Promise: I Have Confidence to Stand before God

Dear children, let’s not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions.

Our actions will show that we belong to the truth, so we will be confident when we stand before God.

1 John 3:18–19 NLT

Excerpted from: The Surprising Joy of Embracing God’s Promises: 365 Reminders of His Faithfulness.

Steps on Your Journey to Embrace God’s Faithfulness:

• What is the condition for this promise? (The first sentence.)
• Are you fulfilling the condition? If not, then the promise is not for you.
• Is there anyone in your life you are not showing love to by your actions? If so, what might need to change?
• Read the verses again. Does it say we are to love others because they deserve our love? Many times people don’t deserve our love, but that doesn’t change that we are to love them. We didn’t deserve God’s love, yet He loves us anyway.
• Recently I was struggling to love some people who were mean to me in ways that devastated me. Frankly, I didn’t want to love them and didn’t think that they deserved my love. God convicted me, so I chose to call them, listen to them and even invite them to be part of something I had planned. Was it easy? No, but it was necessary.
• Consider what it looks like to love others with actions.
• Look at the two promises in these verses. First, our actions will show we belong to the truth. How do your actions reveal you belong to the truth? You might ask God if they do and to show you anything you may need to change.
• Second, we will be confident when we stand before God.
• What does Hebrews 10:17–22 (ESV) tell you? God says, “’I will remember their sins and their lawless deeds no more.’ Where there is forgiveness of these, there is no longer any offering for sin. Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.”
• Do you have confidence to stand before the King of kings? Why or why not? If you’re not sure, talk to God. Ask Him to reveal anything you may need to do.

A Prayer for You:

God of truth, forgive me for not loving others, especially believers, by my actions. I want to please You and know I will be confident when I stand before You. Thank You for Your promise that my actions can show I belong to the truth and I can know I’ll be confident when I stand before You.

© 2019 Relationship Resources, Inc.