Read 1 John 3:11-24.

From time to time in our lives, doubt will creep in: How do I know I am saved? Do you ignore it? Accept it? Believe it? No, doubt must be faced head-on, dealt with immediately, and acknowledged honestly. I know doubt can be frightening. God’s Word tells us, “[T]he one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do” (James 1:6-8). That’s why we must not leave doubt unchecked. It can lead to greater trouble in our lives and can erode the foundation of faith. Doubt can corrode your joy and peace; it can make you cynical and critical. So John gives us tools to deal with doubt decisively.

“We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love each other. Anyone who does not love remains in death” (1 John 3:14). John sums up how we can know we belong to God when doubt creeps in: by our love for fellow believers. He’s not saying that we don’t sometimes become disappointed, irritated, or angry with other believers or that we don’t sometimes disagree with them. In fact, how you deal with these disagreements and frustrations speaks volumes. How do you respond to these circumstances? Do you allow your conflict to lead you to hate, or do you allow love to cover over a multitude of sins?

Love is the very essence of God. Therefore, no one can have a real relationship with our loving God without being transformed into a loving person. John uses the example of Cain and Abel (see v. 12). When hatred grew in his heart, Cain killed his brother, Abel. That’s what hatred produces. And this terrible sin all began with doubt. Cain’s parents had taught him the principle of animal sacrifice that God had given them when they were cast out of the Garden of Eden. But he doubted the validity of God’s principle, and when his doubt was not dealt with, it turned to anger and hatred and then murder.

So when it comes to our doubts about God and His call on our lives, for the Christian, we must always return to the bottom line: Will we submit to God’s will and trust Him and His work in us? Or will we insist on our will?

Prayer: Lord, I want to live according to Your will for me—that I would bear fruit that lasts (John 15:16), that I would be filled with thankfulness (1 Thessalonians 5:18), and that I would be identified as Your child by Your love displayed in my life (John 13:35). I pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.

“Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth” (1 John 3:18).

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