I John 3:21-22
21 Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us,
we have confidence before God;
22 and whatever we ask we receive from Him,
because we keep His commandments
and do the things that are pleasing in His sight.
Introduction
Our text this morning continues our study of John’s first epistle.
Now remember John has told us that the way we are to respond to the world’s false teachers is by abiding in (remaining faithful to) Christ and His Gospel.
Not only that John has shown us that righteous living and genuine love are the two key components of what it means to abide in/belong to Christ. Why? Righteousness living and genuine love are the two key components of what grace and salvation are unfolding in every believer.
(The grace that saves you is a grace that changes you. New living and a new heart are the two key components of the new life that Christ gives)
That said, last week John turned to show us the blessings that abiding in Christ bestows upon every believer. Notice then in verses 19-20 John said that the fruit/change that grace has already brought to your life assures you that salvation and grace are truly yours. Therefore, when you stumble and your heart condemns you, you have the confidence to return to God, certain of the forgiveness and healing you need.
In our text this morning, John continues his discussion on the assurance that abiding provides.
Verse 21
Notice at once how John addresses his readers (both then and now): John addresses his readers as Beloved. Importance: John’s affectionate address demonstrates the certainty and assurance that salvation gives the believer. We are God’s children, claimed and adored by our Father. Notice the result: John’s opening not only establishes the entire emotional framework of our passage, it also establishes the entire emotional framework of our whole Christian walk. How? Simply put, John opens verse 21 with God’s view of the believer, how God sees us (we are His beloved) FN#1.
Next, notice the assurance that abiding in Christ provides to a healthy walk: John says that if our heart does not condemn us we have confidence before God. That is, we are constantly reminded (because we are constantly before God’s throne) that God’s presence, grace, and favor are ours in the very midst of life. Importance: notice at once the difference between assurance and confidence: In verse 19-20 when our heart condemns us the assurance that grace gives is the security to return home. In verses 21-22 the confidence we have is the security of being home. In other words, the believer constantly experiences God’s forgiveness, favor, and mercy. Therefore, he sees firsthand His Father’s love and goodwill. The result is that the believer has no fear, uncertainty, or hesitation in his standing before God FN#3
Verse 22
Notice at once the result of our confidence: the assurance of God’s favor and grace gives us the confidence to speak openly and without hesitation to God (in other words, to pray). Notice then the picture that verse 22 presents is of a child who does not think twice about going to his father. Not only that, like the child we have no doubt in our Father’s love. Therefore, we have the certainty that whatever we ask we will receive from Him. However, there is a problem: to give a child whatever they ask is not an act of love. Instead, it is actually an act of cruelty. Think about it: many times the child does not know what is best. Therefore, to simply grant their request would be foolish and bring them harm. In turn, to give someone everything they want would do nothing but make them spoiled, selfish and willful. Is God then a foolish and negligent parent? Notice the resolve:
Notice the basis/reason/grounds of our certainty. In other words, notice the assurance that abiding in Christ gives to the prayers of a healthy believer: John says that we receive whatever we ask because we keep His commandments (righteous living) and because we do the things that please Him (love) FN#4. In other words, it is actively abiding in Christ (the righteousness and love that grace unfolds) that is the source of our certainty in prayer. How? John says that we have the confidence that we will receive anything that we ask of God (in whatever form it is granted or however modified it might be when we receive it) because we are seeking it with His will, His purpose, and His pleasure as our objective FN#5. In other words, we know that God always gives that which promotes His way, His will, and His healing in our life. Therefore, when we seek to please and follow God in what we ask, we are seeking the very sort of thing that God desires us to have. Notice the result: while the particulars of what we have asked might not be the best thing for us, what we are seeking (God’s way/will/grace) will always be granted.
Bottom line: abiding in Christ gives great confidence to the believer in his everyday walk. In other words, the fruit of grace and salvation assure me that I am God’s beloved child and that His presence and favor are always with me. Not only that, it also assures me that God always hears my prayer and always responds by giving me that which promotes/furthers/nurtures my relationship with Him.
Footnotes:
1] Verse 21 is the second time in just a few short verses that John has addressed His flock with affection (see 3:18). In other words, the genuine care and affection that God has for His children is a point that is underscored over and again throughout this epistle. In turn, John’s affectionate demeanor and genuine care for his flock not only reflects God’s heart, it also stands in stark contrast to the manipulative, harsh, and self-focused demeanor of the false teachers. Simply put, John opens verse 21 with God’s view of the believer.
2] Note when asking why the heart does not condemn we have three possible options:
1. There is no sin for the heart to condemn. However, John says that if we claim to have no sin we are lying (I Jn 1:8). In turn, Scripture tells us over and again that even our best performance is still tainted and less than God requires (Isa 64:6).
2. Another possibility is that the heart simply does not worry about sin. Again this is contrary to Scripture’s call to examine and repent. Not only that, it points to a faulty conscious. Such then undermines the validity of the confidence the quiet heart is to provide
3. The result is that the only viable option we have for a quiet heart is that it has been quieted by its regular encounter with God’s ongoing forgiveness and healing. This third option is exactly what the immediate context of our passage as well as John’s entire epistle have been pointing to (1:9).
Notice the result: the moral certainty in verse 21 is not based on a self-assessment or a self-declaration. Instead, it is based on the Cross and God’s declaration that in Christ our sins are forgiven and new life is ours.
3] Notice the theme of confidence that runs throughout the later portion of John’s Epistle and is closely tied to the theme of abide (2:28; 3:21; 4:17; 5:14). At its root the Greek word that John uses here for confidence means the assurance to speak openly, publically, or plainly about a matter. By extension the word also comes to point to the demeanor behind such open or public speaking. As such, it is used to denote a general confidence. Regardless, the word carries with it the idea of the security in relation/standing that one needs to speak openly before a superior or crowd. At the same time, the word is also closely associated with the moral notion of a clean conscious. As such, the one speaking has nothing to be ashamed of and no secrets to hide, which would then prevent him from speaking plainly, directly, or in the open.
Next, notice we have seen this notion of confidence once already in this very section on Abiding. Verse 2:28 says
I John 2:28 And now, little children, abide in Him, so that when He appears, we may have confidence and not shrink away from Him in shame at His coming.
Notice then in 2:28 (as here) confidence before God is tied to righteous living. However, in 2:28 (as here) confidence does not require perfection. Notice at once, verse 28 depicts believers at Christ’s return; one group of believers has confidence before Christ, while the other group of believers has shame. However, the reason that one group of believers shrinks back is not because they have sinned. In other words, verse 28 does not depict believers who have failed to abide perfectly and therefore are filled with remorse because of some big sin, persistent struggle, or past failure. If that were the case then all of us will shrink back and none of us will have confidence. Instead, the reason these believers shrink away in shame is because of a persistent neglect of God and their walk in order to pursue the things of the world. Notice then the connection between abiding and confidence (that is notice one of the main reasons that faithful living is so important for you today): as you strive to live faithfully, both seeking God and returning to Him when you stumble, you see firsthand God’s presence, grace, and healing at work in your life. Therefore, you gain concrete assurance that you are God’s child and that His salvation is at work in you. As such, when you stand before Him (broken and imperfect as you are), instead of cowering away uncertain of His grace, you have great confidence in His love, mercy, and commitment to you, precisely because you have already seen these over and again throughout your life. In contrast, those believers who have persistently neglected their walk with God have never seen His grace and mercy up-close. Therefore, they shrink back, uncertain of God’s love and commitment to them.
4] Notice the love that John describes here is not an empty theoretical love for God. It is not a love in word and tongue only (3:18). Instead, it is a genuine love for God in deed and truth. Notice then “we do the things that are pleasing to Him”
5] Note this is the same idea as asking in Jesus’ name (i.e. according to His will). However, notice verse 22 corrects our misunderstanding and misuse of this notion of praying in Jesus name. Frist, it reminds us that simply evoking or claiming Jesus’ name is not enough. The name of our Lord is not a charm that magically gets us whatever we want. Instead, verse 22 grounds our certainty on that which is according to His will. On the other hand, we often use the notion of praying in God’s name as a sort of loophole in prayer. Thus, when we don’t get what we ask we excuse God by saying it must not have been His will. The result is that because we don’t always know the specifics of God’s will, it seems we very seldom have certainty in our prayers. However, John corrects this misunderstanding as well by reminding us that when we are seeking that which is obedient to God’s commands out of a desire to better please and follow Him, we will always get that request. That is, even when the particular way we thought the request best fulfilled is not what God has in mind, He will always respond to our desire to please and follow Him with the grace and favor that furthers us in our walk. Importance: even when the particulars of what I asked are not what God had in mind verses 21-22 tell me to keep looking for God’s hand at work in the situation, with the certainty that it is there. Such then provides great confidence to my prayer life and my daily walk.