1 John 3:16 - 23

So we pick today in 1 john 3 beginning at verse 16.

16 By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. 17 But whoever has this world’s goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him?

18 My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth. 19 And by this we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before Him. 20 For if our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and knows all things. 21 Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence toward God. 22 And whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight. 23 And this is His commandment: that we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ and love one another, as He gave us commandment.

Here John gives us practical wisdom in living the Christian life. As has been his model John seems to want to impart assurance of our relationship with Jesus.

What does assurance mean and why is it important to a believe

Hand out

V16 begins with; 16 By this we know love, the word know is in the “perfect” tense. Meaning this knowledge was a completed act in the past that continues into the future.

Love is agape, meaning God’s love. What do we know of God’s love? It’s sacrificial, it’s all about giving and not about receiving.

The second half of v16 explains this; because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.

Most of us,if not all, have never experienced this outside of Christ; that is someone “taking a bullet” for us or putting their life on the line. I think only as a parent do we begin to understand that kind of love that we would gladly die for someone, our children in this case.

A close second is when someone bails you out medically or financially.

The word used for life/lives here is interesting, psychē. The word is used for the inner man the soul. It is used as :

breath

the breath of life

the vital force which animates the body and shows itself in breathing

the soul

the seat of the feelings, desires, affections, aversions (our heart, soul etc.)

the (human) soul in so far as it is constituted that by the right use of the aids offered it by God it can attain its highest end and secure eternal blessedness, the soul regarded as a moral being designed for everlasting life

the soul as an essence which differs from the body and is not dissolved by death (distinguished from other parts of the body)

Jesus laid his psychē down for us. It wasn’t “just” his physical body but His very “soul” or inner man. John say that because Jesus laid down His psychē so we also ought to lay down our own psychē.

V17 tells us how we might accomplish this. But whoever has this world’s goods, and sees his brother in need,

life

life extensively

the period or course of life

that by which life is sustained, resources, wealth, goods

and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him?

Talk about practical!

The first point would be, who is this statement to? Whoever i.e. anyone who has stuff! Here John uses another interesting word for goods ; it’s the word bios . This word also means life but as opposed to psychē, it more about physical life.

life

life extensively

the period or course of life

that by which life is sustained, resources, wealth, goods

John makes it clear that we could become aware of someones need and shuts up his heart. John says we see their need, he uses the word theōreō , its sounds like ? Theory in English. It means : see (40x), behold (11x), perceive (4x), consider (1x), look on (1x).

The idea is we consider the need and choose or not choose to help. The word for need here indicates necessity.

life extensively

Heart is also very interesting. It is sometime translated as “bowels” or “gut”. It is the Greek word splagchnon. We feel things in our gut.

the period or course of life

John ends verse 17 with a rhetorical question, How can the love of God dwell in him who can close down to the necessities of others?

that by which life is sustained, resources, wealth, goods

V18 My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth. Here John admonishes us that its enough to just say good things, but we must follow our saying with actions and good deeds. The statement is much more emphatic in Greek, it says let us not even once in mere words.

V19 And by this we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before Him. John is here speaking of assurance now and later in eternity. We continually know that we are of the truth because our deeds match our words.

V20 , 21 For if our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and knows all things. Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence toward God.

The word for condemns is; kataginōskō, literally against knowledge. To blame.

Sometimes we do feel condemnation in ourselves for a variety of reasons, i.e. there is always more that we could have done or spiritual attack. But John reminds us that God is greater than our heart. In V21 confidence is the result of no condemnation. Really the only way to have real confidence toward God is to know what His word says and to live accordingly.

V22 And whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight.

When our lives and hearts line up with Jesus, we ask and desire the things that He wants and desires. There are no restrictions on “whatsoever”.

John seems to be quoting Jesus’ idea from – If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.

The spirit of true prayer is Thy will be done, not My will be done – we turn to prayer to call into action what God desires; even knowing that some of the things God desires will directly and personally benefit us

V23 And this is His commandment: that we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ and love one another, as He gave us commandment.

Its just that simple, believe in Jesus and love one another!