1 John 3:19-24 When Your Heart Condemns You

Sunday, John concludes the argument he began in chapter three. 1 John 3:4-18 was a very difficult section to work through. John told us that the evidence we have been born of God is the transformed life that strives to keep His commandments (3:4-10). Then, he continued with the evidence of loving the brethren. He said, “We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers. Whoever does not love abides in death” (3:14). Last Sunday, we ended in v. 18 which admonished us to love not in word only but in deed and truth. However, throughout the exposition of chapter 3, we have seen that the grammar and verb tenses illustrated a pattern of life, not perfection. Those born of God have not yet been made perfect, but if there is no pattern of life that strives to obey His commandments and invest oneself in loving the body of Christ, scripture gives no assurance of salvation regardless of what we profess. That being said, all believers fail and sin in this life. How do we balance the examination of evidence and the reality of life in this fallen world? When we see our failures and sins, there are times when our hearts condemn us. This condemnation is NOT the same as conviction from the Holy Spirit, and we will define the difference Sunday. In 1 John 3:19-24, the apostle shows us how to respond when our hearts condemn us: not by looking inward for enough goodness to outweigh our sins, but outward to the God who is greater than our hearts and knows everything. We reassure our hearts before Him through the real (though imperfect) evidence of His transforming work, resting in the confidence that comes from a settled trust in Christ’s finished work, as we rely on the Spirit’s ongoing presence: the proof that we abide in God and He in us. I. Reassuring the Condemning Heart (19-20) II. Resting In An Uncondemning Heart (21-23) III. Relying On The Spirit’s Evidence (v. 24)