Pick up next week 13b “continue to believe” is not suggesting that a person would stop believing for salvation but it is transitioning to the next passage which is talking about prayer.
Vrs 14-15 This passage is teaching us about prayer.
The moment you wake up each morning, all your wishes and hopes for the day rush at you like wild animals. And the first job each morning consists in shoving it all back; in listening to that other voice, taking that other point of view, letting that other, larger, stronger, quieter life come flowing in. C.S. Lewis
1. Confidence
A tale is told about a small town that had historically been "dry," but then a local businessman decided to build a tavern. A group of Christians from a local church were concerned and planned an all-night prayer meeting to ask God to intervene. It just so happened that shortly thereafter lightning struck the bar and it burned to the ground. The owner of the bar sued the church, claiming that the prayers of the congregation were responsible, but the church hired a lawyer to argue in court that they were not responsible. The presiding judge, after his initial review of the case, stated that "no matter how this case comes out, one thing is clear. The tavern owner believes in prayer and the Christians do not."
It is crucial for a Christian to view prayer as priority
If I should neglect prayer but a single day, I should lose a great deal of the fire of faith. Martin Luther
2. According to His will, how do we know it is His will?
One day Ivan a prisoner in a Soviet prison camp is praying with his eyes closed when a fellow prisoner notices him and says with ridicule, "Prayers won't help you get out of here any faster." Opening his eyes, Ivan answers, "I do not pray to get out of prison but to do the will of God."
The idea of knowing and praying God’s will in your life, simply is being willing to be open to whatever God has for your life when you pray.
3. He hears us, A common misconception about God is that He is not hearing us. He hears us but He does not have to listen to us. Meaning we don’t tell Him what to do. As I mentioned a few weeks ago, don’t expect God to meet your needs if you are not willing to listen to Him
4. Petitions (for others) This is how we can truly love our fellow
O divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console, to be understood as to understand, to be loved as to love; for it is in giving that we receive it; it is in pardoning that we are pardoned; it is in dying that we are born to eternal life. Francis of Assisi
Christ went more readily went to the cross, than we go to the throne of grace. Thomas Watson
Vrs 16 First lets deal with the Theology “sin leading to death” what is it?
This is an in house prayer
Praying for Christians-we can bring their struggle with sin and their needs to Jesus too. A Christians sin no longer leads to spiritual death because we are forgiven by Jesus but the sin we commit or live in still has to be dealt with, pray for the struggles.
It is strange that, while praying, we seldom ask for change of character, but always a change in circumstance.
Praying for non-Christians-that they trust Jesus, you don’t bring a non-believers sin to the Lord
So John in this passage is saying “I am not talking about praying for the ones who you thought were Christians but are apostate, I am talking about a petitioners prayer for Christians” He is also not discouraging prayer for non-believers he is just clarifying his teaching.
If someone is an unbeliever don’t pray for their sin problems but pray for their sin condition, they need Jesus
Vrs 17 All things wrong are sin but when a believer sins they are spared spiritual death because of Jesus, that does not change the fact that a goal is Sanctification to overcome that sin in their life.
This is not who you should be you should not be sinning.
Vrs 18 The regenerated heart wants to and does follow Jesus, we have to live to that heart not our old nature. Through Jesus we can have victory over sin, in ourselves we cannot have victory.
Vrs 19 There are two groups those who belong to Jesus and those who do not. Those who do not, the world is under the influence of Satan
Satan is like a shady salesperson, he makes you think you need what he has and then when you buy in you realize it is junk, a waste of time and is destructive
To get more scary, what do predators do to deceive children? They act as if they have something better for the child so the child will follow them and trust them.
That is what Satan does, “you asked your heavenly Father for this or that and He did not give it to you, but I can” This can stem from us having a warped view of prayer.
Vrs 20 How do we combat Satan deceiving us, cling to truth. When it comes to truth we have to counter act false teachings of what some say God will do for you and look at the truth Jesus. Because if we buy the lie “God is supposed to be good but He has not been good to me” Satan gets a foothold in our lives
Lets take a look at Jesus. Jesus was not rich, Jesus was homeless, Jesus was not good looking, Jesus mourned the death of friends, Jesus was tempted Jesus was betrayed, Jesus was abandoned by friends and family, Jesus was mocked, Jesus suffered, Jesus died. So if the God of this universe came and that was His life, how can we expect anything different?
But Jesus rose again and had victory.
So expect that life will not be a walk in the park but we can also claim the victory in Jesus
Then John ends this great letter with a seeming change in subject
Vrs 21 what keeps us from clinging to that truth is having idols, our lives become consumed with the things that we worship, money, power, relationships, selfishness, position/popularity.
These all become functional saviors because we cling to them to stay away from what we don’t want to be or what we are afraid will happen to us.
Be confident in who you are in Jesus and don’t get your self worth or security from anything else, what you look like, what you can do, who likes you.
Find truth and life in Knowing the Son, Jesus
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