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Sermon Outline

1. Introduction
2. Our Assurance as Believers (1Jn 5:13, 18-21)
   1. Reason for Letter (1Jn 1:4, 5:13)
      1. Encourage the Faithful (1Jn 2:1, 7, 12-14, 20, 26, 3:1)
      2. A Summary of the Things He has written
   2. We possess Eternal Life (1Jn 1:2, 5:13, 5:20)
   3. We don’t persist in sinful living (1Jn 5:18)
   4. God is Preserving us (1Jn 5:18)
   5. The Battle lines are drawn between God and Evil one (1Jn 5:19)
   6. Christ himself has drawn us into the sheepfold (1Jn 5:20)
3. Our Calling to Pray for One Another (1Jn 5:14-17)
   1. God hears our Prayers when they align with His will (1Jn 5:14)
      1. So what is God’s will? (Jn 6:29, 1Jn 3:23, 5:3)
   2. God answers our Prayers (1Jn 5:15)
   3. Praying for one another (1Jn 5:16)
   4. Sin that leads to death (1Jn 5:16-17)
      1. Mortal & Venial Sins
         1. Catholic theologians do have some helpful test for defining mortal sins: all of the following conditions must be met:[1]
            1. Its subject matter must be grave.
            2. It must be committed with full knowledge (and awareness) of the sinful action and the gravity of the offense.
            3. It must be committed with deliberate and complete consent
         2. In fact, this seems to be derived from the distinction that the OT makes between 2 kinds of sin – [2]
            1. unconscious or unwitting sins which the Day of Atonement expunged from the nation of Israel each year
            2. And Sins which were done with full intent like murder, rape, blasphemy. These sins required the one committing them to die immediately at the hands of the people.
         3. NT example of Ananias and Sapphira in Acts 5:1-11 who lie to the HS and are stricken dead.
         4. Other passages that can inform our discussion are
            1. 1Cor 11:29-30
            2. Blasphemy (1Tim 1:20)
4. Conclusion (1Jn 5:21)

[1] https://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/__P6C.HTM

[2] I. Howard Marshall, The Epistles of John, NICNT; Accordance electronic ed. (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1978), 247.