condemnation and confidence

Sometimes when we seek God for answers our prayers seem to go nowhere. And we lack confidence in our efforts. Slowly, if we have not sought the Lord, our hearts condemn us. It takes discernment to know where this condemnation comes from, for though we have an accuser, satan, we also err and stumble at times. Today’s lesson is about condemnation and confidence.

"Dear friends, let us not love with words or in tongue but with actions and in truth. This is then how we know that we belong to the truth, and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence whenever our hearts condemn us. For God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything. Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God and receive from him anything we ask because we obey his commands and do what pleases him."( 1 John 3:18-21).

If we were robotic Christians and could just point to scriptures and say "See, this is the one I'm obeying." it would be much easier. But John is saying that we should obey God’s commands and do what pleases Him. That makes it more complicated. Knowing the truth and doing the truth are partly the same thing, and partly not, for the doing goes much farther than the knowing. If we want to be sure we're doing the truth and obeying the scriptures, we have to seek to please God. And then, we have confidence and neither our hearts nor God condemns us.

The foundation for feeling condemned is having truth and not letting God’s nature in us do something with the truth. The truth should not condemn you; it should set you free. Inner condemnation is a sign that there is incongruity between our heart and mind. The mind that knows the Word can reason its application separate from the nature of God held in our hearts. Our mind can also override the counsel of God that we hear. What you do with God’s counsel will help you gain confidence before God and you'll have your prayers answered. But if you do nothing, you will feel condemned because you did nothing with the truth. Confidence is a sign that you are carrying the Word properly, and that you and your heart are not in disagreement about what to say and do concerning the truth. (When our heart has sought to know God’s heart we will carry the truth nobly). Being confident is a sign that a man’s heart and mind agree.

A man can be wrongly confident if his truth is not truth, but falsehood. “The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!” (Mt 6:22-23). Paul prayed that the “eyes of (our) heart” would be open, so that we would have understanding (Eph 1:18). We will be full of light if our hearts are full of the understanding of God’s Word, yet have darkness if we have no understanding. If we try to bring understanding through our own counsel and not God’s, we will have a misunderstanding of the truth and its application in our lives.

We only need to ask God for His wisdom and counsel and He will give it. Then our light will truly be light. There are a myriad of ways to go with and one thing. Therefore, doing what we do with the truth should come from asking God for both wisdom (James 1:5) and seeking Him for His heart.

Both wisdom and love dwell together in our hearts. God has put it within the heart of the believer to know what love is. At times, our hearts condemn us for carrying out the Word without giving love. “This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down His life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.” (1 John 3:16). We can be modern-day Pharisees and obey the letter of the Word, or we can be followers of Jesus, the incarnate Word from God, bringing the life of the Word alive through the way we live. Our hearts will be full of confidence, and we will have our prayers answered by God, when we obey the scriptures and seek to please God. Today, if you feel condemnation, realize that the Lord is ready to give discernment and wisdom to you. He will help sort through the matter, finding the source of your condemnation, and building you up with His wisdom. Then you will have confidence in all you ask for you are not only in agreement with yourself, but also with the Lord. Amen.