Confidence to Love, 1 John 3:19-24, Pastor David Doster

Confidence to Love

1 John 3:19-24

I. Stretching out                                                                                                             (Introduction)

II. Shoring up the believer's confidence

     A. Assurance of salvation

“So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you,  leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.”

                                           Matthew 5:23-24

“A Christian who practices love grows in his understanding of God’s truth and enjoys a heart filled with confidence before God.”

                                                    Warren Wiersbe

“The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?”

                                                            Jeremiah 17:9

“I the Lord search the heart and test the mind, to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his deeds.”  Jeremiah 17:10

     B. Answered prayer

“Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart.” Psalm 37:4

“Prayer according to God’s will is prayer that understands what is pleasing to God and makes its petitions accordingly.” Therefore prayer such as this springs from a fruitful and intimate relationship with God that has already matured.

                                               Meye Thompson

     C. Abiding presence

“But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.”

                                            Galatians 5:16

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness…”

                                              Galatians 5:22

III. Growing in confidence                                                                                       (Application)