Are You Sured? 你肯定嗎﹖                                                                                                8-22-10

 

INTRODUCTION

 

Years ago there was a TV commercial of the SURE deodorant. It used a humorous way to illustrate some important truth. I have it on the screen and so let us take a look. (Video clip) The message is very clear: those who put on the SURE deodorant can freely raise their arms because they are confident that there is no bad odor from their body. If I ask everyone sitting here today whether you are a Christian I wonder if you can confidently say yes and raise your arm. It is not because you have put on the SURE deodorant but because you have an inner conviction of your salvation.

 

Pastor Chou shared with us 3 Sundays ago at the baptism about our self-perception on salvation. Let us briefly review the four types of people he mentioned:

 

 

The first and fourth types of people are of lesser concern because they know their spiritual status very clearly, though from an evangelistic point of view we as Christians need to pray for the fourth type of people, share the gospel with them and hopefully by God’s mercy they will become Christians one day. In this message today we are trying to help out the second and third types of people.

 

The book of first John was written to help us know for sure whether or not we are saved. The apostle John addressed to most likely the non-Jewish Christians. These people were like many of us. They did not grow up in Christian family nor did they have any knowledge about the Bible before they became Christians. In 5:13 of the book John states the purpose of this letter: “I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.” My prayer is that when everyone leaves this sanctuary today you can be absolutely sure whether or not you are a Christian. Our time can only allow us to pick up a few major themes from the book of 1 John. As we go through these themes you can give answer of yes or no to each of them in your heart. I urge you to open your Bible to 1 John as we will read together some of the key passages.

 

EXPLANATION

 

1.   Relationship with God the Father and Jesus Christ 與父神並耶穌基督的關係

 

Let us read from 1:3-7. 3We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. 4We write this to make our joy complete. 5This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. 6If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. 7But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. John states that Christians have a close relationship with one another. The same word “fellowship” repeats 4 times in these verses. Christians have fellowship with one another because we have fellowship with God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ. John says if a person is having fellowship with God the Father and Jesus Christ he is no longer walking in darkness but is walking in the light. As a result of that Jesus Christ cleanses us of all the sins by His blood. Those who accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior have been reconciled with God. Paul adds in Gal. 4:6-7: Because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, "Abba, Father." 7So you are no longer a slave, but a son; and since you are a son, God has made you also an heir. To call the Heavenly Father “Abba” is the same as to call Him “daddy” in nowadays term. This is so foreign to the Jews because they dare not to say God’s name directly. No one can say with sincerity that God the Father is his Heavenly Father unless he is a believer. Paul also says in 1 Cor. 12:3: “Therefore I tell you that no one who is speaking by the Spirit of God says, "Jesus be cursed," and no one can say, "Jesus is Lord," except by the Holy Spirit.” No one can admit from his heart that Jesus is his Lord unless he has been saved.

 

The first and the most fundamental test for you is: what is your relationship with God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ? Is God your Heavenly Father? Is Jesus Christ your Savior and your Lord? For example, as you pray do you genuinely believe that God is listening to your prayer because you have a close relationship with Him? Do you joyfully give glory and honor to Jesus Christ and you have a deep desire to please Him no matter what you do in life because you exalt Him as your Lord?

 

2.   Relationship with Sin與罪的關係

 

The second test is regarding our relationship with sin. Please read with me 1:8-9. 8If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. 9If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. What kind of sin is John talking about here? Doesn’t the Bible tell us that when we received Christ all of our sins – past, present and future - have been forgiven? Christians are familiar with passage like Romans 3:23-24: “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.” By “justified” Paul is saying that once we received Christ we are made sinless. So are Christians still sinners? Yes and no. There are a few aspects to do with sin that we need to be clear about. By accepting Christ’s redemption by faith one is freed from the eternal judgment of sin. However, in reality we are still inclined to sin. We still live with an imperfect body in a condemned world. Christians can still sin against God, either on purpose or by accident. That is where 1 John 1:8-9 comes into play. If a Christian humbly confesses the sin he has committed God is willing and able to forgive him. These sins will not affect our status in God as His spiritual children but they will affect our fellowship with God. Therefore the forgiveness we ask for takes away the guilt and anything that hinders the fellowship with God. It is like when you have a quarrel with your children or your parents this disagreement will not affect your relationship but it will only affect your fellowship.

 

I often use an illustration to explain this truth. It is like when a student came from overseas to study in U.S. Before he came his parents may give him a large sum of money for his tuition and living expenses. Soon after this student arrives he would open a bank account and deposit the money. The next time when the bills come and he does not have enough cash to pay for them all he has to do is to write some checks or go to the ATM machine to withdraw some money. The reason why he can clear his debts that way is because his bank account has a balance. The same is true for Christians. Whenever we commit a certain sin all we need to do is go to our spiritual account of God’s grace, repent to God and withdraw His forgiveness. But that does not mean that Christians can keep on sinning and lavish on God’s forgiving grace. That is another big topic we will not examine today.

 

Another aspect of Christian’s relationship with sin is mentioned in 3:9. 9No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God's seed remains in him; he cannot go on sinning, because he has been born of God. Here John says that a Christian will not and cannot continue to live in sin. A Christian will not going on sinning because God’s life is in him. The Holy Spirit lives in this person will convict him every time he sins to make him grieve for his rebellion so that he will return with repentance. Then John says a Christian cannot go on sinning because he has been born of God. God is in that person and it is against his new nature to dwell in sin any more. He does not find it enjoyable to sin.

 

Let us do a little self examination here. What is your attitude toward sin? Do you know God’s standard for a holy living and do you hate what God hates? Do you sense the alert in your heart when temptations come? Even when you sin do you feel the joy or grieve of it in your heart?

 

3.   Relationship with God’s Word 與神話語的關係

 

Next on the list has to do with the Bible. Let us continue to read from 2:3-5. 3We know that we have come to know him if we obey his commands. 4The man who says, "I know him," but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him. 5But if anyone obeys his word, God's love is truly made complete in him. This is how we know we are in him: Where can we find God’s commands? They are all recorded in the Bible, of course. Psalm 119 gives us very good insight on obedience toward God’s Word. Verses 33-34 read: “Teach me, O LORD, to follow your decrees; then I will keep them to the end. 34 Give me understanding, and I will keep your law and obey it with all my heart.”

 

If you say you are a Christian do you have a desire to obey God’s Word? I am not saying whether or not you obey His commands clause by clause perfectly at all time. But do you have the willingness to obey His Word? Moreover, let us take one step back on this question. How can we know what God’s commands are if we do not take time to read them? Very often I will hear people say: this Bible study thing is time-consuming I just want to know what the Bible says about this and that issues in life. But the problem is, if you do not spend time to study a particular passage and know what it really says then how can you apply it to your life? So a related question to that is: do you have a desire to read God’s Word? Do you make it a habit to read the Bible on a daily basis – regardless of whether you are following the church’s Bible Reading Plan or other ways? As you read the Bible do you simply rush through it so that you can say to yourself you have completed the minimum requirement, or do you read it with a readiness that God will use the passage you read to point to some areas of your life that needs to be changed? In response you act in obedience to God’s instruction.

 

4.   Relationship with Brothers and Sisters 與弟兄姐妹的關係

 

Now let us examine our relationship with brothers and sisters in Christ. Look with me at 2:9-11. Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates his brother is still in the darkness. 10Whoever loves his brother lives in the light, and there is nothing in him[c] to make him stumble. 11But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks around in the darkness; he does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded him. In chapter one he says those who are walking with God are walking in the light. Here John tells us that those who love their brothers, and of course it includes the sisters as well, are living in the light. Otherwise they are still in the darkness. It is that clear cut – whether you love or hate your brothers and sisters and whether or not you live in the light or in the darkness. What kind of hatred is John talking about? John uses the same word in 3:13 when he says “Do not be surprised, my brothers, if the world hates you”. If you are not being naïve you would admit that Christians are always hated by the fallen world because we are walking in the light and non-believers are walking in darkness. Jesus also reminds us in John 13:34-35 34"A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." To love brothers and sisters is a command we need to obey and an indication that we are Christians.

 

You may ask: how do we show our love for those who are in Christ? John further elaborates it in 3:16-18. 16This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. 17If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? 18Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth. John encourages us to follow the example of Christ to sacrifice ourselves for other believers. Just as Christ laid down His life for us we ought to lay down our lives for fellow believers. A practical test for that mentality, as John suggests, is whether or not we are willing to share our belongings to those who are in need.

 

If you say you are a Christian then is your life characterize by sacrificial kindness to others, especially toward believers? When you see or hear a brother or sister in need is your heard moved by compassion? Then your compassion is accompanied by actions. Do you eagerly look for opportunity to help other believers with your possession, money, time or talent?

 

5.   Relationship with the Secular World 與俗世的關係

 

To most of the Christians 2:15-17 may be one of the most well-known passages in the book of 1 John. 15Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16For everything in the world—the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does—comes not from the Father but from the world. 17The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever. Here the word “world” is where we derive the word cosmos from. When the Bible uses the word “world” it can refer to the physical world where the humans live in, i.e. the earth. It can also mean the management of the human beings, for example the government. But here when John talks about the world he is describing the fallen world that promotes all the ungodly values, for instance riches, fame and pleasure. John summarizes them in three categories: the cravings of the sinful man, the lust of the eyes and the boasting of what he has and does. John says the problem with such value system is that it would lure us away from loving God.

 

I was at a dental office a few days ago. I was pondering on this sermon during the waiting time. But at the same time I flipped through the magazines. When you glance through these magazines you can somewhat discern what is in the mind of typical modern people. I came across a section on a particular magazine with the title “Perfect Things.” The editor describes that these merchandises are innovated, beautiful and lust-inducing to make one think that materialism can’t be completely bad. On the top of the list is a luxury European sports car. Needless to say it is eye-appealing on the outside with all sorts of electronic gadgets on the inside. It is said that the manufacturer may consider actually building such a car if it receives 1,000 orders. Thus far 2,000 orders have been received. What about the price tag? It sells for $ 630,000 a piece – may be two to three times of most of our houses. What it is selling is more than a means of transportation but a prideful feeling that one is beyond the ordinary. If you want to be special you have to look good and feel good.

 

Therefore, the question for us is: do we love what the secular world can offer? Are you more eager to show off what you have – your new clothes, cell phone, car or house? Are you content with what you have or always jealous about what other people have? Do you take pride in your education degrees, income and career or your relationship with Jesus Christ? There may be nothing wrong about money and material possession but do you have a firm conviction that all you have are from God and do you have a desire to use what God entrusts to you for His glory? For example, do you actively use your car to provide transportation for others? If God gives you a bigger house do you use it to host meetings at your home so that people can have fellowship and seekers can hear the gospel?

 

CONCLUSION

 

Let us recap the five criteria we have mentioned. How do you score in these tests? Again we are trying to evaluate ourselves before God using these questions, rather than judging others. If we give scores from a scale of 1 to 100 we may have higher scores on some questions but low on others. But if we can only between a 0 and 1 how would you score? Therefore, the issue is whether or not you are doing quite well or have much room to improve on these questions. No one can ever boast that he will never commit any sin or love other believers perfectly after he became a Christian. Christians are always in the processing of spiritual growth to be mold and shaped after Christ-likeness. The issue is a matter of black and white – whether you have these qualities or you don’t. For example a person is either a child of the Heavenly Father or he is not. There is no middle ground.

 

If you find that you have all 5 qualities we have covered then it would be safe to say that indeed you are a Christian. Praise the Lord for that! But for those who don’t today is a God-given opportunity for you to receive salvation. You can pray to God this way: Heavenly Father I thank you for what I have heard today in Your Word. I humbly admit to you that I am a sinner and I cannot cleanse my sins by my own effort. I believe that Jesus Christ is God and when He came to the earth 2,000 years ago He died on the cross for my sins. I now open my heart to receive Christ as my Savior. I also accept Him to be the Lord of my life. Help me to lead a life according to His will. In the name of Jesus Christ I pray, amen.