Doctrine and love are both needed
September 25, 2022
Commentary
Assurance (vv. 19-20) – No Christian should treat sin lightly, but neither should he be harder on himself than God is. An “accusing conscience” robs a believer of peace. We need to be careful or the devil will accuse us and rob us of our confidence ( Rev. 12:10). His voice of assurance is stronger than the accusing voice of our own conscience.Answered Prayer (vv. 21-22) – A believers’s relationship to other Christians cannot be divorced from his prayer life. These verses do not give us all the conditions for answered prayer, but they emphasize the importance of obedience. “And whatsoever we ask, we receive of Him, because we keep His commandments.” If we are truly seeking God’s will, there are some requests that we will not make.Abiding Love (vv. 23-24) – Faith toward God and love toward man are the two basic ingredients of a Christian’s walk. It is easy to emphasize correct doctrine and neglect love for others. However, some will tell you that doctrine is not important and that love is our main responsibility. The truth is that both doctrine and love are important.John certainly emphasizes the two things which are well-pleasing in God’s sight, the two commandments on obedience to which our relationship to God depends. (1) We must believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ. (2) We must love one another, even as he gave us his commandment. This commandment is found in John 13:34 which says we must love each other with that same selfless, sacrificial, forgiving love with which Jesus Christ loved us.
Application
If a visiting believer was to judge me on how much I am concerned about obeying God’s Word and how much I love others, what kind of a grade would I get. What can I do to improve this grade?
1 John 3:19– 24 (NET)
19 And by this we will know that we are of the truth and will convince our conscience in his presence, 20 that if our conscience condemns us, that God is greater than our conscience and knows all things. 21 Dear friends, if our conscience does not condemn us, we have confidence in the presence of God, 22 and whatever we ask we receive from him, because we keep his commandments and do the things that are pleasing to him. 23 Now this is his commandment: that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he gave us the commandment. 24 And the person who keeps his commandments resides in God, and God in him. Now by this we know that God resides in us: by the Spirit he has given us.
Illustration: Revenge is Not The Answer to Hurts in Life
Amy Biehl died a violent death in 1993. She was a 26-year-old Fulbright scholar who had gone to South Africa to help register black voters for their first free election. But even though she was seeking to help the people of South Africa, as she was driving one day, she was dragged out of her car, stabbed and beaten to death by a mob which was committed to violence in order to overthrow of the apartheid government. Soon afterward, Amy’s parents, Linda and Peter Biehl, quit their jobs and moved from their Orange County, California home to South Africa — not to seek revenge, but to start a foundation in Amy’s name. Today, two of her killers work for the foundation. They call Mrs. Biehl “Makhulu,” or grandmother, because of the way she treats them. (Source Unknown – Lou Nicholes – Missionary/Author)