1 John 3:19-22

The privilege of confidence.

1 John 3:19. Hereby: this looks back, taking up the word ‘truth,' according to the well-known habit of the writer in beginning a new theme. But he deepens the meaning of the word: as everywhere, the particle ‘of points to a source, the streams of which flow into the soul. The truth is the life of God viewed as a perfect revelation: ‘the truth in us' and ‘we are of the truth' are counterparts. Shall we know keeps up the running thought of the chapter, the personal evidence of regeneration, but with reference to a future contingency referred to in the next verse. And shall assure our heart: shall persuade our doubting heart to give up its doubt, or our accusing heart to appeal to God against its own accusation. Before him, whereinsoever our heart condemn us. ‘Before Him' is not in His future judgment, but in His sight before whose awful presence the Christian always lives, the supreme Lord whose vicegerent conscience is in the soul. The ‘heart' as here used is the ‘conscience' of St. Paul and St. Peter; but with this difference, that they use a word which makes prominent the knowledge in the moral consciousness (which is conscience), while St. John emphasizes the feeling or the pang of that knowledge. ‘Whereinsoever:' a careful consideration (the detail of which cannot here be entered into) will lead to the conclusion that this is the right reading of the word translated ‘For if in our Version; and that there is no stop before it, but that ‘we shall assure' runs on to the next verse.

Three things must be remembered before we proceed: first, that the word is ‘accuse' and not ‘condemn,' for there is an appeal to a higher court; secondly, that the accusation, while more or less limited to defects in brotherly love, has a universal reference, as the last words of 1 John 3:22 show; and, thirdly, that the whole tone of the passage is consolatory from beginning to end. Because God is greater than our heart: this is a most affecting, and unique, expression of the blessed truth that God in the evangelical economy is the Controller of conscience: it is He who really ‘persuades' it, though St. John, as his manner is, gives to man's faith the office of God's mercy. And knoweth all things. ‘And' has an obvious force: He who searcheth the heart knoweth what is the deep, hidden, inextinguishable mind of the heart. St. John heard long before an anticipatory commentary on his own words: ‘Lord, Thou knowest all things; Thou knowest that I love Thee.' Our little heart has some measure of compassion for the suffering brother; His greater heart will not fail to have compassion on us in our sincerity. It is as if the words were chosen to signify this: ‘condemn' is ‘to know against myself;' God may He said ‘to know for us.' Finally, God knoweth His own Gospel of atonement, the mystery of “which is that the righteous charge of conscience is righteously silenced. But this passes from pure exposition to the function of the theologian and the preacher.

1 John 3:21. Beloved: this appeal does not mark a change in the persons spoken of; it is St. John's way of introducing a matter of deep experimental importance. He is approaching the inmost sanctuary of religious privilege. If our heart condemn us not: the alternative case is now marked, and it is supposed that, like St. Paul, we ‘know nothing against ourselves;' but St. John never introduces an antithesis without somewhat enlarging his meaning; and here the ‘not accusing includes the ‘assuring our hearts' as its ground, not without an anticipation of the faith in Jesus Christ, and the testimony of the Spirit in 1 John 3:23. It is essential to remember this. We have boldness toward God. Four times we find this word, which is the outward expression of St. Paul's ‘full assurance:' twice in a more general sense as the confidence of hope as to the day of judgment; twice with its more exact meaning of ‘free speech' in relation to prayer. Here the apostle passes from the negative soothing of the conscience to the positive and higher privilege which the children of God, approving their regeneration by works, have in Approaching God. Their confident speech in prayer is, however, omitted: the confidence is marked by the result of it. Whatsoever we ask, we receive of him. In the whole Epistle prayer is mentioned only twice. It is the privilege of sonship; and, passing over everything intermediate (though ‘if we confess our sins' underlies all), St. John in both cases leaps to the conclusion which our Lord teaches: ‘All things, believing, ye shall receive.' We receive in asking, the present asking is the present receiving: this is the confidence, of which more hereafter. Because we keep his commandments in the spirit of filial obedience, and do the things which are pleasing in his sight in the spirit of filial zeal. This is a unique combination: the latter clause is also unique, though it is an echo of the Lord's words, ‘do always the things that please Him.' In the light of these it is evident that the heart's ‘not condemning' may have as its positive side such a testimony of the Father's complacency as makes prayer very bold. Thus we have a very high testimony to the possible character of the communion of the soul with God. But we must remember the ‘working in us that which is well-pleasing in His sight' (Hebrews 13:21). The next verse, beginning a new section, will show that this high obedience includes faith in the Lord Jesus, and therefore is not itself the meritorious ground of our acceptance as petitioners. The same is taught by the mystical union that follows, Christ abiding in us, and we in Him: ‘Apart from Me ye can do nothing.' But, after all, St. John teaches that the Hearer of prayer has a special complacency in His children's reverent obedience and endeavour to please Him. Wrought in Christ, our works are rewarded by His approval: we give our Lord what He is pleased to seek, and He gives us what we ask.