Truthfulness

My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth. And by this we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before Him (1 John 3:18-19)

My little children, let us not love in word…

1. There are people who love their brethren in word only
   1. They are rich enough to help the brethren
   2. They have the opportunity to help the brethren
   3. But they shut up their hearts from the brethren
2. These people do not have the love of God abiding in themselves
3. John the Apostle encourages his readers, saying, “let us not love in word…”
   1. Let us not love as the cold-hearted people do
   2. Let us not love one another in word only
4. How should we love then?
   1. Let us love in deed and in truth
   2. Let us love one another in actions that are consistent with what we claim to be

And by this we know that we are of the truth

1. The phrase “by this” indicates
   1. A pattern of knowing
   2. A way of ascertaining
2. Loving one another in actions
   1. Is how we prove that we are of the truth
   2. Is how we come to know that we are of the truth
   3. Is how we ascertain that we are Christians truthfully
3. This is the way to love as well as making sure that we have the love of God abiding in us

And shall assure our hearts before Him

1. If we are not careful, we could end up shutting up our hearts from the brethren in need
2. But if we are truthful, we would be able to love the brethren as we are meant
3. In loving them in deed and in truth, we assure our hearts before God
   1. We are not guilty
   2. We are not worried
   3. But we are peaceful, and restful
4. In other words, as we love the brethren truthfully, our hearts will not condemn us before God.

This is our act of faith that will always assure us of our truthfulness before God. This is how we cultivate a good and clean conscience!