IT’S A GREAT DAY TO BE ALIVE (2)

Before I get back to my blog series, there is one more thing I want to say about prayer at this time. Would you turn with me to 1 John 5:13 NKJV These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God.

I have of course quoted this verse many times as it highlights the important truth of ASSURANCE OF SINS FORGIVEN. John is not talking about a mental knowing but a spiritual KNOWING, that is a work of the Holy Spirit that occurs in our heart when we are enabled to repent, and are born again. In modern evangelism people are encouraged to “pray a prayer” and then are informed now they have prayed that prayer they are now a Christian, but Paul tells us in Rom.10:9 NKJV that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. It is not just confession from our mouth, there must be that genuine believing in our heart to bring about that assurance of sins forgiven.

Consequently we have many people sitting in church pews all over the world hoping” they are saved. That is why the very first step in Biblical Discipleship is to make sure the new Believer knows because he knows. I know I have written this many times before and will keep repeating it until the Church gets back to “building according to the pattern of the Word of God”.

WHAT IS THE DIRECT RESULT OF KNOWING YOU ARE BORN AGAIN?

The Apostle John declares in the very next verse 1 john 5:14 AMP N.T And this is the confidence (the assurance, the privilege of boldness) which we have in Him: [we are sure] that if we ask anything (make any request) according to His will (in agreement with His own plan), He listens to and hears us.

PASSION Since we have this confidence, we can also have great boldness before him, for if we present any request agreeable to his will, he will hear us. And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we also know that we have obtained the requests we ask of him.

MESSAGE And how bold and free we then become in his presence, freely asking according to his will, sure that he’s listening.

KNOWING WE ARE BORN AGAIN PRODUCES A CONFIDENCE AND A BOLDNESS.

I want to go on and say, I want to recommend to you that you meditate much on 1 John 5:14, and look at it in various translations and ask the Holy Spirit “to turn the light on”, I am experiencing a greater confidence and boldness more than I have ever experienced before in my whole Christian lifetime, as this verse is quickened to me. As we all know we are living in unprecedented times, and the challenges have never been so great everywhere we turn, the time is NOW to pray with a confidence and boldness born of the Holy Spirit, knowing that God is listening, and as we pray in the will of God, we can expect a glorious response, and we will see family and friends born again, major problems simply disappear, sicknesses healed by the power of God amen.

Yes, it is a great day to be alive, and whatever lays before us, whether it be Jesus breaking through the clouds, or a major war or battle, or we are taken home to be with the Lord, We can say with Paul in 1 Tim.1:12 NKJV for I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until that Day. amen