11 - Walking In Brotherly Love (Part 2)
August 28, 2022 • Pastor Ronald H. Gann • 1 John 3:11–18
Throughout history people have used various means and several external methods to identify themselves as spiritual. What ultimately marks a true believer in Jesus Christ is not whether they wear a necklace with a cross on it or a label pin in the shape of a dove. Rather, the mark of a true Christian is that they have been transformed by the Holy Spirit through faith in Jesus Christ and thereby live a transformed life. That transformed life, says John in 1 John 3:11-18, should be evident by a love for God and a love for others that results in obedience to both.
06 - Walking In Sanctification
July 17, 2022 • Pastor Ronald H. Gann • 1 John 2:12–14
Gyms are filled to capacity today with people of all ages—both the vain and the health conscious—who exercise religiously hoping to improve their health and enhance their appearance. In the same way, and with the same tenacity, believers are called upon, indeed are expected, to build up their spiritual muscles (of their inner man) like athletes who work on their physical muscles (of their outer man). This is known as spiritual growth, graduating from immature children to the spiritually mature young men, and from spiritually young men to spiritually accomplished senior saints. While we cannot work for our salvation, we must work at it to perfect it if we ever hope to grow in Christ (Philippians 2:13-14). In short, we must train ourselves to be godly (1 Timothy 4:7-8).
04 - Walking In Assurance
June 26, 2022 • Pastor Ronald H. Gann • 1 John 2:1–6
God does not want believers to suspect that they might be saved; God does not want believers to simply cross their fingers and hope that they are elect. Rather, God wants us to know it and understand it so that we can walk in confidence and in the joy of our salvation. Our conduct, says the apostle John in 1 John 2:1-6, is but one piece of evidence for the assurance of our salvation; along with our confession of Jesus Christ as Lord, our conviction that he rose from the dead, and our conscience informed by the Holy Spirit that bears witness to both (Romans 8:16; 10:9-10 cf. 1 John 3:21).