The apostle John speaks often about confidence, boldness, assurance. He wants believers to know that they know they are in Christ. But he also exhorts us to know that we can come to God with our requests. Because we know that we believe in Jesus and have eternal life, we can approach God confidently.
Assurance
These Were All Commended for Their Faith
I recently lead a devotional on the topic of faith to a group of global workers. After defining faith, checking cross-references, and looking up the Greek meaning, I took them to the Hall of Faith chapter in the Bible and sent them off to reflect of one or more of the well-known characters in that passage. A few weeks later, a guest speaker added a dimension to faith I missed.
How Will I Know This For Certain?
"How will I know this for certain?" Zechariah asked and God called his question unbelief. Mary asked "How will this be?" and God said she believed. So why was Zechariah’s question not acceptable and Mary’s was?
Pondered Treasures 