When our hearts condemn us

A lot of us struggle with the truth we find in verse 1.

See what great love the Father has given us that we should be called God’s children—and we are! (1 John 3:1)

Why do we struggle with it? We struggle because we feel we aren’t truly worthy of his love. We see words like,

Everyone who remains in him does not sin;, everyone who sins has not seen him or known him. (6)

and,

Everyone who has been born of God does not sin. (9)

and we say to ourselves, “But I do sin. Does that mean I’m not really a Christian?”

But as I said yesterday, John is not saying that Christians never sin. Rather, they have a changed heart which desires to be like the Savior who loves them.

They long for the day when we will see him face to face. And because of that, they no longer pursue sin, but holiness (2-3).

But in the meantime, there are times we sin. And it is so easy to condemn ourselves. To say we are not worthy of God’s love.

Satan of course will throw those accusations against us. But sometimes our own hearts will too.

And so John says,

 If our hearts condemn us, we know that God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything. (20, NIV)

God see our failures. But God also sees our hearts.

After Peter denied Jesus three times, his heart condemned him. But Jesus was greater than his heart. He knew that Peter truly loved him. (John 21)

In the same way, when your heart condemns you, rest assured, Jesus knows your heart.

If your conscience is pierced because of your sin, and yet you love Jesus and desire to be like him, he knows. And he extends his grace to you.

Every morning, his mercies to you are new. Though we are not always faithful, great is his faithfulness! (Lamentations 3:22-23, 2 Timothy 2:13).

Let us rest each day in his grace and his faithfulness to us.