This series here is Love Made Known. Love Made Known. One of the things that we know about what God is doing in our church family over these last few years is that God has brought so many new people to our church who are new to Jesus. They’re new to faith. They’re new to God. They’re new to church. And one of the things that is a common experience for all of us as we come to faith in Jesus Christ is that we have doubts. We have doubts about faith. We have doubts about Jesus. We have doubts about God. We have doubts about forgiveness. We have doubts about fellowship. We have doubts about our relationship with God and coming to know God. And that’s normal. That’s normal for all of us. Every follower of Jesus at some point has had a doubt, had some kind of struggle of faith.

And I want to share real specifically a doubt that I had years ago. The doubt I struggled with was this: will I be loved if I’m honest about my sin? If I confess my sin and repent of my sin, will God really forgive me? Will he really love me and accept me? If I confess my sin and I’m honest about my sin, will other people love me and accept me?

Maybe you have something similar — a doubt about faith or forgiveness in the Lord. And maybe hearing more of my story would be an encouragement to you. A couple years ago on a Tuesday night at Celebrate Recovery, I shared my testimony. If you search online my name Joel Boon and Celebrate Recovery testimony, you will very easily find it. Many people have watched it and it might be an encouragement to you — especially if you’re struggling with doubts about faith or forgiveness, or there’s some other struggle of faith that you have. I would encourage you to take advantage of watching my testimony.

But we can all experience doubts. We can experience doubts about forgiveness, about faith, and about fellowship in Jesus. And God knows we have doubts. God knows what we struggle with. God is not surprised that we have doubts or struggles about faith. And God provides a solution to deal with our doubts. Our text is going to address that today in First John.

So I’m going to share this question as we get into our text: what should we do with our doubts about faith in Jesus Christ?

The Apostle John, in the letter of First John, provides a series of faith tests — tests to put to the test our relationship between us and God. As we look at the text today, there are a couple of faith tests in this passage. So we’re going to read 1 John 2:1–11.

“My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world. And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments. Whoever says, ‘I know him,’ but does not keep his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. Whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him. Whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.

Beloved, I am writing you no new commandment, but an old commandment that you had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word that you have heard. At the same time, it is a new commandment that I am writing to you, which is true in him and in you, because the darkness is passing away and the true light is already shining. Whoever says he is in the light and hates his brother is still in the darkness. And whoever loves his brother abides in the light, and in him there is no cause for stumbling. But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks in the darkness and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.”

Let’s pray together. Father God, Lord, we’re in desperate need of you. God, would you use your word to help us identify our doubts and deal with our doubts — deal with our failure of faith — to build our faith. God, we ask because of the incredible work of our advocate, Jesus Christ the righteous, who is the propitiation — the satisfaction — to pay the price for our sin. God, may the work of Jesus Christ on the cross be sufficient to build our faith and to deal with our doubts. And I pray this in Jesus’ name. And all God’s family said, Amen.

How would you fill in this blank today? I need help to overcome this doubt about faith in Jesus Christ. Is there an area that you need help in today? Is there a place of doubt? Is there a struggle of faith that you’re experiencing and you need help to overcome? If there is, I would challenge you to identify it. If you’re here and you have a doubt, a problem of faith, I want you to know you’re in the right place and we’re glad that you’re here. Every person here has had a doubt at one point or another. It is common to our experience of walking with Jesus — we have concerns, we have things we don’t understand, we have places in our faith that are weak. And we want to help you.

I’m going to use this statement to help us unpack this text: true followers of Jesus will have assurance in their salvation because they know, love, and obey him.

True followers of Jesus — people who have a real, genuine, legitimate relationship with Jesus — will have assurance or confidence or trust in their salvation. Their salvation from sin. The penalty of sin is death — eternal death, apart from God. So salvation is forgiveness in Jesus Christ because of the finished work of Jesus on the cross, his blood shed for us. They will have assurance in their salvation because they know, love, and obey him.

This little letter — this epistle of First John — uses the word know 37 times. It’s used to know God or to not know God, to know his commands or to not know his commands. The word love is used 46 times — to love God or to not love God, to love your brother or to not love your brother. Knowing and loving are tightly connected themes in this letter. And there’s a third one: the word commandments is used 14 times — obeying God’s commandments or not obeying God’s commandments. Knowing God, loving God, and obeying God’s commands — they’re all tightly connected in this epistle of First John.

True followers of Jesus will have assurance in their salvation because they know, love, and obey him. Number one is this: obey Christ’s commands and enjoy assurance of salvation.

Do you have a doubt here today? I would challenge you — put your doubt to the test. Obey Jesus and see what happens to your doubt. Do you have a struggle of faith? Put it to the test. Obey Jesus and see what happens with your struggle of faith. Sometimes we can have questions, concerns, struggles — and it causes us to do nothing. We have a failure to act because we don’t have it all figured out. None of us have it all figured out. That’s not news to you, right? We don’t have perfect knowledge. And yet we don’t stand still and do nothing. We move forward. And there’s an incredible mystery in following Jesus where we do not have all of the knowledge and yet we take steps forward. And the Bible calls that a walk — walking by faith. We don’t know everything, yet we’re moving forward.

If you have a doubt, if you have a struggle, my encouragement to you would be: obey Christ’s commands and enjoy assurance of salvation.

The Apostle John wrote five books in our Bible. The one he’s most associated with is called the Gospel of John, and it was written to convert sinners — to call people to faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. Then he wrote three letters or epistles: First John, Second John, and Third John. And they were written to confirm the saints — people who had placed their faith in Jesus needed to be encouraged that they truly had a relationship with Jesus. And then there’s the book of Revelation, which was written to coronate the Savior — to show that Jesus Christ is King of kings, Lord of lords, and on the throne of heaven.

Well, when he wrote the Gospel of John, he quoted Jesus in John 14:15: “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” How can you know that you love Jesus? Obey him. If you want to know that you love Jesus, keep his commandments. He says, “If you love me, this is how you’re going to act — you’re going to keep my commandments.” Doubts about faith in Jesus can be tested by obedience to Jesus. If you love me, you will keep my commandments. So obey Christ’s commands and enjoy assurance of salvation.

A — you will know that you know him. This may seem like an obvious or overly simplistic statement, but it’s very important. You will know that you know him. Let me explain. It’s weird — every time I go to the bank and ask them for money, they start asking me all kinds of questions. I can’t just show up to the bank and get money. I show up there, I’m like, “Give me some money,” and they just start drilling me. They want to know my name. They want to know my date of birth. They want to know really private information. They keep asking me my social security number — it’s cool, I memorized it now. They want to know where I live. They actually expect me to tell them the account number the money is in. They ask me so many questions every time I show up. Why? Because they want to verify. Before any banking transaction happens, they want verification that they know who they’re talking to.

Look at verses three and four: “By this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments. Whoever says ‘I know him’ but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him.” Twice the word keep is used in these verses — if we keep his commandments, or if we do not keep his commandments. That word keep means to preserve, protect, guard, observe, fulfill. It’s proof. If you want to know that you have a relationship with Jesus, here’s some proof: obey Jesus. You will know that you know him.

I’m thankful that the bank is keeping my money safe — preserving it, protecting it, guarding it, observing and fulfilling their commitment to keep my money safe. I’m thankful they’re keeping it. And I think a question that all of us could wrestle with is this: are we as concerned with keeping obedience to Jesus as we are with the bank keeping our money safe? Are we as concerned with obedience to Jesus as we are with our financial security?

Obey Christ’s commands and enjoy assurance of salvation. You will know that you know him. And B — you will know his love perfectly. In 2026, I set a goal. I’m a guy who sets goals. And this is my health goal: to be willing to go to the doctor and take any test they ask me to take. Some of you need to have this as your health goal. So step one — I had to get a doctor. I didn’t have a doctor, so I had to go get one. Then I had to make an appointment. Then I went in for a physical. They poked me, they took like seven vials of human liquid out of my arm — it was wild. And poke and prod and all these tests. Why did I do that? Because I wanted to have a more complete understanding of what’s going on in my body. Give me some data. Give me some stats. Give me some measurement. I want to know.

Well, at the beginning of verse five, it says this: “Whoever keeps his word” — obeying Jesus — “in him truly the love of God is perfected.” That word perfected means complete — completeness or coming to the entirety. So when we obey Jesus, the love of God grows in us to the fullest expression, or a more full expression of what God intends for his love in us. Obedience to Jesus directly impacts the way the love of God grows more and more complete — more perfected — in us. If you want to have proof that you have a relationship with Jesus, love Jesus. Jesus said, “If you love me, you’re going to obey my commandments. You’re going to keep my commandments.”

Again, a question we could all ask: are we as concerned with having a complete love of Jesus in our life as we are about having a complete understanding of what’s going on with our health? Obey Christ’s commands and enjoy assurance of salvation. You will know his love perfectly.

And C — you will know that you are abiding in Christ. The word abiding means to remain or continue. Obey Christ’s commands and you’ll have assurance of salvation, and you will know that you are abiding — remaining, continuing — in Christ.

So recently my family had an enjoyable experience after church. We went down to the finish line at the Modesto Marathon. And the reason my family enjoyed going down to the finish line is because none of us ran the marathon. It was awesome. We just wanted to do the best part — go to the party at the end. We went down because our small group leader ran the marathon and we wanted to celebrate. And I tell you, it was wild watching people come to the finish line. People are hurting. They’re bleeding. They’re injured. They’re limping. We saw people who had already run 26 miles, and they’re like 30 yards from the finish line and they collapse right in front of it. They’re literally just beating their body to do this. I think I’m a little sick that I enjoyed watching this so much — but I absolutely loved it. I’m like, “Look at these people, they are just torturing themselves. This is so entertaining to watch.” Why? They had a goal — a big goal, a hard goal. Run a marathon. And they were willing to put themselves through literally physical torture to do it. To endure, to remain, to continue, to abide towards that goal.

At the end of verse five and in verse six, it says: “By this we may know that we are in him. Whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.” So you want to know that you’re in Jesus? Abide in Jesus. Remain in Jesus. Continue in Jesus. The word abide in this little letter — First John — is used 23 times. Abide. Abide. Abide. Remain. Remain. Remain. Continue. Continue. Continue. You want proof that you’re walking in Jesus? Continue in Jesus. You want proof that you have a relationship with Jesus? Remain in Jesus. Abide in Jesus.

Another great question we could ask: are we as concerned with continuing in Jesus as we are with continuing to accomplish our life goals? A marathon — that’s a big life goal. I already told you I’m a guy who has goals. Are we as concerned with continuing in Jesus as we are with continuing toward completing our life goals?

Number one is obey Christ’s commands and enjoy assurance of salvation. You will know that you know him. You will know his love perfectly. And you will know that you are abiding in Christ.

How would you fill in this sentence? This week I will obey this specific command from Jesus Christ. Is there a specific command that God is putting on your heart? Is there something from a command of Jesus that God is putting on your heart and you know you need to obey it this week? If that’s happening to you right now, I’d encourage you to fill in that blank and do it. If God is putting something on your heart to obey a command from Jesus, don’t ignore it — do it.

And if you can’t identify a specific command from Jesus to obey this week, I have a solution for you: read the letter of First John this week. It’s very short. It will not take you very long. We’re stretching it out over weeks in this series, but it doesn’t take long to read the letter. I’m confident that if you read First John, God will show you a specific command that you can obey so that you can be obedient to Jesus Christ.

True followers of Jesus will have assurance in their salvation because they know, love, and obey him. Obey Christ’s commands and enjoy assurance of salvation. And number two is this: love one another and walk in the light of salvation.

You and I have a common experience — we’ve experienced hurt. I’ve been hurt. You’ve been hurt. We have more shared experience with offense than almost anything else. I’ve offended other people and I’ve been offended by other people — and so have you. All of us have given an offense and received an offense. It’s common to our experience as failed, flawed, imperfect human beings. We hurt each other. We offend one another.

When hurt and offense happens, we can tend to isolate and move away from people. And when we get isolated, that often leads to bitterness. And that bitterness builds like a wall between us and other people, to where we just refuse to be in relationship anymore. But I want you to know that is not the only path. That is not the only way to live. Because Jesus offers a different way — and it is through forgiveness. First being forgiven by God, and then being forgiving toward others and receiving forgiveness from others. When we operate in forgiveness, it leads to a clear conscience. We can have a clear conscience before the Lord and a clear conscience in our relationships with other people.

Love one another and walk in the light of salvation. When the Apostle John wrote the Gospel of John, he quoted Jesus saying this in John 13:34: “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.” And Jesus didn’t just say this — within days he proved it. He went to the cross. He didn’t just say, “Love as I have loved you” — he then went and displayed his willingness for sacrificial action. Sacrificial action to prove that he loved them. He didn’t just talk about love. He acted lovingly through sacrificial action.

“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.” If you have doubts about faith in Jesus, if you’re struggling about faith — put it to the test. Our doubts about faith in Jesus can be tested by our love for one another. Love one another and walk in the light of salvation.

God’s love has been with us since conversion. When I came to know Christ, I discovered that God loved me. In fact, God loved me before I discovered it. But when I came to Christ, I discovered that God loved me. The Bible teaches that he loved me before the foundation of the world. That he loved me even while I was his enemy. That he loved me so much he drew me to himself. That he loved me so much he gave me the ability to have faith. That he loved me so much he gave me an opportunity for salvation in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. But God’s love has been with us since conversion.

When I knew God’s love, I began to grow in understanding it. And guess what? I’m still growing in my understanding of God’s love. And I’m pretty sure I’m going to be growing in my understanding of God’s love until I’m with him in glory. And then I’m probably going to be learning about God’s love for the rest of eternity. God’s love is deep and wide and immense. And God’s love has been with us since conversion.

In verse seven, it says: “Beloved, I am writing you no new commandment, but an old commandment that you had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word that you have heard.” He calls them beloved. What is beloved? Beloved is people who are loved by God and who are loving one another in God. They make up a community of beloved — beloved people, loved by God, and loving one another. They’re beloved. Six times in this letter the word beloved is used.

I’m writing you no new commandment but an old commandment that you had from the beginning. What beginning? It’s talking about the beginning where Jesus said the verse I just shared with you — “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another just as I have loved you.” The Apostle John is saying, “I’m not creating something new here. I’m just reminding you what God the Son shared.” But we’ve actually had the command since before God the Son shared it, because God the Father shared it in the Levitical law in Leviticus 19:18: love your neighbor as yourself. So this command has actually been around for thousands of years. It’s not a new commandment. We’ve had it since the beginning. God’s love has been with us since conversion.

And God’s love is seen most truly in Jesus and his followers. I read the Bible about grace and mercy and love and forgiveness. But then I meet Jesus and I meet grace and love and mercy and forgiveness in the person of Jesus. And then I meet his people — his family — and I meet people of compassion and mercy and love and forgiveness. It’s incredible. It’s one thing to read about grace, mercy, love, and forgiveness. It’s another thing to meet them. And God’s love is seen most truly in Jesus and his followers.

In verse eight, it says: “At the same time, it is a new commandment that I am writing to you, which is true in him and in you, because the darkness is passing away and the true light is already shining.” He just said it’s not a new commandment. Now he’s saying it is a new commandment. Is it a new commandment or an old commandment? Yes — both.

He’s saying it’s an old commandment because we’ve had it from God the Father and from God the Son. But now he’s going to describe how it’s also a new commandment, and there are three ways in this verse he describes it. First — it’s new in him. It’s true in him. What is he saying? For the first time, the fullness of the love of God was displayed in a human being — in the person of Jesus. The very first time, the fullness of the love of God was displayed in a human being, in Jesus. And then — that’s not it — because Jesus makes it possible for his body to be in him, for followers of Jesus to be in him. And now not only true in him, but true in you — in the followers of Jesus the fullness of the love of God might be seen. That also is new. But that’s not it either, because there’s a third way: it’s new because the darkness is passing away and the true light is already shining. Jesus Christ, who is the light of the world, comes with the message of salvation. And every human soul that the gospel comes to — the darkness flees from that soul and the light of Jesus Christ enters into that person. The darkness is passing away and the true light is already shining. Every time someone comes to know Jesus Christ, more light has come into the world. Incredible. So it is an old commandment, but it’s also a new one, because the love of God is changing people’s lives one person at a time. God’s love is seen most truly in Jesus and his followers.

And God’s love exposes the darkness of hatred. This is so important. When we hate, it leads to something — it leads to us hating again. And now that we’ve hated twice, it leads us to hate a third time. Now we’ve got a habit formed, a pattern formed. Hatred leads to more hatred, which leads to more hatred. And pretty soon we become so desensitized to hatred that we just pursue the darkness of it. And yet God shows up. And God’s love exposes the darkness of hatred. When the light of Jesus Christ shines into our life, it exposes the darkness of hatred.

Something I learned a long time ago is that it’s really hard to be angry at someone and look them in the eyes. I can look at your elbow and be ticked off at you just fine. But there’s something about looking you in the eyes. Maybe it’s because we’ve been made in the image of God. There’s something about the way God made us and the way we communicate with one another — when we see one another and look at one another in the eyes, man, we’re looking at someone who is made in the image of God. They have a soul that God has given them. It’s hard to be angry at someone and look them in the eyes.

Verses nine through eleven: “Whoever says he is in the light and hates his brother is still in darkness. Whoever loves his brother abides in the light, and in him there is no cause for stumbling. But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks in the darkness and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.” The love of God and the love for people are not disconnected. They’re unified. And God’s love exposes the darkness of hatred.

True followers of Jesus will have assurance in their salvation because they know, love, and obey him. The first thing we looked at was obey Christ’s commands and enjoy assurance of salvation. The second is love one another and walk in the light of salvation.

How would you fill in this blank? This week I will take this specific action to love this specific person. What specific action do you need to take this week? Who is the specific person? You know what’s crazy? Right now in this moment, because we just looked at this together, every one of us could be having a different specific action that God is putting on our heart and a different specific person. Isn’t that wild to consider — that at the same time, God could be working in all of us differently? And I want you to know, if God is putting a specific action on your heart right now and a specific person on your heart right now, don’t ignore it. Don’t ignore it.

And if you cannot identify a specific action to love a specific person this week, then I want to challenge you to do this: read the letter of First John. It’s not very long. It won’t take very long. I’m pretty confident that if you read First John, God is going to reveal to you a specific action to love a specific person. And I will challenge you to do it.

If you’re here and you have doubts about faith — a failure of faith — I want you to know you’re in the right place. We’re glad that you’re here. All of us have struggled with doubts. All of us have struggled with faith at one point or another. And if you’re here and you have doubts, you’re in the right place. We want to help you.

If you’re here and you have been disobedient to the commands of Jesus — you know the commands of Jesus, you know the command of God, and you have disobeyed — I want you to know there is a different opportunity for you. It’s for you to repent of your sin and to turn away from disobedience and to turn towards obedience to Jesus. And we want to help you do that. Today is an opportunity to turn another direction — to turn towards Jesus.

If you’re here and you’re experiencing disunity — you have broken relationships, relationships that need reconciliation — we’re glad that you’re here and you’re not alone. It is possible for you to be reconciled with God and to be reconciled with others, and to have relationships restored. So whether you’re here with doubts, or disobedience, or disunity, we’re glad that you’re here and we believe that God can do something very special — something new — because of the love of Jesus in your life.

We are a community that welcomes the doubters into the beloved. The community that is loved by God and loving one another. We welcome doubters into the beloved. We welcome those who are disobedient into obedience to Jesus. And we welcome those who are disunified into unity — loving one another and being one in Jesus Christ. And we want to welcome you here. We are glad that you’re here. We are here to help you.

If the things that I have shared today are stirring in you — if God’s word is stirring in your heart and your mind right now, and you recognize you need help and you need prayer — then I would like to pray for you. If the message from God’s word is moving in you and you know you need help and you know you need prayer, I would challenge you just to stand up wherever you are and we want to pray for you.

Father God, Lord, thank you for everyone who’s standing. God, you see every person who’s standing and you know exactly why they’re standing. They know why they’re standing, and God, you know why they’re standing. And God, I would ask that you would help every person who is standing. If they are struggling with a doubt, God, would you meet them right in the place of their doubt. And may the presence of Jesus Christ overcome their doubt. God, if they are struggling with disobedience, give them bravery and courage to humble themselves and to repent of their sin and to turn towards you to find forgiveness and mercy anew. And God, if they are struggling with disunity and broken relationships and needing reconciliation, would you help them see that reconciliation is possible with you and it is possible with others. God, I am asking you to bless those who are standing. Would you do an incredible work for the glory of God and the love of Jesus Christ? And I pray this in Jesus’ name. And all God’s family said, Amen.

If you need further prayer, our team will be available to pray with you. There are many opportunities in the lobby for you to take advantage of. Church family, we love you and we’re going to see you again real soon.