God is Greater than Our Hearts

By this we shall know that we are of the truth and reassure our heart before him; for whenever our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and he knows everything. Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God; and whatever we ask we receive from him, because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him. And this is his commandment, that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us. Whoever keeps his commandments abides in God, and God in him. And by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit whom he has given us.
1 John 3:19–24
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God is Greater than Our Hearts
The Christian life is lived between the terror our sin causes and the life-giving grace and peace of the Gospel. A Christian must feel the terror of their sin. This is felt in the heart. In Psalm 51, King David says that the only sacrifice that is acceptable to God is a broken and contrite heart. This terror or despair is the work of the Law. It crushes and kills. It leaves empty and hollow. It is strong and unrelentless. But the Christian life is not left in the hallows of the Law’s power. God is greater than your heart. He gives you a clean heart and restores a right spirit within you. In faith, we amend our sinful life. God freely gives this faith. Your faith makes you well. Your faith rises up and grabs ahold of Jesus. Your faith reaches out and loves your neighbor. This is all possible because of the work of Jesus to rescue and restore. His crucifixion gives life where the Law gave death. The Christian may live in this life between terror and grace, but the grace and peace of Christ always predominates, blots out, rises to the top. The Christian rejoices in Jesus. Our hearts are glad in him alone.