Confidence Before God (1 John 3:19-24)
Confidence Before God (1 John 3:19–24): Meaning and Reflection
In 1 John 3:19–24, the apostle offers believers a profound teaching on confidence before God. John connects their actions, particularly their love for others, with their relationship to God, encouraging them to live in such a way that assures them of God’s favor.
This passage provides a crucial balance between assurance and obedience, illustrating how believers can confidently approach God through lives marked by love, truth, and obedience to his commandments. John’s emphasis on the connection between assurance and obedience speaks to a broader biblical theme: living faithfully leads to confidence in God, as seen throughout Scripture, from 1 John to the Gospels and even the letters of Paul.
John begins this section by stating, “We will know by this that we are from the truth and will reassure our hearts before him.” The reassurance that believers seek is grounded in the truth of their actions. Confidence before God, as John presents it, is not rooted in human effort alone but in the alignment of one’s life with God’s commands, particularly in the expression of love for one another. This connects with the larger themes of 1 John—knowing God and walking in his light are intimately linked with practicing righteousness. Similarly, in passages like Matthew 7:21-23, where Jesus speaks about doing the will of the Father, we see how our actions affirm our relationship with God.
Verse by Verse Breakdown of 1 John 3:19–24 and Commentary
1 John 3:19: “We will know by this that we are from the truth and will reassure our hearts before God.”
John emphasizes that assurance comes from the believer’s relationship with the truth. This reassurance is rooted in the knowledge that one’s life reflects the reality of God’s truth. John encourages believers to have confidence in their relationship with God, which is affirmed when their lives align with the gospel. Confidence before God is not about the absence of sin but about living in the truth, reflecting the values and actions that come from knowing Christ. This echoes the words of Jesus in John 8:32, “You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
Raymond E. Brown, in The Epistles of John, points out that this assurance forms the foundation of the Christian experience, providing a secure base for the believer’s faith (Brown, 1982, p. 359). Confidence before God grows when believers live in harmony with his will and experience the peace that comes from that obedience.
1 John 3:20: “Whenever our hearts condemn us, for God is greater than our hearts and he knows everything.”
John acknowledges that believers may sometimes feel condemned by their own hearts. However, he reassures them that God is greater than their hearts. Even when feelings of guilt arise, believers can trust in God’s perfect knowledge and understanding. This statement emphasizes that God’s judgment is not based on human emotions or self-condemnation but on God’s infinite wisdom and grace. This theme of God’s greater understanding mirrors the assurance Paul offers in Romans 8:1, “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”
As a minister, I often talk with people about this concept. We all crave assurance. We want to know that God is okay with us. There will be times when our guilt will try to convince us that God could never forgive us, but that is not the truth. This is why the concept of justification is so important - God makes a firm and permanent declaration of our forgiveness that can never be changed.
I. Howard Marshall, in The Epistles of John, stresses that John’s encouragement here helps Christians who may struggle with doubts and guilt. The reminder that God’s understanding surpasses human judgment is crucial for sustaining the believer’s confidence before him (Marshall, 1978, p. 213).
1 John 3:21: “Beloved, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have boldness before God.”
John contrasts the scenario where a believer’s heart condemns them with one in which a believer’s heart is clear. When one’s conscience is clean, the believer can approach God with boldness. This boldness is not rooted in self-confidence but in the assurance that comes from living a life of love and obedience to God’s commands. It’s the confidence of knowing that God is pleased with one’s life. This is similar to the boldness believers are called to in Hebrews 4:16, where we are invited to approach the throne of grace with confidence, knowing we will receive mercy.
Stephen S. Smalley, in 1, 2, and 3 John, explains that this boldness before God is the result of a believer’s confidence in their relationship with God, grounded in Christ’s finished work. Christians are encouraged to live in such a way that they can stand before God without hesitation, knowing they live in accordance with God’s will (Smalley, 2008, p. 161).
1 John 3:22: “And we receive from him whatever we ask, because we obey his commandments and do what pleases him.”
John connects the believer’s obedience to God’s commands with the ability to receive from God whatever they ask. The act of asking here refers to prayer and supplication. John assures believers that when they live in accordance with God’s will, their prayers are aligned with his desires. This passage reinforces the principle that a life marked by obedience leads to greater intimacy with God and the assurance that prayers will be answerd according to Divine will. This resonates with the teaching in John 15:7, where Jesus promises, “If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.”
Raymond E. Brown suggests that the relationship between obedience and answered prayer reflects the theological truth that the believer’s heart, purified by obedience, aligns more closely with God’s will (Brown, 1982, p. 360). In this way, prayer becomes a natural extension of the believer’s life in Christ.
1 John 3:23: “And this is his commandment, that we should believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us.”
John brings everything back to the two essential commands of the Christian life: belief in Jesus Christ and love for one another. These are not new teachings but a reiteration of what has been established from the beginning. The believer’s confidence before God is rooted in these commandments: faith in Jesus and love for others. These two aspects are inseparable; true faith in Christ is always demonstrated through love. This teaching echoes Jesus’ words in John 13:34-35, where he commands his disciples to love one another as he has loved them, showing that love is the distinguishing mark of his followers.
1 John 3:24: “All who obey his commandments abide in him, and he abides in them. And by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit that he has given us.”
John concludes by emphasizing that obedience is the key to experiencing the abiding presence of God. Those who obey God’s commandments remain in him, and he remains in them. This mutual indwelling is a hallmark of the Christian life. Moreover, the Holy Spirit is the evidence that God abides in the believer. The Spirit initiates and sustains the believer’s strength to obey. This mirrors the promise in John 14:23, where Jesus declares, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them.”
In The Epistles of John, I. Howard Marshall writes that the indwelling of the Spirit is a sign of the believer’s authentic relationship with God and serves as both the empowerment for holy living and the assurance of God’s presence (Marshall, 1978, p. 214). This gives the believer confidence before God, knowing that the Spirit empowers them to live in obedience to God’s commands.
Confidence Before God (1 John 3:19–24): Meaning for Today
The message of 1 John 3:19–24 is an encouragement to live with confidence before God, a confidence that is grounded in obedience to the Lord’s commands and the love we demonstrate toward others. John assures believers that their confidence before God is not based on feelings of guilt but on the truth of God’s Word and the reality of the Spirit’s work in their lives. Living in obedience to God’s commands, particularly loving one another, leads to greater intimacy with God and boldness in prayer.
