1 JOHN
Chapter 3, Verses 22-24
[1-22-12]
Review:
1 John 3:19) [KJV] And hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before him.
20) [KJV] For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things.
QUESTION: How do we “assure our hearts before him”?
ANSWER: When we love God’s people, and we know that we do, we have confidence towards God.
QUESTION: Why do we need to “assure our hearts before him”?
ANSWER: We need to “assure our hearts before him” because our heart tends to condemn us.
Regarding “our heart condemn us,” and “God knoweth all things,”
Condemn – “kataginosko – From G2596 and G1097; to note against, that is, find fault with” [Strong].
Knoweth – “ginosko – A prolonged form of a primary verb; to ‘know’” [Strong].
QUESTION: Why does our heart condemn us?
ANSWER: Our heart condemns us because it knows something against us. God knows that same “something,” but He doesn’t know it against us. There is no kata before ginosko when it comes to God.
21) [KJV] Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, [then] have we confidence toward God.
QUESTION: What do we need to do when our heart condemns us?
ANSWER: We need to remind ourselves that God “is greater than our heart,” and we need to accept His forgiveness and cleansing.
On To This Week’s Lesson:
1 John 3:22-24) [KJV] And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight.
QUESTION: What requests, as His children, that we make did God say we would receive from Him?
ANSWER: This verse teaches us that we will receive whatever request we ask of Him.
QUESTION: In this verse what are the conditions that must be meant to enjoy this answered prayer?
ANSWER: We must keep His commandments, which means we will be doing “those things that are pleasing in his sight.”
QUESTION: John tells us we must keep God’s commandments in order to have our prayers answered. IS THIS LEGALISM?
ANSWER: No! This verse is not telling us how to get saved, or how to stay saved; it’s telling us, now that we are saved, how to have a successful prayer life.
QUESTION: Is this verse telling us that we still owe allegiance to the Ten Commandments?
ANSWER: Note the following verse:
23) [KJV] And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment.
QUESTION: What commandments is John talking about here? Is he talking about Moses’ Law?
ANSWER: He’s talking about the commandment to “believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ,” which presupposes loving God, and the commandment to “love one another.” In other words, he’s talking about the two greatest commandments that Jesus spoke about [Matthew 22:35-40].
Matthew 22:35-40) [KJV] Then one of them, [which was] a lawyer, asked [him a question], tempting him, and saying,
36) [KJV] Master, which [is] the great commandment in the law?
37) [KJV] Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
38) [KJV] This is the first and great commandment.
39) [KJV] And the second [is] like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
40) [KJV] On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.
(GNB) The whole Law of Moses and the teachings of the prophets depend on these two commandments.
QUESTION: What does Jesus mean when He says that on “these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets”?
ANSWER: Everything the Old Testament teaches us through the commandments and the teachings of the prophets is intended to get fallen mankind to do the things they would do, without any commandments, if they loved God and loved each other.
Commandments 1-4 [Exodus 20:1-11]:
1) I am the LORD thy God, —, thou shalt have no other gods before me.
2) Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image.
3) Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain.
4) Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.
NOTE: If I love God with all my heart, soul, and mind 1) I will not have other gods; 2) I will not make an image to worship; 3) I will not take His name in vain; and 4) I will keep every day holy unto Him.
LOVING GOD CAUSES ME TO KEEP THE FIRST 4 COMMANDMENTS.
Commandments 5-10 [Exodus 20:12-17]:
5) Honor thy father and thy mother.
6) Thou shalt not kill.
7) Thou shalt not commit adultery.
8) Thou shalt not steal.
9) Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.
10) Thou shalt not covet.
NOTE: If I love mankind as much as I love myself 5) I will honor my parents; 6) I will not commit murder; 7) I will not dishonor my wife my having an affair, nor dishonor my neighbor by sleeping with his wife; 8) I won’t steal something from someone I love; 9) I won’t tell lies about someone I love, and 10) I won’t covet what they have, but rather, I will rejoice in their good fortune.
LOVING PEOPLE CAUSES ME TO KEEP THE OTHER 6 COMMANDMENTS.
24) [KJV] And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us.
QUESTION: When we put our trust in the God Who loves us, and we love one another, what’s the good news?
ANSWER: When we do those two things it shows that we have made our home “in God.”
QUESTION: How do we know that?
ANSWER: We know it because the Holy Spirit is now living in us; we are doing the very things He has taught us to do.
Besides Loving God and People What Other Conditions Apply To Answered Prayer?
Mark 11:24-25A) [KJV] Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive [them], and ye shall have [them].
25A) [KJV] And when ye stand praying, forgive,
1 John 5:14-15) [KJV] And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us:
15) [KJV] And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.
QUESTION: What are some conditions in the above verses?
ANSWER: Faith, forgiving those who wrong us, and asking for things that are God’s will are conditions in the above verses.
QUESTION: What does it mean to ask for things that are “according to his will”?
ANSWER: We need to ask God with the right attitude [2 Chronicles 7:14], in the right part of the prayer [Matthew 6:9-11], and for the right thing [1 John 5:14].
NOTE: Asking God with the right attitude helps our heart not to condemn us; asking God after a time of worship helps us pray with more confidence; and asking for something we know He wants to do, because it’s revealed in His Word to be His will, gives us an air of expectancy!
CLOSING NOTE: It all goes back to faith; we need to believe God will answer our prayers.
James 5:16) [KJV] The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.