I'd like you, this morning, to turn your Bibles to 1John and chapter 2. In our church, our preaching ministry is based on the Bible, that is to say, we preach through the Bible. That's our goal. Once in a while, we preach the Old Testament then we switch to the New Testament then we switch to the Old Testament, and then the New Testament. So it's alternating between the Old and the New Testaments.

Today, we are at 1 John chapter 2. If you are joining us for the first time, we are looking at verses 12 to 14. 1John chapter 2, verses 12 to 14. And we are going to look at a very unique passage of Scripture because, in a sense, it does not follow the flow of thoughts in the book of 1John, but it's a kind of interruption, it's a kind of interjection so that God's people may be encouraged. So, turn with me to 1John chapter 2 this morning.

Well, there is a man who is lying on his bed. He's supposed to get up but he just couldn't get up. He's lying there just rolling and rolling and his father came in and said to him, 'Son, it's time for you to get up.' He says, 'Why should I get up? Give me reasons why I should.' And the father says, 'Number 1, you are a Christian. This is Sunday, you need to get up to go to church. Number 2, you are already 50 years old. Don't keep lying there on the bed. And, number 3, you are the pastor. (laughter). You have to preach. So, please get up.'

Well, we all need reminders to get up in life. Today we are going to look at a passage of Scripture that is about John encouraging the people of God, reminding them of things so that they may keep pressing on for Jesus Christ. This is a passage of encouragement and I think it is so necessary because 1John is a really tough book to read and it's not easy for the audience of John to say, 'Wow, you're saying really tough things about us. You're saying that if I do not obey the Lord Jesus Christ, I do not have real life. You are saying that if I hate my brothers and I do not love them, I'm not a Christian.' And so these things are really tough sayings and John, as a good pastor, understands and cares for his flock. He has more things to say about what it means to be a true Christian, even tougher things to say. But before he goes there, he pauses for a moment, as it were lovingly draws his people close to him with his words and seeks to encourage them. So they are all saying, 'Wah, this is really tough. I'm overwhelmed. I don't think I can keep obeying, I can keep loving. It's so difficult.' John pauses and says, 'You can. You should.' Why? Because I see God's work in your life. Let me remind you of why you should keep pressing on. That's why we come to versus 12-14 where he says,

"I am writing to you, little children,
because your sins are forgiven for his name's sake.
I am writing to you, fathers,
because you know him who is from the beginning.
I am writing to you, young men,
because you overcome the evil one.
I write to you, children,
because you know the Father.
I write to you, fathers,
because you know him who is from the beginning.
I write to you, young men,
because you are strong,
and the Word of God abides in you,
and you have overcome the evil one."

So this is a rather unique passage - 3 verses in the midst of all the many verses in 1 John. As I've mentioned to you 1John is really elucidating or clarifying the various marks of a true Christian. He's not someone who just calls himself a Christian. He's not someone who is born in a Christian home only. He is not someone who was baptized years ago. But he is a Christian and he knows it because he lives a life of consistent obedience. He lives a life of consistent love towards the brethren. And, if he is not obeying, if he is not loving, he may be really not a Christian at all. So again the people, they feel overwhelmed with a strong and tough message like this. And, before he goes on to things such as 'love not the world', John pauses and says, 'Keep pressing on because even though you may feel overwhelmed, I do see the various marks of grace in your life. I see how God has worked in your life. So, be encouraged. 04:45

So here, we are going to look at this in a very simple way. He writes to three categories of people : the children, the young men and the fathers. So that's what we are going to look at. We are going to look at what it means or what a child looks like, spiritually speaking, what a young man looks like, spiritually speaking, and what a father looks like, spiritually speaking. So we are going to look at all these categories but I hope, at the end of it, to remember why he wrote this. He wrote this to encourage the Christians to keep pressing on. He's like that father who says, 'Yes, I've spoken tough things. But at the end of the day, I want you to know I am not causing you to doubt your faith. I'm not trying to shake your confidence because I know you. I know your faith. I know your walk. I know who are the children, who are the young men, who are the fathers and I'm saying all this because I love you.' So let's look at the first category and today's sermon will be really short, so you can relax and know that this is not going to be a long journey. Let's look at

1. The Children.

John here addresses the children. This is not chronological age, alright. This is not a 5-year-old kid or 7-year-old kid. This can be a 70-year-old man. A child of God who has just believed in Jesus Christ can be spiritually immature and he is called a child. So, this does not have reference to the chronological age of a person. It's about their spiritual maturity. So John first writes to those who are young in the faith. 'I'm writing to you, little children.' (verse 12), and then he repeats that again in verse 13, 'I write to you, children.' I put these 2 verses together because I want you to realize John actually uses 2 different words for the word 'children'. It will not appear in your English Bible. But it will be seen if you look at the Greek original. The Bible was written in the Greek, at least for the New Testament. And the two words are as such : I write to you, (this is a word that is in the Greek) 'teknon' and then verse 13, I write to you 'paidion'. So one is a teknon, one is paidion. You say what in the world is that, okay?

First one, teknon. The word 'teknon' really refers to a child, or a son, in relationship to his father. So this is primarily about the status of this person. He is a child of God and, no matter how old he gets, no matter how mature he becomes, he always remains a child of God. He always remains a son of God ~ a teknon. I'm now 38 years old. I am a teknon of Mr Lim Choon Huat, my father. And when I'm 60 years old, I am still going to be a teknon. It doesn't change even if I get older, I have grey hair, I'm more mature; I remain a teknon. So John, here, is saying, 'I'm writing to you, teknons.' And this will have application, therefore, not just to the young in faith but to also the mature in faith because no matter how old you grow, or how mature you get, you are a teknon of God. So we are going to see the significance of that in a while.

The second word is the word 'paidion'. The word 'paidion' refers to a young child. So, this is not so much the status but the stage ~ he's a young man, he's a young boy, he's a young baby. 'I'm writing to you, young ones,' that's what John is saying. So, what does he say to the teknons? Again, though I put it under 'children', this is equally applicable to the young men and to the fathers. And that's right at the beginning, in verse 12:

'I'm writing to you, little children (teknons), all of you because your sins are forgiven for His name's sake.' John is reminding his people one thing about a child of God regardless of your spiritual maturity, regardless of how long you have been in the faith, regardless of how many years of ministry you have given to the Lord Jesus Christ. This is the unchangeable reality. Your sins are forgiven for His name's sake. Notice he doesn't say, 'your sins WILL be forgiven.' He doesn't say, 'your sins MAY be forgiven.' He says, 'your sins ARE forgiven.' John is saying, if you look at the context, the whole picture, the big picture. He is saying, in your pursuit for spiritual life, yes, it is tough. You may fall, you may stumble, you may not obey God completely, perfectly. There may be times you are angry with your brothers- and sisters-in-Christ even though you desire to love them. There are times you fall. Let me tell you, even when you stumble and when you fall, your sins are forgiven. John is assuring them, reminding them of the deep security they have in God's forgiveness. You say, why? Because your sins are forgiven for His name's sake. 10:09

We, today, are a forgiven people, regardless of our performance, regardless of whether we are very obedient or less obedient because our forgiveness is not based on who we are but based on what Jesus Christ has done ~ His name's sake. Let me tell you something that you may not be very familiar. And that is this : do you realize that God does not love you less when you disobey? Neither does he love you more if you are very mature? If you are truly born again, if you are truly a believer of Jesus Christ, He cannot love you less, nor can he love you more, regardless of your performance. Why? Because he loves you perfectly in Jesus Christ. His love for you is not founded in your performance. It's founded in what Jesus Christ has done. So, even if the journey of faith is difficult and we stumble and fall, John is saying, you have this deep security and assurance : your God loves you. Your sins are forgiven for His name's sake.

And it's from this solid ground, this solid assurance that you and I would have that confidence, and joy, and courage to pursue holiness; to keep walking in the light and obeying God. So that's what John is saying to everyone. He is saying, 'I know you guys. Yes, I have spoken hard things but I want you to know, little children, young men, fathers, your sins are forgiven.' This is the beautiful reality.

So, this is applicable to all teknons but there is a word reserved for the paidions, the young ones, and he says, 'I write to you paidion.' How do you know it's pi? Remember this circumference? What's the formula for circumference? Circumference is 22 over 7 pi. Is it? I'm wrong, huh? Ha ha. You remember the 'pi' thing, alright? Go back and research if you forgot, like me, forgot. But this is 'pi' in the Greek and so is the word 'paidion'. It refers to a young one.

And what does he say about a young child? There's not a lot to say about a young child, in a sense, a young child doesn't know a lot of things. A young baby, a young toddler, he does not know current affairs. He cannot spot danger. He may not know a lot of people. He cannot react to a lot of circumstance. But I tell you what a young child knows. A young child knows his papa. My son, 2-year-old Matthias, he may not know a lot of things. He does not know what is happening on the computer screen when it's full of words. He doesn't know when someone may want to abduct him. He doesn't know that eating ice cream all the time is not a good thing. He doesn't know a lot of things but he knows his papa. He knows his mama. That's what a child knows. Can you imagine when Papa comes home and the little child's eyes light up, 'Papa, Papa'. And he stretches forth his arms. He runs to Daddy. He knows Daddy's smiles. He knows Daddy's touch. He knows Daddy's words. He knows Daddy loves him. That's what a child knows. And, if you are a believer of the Lord Jesus Christ today, you may be a very young Christian but this is what you will know ~ you know the Father. You know His forgiveness. You know that he is your Abba, Father. How do I know that? Because Paul says, 'And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, "Abba! Father!" (Galatians 4:6 ESV)

Christianity is not mere intellectualism. Now, you must engage the mind when you worship God. We must. In spirit and in truth. The knowledge of God involves thinking. It does. But it is not just thinking. There is a deep sense of assurance within. That's what this verse is saying ~ that you know your God as your Abba, Father. There is a delight in God. There's a relationship with God. There's a joy and a hunger and a thirst for God. That's what a child of God will experience. And John, in saying those hard things about the marks of a Christian~you need to keep obeying, you need to keep loving~he is saying, 'I also know you. I'm not saying these things to shake your confidence. I'm not saying these things to cause you to doubt. But I know you guys. Some of you are young children and you do know the Father. I want to remind you that there is divine grace evident in your life. So, don't give up. Keep pressing on.' So, that's John's intention here. A true child of God really knows the Father because he knows forgiveness. 15:25

I like what Spurgeon has to say. He says,

'All the philosophers in the world do not know so much of the Father God as a forgiven sinner knows!......'

You know something? Everyone in this world who studies religion, who seeks to know God, will not know as much as a child of God who has known forgiveness from God. That's what Spurgeon is saying :

'if you're really forgiven, you know God in a way that nobody else can.' Why? Because it is 'the Father's heart that comes out most fully and expressly when He says, 'Bring forth the best robe, put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet. For this, my son was dead and is alive again! He was lost and is found.'

Spurgeon is alluding to Luke 15 the parable of the lost son. The lost son who wasted his life and who later repented and came back to God and received this amazing, lavish forgiveness and embrace from the father. This lost-and-found son knows a lot about the father. Far more than anyone else would. He has seen forgiveness and grace.

"Then, as he looks up through his tears and sees the ineffable smile of the Father's affection, the forgiven child knows the Father!

The very least (young) child of Grace, having received the forgiveness of sins, knows the Father in this most important sense."

I know the Father. He has forgiven me. I see it in the scripture. I see in what he has promised. I see that Jesus, His Son, was sent to die for me. He has forgiven me. I can cry out, I want to cry out and I do cry out, 'Abba, Father'. I am forgiven. So John says this is what characterizes the young in faith. Not a lot more you can say about them. They're very young, just came to know Christ. They know they are forgiven. They know their Father.

2. Young Men

But Christian living is a journey. It's whenever there is life, there is growth. And the next stage of spiritual growth, according to John, is when you arrive at 'young men'. By the way, this does not exclude ladies. So ladies, please don't switch off. This is just you know what he is saying. Children refers to both young men can refer to ladies as well. But this is against spiritual maturity level 2, if I may say. Young men, people in the prime of their life, they are strong, they are full of vigour and vitality. And John says, 'young men are people who have overcome the evil one.' So no more the image of a child, a baby, a toddler, but now an image of a soldier. He is at war. He is in battle. And he has not only gone to battle, he has actually overcome the evil one. The word 'overcome' is the word 'Nikao' which is the word you get Nike from. It is a word that means 'to conquer' or 'to overcome'.

So, a spiritually more mature man is able to overcome the evil one. He's able to overcome the devil. In what ways? In the temptations he brings, in accusations and in the deceptions, discouragements, the devil seeks to strike. He is able to stand, he is able to overcome because he is more mature. He's stronger. And that is given to us in verse 14 : 'I write to you, young men, because you are strong.' Now, the baby is not strong, isn't it? The baby is weak. The baby is defenceless. The baby cannot fight. He does not even discern. When food is on the ground, he grabs and eat. He doesn't have any idea. So he is defenceless against attacks. He is defenceless, in a sense, he has no discernment. But, when you're a young man, you are different. You know what is right and wrong and you are able to defend. You are able to fight. You are able to overcome the evil one because you are strong.

Now, why are they strong? Why are they strong? Why are young men strong? What's the secret between a babe in Christ and a soldier of Christ? You are strong because the Word of God abides in you. So John is saying this is spiritual growth stage 2. Stage 1, he knows God, he knows forgiveness. But as he feeds upon God's Word, as he not only studies but he lives out. He obeys. He trusts in God's Word. He lives by God's promises. He becomes strong. 'As newborn babes desire the sincere milk of the Word that you may grow thereby.' (1 Peter 2:2) 20:22

And you remember how Jesus was able to resist the advances of the devil? This is what he did. He said, 'It is written, it is written, it is written.' How was it that Jesus is able to overcome the devil? He had God's Word abiding in him. So, this is spiritual maturity level 2. You are strong because the Word of God abides in you, not just knowledge but you believe God's Word. You live it out. You obey and therefore you are able to overcome the evil one.

And John again, bringing it back to the context, he's saying, 'why do you want to give up? I see this work of grace in your life. You are no more a child. You know you are forgiven. You cry out 'Abba, Father'. And look at this : look at how you have waged war and have victory over the devil. Look at the way you have grown in your love for others. You used to be so self-centered, but you have overcome the evil one. You're living a life of love, not lust. Look at your temper. You used to be fiery but now you are so controlled. Look at the deceptions you used to believe in, the way you live for the world but now you are living for Christ. So look at the way you have overcome the evil one and keep pressing on. Why? Because God's grace is clear in your life. So don't give up.' That's again his main point.

3. Fathers

But let's go finally to the fathers. I said this message will be short and I think it will be. Fathers. Fathers here, again, is not about age. There are some people with lots of grey hair but they are not very mature spiritually. And there are some people who look like kids but they can be very mature spiritually. I think Spurgeon was a preacher when he was 16, pastor when he was 19, is amazing. So, this has nothing to do with chronological physical age. This is about spiritual maturity. Let me ask you, before you look at the Bible, what will be the key characteristics or what will be the few key characteristics of a spiritually mature man? What would you think? What do you think it will be? He is mature. Why? Because? What are some of the things you look for? I would have thought a spiritual, mature person would be someone who has touched many lives, reached many souls, have a big ministry, have a big church. And maybe John may write something like that. But John has a very simple way of looking at spiritual maturity. He says in v13 and v14,

'I'm writing to you, fathers,
because you know him who is from the beginning' (verse 13)

'I'm writing to you, fathers,
because you know him who is from the beginning' (verse 14)

Anyone can tell me the difference between verses 13 and 14? With regards to this phrase 'because you know him who is from the beginning', there is absolutely no difference. John, you are very 'cheong hei' (long-winded), very repetitive. No, John is not 'cheong hei'. He is saying this is that one thing I want you to catch. What does it mean to be a father ~ spiritually mature man? A lot of accomplishments? No. A spiritual father, a man who is mature, is someone who knows Him who is from the beginning ~ very, very focused; very, very precise. The question is : Who is this 'who is from the beginning'? Some of us may guess it's God the Father, and so on and so forth. But I suggest to you, it is given to you to know ~ in chapter 1 verse 1.

If you look at the Bible, chapter 1 verse one, it says that which is from the beginning, that which we have seen and heard, looked upon and touched, concerning the word of life. Who is he talking about? He's talking about Jesus Christ who came in the flesh; was manifested before us. So John is saying, a spiritually mature man or woman is someone who knows deeply, experientially and intimately Jesus Christ who is from the beginning. That's the mark of a spiritual man. Let me bring it back to summary. It says here ~ 3 stages. Of course there are overlaps and continuums. We all understand that. But in generalization, we see that there is 'Children', there is 'Young men', there is 'Fathers'. How does one grow from being a child, paidion, to become a young man, a soldier of Christ? 25:21

What is the key thing? Well, what he needs is that the Word of God will abide in him. But that's what we read earlier so he needs to know the Word of the Lord. Let me ask you, then, what does it take for a young man to be a father? Well, let me just suggest to you a very simple way of looking at it ~ just flip this around :

Children ------ Young Men ------ Fathers

Young men to fathers are people who know the Lord of the Word. I actually wanted to say, 'Children to young men know the Word of the Lord. Young men to fathers know the Lord of the Word through the Word of the Lord' but I thought you all too confused already. So, I just kept it as such but please do understand I don't mean a mystical kind of relationship with God where you are high up in the mountain and just wait for God to fill you. No, no, no. You know the Lord of the Word through the Word of the Lord. That's what 2 Corinthians 3 tells you.

We see Christ in his Word but what this, I think, is highlighting to us is that there is a way of reading and studying the Bible that does not lead us to knowing Christ. If merely studying the Bible, without a clear intention to do so, will lead you to spiritual maturity, the Scribes, the Pharisees and Sadducees would have rocked. It would be the best. But they studied and missed Christ.

A spiritual father is someone who not only knows the doctrines, the precepts, the teachings, the promises of the Bible but he has such a single-minded focus to say, 'I want to know Christ. That's my goal in life. This is my one all-consuming passion to know Him.' I didn't say that. Paul did, didn't he? He says, 'this one thing I do, this is my life that I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings.' This is Paul's heart and Paul is a spiritual father. I'm writing to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning. You know Christ. You have a deep, intimate, experiential knowledge of him through his Word. I see the likeness of Christ in your life. You see, if you really know someone, and if you really know Jesus Christ, it is a life-changing relationship. You will be made like Christ. And John says look at your life. It's amazing. Not only do you have forgiveness, not only do you know the Father, not only have you had victories over the evil one because you've been consistently obeying and applying God's Word but you know Christ in such a deep intimate way, I see Christ in you. So, be encouraged and don't give up. I refer you to what Paul has said :

"Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For His sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ.....(single-mindedness)

that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and may share His sufferings, becoming like Him in his death." (Philippians 3: 8,10 ESV)

Christian living, in its pinnacle, is a single-minded focus on Christ, and Christ alone. That is a mark of a spiritual man. He does not just know the Word of the Lord. He knows the Lord of the Word through the Word of the Lord. Again, I want to refer you to Spurgeon. I think, he puts it across just so well and I thought it's worth considering, even though it may be a bit long. He says :

'Now, a babe in Grace knows 20 things ~ a young man in Christ knows 10 things ~ but a father in Christ knows one thing and that one thing he knows thoroughly!'

Now, a babe in Grace knows 20 things. You know when people are born. I know my kids like to show off how much they know, lah. Do you know this? Do you know this? Do you know this? Wah, they know a lot of things, lah. And a babe in grace, a spiritual child of God, may know 20 things. As he grows, he says, Wah, I know this verse, I know that doctrine. A young man in Christ knows 10 things. But a father in Christ knows one thing and that one thing he knows thoroughly! Now that doesn't mean he is ignorant of everything else, alright, so you must take it in the right context. But this is one thing he really, really knows well. 30:17

'it is very natural for us, at first, to divide our little stream into many rivulets, but as we grow gray (grow old, grow mature) in Grace, we pour it all into one channel ~ and then it runs with a force efficient for our lifework.'

This is what powers our life. 'I trust,' he says of himself, 'I trust I know many doctrines, many precepts and many teachings ~ but more and more my knowledge gathers about my Lord even as the bees swarm around their queen!

May it come to this with us all ~ 'I determined not to know anything among you, save Jesus Christ, and Him crucified.'

May all our knowledge be focused as with a burning glass (the magnifying glass) upon this one point! May the adorable Person of Him that was from the beginning fill the entire horizon of our thought! Oh, to have one heart, one eye, for our one Lord and for Him alone!' ~ Spurgeon

3. FATHERS

This is a spiritual father. This is what Christianity should shoot for. It's not attendance in church. It's not just how many times you have preached, how many people you have led to the Lord. I think all those who come as a result of someone who knows Christ. This is the source. This is the origin. So, this passage is about being encouraged. It's interesting. This is like a hamburger, you know. John says, 'obey'. John says 'love'. Then later on he is going to say 'love not the world.' But right in the middle, very interestingly, he inserts these verses, 12-14. Why? Because he is a pastor who knows people can be overwhelmed and he wants to encourage them by reminding them God has done a divine work in your life.

You, young ones, you know Christ. You know God. You call him 'Abba, Father'. Your sins are forgiven. You, young man, not only have you had all that the babe in Christ has experienced, you have a practical reality of victory over the evil one. And all you fathers, look at you, look at your life. You're so much like Christ. You're pursuing Christ. So why give up? Let me tell you next week what it means to be a Christian in not loving the world. But that will be another time.

So John, right here, is displaying a pastoral father's heart, bringing them near, and saying 'Cheer up, guys, be encouraged, and press on towards the mark'. I say to all of you, now this passage is not easy, in a sense, but maybe, as you look at your life in the light of these 3 stages, do you see a change in your life? Do you say to yourself, 'I know the father'? Do you have consistent victory? Do you pursue Christ and are you like Christ? If you do, I say the number 1 response we should have is to praise God, always, because it's His work. If you don't, don't give up. Your sins are forgiven. Keep pressing on because Christian living is a journey. It's a spiritual growth. Now for those of you who are here and you said, 'Wow, this whole passage is for a Christian. What about me? I'm not a Christian. I don't understand what it means to know the Father, to know Christ. How do I start?' You realize that in this whole passage, the imagery is about life. And life comes with birth. You don't suddenly decide to be a Christian. Yes, in a sense, you do choose to believe in Jesus Christ but it's not just about your decision. It is also, equally, in the Bible, a description of how God gives new life. How Jesus says you must be born again.

Friends, if you are here for the first time, this is the first time you hear God's Word, you've never known what it means to be a Christian, I say to you, it begins with birth. And this birth is from the heavens above. It begins with being born from above, being born again, and God is the one who gives you the new birth. Your response today is to see your sin, to see your ugliness, to see your hopelessness and your helplessness and then to see what God has done for you in Jesus Christ. Your sins can be forgiven because of Jesus Christ. God sent His Son to die for your sins so that whosoever believes in him shall not perish but have everlasting life. And if you turn from your sin and look to Christ, and ask God to give you this new birth, you can have this new life and you can know God and have your sins forgiven. 35:30

Let's bow for a word of prayer today. I'd like you to have this time to reflect upon God's Word, upon John's exaltation. I want you to reflect, in a sense, that is relevant for you today because some of us may find Christian living just so hard, so difficult, you say. I've tried, but I keep falling into sin and I keep being selfish. Am I really a Christian? And you doubt yourself. The intention of the Bible is not to cause a Christian to doubt his salvation but it's to help a Christian realize, with certainty, Wow! these are the marks of grace and I do know that I'm a Christian because it is evident. And so, if you are overwhelmed, if, over the past weeks you have felt Wow! these sayings are tough and John draws you near to him, puts his arm around you and says, 'Don't give up. I write to you, little children. I write to you because I see that you know the Father. I want to assure you your sins are forgiven. I know you. I'm your pastor. I know.' He brings the young man over and says, 'look at your life, look at the victories, look at the amazing things God has done through you. Come, fathers, look at your single-minded pursuit of Christ. It's so beautiful. Guys, if God has begun this good work in you, he will perform it unto the end. So, keep pressing on.'

And for some of us today who do not know Jesus, it begins right here. Would you be born again? Now, you can't bring about this, just like I didn't make myself born into this world. My mother had to do it but you need to turn from sin and believe in Jesus Christ. That's what Jesus said to Nicodemus, 'Nicodemus, you must be born again'. Today, I say to you, you must be born again because except a man be born again, he cannot see, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. But I tell you God loves you and He's given His Son for you. The price that is due for your sins is already paid on the cross and He invites you. He calls you. In fact, He commands you to repent and believe in Jesus, His Son, for the forgiveness of sins, in a way that is mysterious to us, in a way that is not comprehensible fully to us. If you turn and believe, he gives you new life. And that's His promise.

So friends, Gospeliters, if you can't say in your heart 'I know the Father', if you can't say in your heart 'I have had a changed life where I have victory over the evil one', when you can't say in your heart 'I have a single-minded pursuit of Jesus Christ', in fact, I can't say that I've any of the marks that has been spoken of in 1John'; I say to you, today may be the day of your salvation, if you are willing to humble yourself and look to Jesus for what he has done. May God have mercy that none of us will pass from life to death imagining we know him when we don't. But may this be a glorious day that you are truly saved and truly belong to Him.

Father, we thank you for this time. Would you bless your people in all the various ways you have spoken to us. And we pray that Jesus would really be in our lives and He will shine through our lives. We thank you, in advance, for all the decisions that we make, for all the choices of life that we will make, for all the life-changing relationships we can enjoy with you. We thank you and we pray all this now in Jesus' name.