CONFIDENCE

Key Text: “This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.” (1 John 5:13–21, NIV)

The Student Will:

Know: Realize that we can be sure of salvation, answered prayer, protection, belonging to God, and knowing Jesus.
Feel: Nurture a sense of trust and belonging.
Do: Live a positive Christian life without being presumptuous.

Lesson Outline:

Know: Unchangeable Certainties

1. John lists five claims that begin with “we know”: we know that salvation is ours, that our prayers are heard, that we have protection, that we belong to God, and that we know Jesus. How we can strengthen our confidence in each of these areas?

Recognizing the spiritual benefits or advantages of having those five essential ‘we knows’ sustains our faith in Jesus and strengthen our conviction to those claims that they are absolutely true. By remembering the times when your prayers were answered, when you were kept from being vulnerable to dangers you’ve met, when you’ve felt that God was very close to you and He blessed you abundantly will enable you keep up that confidence. “This knowledge must not merely head knowledge but knowledge that leads us to a close connection with God.”[1]

“It’s important to have self-confidence. It’s even more important to have spiritual self-confidence. Spiritual confidence is the unique and palpable sense of absolute conviction that cannot be affected by external or internal fluctuations. It’s being absolutely sure. It’s knowing, before you know, that you know. It’s the highest gift and blessing that comes only from the deepest insight into the true nature of things. It can also be the most precious jewel that is freely transmitted from the awakened heart and mind of a true spiritual master to any and all who would receive it. Absolute conviction destroys existential doubt and frees the human soul.”[2]

2. John expresses eternal life as a present reality (1 John 5:13). What is the difference between this reality and “once saved always saved”?

“Some folk have taken this ‘confidence’ of salvation and turned it into an “unconditional guarantee,” the idea of “once saved, always saved.” If this were true, what would stop us from forgetting all about God and living an immoral and unethical life—one that would, according to the Bible, bar us from heaven (Gal. 5:21, Rev. 21:8)? After all, it’s hard enough, even knowing that we can fall away from God, to keep ourselves. pure. Imagine if we thought it didn’t matter at all how we lived! The Bible teaches that there is assurance of salvation, but this certainty can be lost through our own choices. We need to hold on to the crown of life by keeping ourselves daily surrendered to the Lord in obedience and in repentance and faith. We must, always, watch and pray, for Satan is seeking whom he may devour (1 Pet. 5:8).”[3]

“Those who are teaching this doctrine today [the doctrine that "by 'believing' we are released from the necessity of being doers of the word"] have much to say in regard to faith and the righteousness of Christ; but they pervert the truth, and make it serve the cause of error. They declare that we have only to believe on Jesus Christ, and that faith is all-sufficient; that the righteousness of Christ is to be the sinner's credentials; that this imputed righteousness fulfils the law for us, and that we are under no obligation to obey the law of God. This class claims that Christ came to save sinners, and that he has saved them. 'I am saved,' they will repeat over and over again. But are they saved while transgressing the law of Jehovah?--No; for the garments of Christ's righteousness are not a cloak for iniquity.”[4]

Feel: Nurturing Our Relationship with God

3. Sometimes God doesn’t answer our prayers for earthly blessings. How do these occasions help us to nurture our faith?

“When we pray for earthly blessings, the answer to our prayer may be delayed, or God may give us something other than we ask, but not so when we ask for deliverance from sin. It is His will to cleanse us from sin, to make us His children, and to enable us to live a holy life. Christ ‘gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father.’ Gal. 1:4. And ‘this is the confidence that we have in Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He heareth us: and if we know that He hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of Him.’ 1 John 5:14, 15. ‘If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.’ 1 John 1:9.”[5]

“If the life of the sick can glorify Him, we pray that they may live; nevertheless, not as we will but as He will. Our faith can be just as firm, and more reliable, by committing the desire to the all-wise God, and, without feverish anxiety, in perfect confidence, trusting all to Him. We have the promise. We know that He hears us if we ask according to His will. Our petitions must not take the form of a command, but of intercession for Him to do the things we desire of Him.”[6]

4. John constantly focuses on the positive. How can we foster a similar attitude?

Let me convert Brian Tracey super attitude in business into something spiritual (in close parenthesis)

Four Steps to a Super Attitude[7]

1. Focus On The Future (heaven)
2. Focus On The Solution (Jesus)
3. Look For The Good (Obedience to His Commandments)
4. Look For The Valuable Lesson(The Fall of Man and the Cross)

“We should cherish love and gratitude, we should look unto Jesus and become transformed into His image. The result of this will be increased confidence, hope, patience, and courage. We shall be drinking of the water of life of which Christ spoke to the woman of Samaria. . . . This water represents the life of Christ, and every soul must have it by coming into living connection with God. Then blessed, humble, grateful confidence will be an abiding principle in the soul. Unbelieving fear will be swept away before living faith.”[8]

Do: Positive but Not Presumptuous

5. Our choices are the only way that we can lose our assurance of salvation. List ways of being sure you are making the right choices.

“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” (Psalms 119:105, NIV)

God’s Word is the Christian’s guide for making godly, successful choices in life. Before you make your decisions, compare your desires to what the scriptures say and ask yourself the following questions

Below are some questions needs to consider before making decisions to be assured that you can make a right choice.[9]

1. Would you be able to ask God to bless it? (Proverbs 10:22).
2. Could you thank Him for it? (Col. 3:17).
3. Would it be to God’s Glory? (1 Cor. 10:31).
4. Would it be of the world? (1John 2:15).
5. Would it be a stumbling block to others? (1 Cor. 8:9).
6. Would it be a weight or hindrance? (Hebrews 12:1).
7. Would it please God or man? (Col. 3:23).
8. How would the Devil react? (1 Peter 5:8-9).
9. What would the consequences be? (Gal. 6:7).
10. Would it edify you? (1 Cor. 10:23).
11. Would it serve the right master? (Matt. 6:24).
12. Would His indwelling presence agree with it? (John 16:13); (Gal. 5:16).
13. Would you want to be doing this when Jesus Returns? (Matt. 24:44).
14. Would it promote love? (Rom. 13:8, 10).
15. Have you sought the Lord about it? (Prov. 3:6); (Prov. 19:21).
16. Have you sought Godly counsel or advice? (Prov. 11:14); (Psa. 1:1).

“God will not remove the task of decision-making from human beings. Men and women must do their part, while God does His. God encourages people with sufficient light to make right choices always providing, when asked, the wisdom to make the right choice and the power to act. When correct decisions are made, God has His special way of endorsing those decisions.”[10]


Summary: John lists five areas in which we can have confidence in God. The only thing that can take away our salvation is our own negative choices.

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[1] Adult Bible Study Guide 2009: 3rd Quarter, Teachers Edition. p. 122.
[2] Andrew Cohen, http://www.www.care2.com
[3] Adult Bible Study Guide 2009: 3rd Quarter, Teachers Edition. p. 116.
[4] Signs of the Times, February 25, 1897.
[5] Ellen G. White, The Desire of Ages, p. 266.
[6] Ellen G. White, Testimonies for the Church, vol. 2, p. 149.
[7] Brian Tracey, http://www.1000ventures.com/.
[8] Ellen G. White, Testimonies to Ministers, p. 226.
[9] Dale A. Robbins, www.victorious.org info@victorious.org
[10] Herbert E. Douglass, Messenger of the Lord, The prophetic Ministry of Ellen G. White, (Nampa, Idaho: PPPA, 1998), p. 186