Confident Christians

In this sermon from Citizens Church, Pastor Jamin explores the tension between Christian confidence and inner condemnation, drawing from 1 John 3:19-20 and the hymn 'Before the Throne of God Above.' He identifies two major struggles in the Christian life: a lack of deep affection for Christ and, more critically, a lack of confidence in one's standing before God. Many believers, despite knowing salvation is by grace, still operate with a self-salvation mentality—believing their faith depends on their performance. Pastor Jamin contrasts this with the biblical truth that our confidence before God is not based on our own righteousness or consistency, but on the perfect advocacy of Jesus Christ, who is greater than our hearts and knows all things. Using the story of Peter’s restoration after denial, he illustrates how true repentance and confidence come not from self-justification, but from surrendering our accusing hearts to God’s voice. The sermon calls listeners to humility, to stop trusting their own inner criticism, and to rest in the final verdict of a loving, all-knowing God who has already declared no condemnation for those in Christ.