Knowing that You Know

REFLECTION QUOTES


“If only God would give me some clear sign! Like making a large deposit in my name in a Swiss bank.”

~Woody Allen

“We are speaking not of an irrational leap into the unknown, but of the responsible acceptance of a personal invitation: ‘Follow me.’”

~Lesslie Newbigin (1909-1998), British theologian and missionary to India,
in Truth and Authority in Modernity


“Jesus does not give recipes that show the way to God as other teachers of religion do. He is Himself the way.”

~Karl Barth (1886-1968), Swiss theologian

“By knowing God we come to love him, and my loving him we come to know him.”

~Ellen T. Charry, contemporary Princeton professor and theologian

“The truth is not in the middle, and not in one extreme, but in both extremes.”

~Charles Simeon (1759-1836), English clergyman

SERMON PASSAGE


Selections from 1 John (NASB)
Chapter 1

1 What was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and touched with our hands, concerning the Word of Life— 2 and the life was manifested, and we have seen and testify and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was manifested to us— 3 what we have seen and heard we proclaim to you also, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ. 4 These things we write, so that our joy may be made complete.

5 This is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you, that God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all. 6 If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth; 7 but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.

Chapter 2

3 By this we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments. 4 The one who says, “I have come to know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him; 5 but whoever keeps His word, in him the love of God has truly been perfected…

Chapter 3

23 This is His commandment, that we believe in the name of His Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, just as He commanded us.

Chapter 4

2 By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God…

7 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. 8 The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love.

Chapter 5

11 And the testimony is this, that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. 12 He who has the Son has the life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have the life.

13 These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life.

20 And we know that the Son of God has come, and has given us understanding so that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life.