Sunday 09/11/22 Series:”Fellowship Divine: God’s Blueprint for Otherworldly Joy” Pt. 11

Part 11-The Fellowship's Duty and Discipline (1 John 5:14-21)

1. God always listens favorably to the prayers of the faithful (5:14-15).
   1. While our prayers may not always be answered affirmatively, they will always be answered favorably.
2. Prayer should focus on the spirituality of our brothers (5:16-17).
   1. Sometimes a prayer for a brother's repentance and physical well-being will be answered. Sometimes it will not. This is because some sins result in physical death because of God's chastening.
3. Sin does not endanger the sanctified position of the believer (5:18).
   1. The spirit is never tainted by unrighteous behavior and the Devil's accusations have no power over us. One day the corruption of the flesh will no longer tempt the believer. Meantime, knowing our inner identity is essential to both our assurance and our walk with Christ. 
4. Acting on our position keeps us practically holy (5:19-21).
   1. John shifts from who we are despite our sin to who we are when we forsake sin. When our born-again nature is unimpeded by unrighteous behavior, we can say that we are "from God" (practically sanctified) as opposed to the world which "lieth in wickedness" (positional unrighteousness).