Assurance for the Self-Condemning - 1 John 3:19-24

1 John 3:19-24 As believers, there are many times we can struggle with assurance. Our failures, struggles and sin all cause us to doubt our standing at times. We can often put too much emphasis on our performance, but the beauty of the gospel of Jesus is that your standing is never based on your performance. God accepts us on the merits of Jesus alone. God knows our own hearts better than we do and he knows our genuine longings. You can enjoy assurance, even when your own heart condemns you. God wants us to enjoy assurance in our walk with Jesus. As believers, despite our struggles and sin, we can enjoy confident assurance in Jesus. 1 John has often been described as a letter written to offer assurance to believers. Believers can know that they have indeed been delivered from their sins and stand justified before God, only through Jesus, and a right understanding and belief about him and in him alone. John also makes statements about not living in darkness or continuing in the practice of sin 1 John 1:6-8; 3:9-10; 5:18. These statements can seem confusing and this is one of the elements of the epistles of John that can be hard to fully understand. How can we be sure of our salvation, of our relationship with Jesus, if the measure is not sinning anymore? We can confidently know that we are believers, resting in the finished work of Jesus. John’s epistles are unique, in that, John is clearly addressing antagonists against Jesus, the gospel and these believers (the audience may be the churches of Asia Minor that he addresses in Revelation). No matter the audience, there is clearly antagonism from outside the church, from some who have left the church, but are still causing chaos and confusion for those remaining in the church. Remember, belief in Jesus alone saves; the evidence of salvation flows from this belief.