Chapter
1 2 3 4 5
Verse

1 John 3:19

ESV By this we shall know that we are of the truth and reassure our heart before him;
NIV This is how we know that we belong to the truth and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence:
NASB We will know by this that we are of the truth, and will set our heart at ease before Him,
CSB This is how we will know that we belong to the truth and will reassure our hearts before him
NLT Our actions will show that we belong to the truth, so we will be confident when we stand before God.
KJV And hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before him.
NKJV And by this we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before Him.

What does 1 John 3:19 mean?

This verse offers the first part of a statement which continues through the next verse. The opening of John's sentence offers two insights. First, what John is about to say, in verse 20, will help a believer know he or she is acting according to the truth of the gospel. Second, his statement will provide reassurance to the believer's heart, in those times when we feel conviction of sin.

First John 5:13 will provide a summary statement regarding a person's ability to know, for certain, that they are a believer in Christ. This particular verse, 1 John 3:19, reassures believers: when they act in love, it is proof that they are "abiding" in the life that Christ wants for us (John 10:10).

The concept of reassurance is also tied to verse 20, which explains how Christians ought to respond to conviction of sin. Rather than seeing conviction as a reason to despair, saved believers can rest assured that God will forgive us (1 John 2:1).
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