(REFLECTIONS ON 1 John 3:19-24 )

What is God’s command? No, it isn’t a list of hard to understand, hard to decipher rules and regulations, but His command is simple, although not simply done, that is “to believe in the name of His Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as He commanded us.”

Simple, right? Yes, simple, but in this simple statement is a lifetime of learning. The truths that John writes about in 1 John are simple, they make sense, but it is putting these truths into action that is the difficult part.

As we read through 1 John we need to live in the balance of realizing where we have fallen short, but knowing also that in our efforts there is grace and mercy through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, our Lord. 

Although we are always learning to be better, to trust in Him more, to have faith in His faithfulness more, and to love Him and one another more, this shouldn’t take away the hope and assurance we have in our identity in Christ.

Yes, the goal as stated earlier in 1 John is that we do not sin, but it is because we do sin, that the sacrifice of Jesus Christ is our grace and mercy.

Although there are harsh truths that we need to come to terms with in 1 John, but that we are dealing with these mean that we are in a growing relationship with God.

No, we are not lost, but we are found, and that is why we need to struggle with living out the commands of God, that is “to believe in His Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as He commanded us.”

20 If our hearts condemn us, we know that God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything.

If our hearts condemn us, then we know that we still have a ways to go, but we must believe and know that God is greater than our hearts, and He knows everything. He knows someone that is without faith, without belief, without a care for the sin that prevails in a their heart.

On the flip side, God also knows our hearts, knows that although our hearts condemn us, that we are trying, that we are learning, that we still have hope in Him. God is greater than our hearts, so we are not completely lost based on our hearts, because God knows everything.

He knows we are trying, but we just have a difficult time loving Him and loving those around us. Let us continue to push forward, letting our hearts condemn us, but knowing that God knows our heart, He knows we are trying, and the more we try, the more His grace and mercy is there to support us along the way.

Pastor Michael Lu
Enduring Word Bible Commentary: 1 John 3