1 John 3:19-20 We will know by this that we are of the truth, and will assure our heart before Him in whatever our heart condemns us; for God is greater than our heart and knows all things.
Yesterday, we talked about how God loved us first and calls us to respond. The apostle Paul wrote of this in the book of Romans. He tells his readers that salvation is not about what we do, but what God does. This does not do away with the law, but confirms it. In chapter 4 of Romans, Paul writes:
Romans 4:1-3 (The Message)
So how do we fit what we know of Abraham, our first father in the faith, into this new way of looking at things? If Abraham, by what he did for God, got God to approve him, he could certainly have taken credit for it. But the story we’re given is a God-story, not an Abraham-story. What we read in Scripture is, “Abraham entered into what God was doing for him, and that was the turning point. He trusted God to set him right instead of trying to be right on his own.”
As we think through how we are loving our brothers and how we practice righteousness, a feeling of condemnation is not unexpected. We are called to perfection, but can not attain it on our own. But we have the forgiveness of God! The free gift of His love and mercy! We are not working and practicing to achieve pardon, for we are sons, already in the family, following our father’s example. When we see our sin and feel its weight and burden, we can rest assured that we are forgiven and God is working. Even in times of deep depression and darkness, God will sustain us. God is greater than our hearts. His truth is real and doesn’t change, unlike our emotions or feelings. So, how am I trusting in God? Are their areas in my life where I believe my feelings instead of God’s truth? How can I grow in my reliance on God’s truth to counter the condemnation of my heart?
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