Cant go by your feelings, must use the Bible and have Bible verses in
mind. Sometimes you might feel saved, but other times you might feel lost.
I John 3:20 Do not follow your heart. Jeremiah 17:9 The heart is
deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?
Matthew 7:20 By their fruits ye shall know them. Comparing true prophets
with false prophets.
1. There are six witnesses in the book of I John 5 to a person being a son
of Christ.
a. Jesus is the Christ - come in the flesh.
b. Love for God.
c. Love for Brethren.
d. Love His commandments.
e. Keep His commandments.
f. Overcome the world.
2. It is very important to understand that all the above six witnesses NEVER
point us to a time when we believe. NEVER are we instructed to use an
experience of salvation to prove that we are saved. We are NEVER
instructed to look at what we are doing to prove that we are saved. NEVER
in this book are we directed to believe in a time, or to trust a time. We are
requested to remember the time when we believed, but never to trust in it, or
to cause anybody else to look to a time. We are ALWAYS advised to look
at what we are.
In I John, there are links between loving God, loving our brothers, keeping
the commandments of God, and having the indwelling spirit of God.
I John 1:1-3 Our main focus is on God and Jesus Christ, not on anything
else. All our fellowship centers around Christ and his eternal word, not on
games, playing cards, entertainment, recreation, food, or whatever.
I John 1:8-10 Cannot go by not having sins, because all have sins, even
saved people.
I John 2:2-8 We keep the commandments of God, and we love the
commandments. There are not new commandments.
a. I John 3:7-10 The righteous do righteousness because God has put
his seed inside them, therefore the children of God are revealed as those
that do not love their brothers.
b. I John 5:2-5 Keeping the commandments of God are not grievous, but
precious. We, like Daniel, do not mind people seeing us when we keep the
commandments of God, but we are not proud when they see us. We are simply
obedient.
c. I John 3:23 This is the commandment of God that we believe in
the power of Jesus Christ and do his commandments.
The internal dwelling of the Holy Spirit will then be manifest in us, and
we will know we are believers.
d. I John 1:2 Eternal life (Jesus Christ) bears witness to us that we
are believers.
e. I John 5:10 The believer has the internal witness of the Holy
Spirit.
f. I John 2:9-11
You have a love for the brethren.
g. I John 4:19-21 We love God because he first loved us. Because we
love God, we also love the brothers.
h. I John 5:2 We know we love the brethren when that love is based on
the love Christ has for us, not on any physical love, or power struggle for
the things of this world.