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Articles, Bible studies, and sermons that contain 1 John 3:20:
I John 3:18-23
Excerpted from: Love and FellowshipIt is not how we feel, but whether or not we are loving.
So, love is not a feeling. Love is an action. Let us get that down, so that it is firmly implanted in our minds. Love is obedience to God. It is that simple. It is an action.
Whether the love is towards God or man, it does not rest on feelings but on practical acts—deeds. So, the first test, then, is not something that is dealt with abstractly. That is, it is not a thing of the mind, but it is good, solid evidence against which we can measure ourselves. Are we keeping the commands of God? We can say, "Yes, I keep this one. I keep this one. I keep this one. I keep this one, and that one, and that one, and so forth. I've done this. I've done that." That is love. You see, we can measure ourselves against something, because God gives us accurate descriptions of exactly what love is.
Now the second test is very interesting. It is more abstract because it rests on faith in the name of Jesus Christ.
The two are tied together. "Believing on the name of Jesus Christ" is the second part of this checklist. Now, when a "name" is used in this way, it does not mean "the word by which a person is called"; but rather, "the whole nature, or character, of the person" as far as we know it, or understand it. This is why the proverb says that a good name is more precious than great riches (Proverbs 22:1).
"Our help is in the name of the Lord." This is what is going to get you out of your depression. Again, this does not mean that our help lies in the fact that God is called Yahweh. There is nothing magic in that name at all. It means that our help is in His love. It is in His mercy. It is in His power. It is in His promises. It is in those things that have been revealed to us as parts of His nature, or His attributes, part of His character—and whether or not we have faith in them.
So then, to "believe in the name of Jesus Christ" means to believe in the nature and the character of Jesus Christ. It means to believe that He is the Son of God. To believe that He stands in relation to the Father in a way that no other person in the universe ever has or ever will. It means that He can perfectly reveal the Father to us. It means that He is the Savior. It means that He is the High Priest. It means that He is the Mediator. It means that He is the Intercessor. It means that He is our soon-coming King. It means that through Him we have entrance into God's presence—not just entrance only, but actually fellowship with Him.
Are these two checklist items beginning to become clear? Number one, when we begin to get into discouragement and despair and self-condemnation, the first thing we need to check is, are we still keeping the commands of God? And, if we are, then the second thing to check is, are we maintaining our fellowship with God? Or, are we, of our own volition, running and hiding from Him?
"By this we know." It means we know by experience. We have lived it, in the past. Now, what do we know? We know we are keeping His commands and that we do have fellowship with Him.
I John 3:20-22
Excerpted from: Love and FellowshipWe need something that we can bounce off, or measure ourselves against, judge ourselves against, and that is what he is answering here. How can we have assurance here and now? How do we know that we belong to the truth? How can we best deal with our own heart—which is condemning us and bringing us into despair, bringing us into discouragement, and doubt, and fear, and anxiety?
Regardless of the source—whether it is confusion, or whatever—there is something that we have to understand here. That is, we are dealing with a feeling, an emotion, and we must not allow our emotions to destroy our confidence! Man has a multifaceted personality, but we must understand that, of our personality, our emotions are the least stable—least reliable—parts of human personality because they are educated by our experiences and are almost completely subjective.
That is what John is talking about here. There is something that is a good measurement, or standard, against which we can measure whether or not we are in the truth; but it cannot be our feelings. Some people get a sense of well-being, even enjoyment, out of killing, robbing, fornicating, or committing adultery, while, at the same time, something good and wholesome fills them with boredom because it is not "exciting."
We are dealing with two things here. One is, what is it that tends to produce a right sense of confidence and well being? Number two is, what is it that enables us to be confident as to whether we are "in the truth," whenever our heart condemns us? The combination is interesting because we can be doing the right things and still our heart will condemn us. From time to time, it will overpower us spiritually, making us feel guilty and despairing.
It is not how we feel, but whether or not we are loving.
So, love is not a feeling. Love is an action. Let us get that down, so that it is firmly implanted in our minds. Love is obedience to God. It is that simple. It is an action.
Whether the love is towards God or man, it does not rest on feelings but on practical acts—deeds. So, the first test, then, is not something that is dealt with abstractly. That is, it is not a thing of the mind, but it is good, solid evidence against which we can measure ourselves. Are we keeping the commands of God? We can say, "Yes, I keep this one. I keep this one. I keep this one. I keep this one, and that one, and that one, and so forth. I've done this. I've done that." That is love. You see, we can measure ourselves against something, because God gives us accurate descriptions of exactly what love is.
And so we come to this and we are discouraged, and here is God's checklist. The first one on it we can be assured by, because, yes, we are keeping the commandments regardless of the way I feel. I am still doing it.
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