How do we know we belong to God?
1 John / 13
John wanted to reassure the Church that they belonged to God and could rest secure in His presence. “This then is how we know that we belong to the truth, and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence whenever our hearts condemn us.” Our conscience, our hearts often tells us that we cannot possibly come before God because we have messed up too much or too often. But John reassures us that we can come with confidence before God because He has saved us.
We all struggle at times with believing that we have been accepted and forgiven by God, and so it is good to be reminded that we belong to God. If you are struggling with this at the moment, then please hear what John says to us: when our hearts condemn us remember that God is greater than our hearts and He knows everything
Readings
Quotes
“In this [the love and obedience we exhibit vv.11-18] we will know that we are of the truth. We will reassure our hearts in his presence - whenever our hearts condemn us, because 1] God is greater than our hearts and 2] God knows all things” Gary M. Burge
“Prayer according to God’s will… is prayer that understands what is pleasing to God (3:20) and makes its petition accordingly.” Thompson
Preacher: Alex Camp
Series: 1 John
Date: August 10, 2025