Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God.
When the heart does not condemn, there is confidence toward God with assurance before Him and freedom to approach Him. This confidence includes confidence in prayer that whatever is asked is received from Him. The heart is assured before Him by loving one another not in word or tongue only but in deed and in truth, doing righteousness and showing compassion rather than shutting it up, even to laying down life for the brethren as Christ laid down His life. This is keeping His commandments and doing what pleases Him, namely believing on the name of His Son Jesus Christ and loving one another as commanded, by which they dwell in Him and He in them by the Spirit He has given. Doing right gives this confidence, so that when relations with one another are pleasant and besetting sins are overcome by God's strength, the heart does not condemn and there is confidence toward God.
Meaning of Heart Confidence
Beloved, if the heart does not condemn, there is confidence toward God, which is assurance before Him and freedom to approach Him. This confidence is an abiding witness that one's ways please God, and no one should rest without possessing it. It requires seeing one's true state as God sees it, joined to laboring for the salvation of souls as all can do something.
This confidence includes confidence in prayer that whatever is asked is received from Him. Even when the heart condemns, God is greater than the heart and knows all things. So a loving heart can stand as before the Judge of all the earth.
A heart that does not condemn furnishes evidence from His Word for knowing that one is of the truth. The testimony of the human spirit joined with the testimony of the Spirit of God bears witness that the mind is under the control of the divine mind. In this is known standing as His sons and daughters.
Love and Obedience Behind Confidence
The heart is assured before God by loving one another not in word or in tongue only but in deed and in truth. That love is doing righteousness and refusing dissension and strife. It does not shut up compassion from a brother in need but shows compassion to him, shares this world's goods with the needy, and divests selfishness. It is faith that works by love to purify the soul from selfishness, hardness of heart, moral defilement, spiritual pride, and lack of compassion, and it is willing even to lay down life for the brethren as Christ laid down His life.
This confidence belongs to those who keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight. That means believing on the name of His Son Jesus Christ and loving one another as commanded. By this they dwell in Him and He in them by the Spirit He has given.
The verse expresses the great principles of the law in the two great precepts of love to the Lord God with all the heart and love to neighbor as self, upon which hang all the law and the prophets. The whole law is bound together under supreme love to God and love to neighbor, through a faith that works by love and purifies the soul, making the love of God precious in life and character in treatment of fellow men. Mere acknowledgment, ceremonious worship, sacrifice, self-love and self-exaltation are unacceptable to God and cannot give this confidence.
The verse belongs to encouragement to dwell on God's love rather than on gloomy accounts of evil and Satan's power. It is part of the truth about God's love revealed in Jesus given to die for the world to redeem sinners. It presents the law and the gospel together as a perfect whole, bringing light to receptive hearts and supporting a purposeful faith that receives God's gifts rather than resting in mere profession or theory of religion.
This assurance belongs to sincere seekers who go to the Scriptures for themselves instead of trusting ministers, human inferences, traditions and customs, and who measure teaching by the law and the testimony, so that they may know they are of the truth. Assurance comes from perceiving the love of God in Christ laying down His life, with the privilege of being sons and daughters of God made real by Christ laying aside His royal robe and kingly crown and stepping down from high command to clothe divinity with humanity at the head of humanity to reveal what human beings can become. He gives power to become sons of God to all who receive and believe, born not of blood nor of flesh nor of man but of God, so that partaking of the divine nature and escaping the corruption in the world through lust is possible and continuing in sin leaves without excuse, and committing these words to memory brings great blessing.
Daily Experience of Confidence
Doing right is what gives confidence toward God, for when relations with one another are pleasant and the Holy Spirit is not grieved by careless, harsh, disrespectful words or by indiscreet actions, the heart does not condemn. In that state the testimony of the human spirit joined with the testimony of the Spirit of God bears witness that the human mind is under the control of the divine mind. Such an uncondemning heart assures the heart before Him and furnishes evidence from His Word for the conclusion of being of the truth as His sons and daughters.
Confidence toward God comes from overcoming besetting sins by God's strength, by faithfully watching for personal failures, finding out where one fails, and then faithfully watching so that sins do not overcome but are overcome. It requires learning to stand alone and depend wholly upon God for strength, wisdom and guidance, while keeping His glory, the good of the church, and the salvation of one's own soul in view. Each person is to seek a new victory every day, and when sins no longer overcome, there is confidence toward God. This daily victory also saves the church great trouble and spares it great trouble.
When heart and life do not condemn, those who truly possess the religion of Jesus live as Christians should and are not ashamed or afraid to bear the cross before others. They freely speak, sing and pray out what is worked within, having confidence toward God and before the church. Those who lack holy living know they do not live as they should, their own life condemns them, and this makes them backward and takes away their confidence toward God and before the church.
This confidence belongs to personal piety that comes only by wise and unconditional surrender to God, obtained in secret prayer apart from men and shut away from outward activity and other people to consider duty in the light of the Word. When the seeking soul finds God the life is full of goodness, love and truth, conversation is of heaven while looking for the expected Saviour, and religion tells in its influence in personal deeds. Truth is then carried out in the life in good works and in business transactions regulated in strict accordance with the Word of God so that others seeing the works glorify the Father in heaven. It is assured before God by loving one another in deed and in truth and not in word only, by doing righteousness and loving the brethren, by not shutting up compassion from a brother in need but sharing this world's good and divesting selfishness, and by keeping His commandments and doing those things that are pleasing in His sight. This confidence requires an abiding witness that one's ways please God, with no rest until it is possessed and with seeing one's true state as God sees it, and it belongs with each one laboring for the salvation of souls, since all can do something. It also opens the way to answered prayer, including receiving whatsoever is asked of Him.
Acknowledging the light received brings confidence toward God, as seen when concealing the Sabbath truth left Nathaniel without that confidence, while acknowledging it brought feeling confidence toward God and coming to love the Sabbath. In the call to walk in the light this confidence belongs with facing coldness and backsliding and responding with confession. Lightness and trifling can weaken that confidence, hinder the forming of Christian character, and lessen love for devotion and spiritual things.
The verse is instruction to be studied and practiced by youth, students in schools and sanitariums, workers in printing offices, and instructors and leaders in charge of them. It calls for showing faith by practice and holding before youth the possibility of becoming sons and daughters of God and of walking uprightly in a crooked and perverse generation in the contrast between the principles of Christ and the principles of Satan. It means learning meekness and lowliness from Christ so His yoke is easy and His burden light, and witnessing daily to the power of grace and to having the Saviour's keeping power every moment through faithful service done as pleasure not task. It requires offering only sacred fire of God's kindling and speaking as Christ spoke with no harsh passionate rash word that could ruin a soul or stir resistance. It requires keeping hereditary and cultivated tendencies under control while the character is daily refined, sanctified and purified.
The verse requires manliness and firmness in the Christian character. A cheap Christian character works more harm in the world than the character of a worldling, for professed Christians mislead others by professing to represent Christ whose name they assume.
Keeping God's commandments brings great reward even in this life, giving a conscience that does not condemn and a heart at peace with God rather than at enmity with Him. This confidence belongs to those who keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight, which is to believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ and love one another as commanded, loving not in word or tongue but in deed and in truth by doing righteousness, showing compassion to a brother in need rather than shutting up compassion, and being willing even to lay down life for the brethren as Christ laid down His life. It comes from true obedience to the whole law bound together under supreme love to God and love to neighbor, a faith that works by love and purifies the soul, and not from mere acknowledgment, ceremonious worship, sacrifice, self-love or self-exaltation, which God cannot accept. Such a heart can stand as before the Judge of all the earth, because even when the heart condemns, God is greater than the heart and knows all things, and then whatsoever is asked is received from Him. A conscience free from condemnation can accompany a life devoted each day to glorifying God and subduing self, in which strength is made perfect in human weakness for a circumspect life that benefits the soul and shines as an example to others. It calls for reformation in every church and institution away from selfish, loveless ways into active mercy and love.
When the heart does not condemn, there is confidence toward God with assurance before Him and freedom to approach Him. This confidence includes confidence in prayer that whatever is asked is received from Him. The heart is assured before Him by loving one another not in word or tongue only but in deed and in truth, doing righteousness and showing compassion rather than shutting it up, even to laying down life for the brethren as Christ laid down His life. This is keeping His commandments and doing what pleases Him, namely believing on the name of His Son Jesus Christ and loving one another as commanded, by which they dwell in Him and He in them by the Spirit He has given. Doing right gives this confidence, so that when relations with one another are pleasant and besetting sins are overcome by God's strength, the heart does not condemn and there is confidence toward God.
Meaning of Heart Confidence
Beloved, if the heart does not condemn, there is confidence toward God, which is assurance before Him and freedom to approach Him. This confidence is an abiding witness that one's ways please God, and no one should rest without possessing it. It requires seeing one's true state as God sees it, joined to laboring for the salvation of souls as all can do something.
This confidence includes confidence in prayer that whatever is asked is received from Him. Even when the heart condemns, God is greater than the heart and knows all things. So a loving heart can stand as before the Judge of all the earth.
A heart that does not condemn furnishes evidence from His Word for knowing that one is of the truth. The testimony of the human spirit joined with the testimony of the Spirit of God bears witness that the mind is under the control of the divine mind. In this is known standing as His sons and daughters.
Love and Obedience Behind Confidence
The heart is assured before God by loving one another not in word or in tongue only but in deed and in truth. That love is doing righteousness and refusing dissension and strife. It does not shut up compassion from a brother in need but shows compassion to him, shares this world's goods with the needy, and divests selfishness. It is faith that works by love to purify the soul from selfishness, hardness of heart, moral defilement, spiritual pride, and lack of compassion, and it is willing even to lay down life for the brethren as Christ laid down His life.
This confidence belongs to those who keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight. That means believing on the name of His Son Jesus Christ and loving one another as commanded. By this they dwell in Him and He in them by the Spirit He has given.
The verse expresses the great principles of the law in the two great precepts of love to the Lord God with all the heart and love to neighbor as self, upon which hang all the law and the prophets. The whole law is bound together under supreme love to God and love to neighbor, through a faith that works by love and purifies the soul, making the love of God precious in life and character in treatment of fellow men. Mere acknowledgment, ceremonious worship, sacrifice, self-love and self-exaltation are unacceptable to God and cannot give this confidence.
The verse belongs to encouragement to dwell on God's love rather than on gloomy accounts of evil and Satan's power. It is part of the truth about God's love revealed in Jesus given to die for the world to redeem sinners. It presents the law and the gospel together as a perfect whole, bringing light to receptive hearts and supporting a purposeful faith that receives God's gifts rather than resting in mere profession or theory of religion.
This assurance belongs to sincere seekers who go to the Scriptures for themselves instead of trusting ministers, human inferences, traditions and customs, and who measure teaching by the law and the testimony, so that they may know they are of the truth. Assurance comes from perceiving the love of God in Christ laying down His life, with the privilege of being sons and daughters of God made real by Christ laying aside His royal robe and kingly crown and stepping down from high command to clothe divinity with humanity at the head of humanity to reveal what human beings can become. He gives power to become sons of God to all who receive and believe, born not of blood nor of flesh nor of man but of God, so that partaking of the divine nature and escaping the corruption in the world through lust is possible and continuing in sin leaves without excuse, and committing these words to memory brings great blessing.
Daily Experience of Confidence
Doing right is what gives confidence toward God, for when relations with one another are pleasant and the Holy Spirit is not grieved by careless, harsh, disrespectful words or by indiscreet actions, the heart does not condemn. In that state the testimony of the human spirit joined with the testimony of the Spirit of God bears witness that the human mind is under the control of the divine mind. Such an uncondemning heart assures the heart before Him and furnishes evidence from His Word for the conclusion of being of the truth as His sons and daughters.
Confidence toward God comes from overcoming besetting sins by God's strength, by faithfully watching for personal failures, finding out where one fails, and then faithfully watching so that sins do not overcome but are overcome. It requires learning to stand alone and depend wholly upon God for strength, wisdom and guidance, while keeping His glory, the good of the church, and the salvation of one's own soul in view. Each person is to seek a new victory every day, and when sins no longer overcome, there is confidence toward God. This daily victory also saves the church great trouble and spares it great trouble.
When heart and life do not condemn, those who truly possess the religion of Jesus live as Christians should and are not ashamed or afraid to bear the cross before others. They freely speak, sing and pray out what is worked within, having confidence toward God and before the church. Those who lack holy living know they do not live as they should, their own life condemns them, and this makes them backward and takes away their confidence toward God and before the church.
This confidence belongs to personal piety that comes only by wise and unconditional surrender to God, obtained in secret prayer apart from men and shut away from outward activity and other people to consider duty in the light of the Word. When the seeking soul finds God the life is full of goodness, love and truth, conversation is of heaven while looking for the expected Saviour, and religion tells in its influence in personal deeds. Truth is then carried out in the life in good works and in business transactions regulated in strict accordance with the Word of God so that others seeing the works glorify the Father in heaven. It is assured before God by loving one another in deed and in truth and not in word only, by doing righteousness and loving the brethren, by not shutting up compassion from a brother in need but sharing this world's good and divesting selfishness, and by keeping His commandments and doing those things that are pleasing in His sight. This confidence requires an abiding witness that one's ways please God, with no rest until it is possessed and with seeing one's true state as God sees it, and it belongs with each one laboring for the salvation of souls, since all can do something. It also opens the way to answered prayer, including receiving whatsoever is asked of Him.
Acknowledging the light received brings confidence toward God, as seen when concealing the Sabbath truth left Nathaniel without that confidence, while acknowledging it brought feeling confidence toward God and coming to love the Sabbath. In the call to walk in the light this confidence belongs with facing coldness and backsliding and responding with confession. Lightness and trifling can weaken that confidence, hinder the forming of Christian character, and lessen love for devotion and spiritual things.
The verse is instruction to be studied and practiced by youth, students in schools and sanitariums, workers in printing offices, and instructors and leaders in charge of them. It calls for showing faith by practice and holding before youth the possibility of becoming sons and daughters of God and of walking uprightly in a crooked and perverse generation in the contrast between the principles of Christ and the principles of Satan. It means learning meekness and lowliness from Christ so His yoke is easy and His burden light, and witnessing daily to the power of grace and to having the Saviour's keeping power every moment through faithful service done as pleasure not task. It requires offering only sacred fire of God's kindling and speaking as Christ spoke with no harsh passionate rash word that could ruin a soul or stir resistance. It requires keeping hereditary and cultivated tendencies under control while the character is daily refined, sanctified and purified.
The verse requires manliness and firmness in the Christian character. A cheap Christian character works more harm in the world than the character of a worldling, for professed Christians mislead others by professing to represent Christ whose name they assume.
Keeping God's commandments brings great reward even in this life, giving a conscience that does not condemn and a heart at peace with God rather than at enmity with Him. This confidence belongs to those who keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight, which is to believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ and love one another as commanded, loving not in word or tongue but in deed and in truth by doing righteousness, showing compassion to a brother in need rather than shutting up compassion, and being willing even to lay down life for the brethren as Christ laid down His life. It comes from true obedience to the whole law bound together under supreme love to God and love to neighbor, a faith that works by love and purifies the soul, and not from mere acknowledgment, ceremonious worship, sacrifice, self-love or self-exaltation, which God cannot accept. Such a heart can stand as before the Judge of all the earth, because even when the heart condemns, God is greater than the heart and knows all things, and then whatsoever is asked is received from Him. A conscience free from condemnation can accompany a life devoted each day to glorifying God and subduing self, in which strength is made perfect in human weakness for a circumspect life that benefits the soul and shines as an example to others. It calls for reformation in every church and institution away from selfish, loveless ways into active mercy and love.