1 John 3:21
[21] Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God.
We have come to the third devotional emphasizing the heart. The first devotional showed us the confirmation of the heart, in verse nineteen. The second devotional dealt with the condemnation of the heart, in verse twenty. Our devotional here, in verse twenty-one, shows the confidence within the heart. Together these three verses prove that God works in the secret chambers of man’s heart.
The truths of God’s Word take root in man’s heart, producing faith-giving assurance. God is greater than the heart of man, so when the heart condemns what God has already forgiven, we can lean on his Word, his work and his witness. Then God uses the secret chamber of man’s heart to produce the confidence we need toward him.
God not only puts his Word in our hearts, but he places his will in our hearts. His salvation, his scriptures and his Spirit gives us confidence in our hearts toward him. He also gives us the confidence and the courage to move forward for his glory. The Bible tells us in Col. 3:23, that whatever we do for God should be from our heart. The secret chamber of man’s heart is where his true motive dwells.
Whenever we do wrong or allow sin into our life, it always affects our heart first. Sin causes us to lose heart for God, and his will for our life. We may still be active in service, but our heart is not in it. When this happens, our confidence toward God’s approval for our life is no longer there. Our heart is condemning us, and telling us something is not right. Again, the secret chambers of our heart can only be seen by God. He will reveal to us what dwells inside, and he is able to convict, cleanse, and give the confidence we need to serve him.