What is the meaning of 1 John 3:19? And by this John opens with a connective phrase that points backward to the practical love he has just described (1 John 3:17-18). “By this” refers to the evidence of genuine love in deed and truth. When sacrificial love becomes visible, it supplies proof. The same idea appears in John 13:35, “By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you love one another”. The Lord never leaves assurance floating in feelings; He anchors it in observable obedience. we will know Here John promises certainty, not guesswork. “We will know” speaks to confident recognition, echoing 1 John 2:3, “By this we can be sure that we have come to know Him: if we keep His commandments”. The Christian faith is rooted in objective revelation, so assurance flows from facts—what Christ has done and how that work bears fruit in believers. Helpful checkpoints: • Examine whether love motivates your actions (2 Corinthians 13:5). • Recall specific times obedience replaced self-interest (Philippians 2:3-4). These concrete memories feed the heart with knowledge rather than doubt. that we belong to the truth “Belong to the truth” underscores identity. We do not merely acknowledge truth; we are of it, born from it (John 18:37). Truth here is not an abstract concept but the Person and message of Jesus Christ (John 14:6). Living out love demonstrates that our origins are in Him, just as fruit reveals the nature of a tree (Matthew 7:17-18). and will assure our hearts Assurance is John’s pastoral goal. Consciences often accuse (1 John 3:20), yet visible obedience quiets those accusations. The term “assure” carries the sense of persuading or tranquilizing the inner voice. David experienced something similar in Psalm 42:5, “Why, my soul, are you downcast? ... Put your hope in God”. Practical steps for heart-assurance: • Recall God’s promises aloud (Romans 8:1). • Recount acts of love He has empowered in you (Hebrews 6:10). • Refuse to let feelings trump the record of God’s work (1 John 4:4). in His presence All assurance ultimately occurs “before Him.” The believer lives coram Deo—before the face of God—whether in prayer today (Hebrews 4:16) or at the final judgment (2 Corinthians 5:10). John links present assurance with future confidence: “so that when He appears, we may be confident…” (1 John 2:28). Knowing we are heard and accepted now prepares us to stand unashamed then. summary John ties assurance to action. When love moves from lip to life, we gain concrete evidence that we are rooted in Christ’s unchanging truth. This evidence quiets self-accusation and lets us stand confidently before God—today and on the day we see Him face to face. |
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