Description
📖 1 John 2:3-6 • Are you certain you're saved, or do you wrestle with doubt? This sermon reveals three witnesses that prove whether you truly know Christ.
⛪ Preached at Pilgrim Baptist Church • Cookeville, TN • February 12, 2026
"And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments." First John isn't asking if you're saved—it's asking if you know that you're saved. There's a world of difference between intellectual knowledge and intimate knowing, between being a professor and being a possessor.
Pastor Fortunato walks through 1 John 2:3-6 to expose three witnesses that testify in the courtroom of your heart: what you say, how you live, and what you love. Your obedience isn't what saves you—it's the evidence that proves you know Him. When believers don't keep His commandments, the result is doubt. When we do keep them, the result is confidence.
This sermon distinguishes between salvation itself and assurance of salvation. It's not about earning your way to heaven or keeping yourself saved through works. It's about understanding that salvation produces obedience, not the other way around. And when you obey out of love (not obligation), God's love is being perfected in you—conforming you to the image of Christ.
This expository message walks through 1 John 2:3-6 and cross-references, explaining:
• The two types of "knowing" in Scripture (intellectual vs. intimate)
• Why obedience gives assurance without producing salvation
• How to identify professors vs. possessors of eternal life
• The three witnesses: what we say, how we live, what we love
• Why disobedience creates doubt while obedience creates confidence
• The difference between New Testament commands and Mosaic law
• How God's love is "perfected" in believers (Romans 8:29)
• Practical applications: credit cards, social media, spending habits reveal your heart
⏱️ Timestamps:
00:00 - Introduction: Two Types of Knowing
02:00 PM - Afternoon Service & Prayer Meeting
06:31 - Genesis 4:1 & John 17:3 - Intimate Knowing Produces Life
09:29 - The Marriage Analogy - Certificate vs. Relationship
10:00 AM - Family Integrated Sunday School
11:00 AM - Morning Worship
13:05 - 1 John 2:3 - Assurance, Not Salvation Itself
15:09 - Verse 4 - God Calls Him a Liar
17:25 - Three Witnesses in the Courtroom
20:33 - Matthew 7:21-23 - Right Words, No Relationship
22:13 - James 2:19 - Even Devils Believe
24:00 - Titus 1:16 - Professors vs. Possessors
26:17 - The Courtroom Scene - Where's Your Evidence?
28:09 - What's on Your Credit Card Statement?
32:00 - John 13:34 & 14:15 - New Commandments for the Church
36:55 - Ephesians 2:10 - Created FOR Good Works, Not BY Them
41:19 - Romans 8:29 & Philippians 1:6 - God's Love Perfected in You
48:29 - Conclusion: Do You Really Know Him?
🌐 Learn More: pilgrimbaptist.church
✉️ Contact Pastor Fortunato: jimmy@pilgrimbaptist.church
📞 Call: 931-219-2224
Plan your visit: pilgrimbaptist.church/plan-your-visit
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