And by this we will know that we belong to the truth, and will assure our hearts in His presence:And by this we know that we are of the truth and persuade our hearts before him,And hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before him.Hereby shall we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our heart before him:
5 sermons cite this verse
… in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth. And by this, we know that we are of the truth and shall assure our hearts before him. We'll pause right there and continue our reading of the text in a moment. But let me say the title of this message is Life at the Pace of the Holy Spirit. Life at the Pace of the Holy Spirit. I was thinking this week with all the attention on the lottery about that old meme you used to see a lot. Like, if I won the lottery, because I mean, there's $1.2 billion or whatever got split between two people. And everyone's kind of like, who's this person that won? Like, how could you know if your neighbor won the lottery? Because I think the first rule of winning the lottery would be not tell anybody you won the lottery. Now, by and large, all across the board, it's been proven to win the lottery is not something that makes your life better, but makes it worse. …
But our heart does not condemn us about some things. For instance, we ask, "Are we really sincere in our profession of religion?" and our conscience answers, "Yes, we do not make a profession of religion in order to gain by it, nor because it makes us respectable, nor because it brings us comfort and ease. God knows that we do it because we cannot help doing it! We love Christ and we must take sides with Him and unless we are utterly deceived, we are sincere in saying that we are followers of Christ." I am putting these words into the mouths of those of you who really feel that you ought to utter them. And I trust that each one of you will join me in saying, "I am a poor lost sinner, but I do trust in Jesus Christ and Him crucified, and I do hang upon Him as the only Savior. And if that is the faith that saves the soul, I certainly have exercised it. I have no reliance on any ceremony, or any doctrine, or anything that I can do, or feel, or say, or be— nothing but the crucified, risen and glorified Christ is my confidence." Beloved, that is one thing in which our heart does not condemn us! And then, it is the same when we can add, "With all our imperfections, we feel that we do love God's people and we do love our feelowmen. We desire to relieve their distresses as far as we can. And as much as lies in us, we desire to promote the happiness and comfort of others." If a man cannot say this, he cannot claim to be a Christian because any man who lives for himself is no more a Christian than the devil is! The first objective of the Christian is to glorify God. And the next objective is to make other people happy. Those who never study other people in the household, but are selfish and let their narrow soul be confined within their own ribs, have nothing about them in common with a real Christian. If a man truthfully says, "I love others and I especially love the saints of God," then he may say that his conscience does not condemn him. I am not saying this on my own authority. Let me turn your attention to a few of the verses preceding our text, reading from the 14th verse—"We know that we have passed from death unto life because we love the brethren. He that loves not his brother abides in death...Hereby perceive we the love of God, because He laid down His life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. But whoever has this world's good and sees his brother has need and shuts up his heart of compassion from him, how dwells the love of God in him? My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue, but in deed and in truth. And hereby we know that we are of the truth and shall assure our hearts before Him." You see, this is the very evidence that God gives—that by our love to others, our hearts will be assured before Him and we shall have confidence concerning our own relationship towards God. …
(2.) These gracious exercises and affections differ from the other in their tendency to destroy Satan’s interest; and that in two respects: First, in the person himself. They cause the soul to hate every evil and false way, and to produce universal holiness of heart and life, disposing him to make the service of God, the promotion of his glory and the good of mankind, the very business of his life: whereas those false discoveries and affections have not this effect. There may indeed be a great zeal, and a great deal of what is called religion; but it is not a truly Christian zeal: it is not being zealous of good works. Their religion is not the service of God; it is not seeking and serving God; but indeed seeking and serving themselves.—Though there may be a change of life, it is not a change from every wicked way to a uniform Christian life and practice, but only turning the stream of corruption from one channel to another. Thus the apostle James distinguishes, in our context, a true faith from the faith of devils; James ii. 19, 20. “Thou believest that there is one God. The devils also believe, and tremble. But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?” And thus the apostle John distinguishes true communion with God; 1 John i. 6, 7. “If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: but if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Christ cleanseth us from all sin.” By this he distinguishes true spiritual knowledge, in verses ii. 3, 4. “Hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.” And hereby the same apostle distinguishes true love, in verses iii. 18, 19. “Let us not love in word, neither in tongue, but in deed (in work, as the word signifies) and in truth. And hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before him.” …
2. This very thing is often mentioned in Scripture, as an essential part of the character of a godly man; Ps. xxxvii. 21. “The righteous showeth mercy, and giveth;” and again, ver. 26. “He is ever merciful, and lendeth.” Psal. cxii. 5. “A good man showeth favour, and lendeth:” and ver. 9. “He hath dispersed, and given to the poor.” So Prov. xiv. 31. “He that honoureth God, hath mercy on the poor.” Again, Prov. xxi. 26. and Isa Lvii. 1. A righteous man and a merciful man are used as synonymous terms: “The righteous perisheth, and merciful men are taken away,” &c. It is mentioned in the New Testament as a thing so essential, that the contrary cannot consist with a sincere love to God. 1 John iii. 17-19. “But whoso hath this world’s goods, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him? My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue, but in deed and in truth. And hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before him.” So the apostle Paul, when he writes to the Corinthians, and proposes their contributing for the supply of the poor saints, tells them what he doth it for, viz. a trial of their sincerity: see 2 Cor. viii. 8. “I speak to prove the sincerity of your love.” 3. Christ teaches, that judgment will be past at the great day according to men’s works in this respect. This is taught us by Christ in the most particular account of the proceedings of that day, that we have in the whole Bible; see Matt. xxv. 34., &c. It is evident that Christ thus represented the proceedings and determinations of this great day, as turning upon this one point, on purpose, and on design to lead us into this notion, and to fix it in us, that a charitable spirit and practice towards our brethren is necessary to salvation. …
2. With regard to the latter, the foundation thereof is laid in those numerous texts of Scripture which describe the marks of the children of God; and that so plain, that he which runneth may read them. These are also collected together, and placed in the strongest light, by many both ancient and modern writers. If any need farther light, he may receive it by attending on the ministry of God’s Word; by meditating thereon before God in secret; and by conversing with those who have the knowledge of his ways. And by the reason or understanding that God has given him, which religion was designed not to extinguish, but to perfect; — according to that of the Apostle, “Brethren, be not children in understanding; in malice” or wickedness “be ye children; but in understanding be ye men;” (1 Cor. 14:20; ) — every man applying those scriptural marks to himself, may know whether he is a child of God. Thus, if he know, First, “as many as are led by the Spirit of God,” into all holy tempers and actions, “they are the sons of God;” (for which he has the infallible assurance of holy writ;) Secondly, I am thus “led by the Spirit of God;” he will easily conclude, — “Therefore I am a son of God.” 3. Agreeable to this are all those plain declarations of St. John, in his First Epistle: “Hereby we know that we do know him, if we keep his commandments.” (1 John 2:3.) “Whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected; Hereby know we that we are in him;” that we are indeed the children of God. (1 John 2:5.) “If ye know that he is righteous, ye know that everyone that doeth righteousness is born of him.” (1 John 2:29.) “We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren.” (1 John 3:14) “Hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before him;” namely, because we “love one another not in word, neither in tongue, but in deed and in truth.” “Hereby know we that we dwell in him, because he hath given us of his” loving “Spirit.” (1 John 4:13.) And, “hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the” obedient “spirit which he hath given us.” (1 John 3:24.) …