LIVING WITH CONFIDENCE!
1 John 3:19-24
INTRODUCTION: Our text tonight talks about living confidently in this present world. This is
confidence we get is supernatural and is a result of our living relationship with our God.
1 John 3:19-24. We are condemned in our hearts many times as Christians from several
different areas: 1) We are condemned for our own sin: Psalm 51:1-3. 2,) We are condemned
by Satan even for failures we did not commit: Revelations 12:10-12, 3,) The world we live in
condemns us by putting us down for the very things our God tells us we should be doing: 1
Corinthians 2:6-14. Our world has not changed but we have!
I. OUR ACCUSING OR APPRECIATING HEART!
Our text for today is talking about an accusing heart in our own life that causes us to lose
our confidence, peace, and joy in all that you are doing in your life. Our God wants to come and
touch us anew with a kind of confidence that will cause you to desire to dive into your work and
to be all that God desires for us to be in Jesus Christ: 1 John 3:19-20. We must first appreciate
the love of God. When our own hearts condemn us and we don’t feel good about our place in
God and in the work God has given us to do for His glory. Its bad enough when Satan tries to
condemn us and rob us of the peace of God, but when we begin to do it to ourselves we must
reflect upon the love our heavenly Father has for all His children: 1 John 3:19-20. The love our
God has for us is greater than any self-condemnation our own hearts may dream up. Our God
does not always pick the cream of the crop: Matthew 9:10-13. God called us and loved us even
though He knew we will fail Him from time to time: Romans 5:6-8; 1 Corinthians 1:26-31. You
and I are valuable because our God loves us!
II. RECEIVING GOD’S POWER!
Not only should we stop condemning ourselves, but also we must receive the power of God
to change us to Christ-likeness: 1 John 3:21-22. There must be an appropriation of God’s power
through practice and prayer. When we become Christians we have supernatural power
available to each of us; we must learn how to plug into God’s power for our lives! We plug into
God’s power in two ways: by your practice and by your prayers. 1 John 3:22: If you want the
power of God in your life you must practice doing those things God has commanded His
children to do. We need to appropriate God’s power in our lives by prayer: 1 John 3:22;
Psalm 84:11-12. When you do those things that please God He wants to please you:
1 John 3:20.
III. AN ABIDING WALK IN THE SPIRIT OF GOD!
We also need to have an abiding walk with God’s Spirit in our lives to live with confidence:
1 John 3:23-24. Only God can give you true confidence for living as you dwell in His Spirit.
When we trust Jesus Christ as our personal Lord and Savior He comes to live in us in the Person
of the Holy Spirit. Revelation 3:20-22; 1 John 4:13. Every Christian has the Spirit of God living in
them. Romans 8:14-16. Do you have tonight that affirming knowledge in your heart? Jesus
said: John 10:25-30. If you belong to Jesus you will hear His voice. If you are His then you will
follow Him. If you are His you will have that confidence of the Spirit of God in your life.