1Jo 3:19 | KingComments | STEP | . In the previous verses you have read about the proofs of brotherly love. John now remarks that if you not only speak about brotherly love, but also show it, it confirms that you are “of the truth”. To be of the truth means that you are born of God. You may probably notice that the proofs are weak and that you must improve in your practice of giving, but the important thing is that it is present. As you know, the important thing for John is the new life. If that is present, it works that way. He does not speak about the extent in which it becomes visible, but about the fact that it becomes visible. If it becomes visible in your life you can assure your heart or your conscience in the presence of God that everything is okay. This is not an excuse for possible failures, but it is the comfort for an anxious soul that may start to doubt because of the failures. . If you speak about brotherly love you will surely, just like me, immediately notice in your conscience that you pretty much fall short of that. You may even catch yourself faking it in a certain case, while not feeling the real brotherly love at that moment. If that’s the case, if your heart condemns you, then you may remember that God is greater than your heart and that He knows all things. All those times that you did not show brotherly love may lead you to the question whether you truly are a Christian. It is after all a characteristic of the new life that you love your brothers, isn’t it? Nevertheless you may assure your heart that everything is alright and that God is greater and knows everything. He knows you completely. He knows what is in you. You may say: ‘You know all things, You know that I love You, even though I sometimes fail to show it’ ( ). You can entrust yourself to His judgment and that is a lot better than that of people and of yourself ( ). . If your heart has found rest in that and it doesn’t condemn you, it will have a great impact on your relationship with God. Earlier you must have felt some doubt to draw near to God because you looked at yourself and your practice too much. It is dangerous to constantly look at yourself. Then you continue to live between hope and fear, for your practice will always show lacks. Therefore it is important to listen to the message of John, what he says about the new, eternal life. It is also dangerous never to look at yourself. Once you have eternal life, it does not mean that you can live your life recklessly. You wouldn’t even want that, of course. You’ll be aware of the fact that sin is still in you and that you still do sin. John said that also at the beginning of this letter ( ). The important thing is that you have received a new starting point for your life. That starting point is not your practice, but your new life. If you know that God sees you in your new life, and if you, as far as you are aware of that, don’t do wrong things nor that there are things that you still have to confess, you can rejoice in a relationship of confidence with God. “Have confidence” is an impressive word. It is a great privilege to have confidence toward God. You have obtained access to God ( ) and now you are at home with Him. You feel comfortable with Him and you may tell Him whatever you have on your mind. That goes together with your relationship to Him as a child. Everything in your relationship with Him is all peace ( ). You may make known to Him all that you desire ( ). There is never a thought with Him that you are too much for Him or that you are boring Him with your questions. It is a confidence that is perfect because He is perfect. This also precisely fits to the theme of the writings of John, which concerns the fellowship with the Father and the Son. Here he speaks about an undisturbed relationship of love between the children of God and the Father. He describes the family atmosphere. . In that sphere, in which children feel themselves at home, in which they know to be accepted, they ask the Father for things they need. They know that the Father loves to give them the things that they ask for because they know the desires of the Father. The Father also loves to give them those things because the children do the things that are pleasing in His sight. If He looks at them and sees that they “keep His commandments” and in that way “do the things that are pleasing in His sight”, they please His heart. They are a joy for Him. The children are free to tell Him everything that they have on their mind and the Father is free to give them everything He has on His mind for them. This situation is one of harmony, of pleasure. If you have read these things I can imagine that you think: ‘I’m not familiar with this kind of praying. Only asking what the Father loves to give me? Knowing that I will get what I’ve asked for, because I keep His commandments and do what is pleasing to Him? There is no way I can do that.’ In this context it is good to know that there are several forms of praying. You read about a way of praying for which we do not even know how to find the right words. Those are the “groanings too deep for words” ( ), whereby the Holy Spirit puts our feelings into words that we cannot put into words. The relief of this form of praying is that you know that God makes all things work together for good to those who love Him ( ). The second form is to let your requests be made known to God. You may not know whether you pray for the right things, but you may surely tell it all to Him. The relief that this form of praying gives, is the peace of God that fills your heart and mind with the awareness that He knows what is good for you ( ). You have the third form here. This form comes from the rest that you have in and of God, while also a condition is attached to it. However, it is not a condition whereby you are to do something, but a condition you already fulfill. You can derive that from the word “because”. It is not said that you receive from Him if you keep His commandments, but because you keep His commandments, by which you do what is pleasing to Him. . What commandments are we talking about here? About His commandment to “believe in the name of His Son Jesus Christ”, to which directly is linked the commandment that we are to “love one another”. That means that it is all about ‘faith’ and ‘brotherly love’. You have already seen that those aspects are present with you. And that helps to make it more comprehensible. To obtain the full benefit of praying, it is important that you feel at home with God and that you live in fellowship with Him. The only way to get to know Him and what His will is, is examining His Word in fellowship with Him. That will strengthen your faith confidence and make you familiar with His desires. That will also cause you to ask Him for that in a childlike faith. He bestows you what He wants to give you, but He loves to do that as an answer to your prayer. It is about, not if , but that you keep His commandments. When you read what those commandments are, it turns out to be one commandment consisting of two aspects. The first aspect of the commandment is to “believe in the name of His Son Jesus Christ”. You may call it the vertical aspect of the commandment. Believing has got to do with heeding, listening to Him on Whom your faith is focused. Directly connected to that is the aspect “to love one another”. You may call this second aspect the horizontal aspect of the commandment. You cannot separate loving one another from believing in God’s Son. The core of Christendom is love, but indeed God’s love. It is not true that everything that people call love is from God and that everywhere where love is God is too and we therefore would be dealing with Christians. ‘Love is God’ is a misguiding, horrible saying. No, men can only truly love one another with the love of God if they believe in the Son of God. The commandment to love one another comes from Him. It was not imposed on you to prove that you keep the law and that you want to earn life, but it is to prove that you have eternal life. . Keeping His commandments shows that you abide in Him and that He abides in you. Keeping them is not only about knowing them, being acquainted with them or being able to enumerate them. It is also not even just doing what is said. Keeping the commandments means that you meditate on them because it is your joy to think about them. God loves to see that you practice His commandments with a heart that desires to do His will. It was so with the Lord Jesus during His life on earth ( ). That also goes for the new life you have, for He is that new life. It also goes for the law of the ten commandments, but that law is absorbed in the much more comprehensive and more profound commandment of the will of the Father. As an extra assurance that He abides in you, John is saying to you that God has also given you His Spirit. You know that you have received Him, don’t you ( )? Well, that underlines that you have new life. The Spirit Who is in you, convinces you that the Lord Jesus is the eternal life in you. Isn’t that an amazing affirmation from God? Now read 1 John 3:19-24 again. Reflection: What about your confidence toward God? What do you ask Him?

‏ 1 John 3:19

Confidence Before God

1Jn 3:19. In the previous verses you have read about the proofs of brotherly love. John now remarks that if you not only speak about brotherly love, but also show it, it confirms that you are “of the truth”. To be of the truth means that you are born of God. You may probably notice that the proofs are weak and that you must improve in your practice of giving, but the important thing is that it is present. As you know, the important thing for John is the new life. If that is present, it works that way. He does not speak about the extent in which it becomes visible, but about the fact that it becomes visible.

If it becomes visible in your life you can assure your heart or your conscience in the presence of God that everything is okay. This is not an excuse for possible failures, but it is the comfort for an anxious soul that may start to doubt because of the failures.

1Jn 3:20. If you speak about brotherly love you will surely, just like me, immediately notice in your conscience that you pretty much fall short of that. You may even catch yourself faking it in a certain case, while not feeling the real brotherly love at that moment. If that’s the case, if your heart condemns you, then you may remember that God is greater than your heart and that He knows all things. All those times that you did not show brotherly love may lead you to the question whether you truly are a Christian. It is after all a characteristic of the new life that you love your brothers, isn’t it? Nevertheless you may assure your heart that everything is alright and that God is greater and knows everything.

He knows you completely. He knows what is in you. You may say: ‘You know all things, You know that I love You, even though I sometimes fail to show it’ (Jn 21:17). You can entrust yourself to His judgment and that is a lot better than that of people and of yourself (1Cor 4:3-4).

1Jn 3:21. If your heart has found rest in that and it doesn’t condemn you, it will have a great impact on your relationship with God. Earlier you must have felt some doubt to draw near to God because you looked at yourself and your practice too much. It is dangerous to constantly look at yourself. Then you continue to live between hope and fear, for your practice will always show lacks. Therefore it is important to listen to the message of John, what he says about the new, eternal life.

It is also dangerous never to look at yourself. Once you have eternal life, it does not mean that you can live your life recklessly. You wouldn’t even want that, of course. You’ll be aware of the fact that sin is still in you and that you still do sin. John said that also at the beginning of this letter (1Jn 1:8 ; 10).

The important thing is that you have received a new starting point for your life. That starting point is not your practice, but your new life. If you know that God sees you in your new life, and if you, as far as you are aware of that, don’t do wrong things nor that there are things that you still have to confess, you can rejoice in a relationship of confidence with God.

“Have confidence” is an impressive word. It is a great privilege to have confidence toward God. You have obtained access to God (Eph 2:18) and now you are at home with Him. You feel comfortable with Him and you may tell Him whatever you have on your mind. That goes together with your relationship to Him as a child. Everything in your relationship with Him is all peace (Rom 5:1). You may make known to Him all that you desire (Phil 4:6). There is never a thought with Him that you are too much for Him or that you are boring Him with your questions. It is a confidence that is perfect because He is perfect.

This also precisely fits to the theme of the writings of John, which concerns the fellowship with the Father and the Son. Here he speaks about an undisturbed relationship of love between the children of God and the Father. He describes the family atmosphere.

1Jn 3:22. In that sphere, in which children feel themselves at home, in which they know to be accepted, they ask the Father for things they need. They know that the Father loves to give them the things that they ask for because they know the desires of the Father. The Father also loves to give them those things because the children do the things that are pleasing in His sight. If He looks at them and sees that they “keep His commandments” and in that way “do the things that are pleasing in His sight”, they please His heart. They are a joy for Him. The children are free to tell Him everything that they have on their mind and the Father is free to give them everything He has on His mind for them. This situation is one of harmony, of pleasure.

If you have read these things I can imagine that you think: ‘I’m not familiar with this kind of praying. Only asking what the Father loves to give me? Knowing that I will get what I’ve asked for, because I keep His commandments and do what is pleasing to Him? There is no way I can do that.’ In this context it is good to know that there are several forms of praying.

You read about a way of praying for which we do not even know how to find the right words. Those are the “groanings too deep for words” (Rom 8:26), whereby the Holy Spirit puts our feelings into words that we cannot put into words. The relief of this form of praying is that you know that God makes all things work together for good to those who love Him (Rom 8:26-28).

The second form is to let your requests be made known to God. You may not know whether you pray for the right things, but you may surely tell it all to Him. The relief that this form of praying gives, is the peace of God that fills your heart and mind with the awareness that He knows what is good for you (Phil 4:6-7).

You have the third form here. This form comes from the rest that you have in and of God, while also a condition is attached to it. However, it is not a condition whereby you are to do something, but a condition you already fulfill. You can derive that from the word “because”. It is not said that you receive from Him if you keep His commandments, but because you keep His commandments, by which you do what is pleasing to Him.

1Jn 3:23. What commandments are we talking about here? About His commandment to “believe in the name of His Son Jesus Christ”, to which directly is linked the commandment that we are to “love one another”. That means that it is all about ‘faith’ and ‘brotherly love’. You have already seen that those aspects are present with you. And that helps to make it more comprehensible.

To obtain the full benefit of praying, it is important that you feel at home with God and that you live in fellowship with Him. The only way to get to know Him and what His will is, is examining His Word in fellowship with Him. That will strengthen your faith confidence and make you familiar with His desires. That will also cause you to ask Him for that in a childlike faith. He bestows you what He wants to give you, but He loves to do that as an answer to your prayer.

It is about, not if, but that you keep His commandments. When you read what those commandments are, it turns out to be one commandment consisting of two aspects. The first aspect of the commandment is to “believe in the name of His Son Jesus Christ”. You may call it the vertical aspect of the commandment. Believing has got to do with heeding, listening to Him on Whom your faith is focused. Directly connected to that is the aspect “to love one another”. You may call this second aspect the horizontal aspect of the commandment. You cannot separate loving one another from believing in God’s Son.

The core of Christendom is love, but indeed God’s love. It is not true that everything that people call love is from God and that everywhere where love is God is too and we therefore would be dealing with Christians. ‘Love is God’ is a misguiding, horrible saying. No, men can only truly love one another with the love of God if they believe in the Son of God. The commandment to love one another comes from Him. It was not imposed on you to prove that you keep the law and that you want to earn life, but it is to prove that you have eternal life.

1Jn 3:24. Keeping His commandments shows that you abide in Him and that He abides in you. Keeping them is not only about knowing them, being acquainted with them or being able to enumerate them. It is also not even just doing what is said. Keeping the commandments means that you meditate on them because it is your joy to think about them. God loves to see that you practice His commandments with a heart that desires to do His will. It was so with the Lord Jesus during His life on earth (Psa 119:47 ; 35). That also goes for the new life you have, for He is that new life. It also goes for the law of the ten commandments, but that law is absorbed in the much more comprehensive and more profound commandment of the will of the Father.

As an extra assurance that He abides in you, John is saying to you that God has also given you His Spirit. You know that you have received Him, don’t you (Eph 1:13)? Well, that underlines that you have new life. The Spirit Who is in you, convinces you that the Lord Jesus is the eternal life in you. Isn’t that an amazing affirmation from God?

Now read 1 John 3:19-24 again.

Reflection: What about your confidence toward God? What do you ask Him?