If our hearts condemn us, we know that God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything (1 John 3:20 – NIV2011)

Those steep in the overly grace or hyper grace doctrine, often use this 1 John 3:20 to support such other verses like Romans 8:1 in saying that there is just no more condemnation possible for a believer, and so, if one has it, felt it or otherwise, the condemnation, it has to be false and from the Devil, and purportedly, one should just dismiss it. 

Before I go on to expound on 1 John 3:20, I would like to quickly point out that the assertion that Romans 8:1 unqualifiedly said, “there is now no condemnation possible for the believers”, is NOT quite correct.  For understanding of this, read my separate article – Romans 8:1 is NOT unqualified!

Now, although commonly, for this text of 1 John 3:18-22, “condemn” is used, the Greek word for condemn here is NOT the same as the one in Romans 8:1.  The Greek word, here is the word, “kataginōskō” - G2607, and its meaning is “accuse against or find fault with or blaming”; whereas the Greek word for Romans 8:1’s condemn (or condemnation) is the word, “katakrima” – G2631, and its meaning is more of a judgment against.

On 1 John 3:20, we start by looking at the wordings of a couple Bible translations of this verse:

NIV1984 - whenever our hearts condemn us. For God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything.

NIV2011 - If our hearts condemn us, we know that God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything.

ESV - for whenever our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and he knows everything.

KJV - For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things.

TLB -  But if we have bad consciences and feel that we have done wrong, the Lord will surely feel it even more, for he knows everything we do. [readers, please note that TLB (The Living Bible is a paraphrasing of a translation (ASV 1901))]

Amplified Bible - Whenever our hearts in [tormenting] self-accusation make us feel guilty and condemn us. [For we are in God’s hands.] For He is above and greater than our consciences (our hearts), and He knows (perceives and understands) everything [nothing is hidden from Him]. [readers to note that Amplified Bible is amplified from ASV 1901]

We start the discourse by first saying that NIV2011 has materially changed how the verse can be interpreted! 

In its 1984 version, you will note that the verse (v20) begins with a small letter (i.e. NOT capitalised) for the first word of the verse, “whenever”.  What this means is that the first part of verse 20 is undisputedly a continuation of verse 19.  This is how verses 19-20a read in NIV1984:

1 John 3:19-20a (NIV1984) - 19 This then is how we know that we belong to the truth, and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence  20 whenever our hearts condemn {accuse}us.

Now, what the NIV 2011 did by having it, verse 20, starts as a new sentence, capitalizing the first letter of the word, “if” and joining the second part of verse 20 to it, instead of leaving it as a new sentence (as was the case of the 1984 version), makes verse 20 detached from verse 19, to stand on its own.  This rendering, in my view, is NOT that appropriate.

The ESV rendering makes verse 20, including the second part of verse 20 (the “For God is greater …”), a continuation of verse 19.

What about the KJV?  Now, although this version starts verse 20 capitalised (a new sentence), the customary understanding of “For” of a new sentence, in the King James Bible English, can (although, not always)  be that it is still a continuation of the previous sentence.  The equivalent of “For” can be our contemporary “A more fundamental/the fundamental truth is”. 

So, in my view, the KJV is still having verse 20 a continuation of verse 19, in actuality, only that the placing of the “For” is archaic.   It should have been placed just before “God”, as was in the case of the 1984 NIV.

Both the TLB and the Amplified Bible support the interpretation that verse 20 is a continuation of verse 19; only that TLB added that God would have felt the “sorrowful impact” more than your conscience/heart. 

The Amplified Bible rendering is a good rendering, and I will use it for the rest of the discourse here; and for the sake of letting us see the composite whole, I put down below, verses 18-22 of 1 John 3 of the Amplified Bible, striping off all the wordings enclosed in brackets (for ease of reading and seeing the composite whole):

1 John 3:18-22 (Amplified Bible [striped off, wordings in brackets]) - 18 Little children, let us not love in theory or in speech but in deed and in truth. 19 By this we shall come to know that we are of the Truth, and can reassure our hearts in His presence, 20 Whenever our hearts in self-accusation make us feel guilty and condemn us. For He is above and greater than our consciences, and He knows everything. 21 And, beloved, if our consciences do not accuse us, we have confidence before God, 22 And we receive from Him whatever we ask, because we obey His orders and practice what is pleasing to Him.

There is a significant point to note still, and it is this: the word, “heart” in this 1 John 3:18-22 text is widely accepted among Bible scholars to refer to the conscience, and so, we do see it used as such (heart/conscience interchangeably) in the TLB and Amplified Bible, and even in common standard bible commentaries.

If I were to paraphrase (using the methodology of TLB) 1 John 3:18-22, it will look like this:

18 Little children, let us not love in theory or in speech but in deed and in truth. 19 By this [love in deed and in truth (v18)], we shall come to know we are of the Truth [as defined earlier], and can reassure our hearts or consciences [that we are indeed of the Truth] in His presence 20 whenever the [Iniquity in the] flesh accuses our consciences to make us feel guilty and condemned.  The fundamental truth is that God is above and greater than our consciences and He knows everything [Because God is greater than our consciences, He (by His Spirit, working through our spirit) is able to annul the enemy’s accusations or their pricking of our consciences; the accusations (against us) from our consciences being either from {the darts of} the enemy, or from God].  21 If our consciences do NOT accuse us [in other words, we are “in the clear”], we will have confidence before God, 22 and we will receive from Him whatever we may ask, because we obey His orders and practice what is pleasing to Him [which is we love in deed and in truth].

If I have the choice, I would have the verse no., “20” positioned before “The fundamental truth is that God is above…”, instead of it being placed just before “whenever our consciences make us ….”.

What is the Truth in verse 19 - “….. come to know we are of the Truth”?  This Truth is that we are counted as children of God.  It is given us in verse 1 [of 1 John 3] and repeated (conversely) in verse 10.

1 John 3:1a (Amplified Bible) – 1 See what [an incredible] quality of love the Father has given (shown, bestowed on) us, that we should [be permitted to] be named and called and counted the children of God!

1 John 3:10 (Amplified Bible) - 10 By this it is made clear who take their nature from God and are His children and who take their nature from the devil and are his children: no one who does not practice righteousness [who does not conform to God’s will in purpose, thought, and action] is of God; neither is anyone who does not love his brother (his fellow believer in Christ).

So how do we know we are [still] counted as children of God (in the context of 1 John 3:18-22 [1 John 3:10 – gave us 2 tests; 1 John 3:18-22 here is talking about one of the two])?  How?  We know, if we indeed love others in deed and in truth, and when we have done so, we can assure our consciences/hearts.

And it is indeed possible, if we have done so [loved others in deed and in truth], that we can assure our consciences/hearts that we are [still] counted as children of God, because God is greater than our consciences/hearts in that if the enemy wrongly accuses, God can annul the accusation.  How does it work? 

Simply put, it is in “you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (from John 8:31-32).  Some exposition is needed to make sure we know how we apply it in our context.  John 8:31-32 (Amplified Bible) reads: “31 So Jesus said to those Jews who had believed in Him, If you abide in My word [hold fast to My teachings and live in accordance with them], you are truly My disciples. 32 And you will know the Truth, and the Truth will set you free.”

You can see from the Amplified text, it is when one has held fast to a word from God/a teaching of God and lived in accordance with it, that he would know a certain truth, and the truth would set him free.  In other words, if you have NOT held fast to a word/teaching and have NOT lived in accordance with it, you may NOT know the truth, and if you do NOT know the truth, the truth (which you do NOT know) will NOT set you free. 

Now if you have indeed loved in deed and in truth (i.e. you have held fast to the requirement of God to love [a word/teaching], and lived in accordance with it), you will know the truth; meaning?  Meaning: the false accusation from the enemy, you know it to be false, and when you know it to be false, your heart or conscience will NOT be troubled or be accusing you. 

But how do you know the truth (or that the pricking of your conscience/heart is false, being from the enemy or the flesh [fallen flesh; the Iniquity in the flesh - the agency of Satan]), when you have held fast to a word/teaching and lived in accordance with it?  God, through His Holy Spirit (via your spirit), let your heart or conscience know; that’s how you know!  That’s how God annuls the [false] accusation.  That is how you NOT let your heart or conscience be troubled or be afraid.  The apostle John also explained these things in John 14.

In John 14, in the early part of John 14, John recorded how Jesus stressed that the disciples must abide in His words/teachings, meaning they must hold fast to His teachings and live in accordance with them.  Jesus, in John 14:15 said that if the disciples (and we, too) loved Him, they would keep (obey) His commands/His teachings; and then in v21 (John 14:21), added, it would be those who would keep (obey) His commands/teachings, who would be the ones who [really] loved Him, and such [persons], Jesus added that the Father God would love them, and He, Jesus, too, would love them, and He, Jesus, would reveal or manifest Himself to them.  And Jesus added further in v23 (John 14:23) that the Father God and Himself would come to live/dwell with such persons who are loving God, keeping His commandments/teachings.

Then in vv26-27 of John 14, Jesus revealed how God and Himself would come to make abode with those who are God lovers).  How? By the Holy Spirit who is the spirit of the Father God and is the Spirit of Christ Jesus.  Jesus explained the role of the Holy Spirit, and it included being our Helper, Teacher, and the Truth-bearer (He is Spirit of Truth), by being the one who would bring to remembrance the teachings of the Lord, including His Word, and being our Peace.

There are 2 dimensions to how the Spirit of Truth or the Holy Spirit operates or works:  One, you are off the light (so to speak), and He tries to convict you of your sins/wrongdoing, because He cannot agree with what you are doing or have done; and two, you are in the light, He abides with you, letting you know the truth, because He cannot agree with the dark (evil or the fallen flesh).  The Holy Spirit is always having a position, the position of truth, and when He abides in you (because you are in the light; and you are in the light when you hold fast the Lord’s teachings/commands and live in accordance with them), His truth is revealed to you (to your spirit, and then to your soul or heart or conscience); in this way, God (through the Holy Spirit) annuals the [false] accusation of the flesh or enemy.

Please, how do we counsel believers who are troubled of heart or conscience? Some overly grace or hyper grace preachers preached hard along this line: “I told you NOT be let your heart be troubled or be afraid-what; why you don’t listen; You just have to NOT let your heart be troubled or be afraid.  You are NOT listening; you just have to do that!” 

Please, don’t teach people to psycho themselves, without giving the basis!  In any case, it looks to me, this counsel is NOT true to their own grace teaching; insisting the believer to use full self-effort to accomplish something he obviously is NOT able to overcome, by self-effort.  The root cause is NOT even considered (Holy Spirit convicting sins or flesh/enemy falsely accusing)! 

Coming back to 1 John 3:18-22, back to v21; When we are free from accusation of the heart or conscience, we will have confidence before God (v21).  Verse 20b and 21 are together. If we do NOT interpret 20b as what I have suggested – “The fundamental truth is that God is above and greater than our consciences and He knows everything; and because He is greater [than our consciences], He [by His Spirit, working through our spirit] is able to annul the enemy’s accusations or their pricking of our consciences; the accusations (against us) from our consciences being either from the enemy or from God]”, verse 21 is superfluous or even irrelevant.  Since God is greater than our hearts or consciences, why still does it matter, our consciences accuse or NOT?  Verse 21 is NOT superfluous or irrelevant (despite some overly grace preachers seem to suggest by suggesting ignoring our consciences), because there are times our consciences rightly accuse us, because the pricking (of the conscience) is from God.

When we see v22 as a continuation from v21, we get the picture of under what circumstance we are in the clear to receive from God.  We are in the clear to receive from God when our consciences do NOT accuse us.

Now, there are overly grace or hyper grace preachers who teach their followers to ignore their consciences (i.e. telling them that once they have become believers, they are to ignore their consciences).  That is NOT what v21 and v22 are jointly saying.  V21 said, “If our consciences do NOT accuse us,”; it is NOT saying we should ignore our consciences.  It says, instead, if our consciences do NOT accuse us, i.e. we are “in the clear”, we will have confidence before God.

The point is that our heart or conscience serves a purpose and works to accuse or NOT accuse us; it accuses us when accusing things are put in it, whether it is put there by God or the enemy.  The only difference is that, that from God, it leads to godly sorrow (2 Cor 7:10), which leads to repentance; that from the enemy does NOT (instead, worketh misery to the soul)(2 Cor 7:10).

Under what circumstance are we in the clear to receive from God?  When our consciences do NOT accuse us (NOT we ignore our consciences-please).  Then, can the enemy prevent us from receiving from God?  No, if you have held fast to the Lord’s words/Word and lived in accordance with them, because if you have been doing so, you would know the truth (because the Spirit of Truth/Holy Spirit let you know), and false accusation of the fallen flesh or the world/evil, cannot prevail in your heart or prick your conscience.  So, what it means is that every believer must live life this way – hold fast to the Lord’s words/Word and lived in accordance with them, for in this way, our consciences would NOT accuse us, and we will have confidence before God.  V22 further adds that our confidence has come from obeying His orders/Word and practising what is pleasing to God.  Actually, the conditions of v22 for receiving what we may ask, is amounting to the very same thing that I have explained how our conscience can be in the clear, which is to hold fast to God’s teachings and live in accordance with them.

So, today, stop ignoring [on a regardless basis] your conscience or heart’s accusing you.  Yes, God is greater than your heart or conscience, and He knows everything, but it is NOT you are to ignore your conscience or your heart’s accusation.  Bring it before the Lord; be very honest before the Lord.  Let Him, by His Spirit, show you if the accusation is of any validity.  If the pricking is from the Spirit, you have to accept it that you have been wrong, and repent, confess and ask for forgiveness from God.  If the accusation is NOT valid, the Spirit will reveal that to you, too. 

Rare would be the case, that the accusation is of no validity, and you feel accused or troubled or “condemned”.  The reason why I say that, is because if you have been holding fast to the Lord’s teachings/Word and living in accordance with them, chances are that you would have known the accusation is of no validity and accordingly you should NOT be feeling accused or troubled or condemned.  Sometimes, it is an isolated incident or an aberration, which still points to some matter you have overlooked or have slackened, contributing to your less than “perfect” alignment with the Spirit of Truth. 

When you are really living according to the Spirit, there will be no conviction by the Spirit of sin/wrong on your part; and He is fully abiding in you, and you will know the truth; false accusation cannot prevail or linger against you.  But this is NOT the same as simply saying “If our hearts condemn/accuse us, we should ignore it because we know God is greater than our hearts (and knows everything about us)”, for the truth is our hearts can be accusing us, when the Holy Spirit is convicting us of sins or wrongdoings.

Anthony Chia, high.expressions

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