We've all heard that children of God are known by the love they have for one another. But what does that really look like? Hi, this is the Him We Proclaim podcast. In our 1 John study, we're contrasting the children of God versus the children of the devil. We'll see today that one of the most profound ways children of God love each other is how they treat the teachings of God.
In other words, not spreading false teachings about the person and work of Christ is the primary way believers love one another. There's a lot more John Fonbuel wants to cover in this short series called Love One Another. Here's part 6. If you have your Bible's turn back to 1 John this week and Written a keyboard. Our study up here.
The colic that we prayed today was interesting because he talked about how because of our fallen nature, we don't always stand upright. It's talking about the fact that As believers, we don't always obey perfectly. We just can't. because we have remaining sin. And because we have this fallen nature.
The scriptures say that we're born into this world inclined to hate God and to hate our neighbor. Because of this truth, original sin, this is result. Loving other people can be hard. If you have ever been married, it can be tough. If you've had kids as a parent, what it feels like to fail, to love your kids and to have to confess your sin to them.
And ask your children for forgiveness for the sins that you've committed. You know what that feels like. And so the fact is, loving others. can be really hard to do. And what happens is when we fail to love others, At times, what happens is this leaves us feeling guilty.
It leaves us feeling condemned. Our hearts begin to condemn us. And what occurs when that happens, when our hearts begin to condemn us, is our confidence before God is shaken. John understands this problem. And this is the exact problem he addresses in chapter 3 verses 19 through 22.
In verses 16 through 18, John had just told us, he had just given us this discussion about how we're to. Mm-hmm. Right. He says Christ laid down his life for us and he says we ought also to lay down our lives for our fellow brothers in need in the church. We saw that this Love gives expression by helping fellow believers who are in need in the church.
And so we generously give to meet those needs. And so there's a generosity that flows from Christ. And Paul and John says, this generosity that flows from Christ. He says it ought to flow from us. That's verses 16 through 18.
Then he understands, he brings us to this second great theme of confidence in verses 19 through 22.
Now, here was a context which you've heard a million times, but you have to always come back to it. But John wrote this letter to a Jewish audience who was dealing with a situation in which some previous members of the church left. That's chapter 2 verse 19. Then those who left came back into the church, chapter 2, verse 26. chapter 3 verse 7 with the intent to deceive those who didn't leave.
And what happened was, because of this vicious attack on the church. Those who had stayed in the church, remained faithful. The result of this deceptive attack is they lost their confidence before God. Their assurance had been weakened. And so confidence before God is an important theme in this letter.
It's found four times. Let me just quickly show you because it's so important to get this. The first occurrence of confidence is chapter 2, verse 28. Look at that. John is sharing little children that they can have confidence at Christ's second coming.
He says this, he says, little children abide in him, so that when he appears, that's his second coming, we may have confidence. That's it, right? We may have confidence when Christ returns, and he says, and not shrink away from him in shame at his coming. The second occurrence of confidence is in the text we're going to look at today. He says that we can have confidence before God.
As we approach Him in prayer and ask Him for things. And we can be confident that he hears us and that he answers those prayers. Confidence to approach God in prayer. Look at chapter 4 verse 17. There's the third occurrence of confidence.
John assures his little children that they can have confidence before God. And listen, on the day of judgment, Look what he says in verse 17. He says, why this? Love is perfected with us. God's love in Christ is brought to his perfect completion, his perfect intention.
What? By this, love is perfected with us so that we may have confidence in the day of judgment. Because as he is, also are we in this world. We can have confidence in the day of judgment. The fourth occurrence of confidence in 1 John is chapter 5, verse 14.
And again, John says that we can have confidence that God hears us when we pray according to his will. Since this is the confidence which we have before him, that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. He hears us that we can be confident that God hears us. When we pray Just very quickly, you're thinking, what is his will? How do I know I'm praying according to his will?
He tells you in verses 16 and 17 what that is. He says God's will in this context is to pray for fellow believers who fall into sin. And he assures us that we can have confidence that God hears our prayers and he answers them. Why? Because he says when we pray for our fellow believers who fall into sin, John says we can be confident that God hears us because God gives life to them again, so he brings them back.
And John says we can have confidence when we see a little brother or sister fall into sin and we pray for them. God, raise them back. Bring them back. John says God gives life to them. And we can be confident that he brings them back.
And so I mean look at this theme of confidence throughout John's letter. This is what's clear that John is communicating to us that John intends for us to have confidence. in a relationship With God. He says we can have confidence that Christ's return. We can have confidence on the day of judgment.
We can have confidence in prayer. We can be confident that he hears us. We can be confident that he answers our prayers. We can be confident that he's for us. We can have confidence in relationship with God.
But sadly, this is not always the case. This is not This isn't always the case. Why? Because of this fact. John says, due to remaining sin, Our confidence before God can be shaken.
And this is exactly what John is addressing in verses 19 through 22. This is the context in verses 19 through 22. It serves as an integral part of John's exhortation to his little children to what? Love each other, which is what he says in verse 11. He says, this is the message which you have heard from the beginning, that what?
We love one another. That's the whole point of verses 11 through 24. Love each other. And John is seeking in verses 19 through 22 to motivate us. To to do that.
Look at verse 19, how he begins it. He said, in his verse 19, he says, by this we know that what We're of the truth. And shall assure, shall persuade, shall convince our hearts before him. And what is John referring to in verse 19? He says, By this we know that we're of the truth.
What is it we know? In verses 16 through 18 is what he's referring to. Verses 16 through 18, John exhorts little children. He exhorts us to follow Jesus' example. And he says, and lay down our lives for fellow believers in need in the church.
Give generously to them to meet their needs. And John says in verse 19 that when we do this, we'll know, we'll be assured, have confidence that, listen, when we love, when our love finds practical expression by giving generously to fellow believers in need, John says, by this we'll know that we're of the truth, that we are children of God. And John here in verse 19 is what Bible teachers call, he's emphasizing what Bible teachers call the reflex act of faith. What is that? Article 12 in the 39 articles, it says it defines it like this: it's the fruits of faith.
It's the fruits of faith that follow after justification, the sight of good works in your life. The sight of good works is a reflex act of faith in the believer's life that you can have some measure of assurance that the Holy Spirit is dwelling in you. Look at verse 24. He says this. He says, the one who keeps his commandments.
That's from verse 23. The one who keeps his commandments abides in him. In him, we know by this that he abides in us by the spirit whom he has given us. Generosity toward those in need in the church is evidence of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. But John understands this: that the assurance that comes from reflex act of faith.
is easily lost. Because of sin. Think back about the context where John's coming from. I told you last week that John is taking this from Deuteronomy chapter 15. I want you to go back with me to that passage because John has this in view.
Chapter 15, verses 7 through 9 is most likely the background to what John is talking about. Listen carefully to what Moses says to the people of Israel. He says, If there is a poor man. Among your brothers. In any of the towns, and the Lord your God is giving you.
He says to them this: He says, Do not be hard-hearted or tight-fisted toward your poor brother. Rather, be open-handed and freely win whatever he needs. Listen to verse 9. Be careful not to harbor this wicked thought. The seventh year, the year for canceling debts is near so that you do not show.
ill will towards your needy brother, and give him nothing. He may then appeal to the Lord against you. And John, Moses says, and you will be found guilty of sin. Give generously to him and do so without a grudging heart. And so what John has envisioned is this.
You have a fellow believer in these churches that he's writing to. They have needs. They're poor. They have needs to be met. And so this request cuttens up This request for generous giving to a fellow believer who's in need.
It comes up in the church. But what happens is envisions this scenario where this wicked thought, this sinful thought comes up and you become You it instead of being open-handed and generously giving What happens is, John says, the believer harbors this sinful thought. And becomes hard-hearted and tight-fisted toward their needy brother. Mm-hmm. And perhaps they begin to think that the request isn't necessary.
Just like Moses says here, be careful not to harbor this wicked thong. The seventh year, the year of canceling debts, is coming near, so they're going to have their debts canceled.
So we don't need to give to them generously. The seventh year is coming up. They're gonna have all their debts canceled. We don't have to meet their need. And John's saying, be careful not to harbor thought like that.
Don't be hard-hearted and tight-fisted toward your needy brother. Don't think that the request is reasonable or that you can demonstrate love apart from helping to meet these needs. And what happens is, John says, when you have failed to generously give to fellow believers that need in the church. Your heart begins to condemn you. For the grudging heart that you have.
And this is how it goes. How could you be so hard-hearted? That's what you begin to think to yourself. Why are you so stingy? You have such a grudging heart.
You don't love your neighbor. You hate your neighbor. You're guilty. That's a condemning heart. That's what you begin to hear inside your head.
And it's like this record that just is on repeating a place over and over and over. And that's what a condemning heart is that John is talking about. And John says, in this moment, that if our hearts condemn us, He says that we have to persuade our hearts with this comforting truth. Look back at what he says in our text. Look at verse 20.
He said Whenever our heart condemns us, he says, God is greater than our heart. And he knows all things. When you start to feel condemnation, In guilt for your sin, knowing that you have failed to love your neighbor perfectly, and we all do. John says, you have to in this moment persuade your condemning heart with this comforting truth. God is greater than our hearts and he knows all things.
When you sin. When you fail to see evidence of the Holy Spirit working in you, the reflex act of faith, when you fail to see the sight of good works in your life, when you fail to see, John says, generosity in your heart. He says To get assurance back, you have to go to the direct act of faith. Which is this, he says, God is greater than our hearts.
Now what does that mean in this context? This is what it means. God does not share in the meanness and the stinginess. that is so often found in our fallen hearts. John is saying, God's generosity is greater, far greater.
His compassion towards the needy is far greater. His love towards sinners in need is far greater. When our hearts condemn us, we must persuade our hearts, John says of this comforting truth, that God is far greater than our condemned hearts. Yes, there is a reflex act of faith. Verse 19, John says, by giving generously to fellow believers in need, he says, we'll know.
That were of the truth. We'll have assurance, we'll have some assurance from the reflex act of faith. Faith brings forth the fruit of gratitude. Thankfulness, which in this context is giving generously to fellow believers in need. That's loving them.
Yet, God knows. Listen, all things. What does John mean by that? He knows that our hearts are not always generous. He knows chapter 1 verse 5 to chapter 2 verse 2 that Christians will sin.
God knows all things. God knows that we cannot keep his commandments perfectly. He knows that in this life, before the resurrection, before glorification occurs, we'll just have a very small beginning of obedience in this life. But God knows that our heart's desire is to keep his commandments. and to do those things that are pleasing in his sight, which John says here.
John says, God knows all things about us. He knows me, he knows you better than we know ourselves. He sees your ungenerous heart more clearly than you see it. He sees the depth of your sin far greater, and he knows all about it, far greater than you'll ever know. But just like that great song that we sang this morning, our sins are what?
Many. But his what? Mercy is more, it's greater than our sinful heart. God knows our fallen hearts. He knows we're not as generous as we ought to be.
He knows that we fail to love our neighbors as we ought to. He knows our imperfect attempts to obey his commands. To show generosity toward fellow believers in need, he knows our shortcomings. He knows that we give into the meanness of our fallen hearts. He knows that we at times close our hearts.
He knows at times that we fail to give generously. And he knows this, how often our hearts condemn us for our failure to love others as we should. He knows it all. He knows all things. Yet John says he's greater.
Then our hearts. He's greater than our condemned hearts. He's greater than our ungenerous, stingy, mean-spirited hearts. Because his generosity is greater, because his compassion is greater, because his love is greater, because his grace is greater than our sinful hearts. And yet, despite all of that, John says in 1 John chapter 3, verse 1: He loves us and he calls us his children.
See how great. A love the Father has bestowed on us who are not generous of heart. That we should be called children of God, and such we are. This is the very truth that the Secessionists were denying. They denied the greatness of God.
I'm going to come back to that in a minute. But John says, when our generosity is lacking and our confidence before God is fading, We don't see the evidence of the reflex act of faith, the sight of good works. in our hearts. He says Direct your faith. Outward to God who is greater than your condemning heart, and fix your faith there.
Now here's the huge question. How Does John show us that God is actually greater than our condemning hearts in this letter? He has told us that he is greater. His love is far greater than our condemning hearts. 1 John 4, verse 10.
He said And this is love, not that we love God, kept the great commandment. But that listen he loved us and sent his son to be the propitiation for our sins That's how far greater God is in our condemned heart. When our hearts condemn us for our sin, when we sin, we must persuade them with this comforting truth of the gospel, 1 John 2, verses 1 through 2. And John says, if anyone sins, We have An advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous, and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins. He has fully exhausted the wrath of God against us for our lack of generosity.
He has sent his son. His love is so much greater than our ungenerous hearts that he has sent, out of the generosity of his heart, his son to take his wrath so that we could experience his grace and forgiveness and his adoption to be called sons of God. This is the very truth that the secessionists who are coming back to deceive John's little children tonight. They denied that Jesus was the resurrected, incarnate Christ Messiah, who had given his life on the cross for their sins. They denied that.
And they were trying to deceive John's little children. That wasn't the case. That wasn't the truth. And that's why their confidence for their sin was shaken. If Jesus doesn't take away your sin, there's no confidence that your sin can be dealt with.
But of course, what did they deal with their sin? They just denied it, and we don't have any sin. We don't have any sin, and we don't need Jesus to be a savior for our sin because he's not the Messiah. That's what they were teaching them. These people were confused and their confidence shaken.
And John says, because God already knows everything we have done in our entire life perfectly. He knows. Everything. He says it. God knows all things.
He knows every sinful thought you have ever entertained. He knows every single motive you have ever had. He knows every single sinful act you have ever committed. And he's greater than all that. Because of Christ.
He has sent his Son. His love is so much greater than my condemned heart. that he would send his son to take it all.
So my sin is forgiven. And I could be received as a child of God and have God call me his father. He knows everything we've done. He knows everything we have failed to do. but should have done.
But John says in 1 John 1, verse 9, because he is greater in his faithfulness, and he is greater in his righteousness. Listen. When we have failed to love others as we should. And our hearts are condemning us for our sin, relentlessly condemning us. John says, if we confess our sins, he is faithful.
And he's just righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. He's greater than our hearts. What's the benefit of having our hearts persuaded that God is greater than our hearts? What's the benefit of showing generosity toward fellow believers in need? Look at verse 22.
It's confidence in prayer. It's confidence in prayer. He says, verse 22, whatever we ask, we receive from him. We receive from him because we keep his commandments. Which is verse 23.
believing that Jesus is the Christ and Messiah. What loving believers in the church, those are his commandments, he says, because we keep his commandments and do the things that are pleasing in his sight. Listen carefully. I've told you, and I showed you, this letter is about confidence, confidence in. your relationship with God.
When we have this confidence John says, this is what happens. We're motivated to do the things that are pleasing in his sight. What are the things in this context that are pleasing in his sight? Giving generously to those in need in the church. That's the context.
And John says, when we do what pleases God, we'll have confidence that God will hear us. and answer our prayer requests. See, it's all about confidence in your relationship to God. What is the request that John's talking about in this context? Perhaps it's this, since Deuteronomy 15 is the background.
You get the request that there's a need. And instead of closing your heart and objecting to that request, you take it before God and you pray about it and you say, God, would you like me to meet that need? How can I meet this need? I don't know if I can meet the whole need, but maybe I can meet some of the need. And you begin to pray about meeting these needs.
And God will answer that prayer for you and give you wisdom and direction. to help meet the needs. Do you see how that works? And so perhaps in this context, our request is asking God to help us meet the needs of fellow believers in the church. And John says, You can be confident God will answer that request because he loves to see his children do those things that are pleasing in his sight.
And he'll help you to do those things that are pleasing in his sight. He'll help you in love. Perhaps the prayer request is: God, my heart feels very mean, spirited, and closed, but I want to love better. Help me love my neighbor better. God will.
Answer that request and you can be confident that he'll take you from being a mean-spirited person to a loving, generous person. You can be confident that he'll hear you. This isn't good news that God is greater than our selfish, stingy, mean, closed, indifferent hearts. His generosity is greater. His compassion is greater.
His love is greater. His grace is greater. And knowing this gospel truth is what motivates us to actually give generously to others to love people. Which is the whole point of this paragraph. John is teaching us how to be driven by the gospel.
To actually begin to love the second table of the law: love your neighbor as yourself. It pleases God to see his people giving generously and being like Christ, who laid down his life for us.
Now, John knows That there are many ways believers fall short of God's standards. And in this context, Jan highlights our failure to generously give to fellow believers in need. And as I said from the beginning, my opening point was: loving others is not only complicated, it's difficult. How can anyone possibly feel that they've loved others? as well as they could.
How often do our hearts condemn us for our failure to love? How often do we feel guilty? This is especially true of believers who are sincerely seeking to obey God and live for God and do the things that are pleasing to God. Listen carefully. John says, these feelings of condemnation must be put to rest.
before we can approach God. in prayer with confidence. Because he says it's just when our condemning heart has been silenced by the persuasion that God is greater than our heart. Can't we approach God in prayer with confidence? You have to know God is greater than your condemned heart.
This is how scripture motivates us to love. In good works. Listen to the Apostle Paul in 2 Thessalonians 2, verse 17. He says, God first comforts your heart in order, listen, to establish you in Every good work. God comforts your heart.
to establish you. In every good work. Comfort leads to good works. Comfort, persuasion that God is greater than my sinful heart, leads to generosity, love to others. Do you see that?
John exhorts us to love. Yes, we must love. Yes, we must show generosity. But simply to be told what to do doesn't make me do it.
Sometimes it's the opposite. You wake up grumpy in the morning, and the person who's happy and not grumpy says, Be happy. And what happens to you when they say, be happy? I'll not be happy right now. Where's my cost?
You're just like the Grinch that stole Christmas at that point. Because you're not a morning person like that person. Right? And so they say be happy. And being happy makes you what?
Grumpy. Simply being told what to be, what you should do, doesn't translate into actually being that and doing that. To give generously to fellow believers and me, to love each other in the church, as John encourages us here. He says, you first have to know this. God is greater than your condemned, stingy heart.
Christ laid down his life for you. The Father, out of love, sent his Son to die for you. He begins to direct your faith. To Christ, the direct act of faith. Because if you don't know this.
You're not going to have the proper motivation to obey his commandments and give generously to believers. in need. As we finish this morning, let me just ask you this question. Do you have confidence before God? Do you approach God in prayer with total confidence that He hears you and He's going to answer you?
Does your heart condemn you for your lack of generosity, your lack of love, your failure to actually love others? John teaches this principle. Confidence before God and a condemning heart cannot coexist. You cannot have a condemning heart and have confidence before God. You have to have that condemning heart silenced.
By the truth that God is greater. that in the condemned heart you feel. And as you begin to be conscious of your acceptance before your Heavenly Father, John says you'll be confident to come before him in prayer. Because what is prayer? Prayer is the ultimate.
manifestation of your relationship to God. And if you want intimacy with God in prayer, you can't have a condemned heart. Does everybody see that with me this morning? If your heart condemns you, persuade your heart with this comforting truth. This is a comforting truth.
that God is greater than your grudging and generous heart. And because he is, what will be the result in this context? Confidence before God, confidence in prayer. Listen, in generosity, in love. towards each other.
That's the fruit of the persuasion, the heart persuaded, that God is greater. He's greater. Let's pray. Father, we thank you that you're greater than our sinful, mean-spirited, selfish hearts. We thank you that you have sent your only begotten Son.
into this world to be a propitiation for our sins. To take Her lack of generosity. our tight-fisted hearts. our closed hearts, our sinful hearts. Nail it to the cross.
Forgive them, cleanse all that sin. And out of the greatness of your love, call us your children, and such we are. Persuade. My heart? Persuade every heart here today.
Of this great comforting news that God is greater. Then our fallen hearts. We pray this in Jesus' name. Amen. Thanks again for listening to the Hymn We Proclaim podcast.
Please subscribe if you haven't already for all our new episodes. And if this message was just what you needed to hear, please let us know in the comments and share it with a friend.
