Confidence Before God (1 John 3:19-24)
When I was a teenager faithfully going to church, I noticed that some people who believed the same things I did, lived upright lives, and loved their brothers and sisters in Christ would be rebaptized over and over again. Usually, they would go to a weekend retreat or week long Summer Camp and by the end of it would feel like they were not truly a believer until they made a commitment at that moment. They would make all of this public at the Church camp and then be rebaptized at church on a Sunday a few weeks later.
I cannot judge a person’s heart or their salvation, but I am very tempted to say that most of these people were believers from their first profession of faith. So, what do I think was going on? Well, I think that their consciences were more tender and they were doubting their salvation. Again, I cannot judge the heart, but looking at the facts that I have at my disposal this seems to be the case.
And John understands that there are individuals that believe in Christ, live in obedience to His commands, and love their brothers and sisters in Christ who still doubt their salvation. And this section is written specifically for that person. He gives an aside that is related to what we’ve discussed over the last few weeks, but emphasizes assurance of faith.
And we will see that John tells Christians can have confidence before God.
Christian, you can have confidence before God.
God Is Greater Than Our Condemning Heart (1 John 3:19-20)
There are times when we do not feel saved. There are times when we have great uncertainty within our hearts about our salvation. The phrase “by this” links the discussion to what has been stated above. In other words, the person who has a belief in the truth, righteous behavior, and love for their brothers and sisters in Christ can know that they have fellowship with God. But they don’t always feel like it. And we need to understand that our feelings are not always right. Following our emotions can not only lead us into sin but it can lead us into a lack of assurance. Our emotions are not good indicators as to our standing before God. Simply put, Christians don’t always feel saved. What do we do when we feel this way?
We go to God who brought us to Himself. God made a way for us to be brought to Himself. God the Son came to Earth and lived a perfect life on our behalf, fulfilling all righteousness. He took upon Himself our sin and shame and paid the penalty on the cross. And He rose from the dead three days later accomplishing completely the Christian’s justification. We do not trust our own feelings for our salvation we trust in Christ. And when we have doubts we don’t trust our emotions, we lean upon Christ who accomplished our salvation for us. We trust in Him.
The response to this wonderful message is repentance and faith, but repentance and faith is not a one-time act for the Christian. It is something we do daily. We are constantly repenting of sins that we commit in this life and trusting in the Savior. And when we have doubts, there is no need to be baptized again but to lean upon Christ.
We must also consider another aspect of this text. Even when we don’t know that we are His, God does. God knows who are His. As I. Howard Marshall stated,
“No matter how much his heart may condemn him, God still welcomes and forgives the man who seeks His forgiveness and casts himself upon His mercy. And even when we are no longer capable of conscious faith in God and tread the dark valley of severe physical or mental illness, this God wills till hold us in His hand: “the Lord knows those who are His” (2 Timothy 2:19)—I. Howard Marshall, The Epistles of John
Sometimes Christians don’t feel Christian. Sometimes they have a lack of assurance and wonder if they are truly a believer, but God is greater than our feelings. But Jesus accomplished fellowship with God for believers and this is an objective fact. It is true and it exists outside of us. It is just that sometimes the subjective feelings don’t match the objective fact.
It is simply the case that our feelings don’t feel as they ought at times. There are times that Christians don’t feel as if they are in fellowship with God. Our response is to go to God who brought us to Himself. We lean on Christ not our feelings. My emotions are not to be trusted Christ is.
It is easy to become a person or a church that embraces our current feelings. Our feelings can lead us astray. Because our feelings and emotions have been damaged by the Fall, it is very possible that they will lead us astray. What we preach, teach, and do in this church can be emotional, that is sometimes a very good thing. But everything should be rooted in the objective truth that God has given us in His Word.
Christian, Have Confidence Before God (1 John 3:21-22)
The person who has an uncondemning heart has something special. They have confidence before God. A clear conscience leads to boldness, which is beautiful.
The Christian has freedom from guilt and sin that was purchased for us by Christ. And this freedom leads to free access to God. We can go to Him boldly because Christ has accomplished our salvation for us and purchased the right for us to go to Him.
Not only does the Christian have confidence to go boldly to God, but they also have confidence in prayer. John here says, “whatever we ask we receive from Him” (1 John 3:22). Now, this is the idea of confidence before God. We can go confidently in prayer to God and we know that He will answer us. And John here says that we will receive whatever we ask of Him, but if you’ve been a believer for a long time you feel the problem I am getting at. So, what gives?
I found this note from the ESV Study Bible on this verse to be rather helpful,
“Human experience testifies that Christians do not always receive all the things they ask from God, even things that seemingly accord with his revealed will. This verse must be understood in light of other passages of Scripture which show that praying according to God’s will includes the need to pray in faith (Matt. 21:22; James 1:6), with patience (Luke 18:1-8), in obedience (Psalm 66:18; 1 Peter 3:12) and in submission to God’s greater wisdom (Luke 22:42; Romans 8:28; 1 Peter 4:19)”–ESV Study Bible, not on this passage
And the passage of Scripture that always comes to my mind when thinking through this is 1 Corinthians 12 when Paul asks for God to heal him of whatever is wrong with his eye. But God did not heal him. God’s answer to him was,
“My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”—2 Corinthians 12:9 ESV
So there are times when God does not answer prayers as we want. And the point is that this text has to be interpreted with the other passages of Scripture in mind. The readers would have already known the other texts, since this was late in John’s life and so they would have read it this way. They would have understood that the main idea here is that the believer can have confidence in prayer. But it is only believers who can have this confidence. It is only for those who are obedient to Him.
The Christian can have confidence before God because of what Christ has done for Him. Because God the Son took on human flesh and dwelt among us we know that we can have confidence before God. Jesus accomplished freedom from sin and guilt and so we can go to Him with a pure conscience. So, we go boldly before the throne of God. We make bold requests and expect for God to answer us.
You Can Know And Have Confidence Before God (1 John 3:23-24)
Think briefly about the things that John said would mark the Christian’s life a few times already in the Book of 1 John. He has said that belief in Jesus as He was delivered to us by the eyewitnesses, the true Jesus was one mark. He has said that obedience to God’s ways is another. And He has said that love for our brothers and sisters in Christ is another. These people can have confidence before God.
It is the person who keeps these commands that abides in God and whom God abides in. It is these people who have fellowship with God. And these people also have the Holy Spirit.
Do you remember the beginning of 1 John? God had communion with Himself, that was spread outward to the Apostles when Jesus came and spread outward through the message of the Apostles. And those people who keep these commands are in the light, abiding with Him.
To not believe the Apostolic message, obey, and love Christians means that you are outside of the faith and will face God’s judgment on your own. You need to trust the Savior. God the Son made a way for you to be brought into fellowship with God, trust Him.
Christian, assurance of salvation is not out of your grasp. Christ brought us into fellowship with God and we are in it now and our lives are marked by it. And God gave us the Holy Spirit to confirm to us what we can see objectively. If you believe the gospel message and your life is marked by a desire to obey God along with growing obedience, and love for the brothers and sisters in Christ then you can have assurance that you are one of God’s people. You may not always feel that way, but you can have assurance.
R. Dwain Minor