1 John 3:19 - Printer Friendly

ESV: By this we shall know that we are of the truth and reassure our heart before him;

NIV: This is how we know that we belong to the truth and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence:

NASB: We will know by this that we are of the truth, and will set our heart at ease before Him,

CSB: This is how we will know that we belong to the truth and will reassure our hearts before him

NLT: Our actions will show that we belong to the truth, so we will be confident when we stand before God.

KJV: And hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before him.

NKJV: And by this we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before Him.

This verse offers the first part of a statement which continues through the next verse. The opening of John's sentence offers two insights. First, what John is about to say, in verse 20, will help a believer know he or she is acting according to the truth of the gospel. Second, his statement will provide reassurance to the believer's heart, in those times when we feel conviction of sin.

First John 5:13 will provide a summary statement regarding a person's ability to know, for certain, that they are a believer in Christ. This particular verse, 1 John 3:19, reassures believers: when they act in love, it is proof that they are "abiding" in the life that Christ wants for us (John 10:10).

The concept of reassurance is also tied to verse 20, which explains how Christians ought to respond to conviction of sin. Rather than seeing conviction as a reason to despair, saved believers can rest assured that God will forgive us (1 John 2:1).

First John 3:19–24 concludes chapter three by connecting our confidence in prayer with our obedience to God. While God's love is unconditional, and His salvation is secure, His approval is based on whether or not we obey Him. Feelings of conviction are not only a sign that we are truly His children, they give us opportunity to correct our behavior. As mentioned earlier in the chapter, love is not only a primary command, it is a key sign of Christian belief.

The third chapter of 1 John focuses mostly on the concept of love. Because of His love, God not only calls us His children, He actually makes us His children. John also explains how sin, including hate, is never the result of a proper relationship with God. Christians, in contrast to the world, are supposed to do more than simply ''feel'' love; we are to act on it, as well

Chapters 1 and 2 introduced the stark differences between those who truly have fellowship with Christ, as opposed to those who are ''in darkness.'' Chapter 3 continues this discussion, with a particular emphasis on love. This serves as a bridge, between John's descriptions of lives lived abiding either in darkness or light, to an explanation of how God's faithfulness gives us confidence as Christian believers.

First John seems to assume that the reader is familiar with the gospel. Rather than re-state these facts, John is concerned with building confidence in Christian believers. At the same time, his words encourage believers to examine their own lives for signs of their relationship with Christ. This letter also challenges false teachers and their incorrect claims about Jesus. Many themes are shared with the Gospel of John.

Accessed 5/3/2024 6:31:16 PM