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*Illustration:

• Teacher- You are smarter than you give yourself credit for.
• Baseball Coach- You are our closer and we trust you.
• Parent- I love you regardless of how well you do today.
• Spouse- I love you more today than ever before. Doing life with you is so sweet.
• Doctor- You can beat this.
• Pastor- No sin is too great that the blood of Jesus cannot make you clean.
• Jesus- I’ve got you and the enemy cannot snatch you out of my hand.
• Apostle John- You are a true child of God!

Chapters 1 & 2 Summarized:  “Clarity of identity in and relationship with Jesus Christ”

• Desire for you to have fellowship with God and each other.
• Warning about sin being a fellowship breaker.
• Sin can be identified by the contrast of darkness and light.
• Knowing God is to know Jesus.
• Knowing Jesus is to live Jesus.
• Love for others is evidence that Jesus is in you.
• Do you truly know Jesus? Do you have fellowship with Him and His church? Am I the liar or truly a child of God?

Chapters 3, 4, & 5 Summarized: “Equipping you to be discerning and to overcome the enemy.”

• Identifying false teachers.
• Awareness of deceivers.
• Going deeper in discerning between love and hate.
• Caution in who you follow.
• Teaching core Christology.
• Overcoming sin and the enemy who wants you to fail.

What if you go into the equipping for battle without knowing where you stand as a child of God?

• Testing and trials will reveal the truth of where you stand with Jesus, but constant doubt will keep you in a place of insecurity of faith. 

• The equipping matters little if you are not sure if you are even in the fold.
  
  
• Your mind will not accept the work necessary for victory if you are not even sure what team you are on.

You can’t go forward as a motivated follower of Jesus unless you KNOW and are ASSURED of your place with Him. 

Time Out-  Let me speak into you truth that will be a game changer for you before we move on.

• It’s been a difficult word so far. Let’s build you up and give you confidence to go forward.

Read 1 John 2:12-14

• Dear children- endearing term for the people of the church.
  
  
• Fathers- those who are of maturity and wisdom.
  
  
• Young men- those who are growing and thriving in their faith. 

“I am writing to you because…”  The Truth about you! (12-13)

1. Your sins are forgiven on account of Jesus. (dear children) 1:9; 2:2
   
   
2. You do know (not cursory but intimate) the eternal one. (fathers) 1:2; 2:3-6
   
   
3. You have overcome the evil one. (young men) 3:12; 4:4; 5:4-5

“I have written to you because…” It has been true and will continue to be true of you. (14)

1. You know the Father. 1:1-3
   
   
2. You know the eternal one—Jesus! 1:2; 2:1-6
   
   
3. You are strong.
   
   
4. The Word lives in you. 1:1
   
   
5. You have overcome the evil one. 3:12; 4:4; 5:4-5 

How do we respond to such assurance:

1. Thanking God for the work He has done and is continuing to do in our lives.
   
   
2. Remind ourselves that we will overcome because He has overcome the enemy.
   
   
3. Open your hands and say “God, I am ready. What do you want me to do?”

• This is God’s halftime speech to you.
• God is merciful towards your doubt, but He doesn’t want you to stay there.
• John doesn’t want us to stay in a perpetual state of questioning whether I am the liar or the real deal.