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A STUDY OF 1 JOHN (23)
Genuine Christianity
1 John 3:19-24
Victor M. Eskew
The real test of our Christianity involves its genuineness. The word “genuine” comes from a Latin word meaning “inborn.” If something is innate within us, it is real and authentic. It is not fake or counterfeit. The Gnostics of John’s day were not genuine practitioners of the Christian religion. They, however, would have denied such a statement. They believed themselves to be the possessors and practitioners of true faith. John desired for his readers to truly possess the heart and life of the Christian faith. In 1 John 3:19-24, he shows them how they could prove they were the “read deal” of their day.
John begins by telling them that they can possess THE CERTAINITY of their profession. “And hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before him” (1 John 3:19). He informs his reader that they can “know” that they are of the truth. He affirms that they can be “assured” deep within their hearts before their Lord. Christianity is not a life based on words such as “hopefully” or “maybe.” We can be certain. We can be confident. We can be free from all doubts or reservations.
One of the tests involves THE CONSCIENCE of man. The conscience is an emotion that originates in the mind that either approves or disapproves of one’s actions based upon the training he has received.” These Christians had been taught the way of truth. Their faith did not rest in the wisdom of men, but in the wisdom of God. Having been trained correctly, they could judge their lives by their conscience. John reveals in 1 John 3:20-21 that the heart can either condemn us, or, it can condemn us not. In verse 21, he teaches that “if our heart condemn us not, then we have confidence toward God.” If our conscience affirms and approves of our thoughts, our words, our emotions, and our behaviors, we can be assured that we are living in harmony with God’s will. We also know when we are in violation of God’s truth. How? Our hearts will condemn us. If our hearts condemn us, God will also condemn us. Listen to John’s words: “For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things.” If we are rattled inside by how we are living in Christ, then we can be absolutely certain that God knows this as well. He tries the hearts of men. He has perfect knowledge of how the heart stands in relation to Himself. The main danger of listening to the conscience involves the fact that man can harden his heart toward God’s will. He can violate God’s Word enough that the conscience no longer responds to the things the individual was taught from the Bible. It is a good guide as long as it is obedient. It, however, it not a perfect standard.
In 1 John 3:22, John writes about prayer as being THE CORROBORATION of a genuine Christian life. “And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight.” Christians should have disciplined prayer lives. These lives reap divine benefits through the answers to those prayers. The faithful child of God knows that his prayers are both heard and answered by God. He can show proof of the multitude of times God has responded positively to his requests. Answered prayer affirms that a Christian is keeping his commandments and is doing those things pleasing to the Lord. The opposite is also true. Disobedience hinders one’s prayer life. God does not respond positively to those who disobey Him. The wise man said: “The Lord is far from the wicked, but he heareth the prayer of the righteous” (Prov. 15:29).
John mentioned commandment keeping as an element of acceptable prayer in verse 22. He points to THE COMMANDMENTS again in 1 John 3:23-24a. Let’s listen to the words of verse 24 first. “And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him.” John is again asserting that the Christian’s fellowship involves obedience to God’s statutes. There are many today who dislike commandment keeping. If it is strictly taught, the teacher is called a radical or a right-winger. He will be accused of not affirming the grace of God. Would John be put in this number by those on the left? John plainly tells us that keeping the commands is evidence that we dwell in the Lord Jesus Christ and that He dwells in us.
In 1 John 3:23, John mentions two commands that he had discussed in some detail previously in the epistle. “And this is the commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave the commandment.” Remember, these were two problems faced by the Gnostics. They had a false view of the Christ. Too, they did not manifest love toward their brothers and sisters in Christ. If fellowship is based on keeping the commands of God, and it is. And, if believing in the Christ and loving one’s brother are two of the commands, and they are. Then, those who violate these two commandments are not in fellowship with God. He does not dwell in them, and they do not dwell in Him. That is a potent conclusion for both the faithful in Christ Jesus and the Gnostics.
John’s final point that those of the first century could prove they were genuine Christians centers in THE COMFORTER. “…And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us” (1 John 3:24). The first century Christians had been given the Spirit. Was this an indwelling that had to be accepted simply by faith? Or, was it an indwelling that could be demonstrated through miraculous operations of the Spirit? This writer believes the latter. There are three reasons for this. First, the miraculous gifts of the Spirit were definitely part of the life of a first century Christ. “This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?” (Gal. 3:2). That this involved miracles is revealed in Galatians 3:5. “He therefore that ministereth to you the Spirit, and worketh miracles among you, doeth he it by the works of the law, or, by the hearing of faith?” Second, John had previously mentioned “an unction from the Holy One” (1 John 2:20) and “the anointing” his readers had “received of him” (1 John 2:27). This reception of the Spirit enabled them to “know all things” (1 John 2:20). John said that the anointing was such that they had no need for any man to teach them (1 John 2:27). The faithful of the first century had been given the gifts of the Spirit (1 Cor. 12:4-11). Third, if this is simply a personal, non-miraculous indwelling, it would provide no evidence of genuineness at all for the Christians at that time. The Gnostics could have made the exact same claim. It appears that the miraculous gifts of the Spirit were linked to obedience to God. Those who remained true and steadfast could affirm their faithfulness by pointing to the miraculous abilities they possessed.
Genuine Christianity was vital in the first century and in the twenty-first century. Anyone can proclaim to be a real disciple. The genuine Christian can point to a multitude of proofs of his authenticity. His conscience approves of him. His prayers are answered. He is diligent to keep the commandments of God. And, if he had lived in the first century, he could have pointed to the miraculous manifestations of the Spirit that were active in his life. Dear reader, can you point to several evidences that prove you are a genuine Christian today? What would they be?