Collinsville-Troy CHURCH OF CHRIST

God Is Greater

Renn Ferguson

"For whenever our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and he knows everything" 1 John 3:20, ESV.

Some interpret this passage as a warning. If we know that we have sinned, God does too. This is correct. Solomon taught that God will bring every secret thing into judgment (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14).

Others (myself included) view this as a comforting message. 1 John 3:19 states, "By this we shall know that we are of the truth and reassure our heart before him." What is the "this" under consideration? Back up one more verse, "Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth." (V. 18). Assurance of our salvation comes from genuine love.

Paul wrote in Romans 13:8-10, "Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. For the commandments, 'you shall not commit adultery, you shall not murder, you shall not steal, you shall not covet," and any other commandment, are summed up in this word: 'you shall love your neighbor as yourself.' Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling the law." We see that genuine love does behave itself in harmful ways towards others. Jesus had previously defined genuine love in John 13:34-35, "a new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another." True love is more than avoiding harm, it is seeking the good of others.

The unfortunate truth is that we do not always love as we should. No matter how hard we may try. This is when 1 John 3:20 comes in. We are ever aware of our failures and that creates tension in our hearts. We want to do what is right but find ourselves doing wrong. The great news is that God is greater than our hearts. This is not a cheap cop-out or excuse of sin. It is assurance that God knows where our desires truly lie. He knows that if it were possible we would always do what is right.

If we pursue true love both in attitude and action we can reassure our hearts before God.

Feeling Good About Yourself

Glen Elliott

There is nothing inherently sinful about having a good self-image. Self-centeredness is wrong; but there is a great difference between selfishness and good self-esteem. God wants us to feel good about ourselves. In fact, He sent His Son so that we might enjoy a "full and abundant life" (Jn. 10:10). God does not rejoice when our feet get kicked out from under us and we find ourselves flat on our faces, bruised and battered by life's setbacks. To the contrary, God hurts when we hurt. Jesus is a high priest who can "sympathize with our weaknesses" because He "has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin" (Heb. 4:15).

Because God wants us to be happy and feel good about ourselves, He has given us His word as a guide to joyous living. The "dos and don'ts" of the Bible are not given to inflict pain, but joy. Even the Law of Moses was given for the good of the people. Moses asked this very telling question: "Now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require from you, but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all His ways and love Him, and to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to keep the Lord's commandments and His statutes which I am commanding you today for your good?" (Dt. 10:12-13).

Every parent knows what "for Your good" means. As children, we tried to bend the rules a little only to discover later that the rules had been given "for our good." Likewise, we can be sure that every command of God is for our good and for our ultimate happiness. God's word provides us with a sense of security and well-being because our Father cares enough to set boundaries. When we follow His teaching, we feel good. We were created in His image and He loves us so much that He gave His only Son so that we might live forever in His presence. This sense of His abiding love frees us from self-hate and stirs within us a love for God and others (1 Jn. 4:19).

- Glen Elliott preaches for the Greenbrier church of Christ in Greenbrier, AR.
-Article obtained from bulletingold.com