Tara-Leigh Cobble

For whenever our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and He knows everything."

He says they can still rest assured that they are God's kids even when they feel convicted about their sins.

Because after all, God's Spirit is the very one who brings conviction to our hearts so that we can turn from our sins and walk with God in righteousness.

Conviction that becomes repentance is evidence that He lives in us.

As for others, it's hard to know if they're in the truth or not.

So John gives them a litmus test in chapter 4.

He says, If the Holy Spirit is at work in a person, they will claim that Jesus is fully God and fully man.

But if a person doesn't claim that, it's a clear sign that the spirit of error, the spirit of lies, is at work in them.

Then John drills down on what love is and does.

In verses 15 through 18, he gives us a lot of information, and the connecting words are really important here.

He says,

By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment.

Because, as he is, so also are we in this world.

There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear.

For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love.

That was a lot.

So here's what this looks like when we walk through it.

Confessing Jesus as God is a sign of our unity with Him.

And our unity with Him is evidence that He loves us.

He wouldn't unite Himself to someone He doesn't love, so He must love us because He's abiding with us.