Reassuring Confidence

1 John 3:19–24 ESV

19 By this we shall know that we are of the truth and reassure our heart before him; 20 for whenever our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and he knows everything. 21 Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God; 22 and whatever we ask we receive from him, because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him. 23 And this is his commandment, that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us. 24 Whoever keeps his commandments abides in God, and God in him. And by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit whom he has given us.

Introduction

John has been stressing the need for true love for our fellow believers. This love can only be known if our love for God is what it should be. We may question whether we have that love, in this section he reassures us that we have that love as a gift of God’s gracious mercy.

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1. Confidence Before God v19-20

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1 John 3:19–20 ESV

19 By this we shall know that we are of the truth and reassure our heart before him; 20 for whenever our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and he knows everything.

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a. We Know v19

1 John 3:19 ESV

19 By this we shall know that we are of the truth and reassure our heart before him;

True children of God will know that they belong to the truth, because they will be sincere and genuine and live in accordance with the truth of God’s Word. Kistemaker, S. J., & Hendriksen, W.

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2 Timothy 1:12 ESV

12 ...for I know whom I have believed, and I am convinced that he is able to guard until that day what has been entrusted to me.

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b. To Reassure v19

1 John 3:19 ESV

19 By this we shall know that we are of the truth and reassure our heart before him;

In the heart of every believer at times doubts arise. Even though the Christian might sing, “Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine,” his conscience occasionally will bother him. He knows that he cannot meet the standards God has set and that sin remains an unrelenting and opposing force in his life. Kistemaker, S. J., & Hendriksen, W.

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“This then is … how we set our hearts at rest in his presence.” As a reminder of how to live the Christian life, Calvin used the motto Coram Deo (in the presence of God). He knew that he spent every single moment in the sacred presence of the Almighty, and that God’s eye was always on him. John expresses this same truth at the beginning of his epistle: “Our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ”. How can we know God’s presence? When we love our brothers and sisters in word and deed, we have fellowship with God. Kistemaker, S. J., & Hendriksen, W.

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c. To Condemn v20

1 John 3:20 ESV

20 for whenever our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and he knows everything.

As Christians we subject ourselves to true self-examination. We know that we are children of God and as such we must strive to love our neighbour as ourselves. Sometimes we fail in loving our fellow man and then a guilty conscience disturbs us. But when we fall into sin and our consciences accuse us for our lack of love toward our brother or sister, we should not despair as though we are lost. Kistemaker, S. J., & Hendriksen, W.

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1 John 3:9–10 ESV

9 No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God’s seed abides in him; and he cannot keep on sinning, because he has been born of God. 10 By this it is evident who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother.

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d. To Be Greater v20

1 John 3:20 ESV

20 for whenever our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and he knows everything.

Even though from time to time our consciences oppress us and cause us to question our relationship with God, we can still turn to God. We must quiet our hearts with the knowledge that we belong to God, and that we have free access to the throne of God. Kistemaker, S. J., & Hendriksen, W.

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1 John 4:6 ESV

6 We are from God. Whoever knows God listens to us; whoever is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of error.

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Psalm 139:23–24 ESV

23 Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! 24 And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!

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Because God is greater than our hearts, he will show us mercy when we come to him; he will comfort us, and reassure us that we are his children. Kistemaker, S. J., & Hendriksen, W.

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2. Trust and Obey v21-24

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1 John 3:21–24 ESV

21 Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God; 22 and whatever we ask we receive from him, because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him. 23 And this is his commandment, that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us. 24 Whoever keeps his commandments abides in God, and God in him. And by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit whom he has given us.

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a. Confidence v21-22

1 John 3:21–22 ESV

21 Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God; 22 and whatever we ask we receive from him, because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him.

The word confidence originally described the full citizen of a Greek city-state who had the democratic right to speak freely. Kistemaker, S. J., & Hendriksen, W.

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Ephesians 3:11–12 ESV

11 This was according to the eternal purpose that he has realized in Christ Jesus our Lord, 12 in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through our faith in him.

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Hebrews 4:16 ESV

16 Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

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Hebrews 10:19–22 ESV

19 Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, 20 by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, 21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.

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b. Believe and Love v23-24

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1 John 3:23–24 ESV

23 And this is his commandment, that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us. 24 Whoever keeps his commandments abides in God, and God in him. And by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit whom he has given us.

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i. Believe v23

1 John 3:23 ESV

23 And this is his commandment, that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us.

The command is to begin and continue to believe in the name, that is, the full revelation, of the divine Son of God. John adds the names Jesus to refer to his earthly ministry and Christ to call attention to his exalted position. No one is able to come to the Father but through Jesus. Kistemaker, S. J., & Hendriksen, W.

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John 13:34–35 ESV

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. 35 By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

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ii. Obedience v24

1 John 3:24 ESV

24 Whoever keeps his commandments abides in God, and God in him. And by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit whom he has given us.

“And this is how we know.” What do we know? “That he lives in us.” When John writes the pronoun he, John does not distinguish carefully between God the Father and Jesus the Son. For him the Father works through the Son, and through Jesus God lives in us. Therefore a precise distinction is unnecessary. In this verse, however, John introduces the third person of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit. How does God dwell in the heart of the believer? Through the work and testimony of the Holy Spirit. No believer can ever say that he does not know whether God lives within him. The Spirit of God testifies in the heart of the Christian and gives him this knowledge and assurance. Kistemaker, S. J., & Hendriksen, W.

Conclusion

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Romans 8:15–17 ESV

15 For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” 16 The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.