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Answer
First John 3:20 states, “If our hearts condemn us, we know that God is greater than our hearts, and He knows everything.” Here, John reminds us that God surpasses our feelings of guilt and surpasses the errors we commit when we sin.
Today, we commonly use the term heart to describe the organ that circulates blood throughout the body. However, in the Bible, the term heart typically denotes a person’s emotions or desires—the core of their will or true self. This applies to both God and humanity. For instance, God describes King David as “a man after my own heart” (1 Samuel 13:14;Acts 13:22). In essence, David aimed to fulfill all that God had ordained. In Mark 7:21–22, Jesus explains that from a person’s heart come sinful and wicked desires.
When John asserts that God is greater than our hearts, he is conveying that God surpasses our desires, emotions, and wills.
First John 3:20 commences with a conditional statement: If our hearts condemn us. This refers to the conviction and guilt experienced by a believer when they sin. Such emotions actually indicate a mature and evolving faith in a believer—it demonstrates their awareness of sin and ongoing reliance on God. However, those in Christ can be confident in their salvation and the forgiveness they have obtained from God «let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water. », (Hebrews 10:22). In essence, they can have faith that God surpasses the sins that emanate from their hearts.
First John 3:20 concludes by reminding us that God “knows everything”—He is omniscient. He is aware of every action we take and every motive in our hearts.
He knows our hearts. He also understands our thoughts and emotions when we sin. However, He wants us to realize that He surpasses all of that, and He desires us to find peace in that reality.
Therefore, when we experience guilt for our transgressions, 1 John 3:20 reassures us that God’s love exceeds that guilt. When a believer commits a sin, they should not dwell in shame or dread before God but instead seek His pardon and find solace in the fact that He is faithful to forgive “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”, (1 John 1:9). When a believer recalls their past sins, no matter how grave, they should not lose hope but have faith that God surpasses our past. Hebrews 4:16 offers us this encouragement: “Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”
