1 JOHN 3:10-23 LOVE IS A MATTER OF LIFE AND DEATH2010 Teaching by Jerry B Simmons

Teaching Transcript: 1 John 3:10-23 Love Is A Matter Of Life And Death

You are listening to FerventWord, an online Bible study ministry with teachings and tools to help you grow deeper in your relationship with God. The following message was taught by Jerry Simmons in 2010. This morning as we begin, I want to take a moment and remind you of something we discussed last week, which was crucial to the passage and understanding what John was talking about. And through this morning's passage as well, it becomes very important.

Do you remember as we began last week and throughout the service, we were talking about the present tense and the active voice and the importance of that and the significance to it regarding the meanings of what we were studying.

The present tense in the Greek is something that's very specific. When we think of present tense, especially in our English language, we just think of what's right now. And you understand that what I just said was past, and what I'm saying right now, well, that's the present. And then what I just said right now, well, that was past. But right now what I'm saying, that's the present. And it's something that's continually with us.

In the Greek language, there's a specific tense that's used whenever it's talking about something that is done, but the present tense in the Greek language specifically refers to something that is not just done once, but is something that is ongoing, because right now it is the present, and so the command that I'm giving, if it's in the present tense, is applicable right now, and then

It's applicable right now, and then it's applicable right now, because it's always the present. The command continues to apply. And so as we look at these things, we need to understand that the present tense is something that means that it's continuous and repeated action. And that's

significant last week as we talked about sin and how a child of God does not sin, we understand that it's not saying, and by no means is John saying that we are sinless or we are perfect, but that we do not continuously, repeatedly live in a lifestyle of sin.

We also talked about the active voice, which was important because the active voice shows and means that we are actively involved in doing the action. It's not doing or being done to us. It's not something that's out of our control, but it's something that we are involving ourselves in doing.

And so the present tense, the active voice, those are things we studied last week and talked about a lot, and they continue to be important as we look at the passage today regarding love. The thing to remember is that John is talking about lifestyle.

As opposed to occasionally loving one another, as opposed to once in a while having love for one another, we are to love continuously, repeatedly, continually one another. And John's point here in the passage this morning is that we know that we have passed from death to life because of this love that we have continually for other Christians. And so as we look at the subject of love today,

It's important to understand that love is a matter of life and death. It's not just a doctrine that we need to hold or something that we need to believe, but these things are a matter of life and death because the way that we love or the lack of love that we have shows where we stand with God.

Jesus told us in John chapter 13 verse 35 that everyone would know that we are his disciples if we have love for one another. The way that the world knows that we are his disciples is by how we love one another. The way that we know, John will tell us this morning, that we are his disciples is by

by the way that we love one another. And so John is encouraging us and exhorting us about the importance of love, that it is a serious matter, it's central, it's core for us as Christians.

Five things this morning I want to share with you about love from this passage as we look at love as a matter of life and death. The first thing to recognize or point out is that love reveals God's children. Look at verse 10 with me. It says, In this the children of God and the children of the devil are manifest. Whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is he who does not love his brother.

John here begins this section talking about love and says, here's how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are. And basically he's saying that our lifestyle shows whether we are children of God or whether we are children of the devil.

It's our life and the way that we live. It's whether or not we practice righteousness and whether or not we love one another as believers. That's what demonstrates, that's what shows, that's what reveals whose child we are. And that's important because church attendance does not reveal whose child you are.

Church attendance doesn't reveal if you are a child of God or a child of the devil. The fact that you attend church doesn't mean that you're a child of God. And if you miss church, it doesn't mean that you're a child of the devil. That's not what reveals whose child you are. Financial gifts do not show whose child you are. Just because you give or if you do not give, that does not indicate, it does not indicate

mean that you are a child of God or a child of the devil. Quoting the Bible does not manifest whose child you are. Even Satan quoted the Bible, remember, when he was tempting Jesus in Luke chapter 4.

What does reveal? What does show or manifest whose child we are? John says it's the way that you live your life. It's the conduct that you have, the habits that you have, the way that you are continually living. What is it that you practice? What is it that you do on a regular basis? How do you live your life? He says this is what reveals life.

Whether or not you are a child of God. In this the children of God and the children of devil are manifest. Now throughout the book of 1 John we've been looking at contrast. Two separate things that John points out. We talked about light versus darkness.

and how they're different and they can't cohabitate together. We talked about the truth versus lies and how they're different, they're separate, and they cannot dwell together. We talked about life versus death, love versus hate, as we see that here this morning, and the children of God versus the children of the devil. Notice those are the two groups that he mentions. He doesn't say...

Here's how you know if you're a child of God or a child of the devil or just, you know, everybody else. There's two categories. There's two groups. We have the opportunity to be children of God or children of the devil. The choice is up to us by how we respond to what Jesus Christ has done for us. And so there's children of God in this world and there's children of the devil. And you are one of those. Which one are you?

John says, here's how we know. Here's what makes it manifest. The word manifest means to be apparent or plain. Here's how it's clear for us. Here's how it's plain to understand whose child you are. John says, whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God. So the first point he makes about this clarity about what makes it plain, he says, whoever does not practice righteousness...

is not a child of God. That person is a child of the devil. Now, practicing righteousness is what we've been talking about. Last week, we dealt with it in depth, and the week before, we mentioned it briefly. It started out in 1 John 2, verse 29, where John says, If you know that He, that is God, is righteous, you know that everyone who practices righteousness is born of Him.

Those who practice righteousness do so because they've been born again. They've been born of God and God is righteous. You cannot practice righteousness apart from God or apart from being born again. Sure, you can do good and you can do good things here and there and perhaps you can do righteousness from time to time.

But as we've been discussing, this word practice righteousness is in the present tense. And so the idea here is not just once in a while that you do something that's righteous, but it's something that you continually do and repeatedly do righteously and do what is right and follow after God in His ways.

And so John says, whoever does not practice righteousness, whoever is not continually and repeatedly, whoever does not have a lifestyle of doing what is right before God, that person is not of God. Again, the idea is something which is habitual or continual, a lifestyle of righteousness. And if righteousness is not your lifestyle, if it's not what you continually practice, John says, then you are not of God.

He goes on to add that if loving Christians is not your lifestyle, if that's not your continual practice, then you are not of God. He ends the verse saying, nor is he who does not love his brother. So he gives us two points to look at in our lives, two areas that we can examine. Here's how we can know. Here's how it's clear to us. Am I a child of God or am I a child of the devil? He says, look, you can look at your life and how do you practice righteousness? Is it something that's

Part of your life, it's the general way that you conduct yourself. And do you love others? Is that a characteristic that you possess continually and repeatedly? This is pretty clear as John is presenting it. If you do not practice righteousness, if you do not love your brother, then you are not of God. Verse 11, For this is the message that you heard from the beginning, that we should love one another.

He says, now as he focuses on this theme of love, he says, because this is the message. This is how you can tell if you're a child of God or a child of the devil, because the message that we've heard from the very beginning is to love one another. It's not a new message. It's not something that is just coming on the scene. It's something that has been taught from the very beginning. It's what Jesus taught. It's central to the Christian life.

We should love one another. Our life is to be filled with a continual outpouring of love for others. This word love, it's a word that we're familiar with as Christians because it's used quite a bit in the scriptures. It's the verb form of the word agape.

And agape love is the kind of love that God has for us. It's a perfect love. It's the love that He demonstrates towards us by the cross, but also continually in our lives. Agape love is a love that loves without changing. It's not, you know, one day on and one day off. Agape love is a self-giving love that gives without requiring or expecting repayment.

Agape love is so great that it can even love the unlovable or the unappealing or undesirable. Agape love is a love that loves even when it is rejected. Agape love is a love that gives because it wants to.

Again, not because it's expecting in return. It gives because it loves. It does not love in order to receive. We do not love one another in order to get something from each other. No, agape love is a selfless love that gives. It's unconditional. And it's not an emotion, it's not a feeling, but it's an act of the will. It's a decision. It's a commitment.

Not that, you know, I see you and it makes my heart go pitter-patter and how I love you, but I've made a commitment, I've made a decision that I'm going to love you. You are a child of God and I'm going to desire and do what is best for you. In 1 Corinthians chapter 13, the Apostle Paul gives some clear indication of what this kind of love is or what it looks like in our lives.

I know that we're familiar with it, but allow these things to minister to you again as you consider and think about what love is. And as you're reminded, that is the command for us, that we are to love one another. 1 Corinthians 13, verse 4 says, Love suffers long and is kind. Love does not envy. Love does not parade itself. It is not puffed up.

Love does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, it does not provoke, it thinks no evil. Love does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails. This is the kind of love that we've heard about from the very beginning.

This is the kind of love that God has demonstrated to us. And those who have experienced, those who have received this kind of love from God, express that same love to others. That's what John is saying. It's clear.

If we're children of God. Because if we receive this kind of love from God, then we turn around and we pass on this same love to those around us. We relate to them in the way that God relates to us. We give of ourselves.

Going on into verse 12, he gives an inverse example. He says, "...not as Cain, who is of the wicked one, and murdered his brother." And why did he murder him? "...because his works were evil, and his brothers righteous."

So he's talking about the children of God and the children of the devil. We are to love one another. It's the command we've heard from the very beginning. And children of God will be loving one another and will not be like Cain. Now it's quite clear, the contrast. You see the difference between loving one another and murdering each other. There's quite a difference there. And that's the reality that within our hearts...

We're doing one or the other, loving or murdering. There's an issue there that John is dealing with. Now he says Cain was of the wicked one. Cain was not a child of God, but a child of the devil, John says. And that's quite clear. He did not love his brother, and that's demonstrated, that's revealed in the way that he acted towards him. I don't think it takes a genius to understand that Cain did not love his brother.

Now, we understand the story, and the story, if you want to read about it on your own, is found in Genesis chapter 4. Cain and Abel both brought sacrifices and offerings to God. Abel's was accepted, Hebrews chapter 11 tells us, it was accepted because he offered it in faith, while Cain's was rejected because it was not offered in faith.

And so Cain's offer not being accepted caused him to be very angry with Abel. He became jealous of Abel and he puts him to death. He murders him. Here John tells us it's because his works were evil and his brothers were righteous. It's not because Cain was so righteous that he murdered Abel.

But because he was wicked, because his works were evil, that's why he murdered Abel. It was because Abel was righteous that he murdered him. And so he was angered and bitter. What's interesting about this is Cain is not presented, you know, as an atheist. He was a worshiper. He came to offer an offering. But in his heart, things were not right. He was not of God. He was of the wicked one.

And so it says that he murdered Abel. This word for murdered is interesting because it's the word that's used to describe a Levitical sacrifice. It's the word that's used to describe Jesus, the lamb that was slain or murdered in the book of Revelation, chapter 5, verse 6. The idea I kind of picture in my own head is that, you know, Cain was upset because Abel's sacrifice was accepted and his was not.

And he was so angry and bitter that he said, I'll show you a sacrifice. And he slit his throat as you would slice the throat of the sacrifice that you are offering to God. He did not love his brother. His actions reveal that he was not a child of God, but a child of the devil. The point here is that our actions reveal whose child we are. Now, the subject of murder...

is beyond just the physical act of putting someone to death. Jesus made that clear in Matthew chapter 5 and we'll see that as we continue on in the passage.

So we must not think, well, you know, I've never murdered anybody, and so that means I must love everybody. Well, that's not quite the case. It's not exactly what's happening. Because anger and hatred in our hearts is equivalent to murder in our hearts. It's the same emotions, the same character that takes place within our heart. Anger and hatred within our hearts is the same as murder in our hearts, for sure.

It's not the same consequences. It's not the same impact. But it's the same in our hearts. And that's really what God is concerned about. So first of all, we see that love reveals God's children. Love reveals where we stand as a child of God or as a child of the devil. Point number two this morning. Love is how we know we live.

How do you know that you have new life in Christ? John says, love. Love shows us that we've passed from death to life. Look at verse 13 and 14. He says, do not marvel, my brethren, if the world hates you. We know that we have passed from death to life because we love the brethren. He who does not love his brother abides in death. And so we know that we live by our love. We can look at our life and understand that

I have life. I have new life in Christ. I'm a new creation. God has done a work. First, he says, though, do not marvel or stop marveling if the world hates you. Sometimes we can be so taken aback. We're shocked if the world hates us. But the reality is the world does hate the children of God. There's always been hate.

This division and this hatred for the children of God by the children of the devil. And that's what John is pointing out. It's been the case since the beginning. Genesis chapter 4 with Cain and Abel.

And it's no different today. Now, we have the luxury of this society, of the American nation. We're really blessed that we are not treated in this nation as most Christians are treated around the world. And yet, we can see the signs that this nation is progressing more and more to be like the rest of the world, to come against openly and clearly those who believe in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. And we're moving more and more in that direction.

And we should not be shocked that it is so. We should not be marveling or freaked out when we realize that the world hates us as Christians. He says, stop marveling if the world hates you. It's been that way since Cain and Abel. Jesus even told us that this would take place in John 15, verse 18. He says, if the world hates you, you know that it hated me before it hated you. We, identifying with Christ...

Being born again, we need to be prepared to be received and accepted just as Jesus was. How did the world accept him? They did not. He came into the world, that was his own creation, but the world rejected him. The light shone in the darkness, but men love darkness rather than light. And so he says, stop marveling. Don't be so shocked or freaked out when the world does not receive you and accept you. Expect the world.

to treat you the way that it treated Jesus. There in verse 14 he says, We know that we've passed from death to life because we love the brethren. So this is how the world will treat the children of God and we can know that we are His children. We can know that we've passed from death to life. We can know that we've made that transition, he says, because we love the brethren. How do you know that you have been born again?

Oh, because there's a new life there. There's a new nature that expresses itself in love, that expresses itself in the same type of love that God demonstrates for us. Love is what reveals to us that we have life. And so we can know. It's not a guess or a hope so, you know, like maybe it'll happen or maybe it's taken place, but then again, maybe not. No, we know, we have that confidence that,

that we've passed from death to life, because in our life we can see that we are continually, our life is filled with loving one another. Again, this word love is agape or agapo, which means to love by choice. It's a willful decision, commitment to love, continuously, repeatedly, a lifestyle that we've chosen. Anyone can do selfless acts once in a while,

occasionally here and there, but we know that we have life because our life is full of those selfless acts. Anyone can do big shows of love, elaborate demonstrations of love, occasional highlights of love, but we know that we've passed from death to life because of a continual, consistent lifestyle of love. Who can do that? Well, that's quite the point.

Who can live that kind of life? Who can love in that way consistently? Only one who is born again. Only a new creation. Only one who is empowered by the Holy Spirit can love in that way. And that's why it's the manifestation. That's why it's the revelation. That's why it makes clear the children of God and the children of the devil. John says, He who does not love his brother abides in death.

This is why it's clear. Because the only one who can love this way is one who has been born again, who has a real relationship with God and is full of the Holy Spirit. And so the one who does not love in that way, is not born again, is not full of the Spirit, does not have new life in Christ. And so that person abides in death. The person who does not love like this does not have spiritual life.

Now, it is important, and I point it out often, I'm sure you know it, but we're not talking about perfection. It's not that we love perfectly in every case, in every instance, all the time, without exception. No, we have a weak flesh, or actually a powerful flesh, and there's weakness in us. We fail, we fall short. And so the reality is, we will mess up, even in the area of love. But even then...

it will still be the general rule of our life. It will still be the lifestyle. It will still be evident in our conduct that we love others. Verse 15, Whoever hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him. And so here John makes that connection very clear. Hating your brother is equivalent to murder as far as your heart is concerned.

The word hate means to detest, to persecute, or even simply to love less. To love less than, well, the perfect love that God has for us is hatred. You see, perfect love, agape love, is a love that desires God's best for a person. Jesus loved us so much that He laid down His own life, that He gave of Himself.

so that we could experience God's best, that we could have everlasting life, that we could have new life in Him. He didn't so much give us what we may have wanted, He gave us what we needed. And that's what love is all about. It's really supplying what is actually needed and doing what is best. Love is not wish fulfillment. You know, I love you, that means I've got to fulfill all of your wishes. Love is, well, it's doing what's best for you.

even if you don't know that it's what's best for you, even if you're not asking for that particular thing or that particular way of service. And that's what Jesus did for us. Now, to not want God's best for somebody is hatred, to love them less than they are to be loved. Again, we're talking about a lifestyle. So if you get angry at a Christian, it does not mean that you're not saved.

But if you are continually, consistently, constantly angry and bitter, John says you might want to check your heart. Because whoever hates his brother is a murderer. Hatred is equivalent to murder. There's no difference between hatred and murder in the heart.

Jesus said this in Matthew 5, verse 21 and 22. Hey, you've heard it was said, He shall not murder. Whoever murders will be in danger of judgment. But He says, I say to you, whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of judgment. So we need to watch out for that hatred. It's equivalent to murder. Now again, it's not equivalent to murder in the sense of the consequences are the same and the impact is the same. But as far as our heart is concerned, it is the same. Someone who hates another

very often will not carry out the deed of putting them to death. Well, because there's opposition and there's fear, there's punishment, there's all kinds of reasons that they hold back. But if you were free, if you were free from consequences, if there was no repercussions from your actions, hatred in the heart would manifest itself as murder. That's the point. So you may not murder right now because you don't want to get caught, you don't want to go to prison, but

If your heart has hatred towards another, it's the same as murder because if you are completely free, John is saying, you would put them to death. And so he who hates his brother is a murderer. Very clear what John is saying. Something we need to challenge our hearts with. There's no difference. He says, you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him. You can't live in that state of hating others and have eternal life abiding in you.

You can't live in that state of hating others and expect to inherit eternity. Love is the revelation of whose child we are. Love is the evidence. It's by love that we can know that we've passed from death to life. Love is how we know that we live. Point number three, love is shown by action. It's shown by action. Look at verse 16.

By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us, and we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. John says, here's how we know what love is. Now, we're talking a lot about love. I gave some definitions for you. We looked at 1 Corinthians chapter 13. But how do we really know, in real life, what love is? If love is how we can know that we're a child of God, what am I looking for in my life?

John gives us a couple examples here. The first example is that of Jesus. Here's how we know what love is and here's how we know what love looks like. Because He laid down His life for us. Jesus is our example and model of love. And because He laid down His life for us, now we know that's what love is and that's the kind of love that I'm to have for others. Again, doing what is best. Providing God's bests.

Wanting God's best. And this Jesus is our example. He gave us a demonstration of the highest love. In John chapter 15 verse 13, Jesus says, Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends. There's no greater love than this. What's the highest love? Jesus says, to lay down your life for your friends. Jesus said,

Has the highest form of love for us. He laid down his life for us. And then we are now commanded. To have that highest form of love. For one another. That's the way that we are to love each other. To lay down our lives. For the brethren. For one another. Now to lay down your life. Is not just death. Jesus of course. Was crucified on our behalf. He laid down his life. Was put to death. But.

That was the final act of, or the final demonstration of a life of laying down His life for us. Jesus laying down His life for us began with the virgin birth. That He, being God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped. But He emptied Himself and came in the form of a servant.

He laid down His life, His whole life. It's really about setting yourself aside and submitting to the will of God. That's what Jesus did. Beginning with His birth, throughout His life, He humbled Himself. He met the needs of the people around Him. He served. He came as a servant. He washed the disciples' feet. And finally, ended that lifetime of laying down His life, of submissiveness to the will of God, being obedient.

to the point of death, even the death on the cross. And so for us to lay down our lives for one another is not just, you know, hey man, if you were in front of a car and I would run, I'd push you out of the way, I'd get hit by the car. It's not just one final act that you lose your life with. No, it's about with your life, setting yourself aside and meeting the needs of others and serving them and being submitted to the will of God. Jesus modeled this for us.

He did what was best for us. Again, not fulfilling every wish that we might want, but meeting our needs, doing what was best for us. And that is how we are to lay down our lives for the brethren. That's what it looks like. Again, it is action. It's not just in theory. We don't just say the words, I love you. We don't just look at 1 Corinthians 13 and go, yeah, that's a good kind of love. I think I want that kind of love. No, love is an action.

It's demonstrated, it's shown by the way that we live. It's not theory. It's not merely doctrine that we study. We are to lay down our lives for one another. To set our own selves aside in order to meet the needs of others. To esteem others as better than ourselves, Philippians chapter 2 verse 3 says. And so we know what love is because Jesus modeled it for us.

John now gives us another example in verse 17. He says, So he gives us a scenario. There's someone who has the world's goods. They have resources. They have means. They're looking at someone who has need.

But instead of using the means and the resources that they have to meet that need, they shut up their heart. They say, no, I'm not going to have compassion. They say, no, I'm not going to love. No, I'm not going to be moved by his situation. And he says, how does the love of God abide in him? The love of God does not abide in him, John is saying. As John gives this example, there's a lot of places we could go in our minds, right?

There's a lot of areas that we could think and start, oh no, did I do that? Maybe I did that. He starts off with a couple criteria. Whoever has this world's goods. We'll come back to that one. But he goes on to say, and sees his brother in need. This word to see is a very specific word. It's more than just a glance. It's more than just seeing with the eyes.

The word see means to look with interest and for a purpose. It means to make a careful observation of details. It's the word in the Greek from which we get the word theory in English. And so the idea is, you know, you come up with a theory by examination, by observation, by paying attention. And so what John is talking about is not just a glance or a pass by, but there's this person and you've been watching them.

You've been paying attention. You've got a theory about them. You've come to the conclusion that the need that they have is genuine, that it's real. They're not just trying to scam you, you know, or get some money for booze. They're legitimately in need. That's the first criteria.

The second, or actually that's the second. The first one is whoever has this world's goods. And so here's the situation where you see this need, you know that it's genuine, and you have the resources to meet that need. That's the context. That's the scenario that John is painting for us here. In that scenario, knowing that the need is real and having the means to meet that need, if then that person shuts up their heart and says no,

Well, that person is not practicing selfless giving love. They're saying, "No, I know the need's genuine, but I want these resources for me. I don't want to part with them." They're not sacrificial in their love to others. And that's the point. The person is in need. You've been watching, paying attention, concluding that the need is genuine. You have the means to meet that need.

but you refuse to do so. Now, there's a lot of times that, well, we see that there are needs, and we just do not have the means to meet that need. John's not saying that we need to sell everything, give to the poor, and then go follow Jesus. Although he could give that instruction to you personally, that's not the general instruction to everybody. He's saying, look, God's given you. He supplied your needs, and then some,

He's given you, not just so that you could spoil yourself, but at the same time, He's put others in your life who have needs so that you can see that need and use the resources that He's given to you. You can be a part of the work of God and you can demonstrate the same way that God loves you. You can love them by using those resources that God has given you to meet the needs of someone else. That's the point.

You have the resources. You've determined that the need is genuine. But if you do not respond, then that is not love. The love of God does not abide in you. Verse 18. My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth. So keeping that picture in your mind, seeing that person who is in need, you have the resources, that person most likely would say, I love you, but it's more than just words.

Let's not love just in word or in tongue. Let's not just say the words. He says, let's love in deed. Let's love in action. Love is shown in action. In James 2, verse 15 and 16, James gives a similar scenario. He's proving a different point, but it applies well here as well. He says, if a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, and one of you says to them, depart in peace, be warmed and filled,

but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? So James gives a similar scenario. Here's someone who's among you, a brother or sister. It's a fellow believer. They're naked and they're in need of daily food. They're lacking the necessities of life. They're lacking what's necessary to live. And you say to him, Hey, hey, go in peace. God bless you. Have a great day. He says, how has that person helped? How has that person profited?

Let's not love in word. Oh, I love you, God bless you, have a great day. Let's love in deed. As God supplies, as you have the resources, meet the need. Take the action. That's what love is. Love is action. It's not just talk, but it's something that is lived out. Love is shown by action. Point number four, love assures our hearts. Verse 19 says,

And by this we know that we are of the truth and shall assure our hearts before Him. Again, John says, by this we know. It's something that he's endeavoring to accomplish in this letter. To help us to know that we're right with God. To help us to know where we stand with Him. To help us to know that we're born again.

And by this we know that we're of the truth. By what do we know that we're of the truth? By loving in word, I'm sorry, not in word, but in deed and in truth, not just in word or tongue. In loving by action, in showing and demonstrating our love by the way that we live, we can see that in our lives, we can recognize that in our lives and know that we are of the truth.

And as we know we're of the truth, John says, then we shall assure our hearts before Him. I love this word assure because it literally means to persuade or convince. Can you relate? Do you ever have to persuade your heart or convince your heart? I do continually, repeatedly, quite a bit actually. I have to feed my heart the Word of God all the time.

Because my heart is crazy. It's deceitful and desperately wicked. It's wacky and fickle. And sometimes my heart just freaks out. And I have to persuade it. I have to convince it. I have to remind my heart. No, you're a child of God. I have to remind my heart, by grace you have been saved through faith. Not of works. Because my heart likes to chase after those works.

I have to remind my heart that He promised whoever believes has everlasting life. I have to remind my heart that He counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry. I have to persuade my heart. Do you have to persuade your heart? Convince it? Because your heart screams at you and says, What a wretched person you are. Can't even believe you call yourself a Christian. And you begin to wonder, Man, am I really saved? Do I really have access to God? Your heart screams at you and says,

God's probably mad at you. He's probably tired of you coming to Him with all your problems and sins. And you have to persuade your heart. No, that's not what the Bible says. That's not what God has said. He says, look, by this we know that we're of the truth and by this we can assure our hearts. Here's some practical evidence for us to convince and persuade our hearts. As you look at your life and you say, love is shown by action. And look at these areas. Consider, this is not me.

I don't love this way. It's not natural to me. This is only by the work of God. It's only by the grace of God. And by seeing love in action in our lives, we can persuade our hearts. Verse 20, he says, For if our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart and knows all things. Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence toward God. If our heart condemns us and knows,

To be sure, our hearts do condemn us. And yet there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. That condemnation that our hearts bring is not of God. He says, look, if our hearts condemn us, God is greater than our heart. When your heart is there condemning you and telling you what a miserable person you are and how can you call yourself a Christian,

John says, remember that God outrinks your heart. He's greater than your heart. He has more authority and more say-so than your heart. It's not about how you feel. It's not about the emotions that you're going through. It's about what God has said. God is greater than our heart, and He knows all things, John says. Now, you might look at that and say, oh no, God knows all things. That's terrible news. No, but listen, that's not how John is saying it.

He says, God knows all things. And you know what? He died for you. He knows everything about you and He still loves you. He knows all things and He's still reaching out to you. And He still wants to have fellowship with you. He still wants to have that relationship with you. And you know what? God knows everything about you and He still wants to spend the rest of eternity with you. God knows all things. And He knows your heart. And He knows the struggles that you have.

The psalmist says in Psalm 103 that God knows that we are just dust. He knows our weaknesses. He knows our failures. Our hearts condemn us, but God does not. He reaches out to us because of the great love that He has for us. And so we can persuade our hearts, convince our hearts that we're right with God, that He loves us, that we're His children.

And if our hearts do not condemn us, he says, then we have confidence towards God. Then we have the boldness to come before the throne of grace, to receive mercy and grace for help in time of need. We can come to God and have access to God. Point number five, love is our commandment. Look at verse 22 and 23. He says, and whatever we ask, we receive from him.

Because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight. And this is His commandment, that we should believe on the name of His Son, Jesus Christ, and love one another as He gave His commandment. Now keep in context what John is saying here. Understand the thought. He says that we know that we're God's children by love. It's demonstrated that we have life by our love.

Love is shown in our life by our action, by our lifestyle, by the conduct that we take. Love assures our hearts that we are God's children, removes that condemnation. And in that state, whatever we ask, we receive from Him. Why? Because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight. John is talking about the child of God, the one who loves. And he says that person, whatever they ask of God, they receive from God.

Now, don't get all crazy. You can ask my wife about the inside joke on that. Okay, so we receive whatever we ask from Him. Now, that doesn't mean that you can name it and claim it and everything. Again, it's not wish fulfillment.

But we ask and we receive because we keep His commandments. Now, that's not saying that, well, you've been really good, so I'm going to grant your request. No, no, no. What He's saying is, look, you're keeping His commandments. You're practicing righteousness. You're doing those things that are pleasing in His sight. And so the request that you have...

are in line with His will because your desire is to please Him. It's like you're asking God, Lord, would you please help me to fulfill your will? And God says, of course! Yes, you have the answer to that prayer.

That request will be granted. Because the things that we're asking as we're in a state of desiring to please God and walking in His ways, practicing righteousness and loving one another, the things that we ask of God are not for selfish reasons and they're not things to benefit ourselves or to spoil ourselves, but they're the things that are in line with

We've been brought in line with the will of God, and so the things that we ask are according to the will of God. And later in chapter 5, John will say, when we ask according to the will of God, we know that He hears us, and if we know that He hears us, then we know that we have the things that we've asked for. And so we ask, and whatever we ask, we receive from Him, because we're His child, because we're walking in that relationship with Him, because we're in line with the will of God. And what is the commandment? What is it that has brought us in line with the will of God?

It says two things. That we should believe on the name of His Son, Jesus Christ. And number two, that we love one another. That's the command. To believe on the name of His Son, Jesus Christ. Again, not just a one-time thing. To believe on Jesus Christ is not just an intellectual acknowledgement. Okay, I agree that He existed. Now give me whatever I want. That's not what John is saying.

You know, he's saying to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. It's your lifestyle that you're living in a relationship with him. Having received what he did for us there upon the cross. Being forgiven of sin. Having the hope of eternity. And walking in relationship with God. In addition to that, loving one another. This is the command. This is our marching orders. Believe in Jesus and love one another. That's what God has called us to do.

And God is so incredible in that as we obey this command to love one another, He enables us to do it. He gives us the command, but He also gives us what we need in order to fulfill that command. And then, because we've been obedient to that command as we love one another, we know. He gives us confidence that we're His children. He assures our hearts because we believed in Jesus and loved one another. Love is a matter of life and death. And you can look at love in your life

It will tell you where you stand if you're a child of God or a child of the devil. If you're a child of God, it's a joyful thing. You look and you see, that is not my nature, loving people in that way. God's done a work. He's transformed me. You look and you see, oh my goodness, look at that. Wow, I have life. God's doing a work. It's shown by your actions, by the way that you live. And so you can assure your hearts and obey the command. Now, if you look and you say,

I don't see that happening in my life. I don't see that kind of selfless giving love. John says, good, glad it's clear. Now you know where you stand with God and you have the opportunity to believe on the name of Jesus Christ and love one another. See, it's not too late. God still extends his love to you and you have the opportunity this day right now to receive that love, to have that assurance, to know that you have life in him.

believing in Jesus Christ. Let's pray. God, as we consider these words, I pray, Lord, that you would help us to love one another. Lord, help us and give us insight. Lord, show us how we can practice these things and live them out, how we can love in the actions that we take.

Lord, if there are those that you've placed in front of us that are in need and the need is genuine and you've given us the resources to meet that need, I pray that you would help us to die to ourselves, to set ourselves aside, to esteem others as better than ourselves and to demonstrate your love by meeting that need, by taking the action that is necessary. And Lord, that might be giving of our finances or it might be serving others

or fixing something or ministering in some way or just taking time to listen and to allow them to share and to share with them your love. God, I pray that you would help us to be faithful, to love one another. Help us, God, Lord, that we may assure our hearts, that we may know where we stand. Empower us with your Holy Spirit that we would love one another in the way that you've called us to. And Lord, I pray for those, if there's any that are not of you this morning, God,

any that have not known Your love and therefore cannot love others in the way that You love us. Lord, I pray that You would reveal to them, that You would show them, let it be seen clearly how much You love them and what You did in sending Your Son to pay the price for our sin. Lord, You did that because You love us so dearly and You desire what is best for us and want to spend eternity with us. And so, Lord, I pray that You would draw all unto Yourself

Bring us into right relationship with you. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.