To Live is Christ — He does it all

There is an important correlation between guilt and love. According to the Bible, love is always the outward expression of obedience to God. That is, if I want to truly love others, then I must do what God says. His instructions will direct me into the right actions that express love as He defines it.

On the other side of this coin, guilt is the result of disobeying God. When I fail to do what He says, although I might not recognize exactly what I’ve done in disobedience, I am guilty. I usually feel guilty too, but feel it or not, guilt is present. Putting the two together, failure to love others produces guilt. Today’s verse, in its context, says the same thing. . . .

By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. But whoever has this world’s goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him? My little children, let us not love 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. For if our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and knows all things. Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence toward God. (1 John 3:16–21)

As I read this, it seems to say that God promises assurance that I belong to the truth (to Him) because of evidence in my life of love for others. However, there will be times when I feel like I’ve not done all that I should. Then my heart will incriminate and condemn me. Then John says I must remember that God is greater than my heart and knows everything.

This adds further assurance. The implication is that my heart and my conscience are not the final standards of whether or not I belong to God. False guilt is one thing, but the more common reality is that I cannot and am not always able to love everyone. I fall short and feel guilty, but the ultimate basis of my relationship to God and my confidence with Him, is not my own steadfastness. Jesus has given me eternal life. When I fail, no matter how badly, God’s power keeps me from the onslaught of my own conscience. I do not need to fear, even if my heart condemns, because God is greater — He knows who belongs to Him.

There is a check and balance in this. Guilt reminds me that I need to obey God and keep short accounts with Him. However, God reminds me that even when I am guilty, my salvation does not depend on my obedience. I am saved because Jesus died for my sins, not because of what I do (or do not do).

Loving others is part of what it means to be a Christian, but that does not save me. Jesus does that saving work. Actually, Jesus living in me does the loving too. All I can lay claim to is that I often fail to let Him do His job.