I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know
that you have eternal life.
And this is the confidence that we have toward Him, that if we ask anything according to
His will, He hears us.
And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests
that we have asked of Him.
If anyone sees his brother committing a sin not leading to death, he shall ask and God
will give him life.
To those who commit sins that do not lead to death.
There is sin that leads to death.
I do not say that one should pray for that.
All wrongdoing is sin, but there is sin that does not lead to death.
We know that everyone who has been born of God does not keep on sinning, but he who was
born of God protects him and the evil one does not touch him.
We know that we are from God and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one.
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.
He is the true God and eternal life.
Little children, keep yourselves from idols.
This is God's holy and authoritative word.
Heavenly Father, we pray that you will address us from your word as you always do.
That you would empower the preaching of your word by the Spirit of God.
That these truths that we are to live by might be impressed deeply upon us.
And that they might assure us that we belong to God, His family.
That it might shape the way we think, the way we feel, and the way we live.
In Jesus' name we pray.
Amen.
One issue that comes up consistently in pastoral counseling is assurance of salvation.
Christians, for one reason or another, feel unsure that they are truly saved and born again in Christ.
Sometimes they feel insecure because other Christians around them seem much more faith-filled or joyful or obedient.
Sometimes they feel that they don't know enough scripture.
Sometimes they are riddled with doubt because of others who are challenging or questioning their beliefs.
But God doesn't want us to be unassured or insecure regarding our eternal life in Christ.
And in this passage, John reminds us that as those who believe in the Son of God,
we can be assured of our eternal life in Him.
And this is actually the purpose of this entire letter.
John says in verse 13,
I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God,
that you may know that you have eternal life.
That's the purpose statement for this entire letter.
That you may know that you have eternal life.
We find a very similar purpose statement in John's gospel.
In John 20, 31.
These are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God,
and that by believing you may have life in His name.
So John wrote his gospel so that we might believe and have eternal life.
And John wrote 1 John, his letter,
so that we who believe might know that we have eternal life.
The purpose of the gospel was to persuade us.
And the purpose of the letter is to reassure us.
And in the rest of this passage, using a series of statements that begin with the phrase,
we know, he repeats that four times in verses 15, 18, 19 to 20.
We know, we know, we know.
John tells us several things that we may be assured of.
And the first is, we know God hears us in verses 14 to 17.
And then we know God protects us in verse 18.
We know that we belong to God in verse 19.
And we know that the Son of God has come in verses 20 to 21.
So let's first look at what we know.
I mean, that we know God hears us in verses 14 to 17.
It says in verse 14 and 15,
And this is the confidence that we have toward him,
that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.
And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask,
we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him.
He's speaking here of the confidence and boldness that we have toward God or in his presence.
An illustration from an earthly king's court might be helpful here for understanding what John is getting at.
In the book of Esther, when King Ahasuerus, at the incitation of evil Haman,
decrees that the Jews be annihilated,
Mordecai, a faithful man of God, asks Queen Esther,
who is a young cousin of his that he raised up like his own adopted daughter,
who has now become queen,
he asks Esther to intervene on behalf of God's people, the Jews.
But Esther, even though she is the treasured queen of the king,
she expresses her hesitation, her fear in Esther chapter 4 verse 11.
She says,
All the king's servants and the people of the king's provinces know that if any man or woman
goes to the king inside the inner court without being called,
there is but one law to be put to death,
except the one to whom the king holds out the golden scepter so that he may live.
But as for me, I have not been called to come into the king these 30 days.
But Mordecai implores her and Esther finally concedes.
And as she does that, she says this in chapter 4 verse 16 of Esther,
Go gather all the Jews to be found in Susa and hold a fast on my behalf.
And do not eat or drink for three days, night or day.
I and my young women will also fast as you do.
Then I will go to the king, though it is against the law.
And if I perish, I perish.
Thankfully, when Esther goes into the king's presence,
the king does extend the golden scepter to her, shows favor to her.
But note Esther's fear and reluctance.
Even though she is the beloved queen,
she must come to terms with her possible death sentence
before approaching the king without his summons.
It's hard for us to understand because we live in an egalitarian society
with unprecedented freedoms.
That is the United States of America.
And we live in a country where authority figures are widely distrusted
and frequently reviled or derided.
And so we have no idea what it's like to approach the throne room of a king.
The king is not a chummy buddy that you can text or call or visit whenever you wish.
You only come to the king when he summons you.
And yet, it says in verse 14,
that we may have confidence toward him, before God.
We may be frank with him.
We may be bold in his presence.
Why is that?
Because as verse 13 says,
we believe in the name of the Son of God and have eternal life.
Because we have been born again into his family through faith in Jesus Christ.
Apart from Jesus, we would have zero confidence to approach the king.
We are sinners.
We're rebels guilty of high treason.
We were God's enemies.
But as we sang this morning,
Before the throne of God above,
I have a strong and perfect plea.
A great high priest whose name is love,
whoever lives and pleads for me.
My name is graven on his hand.
My name is written on his heart.
I know that while in heaven he stands,
no tongue can bid me thence depart.
No tongue can bid me thence depart,
because Jesus intercedes for us at the right hand of God.
Because Jesus interposed his own blood
by dying on the cross as the atoning sacrifice for our sins.
That means it's now our birthright
to be in the presence of the king.
It's really fascinating and delightful to observe children,
especially shy children,
when they are in the comfort of their own homes.
They may not speak a single word out in the public,
but in their own home,
when they're with their own parents,
they are loud,
they're bold,
they're confident,
they're insistent.
And why is that?
Because that's their father's house.
Because that is their birthright.
And so it is for every single Christian,
being in the presence of God,
being in the throne room of God,
that is our birthright.
So we are not ashamed.
We are not insecure.
We are not hesitant.
Instead,
we are bold,
direct,
and confident.
That's the exalted privilege we have.
That's what John's speaking of.
Earlier in chapter 3,
verses 21 to 23,
John spoke also of our confidence before God,
and that we are assured that we belong to God,
and that if we are assured in that way,
that whatever we ask,
we would receive from Him.
He's repeating the same idea here in verses 14 to 15,
that if we ask anything according to His will,
He hears us.
And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask,
we know that we have the requests that we have asked of Him.
This is the key to answer prayer.
If you want your prayers answered,
this is the key.
If you ask anything according to His will,
He hears us.
It's the same principle that Jesus taught us in Matthew 6, 9 to 13.
He told us to pray this way.
Our Father who is in heaven,
hallowed be Your name.
Your kingdom come.
Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
That's the purpose of prayer,
that God's kingdom might come,
that His will might be done.
And if our prayers conform to the will of God,
then our prayers will, without fail,
be answered.
But if we pray for self-serving purposes,
then our prayers will not be answered.
James chapter 4 verse 3 tells us as much.
He says,
You ask and do not receive because you ask wrongly
to spend it on your passions.
There are people who teach Christians to,
quote,
name it and claim it.
They contend that if you name what you want
and claim it in faith,
that it will be yours.
And that all unanswered prayers
are simply evidence of a lack of faith.
But that's a profoundly unbiblical idea.
Prayer of faith is not simply
asking for something you want,
regardless of what God's will is,
and believing that you will receive it
when you don't have any basis for that faith.
That's not what prayer of faith is.
John Owen describes it this way,
quote,
We are to pray for what God hath promised.
Our requests are to be regulated
by His promises and commands,
which are of the same extent.
Faith draws near with the promises
and so finds relief.
If we ask anything according to His will,
He hears us.
How do we know that we are praying
according to His will?
God has revealed His will to us
in His word.
So then when we pray
the commands and promises of Scripture,
we can rest assured that God hears us
and will answer us.
We know that we have the requests
that we have asked of Him.
This is something we know.
We can be assured of it.
There's a helpful resource
that another pastor in our denomination
who actually pastors in Toronto
named Tim Kerr wrote.
He wrote a book called
Take Words With You.
It's basically a compilation
and organization of
all the promises of Scripture
that we can pray.
And there's a free PDF link
that I posted on our chat group
that you can access
on Tim Chow's website.
And after giving us
this general assurance about prayer,
John applies this
to a specific instance
that he wants us to pray for
in verses 16 to 17.
This is something that we should pray for
and that God will answer.
It says,
If anyone sees his brother
committing a sin
not leading to death,
he shall ask
and God will give him life
to those who commit sins
that do not lead to death.
There is sin that leads to death.
I do not say that one should pray for that.
All wrongdoing is sin,
but there is sin that does not lead to death.
Sin that does not lead to death
that John is speaking of here
is sin that does not end
finally in death.
It's similar to what Jesus says
in John chapter 11 verse 4
regarding his friend Lazarus
who was deathly ill.
He said of him when he was sick,
This illness does not lead to death.
Well, it turns out that Lazarus did die,
but Jesus then raised him from the dead
so that his illness
did not finally end in death.
But there Jesus was speaking of physical death.
Here he's speaking of eternal death
because death is contrasted with life,
which in this letter
invariably refers to eternal life.
And so here's a curious thing.
According to Romans chapter 6 verse 23,
the wages of sin is death.
All sin leads to death
apart from the atoning work of Jesus Christ.
So then what does John mean
in verses 16 to 17
that all wrongdoing is sin,
but there is sin that does not lead to death.
This is sin for which forgiveness
has already been secured
by the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ.
In chapter 1 verse 9,
John said,
If we confess our sins,
he's faithful and just
to forgive us our sins
and to cleanse us
from all unrighteousness.
The word unrighteousness
is the same word.
It's a translation,
different translation
of the same word
that is rendered here
as wrongdoing.
It's the sins that we confess
that we have
that security of forgiveness for
because of the atoning work
of Jesus Christ on the cross.
And so when we see
a fellow Christian
committing a sin
not leading to death,
we're to pray to God
for him or her.
And if we do,
God promises
that he will give
that brother or sister
who is sinning
life.
Even though John
in several places
in this letter
describes eternal life
as something that
Christians already possess
in Jesus Christ,
he also describes it,
for example,
in chapter 2 verse 25
as something that comes
to full fruition later.
There's an already
but not yet reality.
We already have this
in our possession
but it's consummated,
comes to full fruition
in the future.
And that's what
he's promising,
that God is promising here
when we pray
for a brother or sister
committing a sin
not leading to death,
God will give them
that eternal life
in the future.
And that means
our intercessory prayer
that is an integral part
of the work that God does
in the lives
of our brothers and sisters.
As James chapter 5
verse 20 puts it,
whoever brings back
a sinner from his wandering
will save his soul
from death
and will cover
a multitude of sins.
That's the power
of our prayer
on behalf
of our sinning
brothers and sisters.
We can be confident
that when we ask God
for this
that he will hear us
and we can know
that we have the request
that we have asked of him.
If you're a beginner
in bowling
like me,
you can use
bowling bumpers.
You guys have seen those?
They're basically
guardrails
that block
the gutters
so that the ball
can't go into the gutter.
It just bounces
back and forth
from the bumpers
and it makes sure
that it always,
the ball always gets
to the end
of the lane
and to hit the pins
like it's designed to.
And such is the effect
of our prayers
on behalf
of our wayward
brothers and sisters.
God has ordained
that by our prayers
for one another
that we would be
preserved
unto eternal life.
God has ordained
that we
stand guard
between fellow believers
and eternal death.
Our prayer
is a matter
of life
and death.
Are you praying
for one another?
This is the case
for sin
that does not
lead to death.
There is,
however,
sin that leads
to death.
And John says,
I do not say
that one should
pray for that.
The sin
unto death
for,
there is a sin
unto death
for which prayer
is no avail.
Throughout this letter,
John has been addressing
the doubt
and discourse
sown among
the believers
that he is writing to
by those who
had denied Christ
and seceded
from the church,
separated from the church.
And it's most likely
that sin
of the secessionists,
those who denied Christ
and separated themselves
from the church,
that John has in mind here
because he described them
this way in 1 John 2,
verse 22,
who is the liar,
but he who denies
that Jesus
is the Christ.
This is the Antichrist,
he who denies
the Father and the Son.
They were once
considered Christians,
part of the church,
the fellowship
of believers,
but they denied Christ
and left the church.
And so chapter 1,
verse 19 said,
they went out from us,
but they were not
of us,
for if they had been
of us,
they would have
continued with us,
but they went out
that it might become plain
that they all are
not of us.
This is the sin
that leads to death.
It's similar to the sin
of apostasy
described in Hebrews,
chapter 6,
verses 4 to 6.
Those who reject
Jesus Christ
after having experienced
the Holy Spirit
in some measure
cannot be restored
to repentance.
They cannot repent.
They do not repent.
Hence,
there is no forgiveness.
So John says,
I do not say
that one should pray
for that.
The first assurance
of verses 14 to 17
is that we know
God hears us.
And then in verse 18,
John gives us
the second assurance
that we know
God protects us.
But he who was born
of God,
he says,
we know that everyone
who has been born of God
does not keep on sinning,
but he who was born
of God protects him
and the evil one
does not touch him.
John's point isn't
that a true Christian
never struggles with
besetting sins
or habitual sins.
His point is
that a Christian
does not sin
in a general sense.
When you observe
the life of someone
who is truly converted,
someone who has been
born of God,
what is characteristic
of that person,
what defines that person,
is going to be faith
and obedience,
not sin.
This is why John said
in chapter 3,
verse 10,
by this it is evident
who are children of God
and who are the children
of devil.
Whoever does not
practice righteousness
is not of God,
nor is the one
who does not love
his brother.
A person's righteousness
or obedience to God
can serve as evidence
of a person's
genuine conversion
because everyone
who is truly born of God
has died to sin
and lives to Christ.
As 2 Corinthians 5, 17 says,
Therefore,
if anyone is in Christ,
he is a new creation.
The old has passed away.
Behold,
the new has come.
A true Christian
has made a decisive
break with sin
so that he no longer sins.
Not in an absolute sense,
but in a general sense.
What characterizes him,
what defines him,
is no longer unrighteousness,
but righteousness.
This is because
he who was born of God
protects him
and the evil one
does not touch him.
Notice the repetition
of the phrase
born of God here.
In the first instance,
it refers to
every Christian.
Every Christian
is born of God.
But in the second instance,
it refers to Christ.
Everyone who has been
born of God
does not sin,
but he
who was born of God
protects him.
That's referring to Jesus.
The original begotten one,
the son of God,
protects the children of God,
those who are born of God
by faith.
This shows that
there is a spiritual warfare
being waged right now
for our eternal souls.
But for those
who belong to God
through faith in Jesus,
they are safe
because the son of God,
the original begotten son,
he protects us
and keeps us
from the evil one.
The evil one
is a reference
to the devil
and the evil one,
he says,
does not touch us.
Continuing this theme,
John assures us
of another Christian verity
in verse 19.
We know
that we are from God
and the whole world
lies in the power
of the evil one.
In several places
of his gospel,
John describes the devil
as the ruler
of this world.
Even though
the devil
can only act
under God's
ultimate sovereignty,
Satan does exercise
a kind of rule
here in this sinful world.
And so it says
that the whole world
lies in the power
of the evil one.
But in contrast,
we are from God.
We are no longer
under the dominion
of the devil.
This is because
it's similar reality
that Paul speaks of
in Colossians.
Chapter 2,
verses 13 to 15.
And you who are dead
in your trespasses
and the uncircumcision
of your flesh,
God made alive
together with him,
having forgiven us
all our trespasses
by canceling
the record of debt
that stood against us
with its legal demands.
This he set aside,
nailing it to the cross.
He disarmed the rulers
and authorities
and put them
to open shame
by triumphing over them
in him,
in Jesus.
Because we had all
sinned against God,
there was a record
of sin,
a debt
that stood up,
stood against us
with its legal demands.
And because we
deserved punishment,
Satan,
whose name means
the accuser,
had a claim on us,
had an argument
to make,
had a case to make
for our condemnation.
But because Jesus
died for our sins
and paid for the punishment
that we should have
deserved,
we deserved.
And having defeated
sin and death,
Jesus was raised
victoriously and ascended
to rule far above
that of the rulers
of the power
of this world.
Jesus silenced
the accuser.
He erased
every claim
he had on us.
He put his seal,
God's seal on us,
declaring that we
now belong to him.
That's who we are,
brothers and sisters.
We are not of this world,
whether we are from God.
So then are we,
we should ask ourselves,
are we living worldly lives
or godly lives?
Are we characterized
by the things
that God values
or the things
that the world values?
Is your mindset
on things that are above
compassionate hearts,
kindness,
humility,
meekness,
patience,
love,
or is your mindset
on things that are below?
Sexual immorality,
impurity,
covetousness,
idolatry.
We know
that we belong to God
and so we should
live like it.
And lastly,
John assures us
in verses 20 to 21
that we know
that the Son of God
has come.
He says in verse 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.
He is the true God
and eternal life.
Jesus Christ,
God's one
and only Son,
took on human flesh
and came to earth.
He lived a life
of perfect obedience
and died
an atoning sacrifice
to cleanse us
from our sins
and then He was raised
to give us new life
and by doing this,
He gave us understanding
so that we may know
Him who is true.
He's talking about
God the Father.
We are in Him
who is true
in His Son,
Jesus Christ.
The one who is true
is the one
whose Son
is Jesus Christ.
the language
of being in Him
refers to the spiritual
mutual indwelling.
When we abide
in Jesus
through faith,
we abide in God
His Father.
Jesus Christ
then is the only way
to abide
in God,
to know
the one
who is true.
Some people claim
that we can
all come to know
God
in our own ways.
the various
philosophies
and religions
in the world
offer alternate ways
of knowing God.
But the Word of God
teaches us
that there is only
one way.
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.
We cannot
know God the Father
without knowing
God the Son.
Then John adds
that He is
the true God
in eternal life.
It's a bit ambiguous
what the referring
of the pronoun
He is here
could be God the Father,
He could be God the Father,
it could be Jesus.
But since the nearest
antecedent
is Jesus Christ
and since
in several places
of this letter
John has already
called Jesus
the Word of Life
and Eternal Life,
it seems likely
that John is referring
here to Jesus.
And if that's the case,
John begins
and ends his letter
with this startling
Christological statement
about the identity
of Jesus.
He began
in chapter 1
verses 1 to 2
by saying that
which was from the beginning
which we have heard,
the one,
the God who was
from the beginning,
the Word of Life,
he said that
that eternal life
is Jesus.
And then he concludes
his letter
also by reaffirming
who Jesus is.
He is
the true God
and eternal life.
John ends
his gospel,
begins and ends
his gospel similarly.
He says
in the beginning
of John chapter 1,
in the beginning
was the Word
and the Word
was with God
and the Word
was God.
And he says
that no one
has ever seen God
but the only God
who is at the Father's side,
he has made him known.
And then he concludes
his gospel similarly
in John chapter 20
verse 28
through the lips
of Thomas
declaring Jesus
is my Lord
and my God.
This is a shocking statement
because remember
that Judaism
is a strictly
monotheistic religion.
And every faithful Jew
recited Deuteronomy
chapter 6
verses 4 to 5
every single day
once in the morning,
once in the evening
that the Lord
our God
the Lord
is one.
This speaks
not only to
the uniqueness
of God
that there is
no one like him,
there is only one God
but also to the unity
of God
that he is undivided,
has no division
within himself.
And because
there is only one God,
God's people
were called
to undivided
allegiance to him.
And yet John,
a faithful Jew,
the beloved disciple
who was with Jesus
in the flesh
during his earthly ministry,
seemingly without
any hesitation,
affirms that God
the Father
is the true God
and that his Son
Jesus Christ
is the true God
and eternal life.
It's because
the only God,
the Father,
unmistakably
revealed Jesus
to us
and because
of the reality
of Christ's life,
death, and resurrection
which undeniably
proved
that Jesus
is the Son of God
that John,
like the other
New Testament writers,
make such an
unprecedented statement.
the Father
is not the Son
and the Son
is not the Father
and yet both persons
along with the Holy Spirit
are one
triune God.
The only way,
therefore,
to get to know
God the Father
is through the Son
and in the Holy Spirit.
And that's why
to deny that
Jesus Christ
is the Son of God
who came in the flesh,
to deny that
he is the one
who imparts eternal life
is tantamount
to idolatry.
That's the logic
of verse 21.
Little children,
keep yourselves
from idols.
One cannot rightly
believe in God
the Father
without being
in his Son,
Jesus Christ.
affirming a vague,
shapeless idea
of a supreme being
is not sufficient
for salvation.
We must be assured
of this,
that we know
that the Son of God
has come
and has given us
understanding
so that we may know
him who is true.
If you think about it,
if we were assured
in this truth
as John wants us to be,
don't you think
we would have
greater boldness
and urgency
in our witness
to our neighbors
about Jesus?
Do we really believe
that Jesus
is the only way,
the truth,
and the life?
That no one
comes to the Father
except through him?
Do we really believe
that all worship,
all religion
that deviate
from this truth
is idolatry?
Do we really believe
that we possess
the only hope
for eternal life?
and if people
are so frantically
trying to develop
a vaccine
to lessen
the chance
of physical death
from this pandemic,
should we not
urgently share
the only cure
for certain
eternal death?
Brothers and sisters,
we know
that the Son of God
has come
and has given us
understanding.
These are the
Christian verities,
the truth
that we can live by.
And John's approach
to reassuring
his wavering congregation
is really insightful
because he doesn't
ground our assurance
in our up and down
emotions,
but in the unchanging
theological
and ethical
truths of Scripture.
He doesn't ground
our assurance
in our subjective
experience of God,
but in the objective
reality of God
revealed in His Son,
Jesus Christ.
In one of the many
letters he wrote
during his lifetime,
C.S. Lewis also
reminds us of the
same truth.
Quote,
The presence of God
is not the same
as the sense
of the presence
of God.
The latter may be
due to the imagination.
The former may be
attended with no
sensible consolation.
The act which
engenders a child
ought to be
and usually is
attended by pleasure.
But it is not
the pleasure
that produces
the child.
Where there is
pleasure,
there may be
sterility.
Where there is
no pleasure,
the act might
be fertile.
And in the
spiritual marriage
of God
and the soul,
it is the same.
It is the
actual presence,
not the sensation
of the presence,
of the Holy Spirit
which begets
Christ in us.
the sense
of the presence
is a super
added gift
for which we
give thanks
when it comes.
You might
feel like
worshipping,
you might not
feel like
worshipping God
this morning.
Maybe you
haven't showered
or you didn't
have a chance
to make coffee
or you feel
groggy.
maybe you
feel crummy
from staying
home all week
and having
wasted
countless hours
on trivial
pursuits.
Maybe you
feel harried
from wrangling
your children
all day long
who have been
stir crazy.
Maybe you
feel like a
bad Christian
because of
your prayerless
days and
because your
Bible is
collecting dust.
Maybe you
don't feel
passionate enough,
you feel
insecure,
you don't feel
loving enough,
you don't feel
joyful enough.
But if you
are ever
looking inward
toward yourself,
you will
always be
insecure.
You will
always be
up and
down.
You must
fix your
gaze on
Jesus Christ,
the Son of
God,
and focus
on what
we know.
We know
God hears
us.
This is our
birthright.
When we
confess our
sins,
He forgives
us.
When we
pray for
our sinning
brothers and
sisters,
He brings
them back
and restores
them to
this path
of eternal
life.
We know
God protects
us.
He keeps
us from
sin.
He will
not let
the evil
one touch
us,
it says.
He will
not stand
to let
the evil
one chain
us to
his slavish
dominion
again.
We know
that we
belong to
God.
No matter
how you
feel,
we belong
to Him.
We are
not of
this world.
This is
not our
country.
When we
feel like
aliens and
foreigners here
in this world,
when we feel
marginalized or
even persecuted,
we hold
on to our
hope and
longing for
our fatherland,
for our
homeland,
because we
know we
belong to
God.
We know
that the
Son of God
has come
and has
given us
understanding.
We know
that we
have salvation
in Jesus'
name.
We know
that we
have come
to know
the true
God,
regardless
of what
your friends
say,
regardless
of what
the pundits
say,
regardless
of how
you feel,
we know
this is
the truth.
That's
how we
live as
Christians.
And it's
when we
live by
what we
rightly
know,
that the
right feelings
flow from
us,
the right
actions
follow from
us.
So,
brothers and
sisters,
that's my
prayer for you
this morning.
Be assured
this morning
of what
you know
in Jesus
Christ.
Amen.