Read: 1 John 3:18-24
Beloved, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have boldness before God. (v. 21 NRSV)
While serving as a missionary in the colony of Georgia, John Wesley (1703-1791) was asked if he had received inner assurance that he was a true Christian. The question became a source of torment to Wesley. He was released from the torment some months later after he experienced a dramatic conversion. “I felt my heart strangely warmed,” he wrote in his journal.
How do we know we are Christians? How can we be sure? It’s a question that can torment even a faithful, lifelong believer.
The apostle John knew how fickle the human heart can be, fickle enough “to condemn us” at moments of confusion and doubt. But God is greater than our hearts. The way to assurance is not an emotional experience but a firm belief that God has dealt once for all with sin, in Jesus Christ. Assurance requires nothing from us except to believe in Jesus Christ and receive the gift of salvation he offers.
But faith does not stop there. It makes us bold. We can begin to believe that God will answer our prayers, not for the silly and selfish things we often ask for but for the things that truly honor God and serve his kingdom. It’s all a matter of believing and receiving.
As you pray, ask God to give you the confidence to believe that salvation is yours through Jesus Christ, and the humility to receive the gifts he so graciously offers.
Jerry Sittser is a professor emeritus of theology and senior fellow at Whitworth University. He specializes in the history of Christianity, Christian spirituality, and religion in American public life. As an author, he has written nine books.
