The Case Already Closed

Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.This is how we know that we belong to the truth and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence: If our hearts condemn us, we know that God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything.
1 John 3:18-20 (NIV)

John starts with how you love. “...let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth” (1 John 3:18, NIV). Loving with actions and not just with words is how we receive the next promise: “This is how we know that we belong to the truth and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence…” (v. 19, NIV). It means you live what you believe and if you don’t your heart bothers you. 

A healthy heart, one walking closely with the Lord, stays sensitive to sin. It won’t let you brush off real sin as no big deal, but it also won’t let old, already-forgiven sin keep haunting you.

Sin that you have confessed and been forgiven of should never bother you. Why? Because it’s been removed—as far as the east is from the west. You just need to remind yourself, or any accuser, of that fact. It is only when you commit sin that is unconfessed, unrepented of, and unforgiven that it should bother you.

That’s why John goes on to say, “If our hearts condemn us, we know that God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything” (v. 20, NIV). What does he mean by that? 

There are things I’ve done in my life that I'm not proud of. Oh, I have confessed those sins and repented of them. But every now and then they come back up. I feel bad and think I ought to confess it all over again. That’s when I must remember that God is greater than my heart. He knows my heart better than I do. 

Then, I remember 1 John 1:9, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins…” (ESV), and I can know that I don’t have to worry about what I feel about my sin because that sin has been forgiven.

When I was growing up, I used to hear people say, “Let your conscience be your guide.” That sounds good, but it’s not. The Word of God should be your guide. Martin Luther said, “...my conscience is captive to the Word of God.”

When old guilt comes up, don’t argue with your feelings. Open your Bible instead of your memory. Read what God decided about that sin the moment you confessed it and let His Word close the case your heart keeps reopening.

Prayer: Lord, thank You that when my heart condemns me, You are greater than my heart; You know everything. Remind me that Your Word carries more weight than any accusation. Let Your Word be the resounding verdict in my heart and life. In Jesus’ name, Amen.