Your Deceptive Heart

Let's go to first John first John chapter 3, and one of the most powerful text. I guess on the assurance of salvation is a look at it more and more thoughts. Well, that's really the corner where John's going with this, and no doubt come as he's writing to these churches in probably a lot of younger believers in these churches and believers who were being deceived and lied to by false teaching of the day, not the least of which which was the Jewish legalist who would try to push works and keeping of the law as part of one gaining the right standing before God. John seems to want to correct that this afternoon. It was interesting that I got a phone call from one of our businessmen and he was already contemplating how we get this debt paid off what he was going to do on it and about everything I was collected.

He was a little bit tongue-in-cheek, but very serious because I know him and I know he's very shared and he talked about what if we get guys to give this much and we get that paid off and I said I agree and I'm all for that. You call everyone of them but I said it never works the way you think it's gonna work.

You just can't figure it out. Somebody give a great offering that normally didn't give one are our NSF said for going on 40 years and all the Lord knows how much money we replaced in 40 years. I will say to you, though, your pastor, I have a clear conscience. I believe what I've asked you to do. I have given when I told you to give and I tried to be generous and at times by an American definition even sacrificial but nevertheless I know that to say this. It takes all of us and think that's what God wanted to. It takes some who can give very large gifts and it takes the rest of us do what we can do. We all just participate in it together so I just thought essentially but then I thought about my text this evening about why would this man called me and just share that after hearing it said this morning. First of all, I've been here for 40 years. I know people very well that been here long time. A lot of the most of them but second list because he loves the church. He loves the church he believes what he has God gave you and Ashley can. He wants to use it for God's glory. Then I thought about my own pilgrimage to me and I was converted out of almost paganism.

I guess you it well I guess were all incidents converted to paganism or were all the enemies of God. The Bible says family with no knowledge and no connection to organized religion at all made when I was a child. There was some and immediately after the night, I was converted in my car, I started attending church in that weird, I started wanting to be around Christians, and it took me a while to learn that not everybody in church is a Christian, I realized after a while that I was supposed to love these people that I did commit to love them, but it didn't just flow out of a natural part of my heart and spirit to love all of them and then as time went on I learned that Dr. Gray, Allison and former president he's in heaven now, but America simply was right when he said $0.75 of the bed is lost their unconverted and then you when you challenge him heats a fruit fruit. There ain't none. And what is it Billy Graham used to say that 80% of church members unconverted, pretty good authorities. These are men who knew the church and knew very well and so I learned through the years that there's a reason why though. I love these people. I didn't feel this natural spiritual heart. Love the way the Bible taught it and then as God put me in a healthier church, a truer church. Since that much, much more strongly than I used to, but I thought about the change in your heart and how whatever else it includes listen to me now, when God really saves you one of the clear marks of true conversion is it you begin to love the people God loves begin to love this church only just organization. We do love that we love the wisdom of God in the way he's biblically struck to the church in the beauty of God that it is a beautiful thing that he's created called the church but I mean the people just something they are. It's not too unusual lot. I guess you know brother David Young has a lot of phrases have you noticed that the red he's got a lot of phrases and usually they're funny.

And one of that's not necessary. Funny, but it's kind cultural I guess in, and we use it sometimes, and fit in staff meetings that will be talking about surveying the church and one of the say man I love me some so-and-so I love me some so-and-so and the reason we say that is because it's bigger than we both like the same ball team. We both like the same outdoor activities or we both whatever come from the same background is that we see Christ in that person and we love that were drawn to the Christ we see in them.

And that's something John brings out here so pointedly and thoroughly about some Christians in our salvation was look at it together. First John chapter 3 verses 19 through 24.

We will know about this and that reflects back on the previous verses we know about this that we are of the truth, and will, unsure, and I think that's the best translation I persuade you, but nevertheless it won't work and will assure our hearts before him and is continue said that the phrase now this is not a disjointed thing. Verse 20 follows verse 19 and flow, and in whatever our heart condemns us, for God is greater than our heart and knows all things. You bet beef glad God is greater than your heart, your lying, deceiving, cheating, heart.

I was even going in town this your cheating heart with though some of you back on Hank Williams Senior, and you'd sing it not list me preach, but it is it is a cheating heart your heart to deceiving heart, your hearts, a lying heart.

Thank God he's bigger than my heart that didn't bother you when you get around Christians and they go by their heart. Whether this is just in my heart I don't gifts in your heart, Lord, help your heart so rotten filthy and violent black and depraved. It took the death of Jesus to get rid of it. I don't hear from your heart all hear the truth of God. Amen. Now I look there.

Obviously their contacts will that's good and fine, all right, but I'm talkative and comfortable biblical and spiritual truth will I just feel when everybody feels look at our world today. They're all feeling something or were not a people who live by principle anymore but feelings silly little effeminate feelings I'll stop right there looking for some 22 and whatever we ask, we receive from him, because we keep his commandments and do the things that are pleasing in his side and this is his commandment, that we believe in the name of the son of God the son, Jesus Christ.

Rather, and love one another, just as he commanded us notice those two together noticed no student believing in Christ and loving Christians on a level playing their as if when there's one there's the other was that the other there's the one there always together, they never, ever, ever, are not together believing in Jesus and loving brothers and sisters in Christ, i.e. primarily your local church are always together. Verse 24 the one who keeps his commandments abides in him and he in him. We know about this that he abides in us by the spirit whom he has given to us, so to talk about your deceptive heart your deceptive heart numbing your natural heart word heart here Cardillo's the word, we get the English word cardiac from and that it just means the innermost part in it. Probably most of the time in the Greek usage of the ancient word admit your mind and your emotions. We would talk about it more as the emotions that we would separate the two is the innermost being, involving both the mind and emotions.

But what I want to point out and what John's alluding to very clearly here is that your natural heart.

The heart you were born with the innermost part of your being is no good. You're no good and innermost being. Your heart will lie to you, it will cheat you out of God's blessings he will deceive you by the fag is trying to cheat you out of the blessings of God. From the moment you came into this earth. And when you consider the things of God and the knife your Christian. It continues to try to cheat you out of what God has for you. Jeremiah 17 not a verse we use a lot more talking about the condition standing of men naturally speaking before a holy God. The heart is more deceptive for our deceitful, rather than all else and is desperately sick and who can understand it, the heart, the natural man. That's why we have to marvel over the glorious mercy and grace of God calls us to become righteous in the eyes of this triune holy God because the big golf that was what was crossed and the distance between us wonderful sinners and a holy God was beyond comprehension. Yet God took care of it through his son Jesus Christ.

Now the point is, as Christians, we must not matter fact is a sin to do so. We must not live by this deceiving cheating hearts impressions and we must live by is truthful word. We don't live by our natural hearts what it says, feels, perceives, desires, but we live by true truth in God's word and what you'll find out in Christianity. When you commit yourself to truth. Your emotions catch up pretty soon you start having joy in the truth of God, but sometimes you have to commit to God's truth until the emotions catch up. That's the way principle and mature people live their lives now turn over to Matthew chapter 15 for just a moment, would you do that Matthew the first gospel chapter 15 and let's look at the description of the old natural heart from Jesus. Matthew 15 beginning in verse 18, Matthew 1518 but the things that proceed out of the mouth come from the heart and those defile the man, for out of the heart. This the unregenerate natural heart you're born with.

Out of that heart comes evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornication's, the elf's false witness slanders. These are the things which defile the man.

But to eat with unwashed hands does not defile the man or the context was the Jewish ritual ceremony of cleansing of the hands had somehow in their thinking, a way of cleansing you before God are making you accept for God use it, you missed everything you've taken the forms and the topologies and missed the true thing you missed the truth of the God who can come in the person of the son, Jesus, and really cleans the heart and you wipe it off guard on the outside is not going to do anything he's that's what's in the natural heart.

Your heart tries to deceive you from ever coming to Christ for salvation, doesn't not but did your heart not tell most of you can be safe later you can come to Christ later. There's always late on to some of you young people sitting here 75, six, seven years old may know enough that God will hold you accountable at the judgment for pushing away Christ and not putting your faith in Christ.

You can be saved later as your heart not lied to you or did not lie to you.

Rather, before you are safe. We are good enough out nobody's perfect.

Everybody sinners. We all felt yes and were all condemned by holy God your hearts trying to deceive you.

Your heart deceives you before your converted by single religion will save you will be a time you go down to the church and talk to the pastor and why he will baptize you in the baptistery you can start taking communion of the Lord's table are another type of Christianity. Our practice of pretty take the sacraments or whatever it is whatever they teach hearts lying to you is putting on religion doesn't change anything about your condition. Your standing before God, I heard this by someone that I love very dearly. God wouldn't send anyone to hell. He's a loving God.

He wouldn't do that, that's your deceiving heart when you don't want to be a fanatic you can just kinda believe the things of Christ. We don't sell out to this thing be totally committed to what your heart tries to deceive you from salvation of your heart. Also try to do to rob you of the treasures of salvation will you send now and God can't use you. You said now you blow it now. God can't use you now told you about a famous preacher well known, well well-known preacher who was charging college students about going to the mission field, and he uses some phraseology I would not you, but the point he was making was if you young people wait to surrender the ministry until you get victory from sinful lust and temptation. You'll never go the mission field.

If you wait until that's never an issue. If you went into your scoring 100 in the area of sexual temptation lust.

You never surrender to serve God and he has point. God didn't save you to use you because you now score hundred on the sin test, God uses sinners, uses humble centers uses repenting centers. God uses sinners your heart wants a lot to you and say God can use you now you're not good enough.

The last to you, you're not smart enough not talented enough.

You don't preach like Brother Jeff run run scream all the time your styles not right you all that is at the end of the day it's pride you're thinking about you instead of what God is telling you to do. You didn't get baptized at the right church. Your deceiving heart uses feelings and human performance to cheat you out of the treasures and the joys of knowing and serving Christ will a couple points in the outline here. First of all this talk about the treasures your deceiving heart tries to cheat you out of the treasures your deceiving heart tries to cheat you out of number one. He certainly tried to cheat you out of peace with God. Peace with God, and that by that I mean gaining that assurance of salvation having peace in my standing with God that I'm no longer under his wrath and condemnation, but I have been forgiven and cleansed.

Notice if there in verses 19 and 20. He says we will know about this that we are of the truth, and we will know by this. The last verse and will assure our hearts before him. The word assure there is that idea of whitening the heart define conciliation in the heart comfort if you will. Some scholars say persuade is a better word, it could go either way, the scholar Phyllis, but I'm convinced that's what that mean that's what I called coming to a settled rest that my faith is in Jesus and Christ said okay one output.

John just practically now we will know by this. What is this verses 17 and 18. Context explains a lot of things in Scripture, but whoever has the world's goods, and sees his brother sees his brother in need and closes his heart against him, how does the love of God abide in him. His point is this is a brother in Christ, the cultural context would be that folks, when you became a Christian, you divorced yourself from all of the world attached. I may need there that you didn't live in a post-Christian culture like we live and work still in the South today. There's a general embracing acknowledgment that it's good to be up follower of Jesus Christ that a lot of it superficial and fake, but it's still there in the culture. Some that didn't exist here when you came to Christ, the Jews hated you. The Greeks despised you your own family and friends perhaps turned their back on you and you just had each other and by the way, I believe that's what God is doing in our day. He's cleansing and purifying his true church in the true church glad to come together in this present age is corneas in this state of almost constant oppression and persecution for following Christ, and that causes a brother sister to literally be without necessary food, clothing and shelter and you just sent them out is not, I'll do my best for you. I'll try to just you shut them out with the verse made you slam the door on dental care what he saying is you can't possibly want to be want God saved you. If you don't have a special love for other Christian you have sent this to you before I was when I was converted although some sweetened and precious people who tried to help me. I thank God for them, but I don't remember anybody for a long time saying anything to me about the assurance of salvation other than this, did you pray that prayer did you ask him to say what if you asking the new safety you really have to twist the Scripture even find anything close to that in the New Testament is just not there. That's not where you find a shirt. 17. John says Bob this, we will know by what John by the fact that you have a genuine love. That's active toward other Christian is one of the best evidence is that God has saved you and change your heart while I don't know because I screamed at you last week. If you are one of these hyper compulsive people you start checking off boxes of how much of a show love to Christians this week. Opus or not up to be saved.

That's not what were talking about is talking about. There's a new natural drawling in your heart to be in communion and fellowship with a new kind of people called Christian. Why are you here on Sunday night it I'll just go and say it. Those folks who has a pattern willfully will not attend church on Sunday not. I don't think there's good hope for their salvation. If the Bible is true. Now I'm certainly true Christians can fall into a season of slothfulness.

They are all except that, but you want to be with those people whom Christ has saved.

When Christ saves you, so that he says is how we were nowhere of the church truth. Verse 18 elaborate schoolchildren, let us not love with words or tongue, but in deed and truth.

You actually live about a genuine love one for another in your church when God has saved you any says person. I think the by this we will know that we are of the truth, and we will assure our heart. So when your heart tries just to save you when your heart tries to live to you when you're at the heart tries to cheat you out of the fact that you have peace with God through Jesus Christ you can quiet your heart. That's what the word means find conciliation in your heart fun.

Rest in peace in your heart by say no, wait a minute is clearly true. There was a time when I didn't really care about church. I didn't want to be around the people of God.

I did have a special love for them and I see this lease, the seed of that, the germ of that will resident in my heart now and that's a good basis for knowing that you are God's. According to the apostle John according to four sacred Scripture. Well, he continues on in verse 19. Again, this is one sentence.

You don't need to be chopped up in whatever heart condemns us if our internal judgment of our conscience condemns us for something and we feel condemned and dirty and unacceptable.

We have the last phrase in verse 20, for God is greater than our heart and knows all things you can say yes, but my heart stands up and cleaned.Yes, but Christ stands up and vindicates you.

Christ stands up and advocates for you. Christ stands up and takes your place at the judgment bar of God. Christ becomes your righteousness, not your behavior, not your skill level not your obedience level not your law keeping ability is Christ to say child of God. Do you get that Christ is your righteousness, not just what Christ had done that's essential, but Christ himself is your standing before God. So assure your heart, a heart punch. My confidence is in Jesus Christ and biblical counseling.

All of us always use Philippians 489 Bible sister, think on these things. Philippians 48 whatever is true, you may feel something so strong, you may feel something so convicting Solorio but it didn't true according to the word of God you're commanded to stop thinking that way and think on truth about your feelings. You live by the truth, so we say okay John, how can we know more of the truth that we know are God's children and it varies person to person, but some of you. You really suffer with a compulsive condemning heart and you need to talk to your heart and tell it to shut up and look at Jesus look to Jesus look to Jesus rest in him and look at the change. He's brought in your life to love others well your deceptive hearts can try to rob you out of peace with God.

Even though it's already been accomplished. You can enjoy it. Secondly you're deceiving heart will try to rob you from prayer to God and from answered prayer from prayer to with God or to God and from answered prayer.

Look at verses 2120 blood to the heart does not condemn us if we get our hearts in line with the truth and get our older followed by what your conscious is a gift from God, but your conscience is not infallible. Your conscience is stained and tainted and fallen into sin you have to educate the Contras with the truth of the word of God and you have to talk to yourself the truth until you, you no longer condemn yourself. You look at yourself how Christ looks at you as a cleansed, forgiven, and now righteous one before him, and when you get to that place where you accept holy his fall unconditional love and part of you, then you no longer the phrase here in verse 21. Your heart does not condemn us, then we have confidence before God.

You're not going to go to God, trusting in him asking to him looking to him petitioning him. If you believe he arty crashes you and condemnation" URL.

You have to get your heart by the truth of God into that place of quietude, trusting, rejoicing, rest your gods and you belong to him and it's unconditional then you'll pay more to God supposed prayer is not some sort of woeful coercion.

God puts upon you.

It's a glorious privilege he gives his children that are unconditionally blessed and welcome.

Did you hear that look at it as a blessed treasure were given to the provision of Jesus Christ is a pastor you don't know how much I send you but I know how much Ashley and my fight knew you are need the note one know how much we really sin because were not omniscient and holy like goddess God knows how much God says we can come boldly to the throne of grace. When you see and you don't run from God when you send your run to God, and it gives you a chance to confess the truth to God.that's just what I am, that's just what I am.

That's how low that's how low I am. That's how defiled I and that's how depraved I naturally him.

That's just like me.

God that thought that notion that motive that anger whatever it is, but you can carry on that communion with God.

Very often with the spirit of repentance because you can come boldly because you condition your heart to quiet down get off the condemnation being and accept what Christ is giving you. In Jesus through his grace and provision. So prayer is not going to come out of you very much and very cynical. Be very real and to you trustee receives you fully through Christ and in verse 22 and whatever we ask, we receive from him, because we keep his commandments and do the things that are pleasing in his sight. Now this is the commandment verse 23 that we believe in Jesus, we believe fulfill this commandment by believing on Christ and we we love him we receive his gift of Jesus Christ and we want to walk in his truth.

A look if you want to glorify God and walk in his truth and you believed in his son been what you ask is going to be according to his will and you will receive it.

You have no desire. If your true Christian you have no desire to ask anything that's outside of his will, and if you go to God with any request, and if you say God you say God I would like to have this so I'd like you to do that. But, oh God, whatever you know is wisest and best.

That's the only way you can walk say see that there's no would listen to me there's no way to communion with this God without a whole and total confidence that he's wives are you with me so you would never go to him, demanding something.

Maybe there's one thing well to go to God, demanding, demanding that he glorify himself to our lives.

That's pretty good.

Demand but there not many of those so we know God will answer that kind of prayer you're just not going to see God in prayer, unless you rest that he fully accepts you in Jesus Christ. So you're deceiving heart trust in rob you of the joy of communion with God.

Another three additional blessings that I see here. First of all, the peace of God, and that's very kin and may be inseparable from from the peace with God, but the peace of God is something we carry with us as Christians, we could say the peace with God is that standing we have before God that were not address wrath we have peace.

In the short look at verse 19.

Again we know about this that we are of the truth and will assure our hearts before him. That means we walk with the peace of God in our lives. Jesus said in John 1427 peace I leave you my peace I leave to you. Let not your heart be troubled, there is again the old deceiving are. Here's what you say Jesus saying your heart is going to lie to you at times your heart is going to be deceptive to you at times so you can grab hold of your heart. Your inner thinking and feelings because what I've told you is true. Your heart stop true and that will give you my peace that I've left with you. Just this unconditional forgiveness and and sometimes we say that, but it didn't sink in on conditional forgiveness, unconditional forgiveness not only unconditional forgiveness. But secondly he delights to fellowship with you.

God delights to fellowship with you and thirdly his continued love is unconditional. Yours is level.

Continue on unconditionally forever. Now that's the recipe when you grasp those things.

That's the recipe for walking in the peace of God, and since nothing can hurt a person who walks in those truth see the good Shepherd desires to lead his sheep by the still waters but the deceptive heart keeps us out of this splendid treasure. Well, not only the peace of God is an additional blessing I see here, but the pleasure of God. This communion this this place. You get yourself to what you enjoy and and feel this unconditional welcome to go to God then you begin experiencing God's pleasures. Psalm 1611 says, in thy presence is fullness of joy in thy right hand there are pleasures forever. Now, in the context of these verses were reminded that one of the pleasures of God is realized in fellowship and with God's people see I enjoy you in a special way because I enjoy you in Christ and you enjoy me in Christ. It's all in him is not just you. It's him and you is not just me. It's him and me and that causes is that it's it's there's a mystical element to it. I can't put my hands on it. I can even wrap my mind skip mind completely around it varies that special bond in connection we are one in the bond of love the old song and it's true. A spiritual bond in loving oneness, and when we enjoy that until you just something special to I've heard over and over and over again from people were ready to get back in small group were ready to get back with our brothers and sisters in Christ.

Why because there's something we may us when were not together. And that's part of not all pronouncement part of the pleasures of God. Jesus said were two or three are gathered together in my name, there I am in their midst. The context is church discipline, but nevertheless in anything were doing for God when two other Christians are together and committed together to serve God there's a there's the element of God's presence with us. That gives a pleasure, nothing else can give the pleasures of God are given by him in the pleasures of God are present in him when only the peace of God is another additional blessing and the pleasures of God's another additional blessing that if were not careful, are deceptive heart try to rob us of the strictures.

Thirdly, our praise to God our praise to God can be an element that's Robin. He didn't mention pray specifically but he mentions our communion with God and listen to me there is no prayer to God. The dead have some price just don't exist. And there is a beautiful truth and praising God.

The Bible says in Psalm 33. One. Praise is becoming to the upper right hold on right there. He says if your hearts, condemning you if your heart is lying to you and you don't feel welcomed and you don't love you don't feel approved of God praise God for a reason why we praise God not in this foolish, sentimental, fleshly nonsense that goes on in so many churches where their doctrines about a thimble beat with her emotions run like rivers get all caught up in the feeling of it and I call it worship and pray brothers and sisters. You can't march up and praising God you don't know you cannot. If you're not deep in this book, and to know him.

Listen to me and to know his son Jesus Christ. I do know that radical, unconditional, unending favor and blessing and love and welcome these given you Called your heart to save praise his holy name.

Christ received with sinful men even me with all my see if why the songwriter say say it all. Our NR again. Christ received this implement because we can't help but praise him when we grasp rest then quiet our old troubled condemning heart down enjoy in the unconditional cleansing in favor and blessing and welcome of God through Jesus Christ.

Are you listen to me tonight. I don't care where you've been. I don't care what you done okay honey times you've done it. I don't care how violently and fiercely, your heart condemns you listen to me. God is greater then your heart assure your repent and sure you wish it hadn't happened, but it's all over, and some of the blood of Christ is God showing this God who forgives you and welcomes you unconditionally tell your heart should be quieted.

Assure your heart. The Texas that will bring that praise to God. My goodness this summer. We all remember the praise and worship movement. Another one of these movements bless Southern Baptist hearts everything goes round they chase after and try to bring in the church will there's a time when they call it that because of the praise and worship wars because some people in the church. The young people from the one to get with it. They wanted some pop music.

They wanted some rock music this get it going list. It will put up a little bit. Then came the musics.

Another got the dry snow we got churches learn have millions and millions and millions of dollars in special-effects so that I can really worship God. I will take what that is. That's wicked carnal idolatrous with that is our God doesn't need anything like that to help us know him and worship him when our dollar God requires this. This book properly preached in the spirit of God, making it alive and illumined in your heart and minds. If you want to see your people praise and worship God. Teach them the truth of God and let them marble and hail and by the way. Then when a pandemic hits you can't get the great Mahdi multimedia extravaganza circus machine going that you call the church your people dislike that's not why we come anyway is so easy to pastor a church biblically. Let me think about that just for moment it it's easy in one sense, and it's real challenge. On the other, but I will say this with folks like you. It's a blessed thing and a wonderful thing because we've been through so much together God's had the humbling rebuke us correct this and I'm the leader of the meeting humbling and rebuking and correcting out confess that we have together and we've grown together. We learn to love him more as we love him more. We just love each other more. Really all we need this get together. Somebody open the book will sing the glories of his name, and preach the truth of this word.

And that's enough. That's enough, I may run us out of this building one day they may do a lot of things but if we get together somewhere and open the book, we can have joy and praise and worship before God. Well, II, first of all I been talking about the treasures you deceptive heart trust to cheat you out of Nellis talk real quickly about the truth that silences these deceptive parts.

The truth really comes down to verse 23 and he says this is the commandment that we believe in the name of the son, Jesus Christ. I call that the upward faith best first part of the truth. The upward faith you believe that's an heiress. Tense verb, it means finished action with continual results. You believe that you don't keep on believing I like to use the phrase you keep on being a faker but there's a moment in time when you became a believer that settled now that result, the continuation goes on in your life.

So that's the first thing had you believed that upward faith is the thing the truth that will help silence that deceptive heart. This is your condemn you're not right God than like you know more you use into much. You can't be saved. All that junk heart says that's not according to truth, so the upward faith notice. Secondly, the inward witness.

Look at verse 24.

The last phrase we know by this that he abides in us at your one that God saved the lives and how by the spirit whom he's given to us by the spirit is the witness of the spirit you member the phrase the Amen of the Spirit.

One of the ways the spirit is alive in your life is when you hear the read the word of God meditate on the word of God go to your small group and hear the preaching of the word of God the Word of God comes out and try to find something in you grabs that truth and says hey man, I believe that the spirit bears witness with the truth of the word of God inside your heart that don't separate this from love for the brethren because the Bible says the love of God's been shed abroad in our hearts by the spirit of God was. They always go together. This Holy Spirit in you that affirms the Bible and suggested the truth of the Bible is also the Holy Spirit. This is just really loving those people more and more will be around a moment to help them over to serve Obama and encourage a moment to bless them wealth get ahead of myself inward witness is the Holy Spirit and then the one I really are just talked about is the outward evidence the outward evidence that again we go up to verse 23. This is commandment that we believe in the name of his son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he commanded us. That's the outward witness. That's the outward evidence rather that you're God's child. This love for one another that I said this only time to you because I have seen it so very very much in its absolute raping the word of God to do it. That is when people come across these these statements on loving your brothers and sisters they make. It means loving all of mankind.

That is not what he saying. Sure we love all mankind more after were converted just love humanity that we see people made in the image of God in Christ died for all the lease term we do with.

There's a special, unique, redemptive love for one another in the family of God.

That's what he's talking because, by the way.

Worldly people can love the world, ungodly unrighteous worldliness love the world, we don't love the world the way they love the world, but we do love the world, but we loved the church and we love God's children a special way. That's the outward evidence I just just real quick look at verse 10. I will run through this and I'm done by this the children of God and the children of the devil are obvious. Anyone who does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor the one who does not love the world know that would save little one is not love his brother a specific category people.

Verse 11 for this is the message that you heard from the beginning that we should love the world. No specific group one another. Verse 12 not as Cain who was of the evil one and slew his brother for a reason to dislike him because his deeds were evil and his new brothers were right were righteous. Verse 13 do not be surprised.

Brethren need to talk to a specific group of people.

Brethren, if the world hates you. And by the way that the word hate is the idea of the testing you deeply as I dislike. Well, we just kind of for you guys know the more they see Christ in you, the more they detest your very being is it always prods about happens I was shouted all of these church leaders who are straining and do what I call pretzel theology they been there doctrine and theology into a pretzel trying to make it pleasing to the world trying to get the world to like us. When God says no idea if they get to know you, they hated me enough to crucify, made June I don't go out and try to make them hate you don't hate you anyway are well is not my point by point is, notice the people he's talking about loving each other a specific click to people. Do not be surprised brethren, if one takes you. Verse 14 we know we pass to the death into life, because we believe on Jesus. That's not what that verse says that is true, but there's something else he wants to say here because we love the world know we love the brethren in verse 14.

CU does not love abides in death. Everyone who hates his the world person fellow man know his brother. Those in the church other Christians as a murderer you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him. We know love by this that he lay down his life for us limited atonement particular redemption and we ought to lay down our lives for the world know we may do that.

In fact, but that's not the emphasis of detectives is a particular specific group. The brethren were 17. Whoever has the world's goods, and sees others in the world and they know not what he says who sees his brother in need course, we would help others in the world.

They had need. And we could help them. But that's endless, but there is a specific collectivity that we really want to make sure we take care of. That's our brothers in need was certain he can't close our hearts against them. If we do so how can the love of God about any of verse 18 little children as the children. The children of the world know the children of the local church. The children who were truly God's will is not low with word of the tongue, but in deed and in truth. That's the outward evidence so the truth that helps our deceiving heart helps us come to that full assurance and rest is you have the upward faith.

Have you believed in Jesus Christ. Have you placed your faith in Jesus Christ. Have you seen the inward witness had you experienced the Holy Spirit in you. Hi by the way, convicting USA and now, in ways he did not convict for any times as a mirror Christian Cummins and pastor I don't believe on-site episode burning obsidian. I said you didn't feel that dirty not sinful before you recite the conviction is evident since the witness of the Spirit. And what about reading your Bible, he said, what you not been a lazy but I want to get back in it again and I do enjoy stud. I'm understanding it ways I've never understood it before, and I enjoy hearing your preaching before before I hated you.

I heard that by the way, I love you preaching it before I hated you. That's the witness of the Spirit so there's the upward faith is the inward witness of the Spirit and then the outward evidence of a new love for God's children yet will of all men, but we particular have this new love. We will see God's church do good and go forward would like to be around those people so don't listen to your cheating heart wants to cheat you out of knowing Christ at once you cheat you out of the treasures you have in Christ you listen to this truth and you rebuke your heart until it starts feeling in line with the truth of the word of God