so, we'll consider this verse John is writing to these Christians. And we've said, you know, as a summary, what is the letter here, 1 John, about? It includes a lot of the basics of Christianity. And so as John writes to these Christians, he gives them the basics of Christianity. And I think that that is important for us to continually hear. Actually, if you listened during Pastor Mark's sermon this morning, he gave you the basics of Christianity once again. And probably week by week, you're going to be hearing the basics of Christianity as we study the scriptures because they come up over and over again. And the reason that I'm pointing you to this basics of Christianity is because in verse 13, he says, I write these things. to you. I write these things." Many folks would say this is talking about the whole letter. Some would point to a more immediate context in chapter 5. But these things, all these things he's written are important for you to consider. And I don't know why I think it's important as I continue to read through 1 John, continue to read through this letter, John is written to this group of Christians and how does he instruct them? How does he write to them? What tone does he come with? I would say he comes with a loving, fatherly tone. Not that there aren't other tones used in scripture, but for this letter anyways, we see this fatherly tone of my little children, beloved children, little children. You see throughout these phrases being used throughout. So John has written these things, the basics of Christianity. And so I think as we're coming to the conclusion of this letter, there should be somewhat of a review again. What has John written? What are these things? And first and foremost, John makes sure that all who read this letter Everyone who were to honestly just pick up this letter and read it, they would understand that they are a sinner. They would understand that they're a sinner. Why would they understand that? Well, from chapter one. So let's turn back. First John, chapter one and verse eight. What are these basics of Christianity that we should know? First John, chapter one, verse eight. If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. And so that's pretty clear, right? Any of us that are able to read, we pick that up and we say, I must be a sinner in light of this scripture that I've just read. Because if I were to say that I have no sin, then I would be deceived and the truth would not be in me. Thank you, Lord, for using John to record some of these basics of Christianity. He also says that the Christian is a person who confesses that sin to God. It's not just that the Christian knows themselves to be a sinner, but there is response, and that is a confession to God. Look there, 1 John 1, verse 9. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. And so confession of sin happens when a Christian thinks about sin like God thinks about sin. And how does God think about sin? We're simply reviewing some of the basics that John has brought to us through this letter, brought to those that he's originally writing and to us as we have read this letter. Confession of sin happens when a Christian thinks about sin like God thinks about sin. And so as I look out among you, I'm going to make eye contact with those that will look at me. And I'll say this is simple. We're sinners. If you're a Christian, then we confess that sin and we confess it because we see sin the way that God sees it, at least to some degree. We have to begin to see it as God sees it. Not that we've seen our sin perfectly, nor have we seen all of our sin, because that would be devastating, I think we would. Melt. But what does God say about sin? God says sin is disobedience to him. It is transgression, stepping over the line, breaking his law. So it's disobedience. So the Christian will confess and they admit that they have disobeyed God. God says that sin must be punished. So if God says sin must be punished in confession, the Christian knows that they deserve punishment. They know that they deserve punishment. And God says that the punishment of sin is death. So the Christian understands that God would be just to punish them in hell forever. These are basics of Christianity. Another way to say this is that sinners deserve eternal death. But John does not leave the sinner without the hope of forgiveness of these sins. For again, 1 John 1 verse 9, if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. So John doesn't leave the sinner without the hope of forgiveness. And He tells us a whole lot. He tells us many details about this hope. I'll simply say it this way, the sinner's only hope is Jesus. We saw that last time, over in chapter 5. You're not having to turn far. We're just in 1 John, in this letter. But turn to chapter 5, verse 12. John says the sinner's only hope is Jesus. and that the sinner can have life in Jesus. Verse 12, whoever has the Son has life. So if the wages of sin is death and all of us will agree that as sinners against God we deserve eternal death or punishment, For our sins against Him, John says, whoever has the Son has life. The sinner's only hope is Jesus. John simply is laying out these details, the basics of Christianity. And he teaches that the sinner is saved by trusting in Jesus. You must trust in Jesus. The people who have the Son have life. The people who have the Son have life. In our verse for this afternoon, 1 John 5 verse 13, I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God. Those who believe. The sinner is saved by this belief, this trust, this dependence, this faith in Jesus. And belief or faith in Jesus is a mark of people who are in the family of God. 1 John 5 verse 1, the first part of that verse, everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God. So if a person trusts in Jesus, then this person is in the family of God. And this is the basics of Christianity simply laid out there. And also a basic is that there is evidence that a person has been saved. And so, John can write to the Christians and say that you all, born of God, will not make a practice of sinning. Chapter 3, verse 6. 1 John 3, 6. No one who abides in Him keeps on sinning. No one who keeps on sinning has either seen him or known him. This should be a basic understanding for us as Christians, that God doesn't let us go on in our sin. Habitual lifestyle of sin is something that we are saved from, we are being delivered from. And so there is a struggle against our sin because we have now been born of God. But again it says, and I can't go away from this teaching of this letter, which is pretty black and white and sometimes hard to hear, but no one 1 John 3, 6. No one who abides in Him keeps on sinning. No one who keeps on sinning has either seen Him or known Him. It's practice of sinning. And John has told us that the Christian obeys the commandments of God. Turn back to chapter 2, 1 John 2, beginning in verse 3. By this we know that we have come to know Him. if we keep His commandments. Whoever says, I know Him, but does not keep His commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoever keeps His word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him." So he says that the Christian obeys the commandments of God. The person who is born of God, John says, the person who actually knows God, or these Christians that he's writing to, he says, the Christian lives a life of love. And so in chapter 4, verses 7 and 8, 1 John 4, 7 and 8, Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God. And whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God because God is love. And finally, John writes that one evidence that you have new life in Christ is by loving the brothers. So we've said it here, a Christian lives a life of love. He said it in another way in chapter 3 verse 14, 1 John 3 verse 14. We're looking at all of these things because 5.13 he says, I write these things to you So these things, 3.14, 1 John 3.14 says, we know that we have passed out of death into life because we love the brothers. Whoever does not love abides in death. And so John gives us some of the basics here. And knowing all these things, we can have confidence. So in chapter 5 verse 13 and then in a couple weeks to follow, we'll consider these ways that God has given the Christian confidence, how they can have confidence, knowing all these things. I can have confidence. Once you understand the basics of Christianity, And once you have believed in Jesus for salvation, then you can have confidence. I write these things, 513, to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life. What kind of confidence should come from these things that John has written? It says it there at the end of the verse, that you may know that you have eternal life. The purpose of writing is that you may know that you have eternal life. John is giving the true reasons to have confidence of salvation or assurance of salvation. What is eternal life? Of course, we'd say that it is a life that does not end. But eternal life is knowing the Lord. You ask why would I say that eternal life is knowing the Lord? I say that from 1 John 1, look with me, verses 1 and 2. John begins the letter. that which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon and have touched with our hands concerning the word of life. The life was made manifest and we have seen it and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life. which was with the Father and was made manifest to us." So John is a witness of eternal life. Eternal life has been made manifest to him. That is Jesus Christ, ultimately, knowing the Lord. And we could also look back to John 17. Again, let's go back there. John 17, the Gospel of John 17. I've written these things to you that you may know that you have eternal life. It's those, of course, who have believed in the name of the Son of God. John 17, verse 3, this, and this is eternal life, that they know the only true God and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. As Jesus prays, He says what eternal life is. John confesses that he proclaims to you eternal life. And ultimately, that is how we might know the true God in Jesus Christ, whom has been sent by the Father. And so John writes to the Christians so that they can have confidence that they actually know God. You say, I'm not being helped very much here. I hear the words you're saying, and that seems to be these things, all that he's written in the letter, and that I might know that I actually know God. And I went through some of those basics of Christianity, but the truth is some people struggle. Some people struggle, many, to have confidence that they know God. They struggle to know that God has actually saved them, that they are in right relationship with God. And so for the rest of our time, I want us to consider Where does this confidence of salvation actually come from? And back in 1 John 5, verse 13, I think we will see the key or we will see the point. Where does the confidence actually come from? So if we look back there and I'll read this verse again, I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life. Confidence comes from believing in Jesus. And so Barnes will say, these things that I have written to you, he's thinking through the letter, trying to make sense of John's words there at the beginning of verse 13. And he says, the things in this epistle respecting the testimony bore to the Lord Jesus Christ. Certainly we have lots of details, lots of important information here that we should consider. But we're not going to be able to have any confidence if it doesn't begin with our belief on the Lord Jesus Christ. Trust and dependence upon Him for who He is. So how can a person confirm their faith? How can they know that they actually have eternal life and know God? Calvin says that We ought to observe the way in which faith is confirmed. Even, and he's talking about the letter, by having the office and power of Christ explained to us. See Calvin says that these things that the Lord has written so that your faith might be strengthened, that you might know that you actually know the true God, is when you are pointed to Jesus Christ. to his power and his actual work, what he has done. Certainly, we need to understand that it is a reality that the Christian does obey, but we don't look to our obedience for assurance, you see. We can know that the Christian does live a life of love, but we don't sit there and dwell on, oh, how exactly am I acting if I want to be assured of knowing the Lord? The assurance of knowing the Lord is primarily looking to Christ and what He has done and His power to save us and to change us. And then obedience will certainly follow as we are looking to Him. Our life of love will certainly follow. We will live a life of love, as John puts it, as we abide in Him. And so for the rest of the time, I think that we should I think we should consider what John has written about Jesus. These things that I've written to you who believe in the name of the son of God. Oh, we only know the name. We know that they called him Jesus the Christ. And now we're assured no name has to do with the person and what they've done. Name has to do with the life that he lived. and ultimately the atoning death that he died and the punishment that he took upon himself. And so confidence for salvation is for those of you who believe in the name of the Son of God. John wrote this of Jesus in chapter 2, 1 John 2, verse 1. My little children, I'm writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ, the righteous. John tells the Christians not to sin, but if anyone does sin, we have a helper, an advocate. There is one who will stand beside you in the courtroom of God. Jesus Christ, the righteous, comes beside the one who is trusting and depending upon him. Jesus Christ comes beside the Christian. Well, how can Jesus help a person who has sinned? How can Jesus help a person who is unrighteous? It is because Jesus Christ, the righteous, gives the unrighteous person his own righteousness. Sinners can be justified, declared right in the sight of God, have a right relationship with God because they have a foreign righteousness and alien righteousness, something that's outside of them, a perfect righteousness, the righteousness of Christ is given to the Christian. Oh, we have an advocate and he is none other than Jesus Christ, the righteous. John has told us about Jesus and his righteousness. Chapter two, verse 29. It's important to understand that Jesus is righteous. John 2, 1st John, excuse me, 1st John 2, 29. If you know that he is righteous, you may be sure that everyone who practices righteousness has been born of him. You see, knowing that he is righteous will affect our own behavior. The focus upon Christ is the foundation of being transformed. And our assurance comes from the fact that Jesus indeed is righteous, and we can actually be made righteous because of Him. And if we have been given Jesus' righteousness, where is our sin? This is a good question to ask, right? You say, well, now I've given this approval, this right standing before God, but what happened to my sin? John will clear that up for us. He says, 1 John 3 verse 5, 1 John 3, 5, You know that He, Jesus, appeared to take away sins, and in Him there is no sin. Know that Jesus appeared to take away sins. That's where our sin went. Jesus took them away. And if you know that Jesus takes away sins, then abide in Him. He is the sinner's only hope. And when you're looking to Him, you can have some confidence. that you actually know God and can actually be reconciled to God and will eternally dwell with God. Oh, John tells us about Jesus. He says there in 1 John 3, 6, no one who abides in him keeps on sinning. No one who keeps on sinning has either seen him or known him, but it must be abiding to begin with. knowing that we abide with Him because He takes away sins. John tells us a lot about Jesus in this letter. I hope that you'll read back through it again and continue to see these ways in which John speaks of Jesus. John, he tells us that God's love is displayed through Jesus. And so if we want to know the love of God, then we have to, we can only see the love of God properly in Jesus Christ. Chapter four, verses nine and 10. 1 John 4, nine and 10. In this, the love of God was made manifest among us. that God sent His only Son into the world so that we might have life through Him. And this is love, not that we have loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. So God the Father showed His love by sending life-giving Jesus. That's it! Those that believe in the name of the Son of God are the ones that can have the assurance of salvation. We're believing in life-giving Jesus. And how might Jesus give life? He gives life because He laid down His life. We see there He is a propitiation for our sins. He satisfied the wrath of God. His life was as a sin sacrifice. And so the punishment has been put upon Jesus and will not be put upon us. Jesus is the propitiation for our sins. Trusting in Jesus is the only way that we might receive this love of God. Oh, I want to be confident that I know him. I want to know, like John says, that he's written these things who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life. I want to know that I know him. Look to Jesus. Trust Him. When I say look, I mean depend upon Him. Only after we know Jesus can we love our brothers. Only after we know Him. Who is He? Tell me, John, under inspiration of the Holy Spirit, who is He? Chapter 3, verse 16. By this we know love, that He, Jesus, laid down His life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. Of course John is saying that we ought to love the brethren. But in order to love the brethren, you've got to Believe upon the name of the Son of God. You've got to believe upon Jesus. And who am I believing on? Who am I trusting in? It's that One who laid down His life for us. The One who died, but yet did not deserve to be in that place. If anyone should get eternal life and never have to suffer any punishment for sin, it would certainly be Jesus. But yet the scripture says that He laid down His life for us, taking our sins. He appeared to take away our sins. Are your sins taken away? If they are, it's only because Jesus has taken them away. Trust Him. In overcoming sin, flesh, the devil is only possible through Jesus, only possible through trusting in Him. For He is the one who enables us to have victory or to overcome. Chapter 5 verse 4, everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. Chapter 5 verse 4. Everyone who is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world. Our faith. This dependence and trust upon Christ. Verse 5, who is it that overcomes the world? Except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God. He had to be the Son of God. He could not be only man when he came to this earth. He had to have perfection. He had to have divine origin. Otherwise, if he had been only man, then he would have had a sin nature. Depending and trusting in Jesus Christ, John says, is the way we might overcome. And if you depend and trust upon him, then you can know that you have eternal life. You can know that you really know God or in a right relationship with him. John, what else did Jesus do? Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil. Chapter 3, verse 8. Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil. Oh, John, thank you for telling us all about Jesus, for focusing upon the power of Jesus to Destroy the works of the devil. Focus upon the works of Jesus of taking away our sin and being our righteousness. Now we can have some confidence before you. The Christian can have confidence that they actually know God. We can have confidence that we know God through the Son of God, Jesus himself. We can have confidence that we have eternal life, this life that does not end. And why is that so important? It's not a life to live for ourselves. It's life with the Lord, you see. That is eternal life. That is salvation that the scripture describes. Becoming a Christian begins with believing in Jesus. The Christian life continues by believing in Jesus. And confidence of salvation comes from believing in Jesus. He's written these things that we may know. He's written these things to those who do believe in the name of the Son of God, those who are trusting and depending upon Christ for salvation, forgiveness of their sins and a righteousness to stand before God with reconciliation to God. He's written these things that we might know that we have eternal life. If you have begun To obey the commandments of God from the heart, if you have begun to live a life of love, then this only possibly flows from trusting and depending upon Christ. Only because of Jesus have you been changed by this gospel, this good news, that Jesus saves sinners, that the sinner's only hope is found in Christ. But there is hope, no question about it. Don't doubt the goodness of God. Don't doubt that God has the ability to forgive. He is faithful and just to forgive us and cleanse us of all unrighteousness if we confess our sin and if we believe upon his son. You and I should be encouraged that there is evidence that we know God because we actually trust in Christ. We also can be encouraged that he tells us some other marks of the Christian, you know, as the Lord brings us along, as the Lord has saved us. But it begins by trusting in Christ. Don't focus upon the evidence and fail to focus upon Christ. This letter, if you go through and you see all the evidences of a Christian and you begin to focus on your obedience and your life of love, then you will miss the good news. You will miss and you will not be able to have assurance of salvation. Because the ultimate salvation begins and is carried through by trusting in Christ. Confidence of salvation comes from believing in Jesus. And so John says, I write these things to you, believe in the name of the son of God that you may know that you have eternal life. John has written these basics of Christianity. He writes how a person can know that they know God. So confidence comes from believing Jesus as advocate before the father. He's our only helper. before the judgment of God. Confidence of salvation comes from believing in Jesus, the one who takes away sins. You say, where did they go? Well, Jesus took them away, and the record of our debt, we find, was nailed to the cross, actually. Confidence of salvation comes from believing in Jesus, the one who laid down his life for us. All these things John has told us. Confidence of salvation comes from believing in Jesus, who destroys the works of the devil. that one who is seeking someone to devour. Confidence of salvation comes from believing in Jesus who enables us to overcome the world. It is by believing in Jesus. When you trust, depend, and believe upon Jesus, then you can know that you have eternal life. Let us pray. Father, would you grant us such assurance that we know you, And so what I'm asking is, would you grant us continued trust and dependence upon Christ? John writes this letter to these Christians who had experienced a split in the church or certainly a great separation. Some had gone out from them. They were even possessed by the spirit of the Antichrist. I'm sure this was very traumatic to them. Father, you comforted these believers as you inspired John to write these words that they might know that they have eternal life. Lord, we can be distressed for many things in this life. Our own lack of love distresses us, our lack of obedience to you distresses us, many things distress us. But thank you that your word assures us that all who trust in Christ, all that believe upon him, are actually in a right relationship with God through Christ. We can be reconciled to God. We are reconciled to God through Christ. There is now peace in this relationship between the sinner and God, because Jesus, the Prince of Peace, has paved the way. He is the way and the truth, and He has taken their sins. He has taken their punishment. He has satisfied the right wrath. the holy justice of God toward our sins and we can be given his perfect righteousness. Oh would you comfort hearts this night and assure them that they know you as they trust and depend upon Christ. Jesus is our only hope and father I am so glad that you have written these words. Lord would you use them to minister to our minds and to our souls And ultimately, we know that our whole manner of life will be affected as we trust upon your son. And so Jesus, I pray this and I ask that you would indeed bless your word, bless your people even now.