“A REPROOF-FREE HEART”

21 “Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God;”

1 John 3:21

Have you ever had a hard time praying because you had something against someone? It wasn’t a good feeling, was it? Any one of us can act unwisely and carry the weight of our wrongdoing, which can affect our fellowship with God.

In today’s verse, John shows the attitude of one who has a clear conscience before God. He addresses his readers as beloved (“agapetos,” “dear, favorite, worthy of love”), demonstrating how he honors his fellow believers. He assures them that when their heart is pure, it will not condemn (“kataginosko,” “to find fault with, to accuse”) them. The term literally means to note something against someone or to know a fact that proves them guilty. Here, it refers to internal moral conscience or finding fault with a person.

John implies that showing selfless love for Christian brothers and sisters will keep them from condemning themselves. This love results in confidence (“parresia,” “freedom in speaking, unreservedness in speech”) in their relationship with God. He is not describing a person who has been living sinlessly, but rather someone quick to confess and turn away from his sins. By doing this, he is confident and bold before God in prayer. Thus, if our heart does not condemn us, we can freely express ourselves before God.

Shame and guilt are barriers to our petitions. Prayer, in and of itself, is already a rather challenging task, especially because you cannot hear the Person on the other end. What makes it all the more arduous is when your chest is heavy because of sin. But we cannot allow our spiritual failures to keep us from being open with our Lord.

The Bible even tells us that if our relationship with our spouse is less than ideal, our prayers may be held up (1 Peter 3:7).

How do you feel about asking favors from someone you don’t see eye-to-eye? It’s a little awkward, isn’t it? The same thing happens when we hide sin in our hearts. Sin stems from a lack of love, and when we sin, our actions are inappropriate for our calling, thereby impeding our communication channels.

But when we maintain a healthy relationship with God, we have confidence and no heaviness in our chest. A reproof-free heart is essential to our prayers. When we don’t have any excess baggage, we can confidently present our needs before God. He may or may not give what we ask for, but our clean consciences will allow us to come boldly into His presence.

Do you desire to maintain a clear conscience and a pure heart? Do you want to experience the benefits of unhindered prayers? Turn to Christ and surrender your sins right now.

Pursue the Savior today!

Photo by Sebbi Strauch on Unsplash