God is Greater

Anne Bradshaw • February 18, 2025

1 John 3:18-22

Dear Reader,


Does it ever seem to you, as it does to me, that occasionally the heart seems to condemn (find fault, criticize, pass sentence of guilt)?  Some people can ignore the passing thoughts, knowing they did the best they could. Others can dismiss the thoughts and remain resolute that they are “right.” Some, have figured out the balance between soul and Spirit and quickly correct the inclinations. However, not everyone has found that balance and cannot self-correct as easily. People who are particularly tender-hearted, sensitive to the well-being of every creature and/or person around them, seem to have a more difficult time. Why? Because they try so hard to never offend or hurt anyone or anything and find it an almost impossible task. Often, what complicates the issue, would be the natural need for assurance and validation.


From my studies on the matter, the heart is that part of us where the soul (emotions, reasoning, intellect) and Spirit are supposed to meet and make decisions. The heart alone cannot send us to hell even though it may seem like it in especially intense moments of remorse. It seems to be more frequent and more intense when the soul is not led by the Spirit of God and instead is led by its own inclinations of right and wrong. This is an imbalance and there is very little peace for long in this way of living.  We can choose not to let it do that. That's why Jesus says,


 Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful. John 14:27

 

Thankfully, our heart alone does not decide our salvation. Christ took care of that and so much more! He freed us from any true condemnation under which the world was subject through the Law. He gave us the victory and dealt with the accuser’s voice. Any accusations or condemnation we hear is simply echoes of old news (things we’ve done, or others have done).


Paul says in Romans that there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.


Think about that a minute. Who was Paul? Why would he say this and know it was true? He was a persecutor of Christians. Participated in their death sentences….until.


…Until he encountered the Living Christ and changed his allegiance from the kingdom of darkness (he didn’t even know he was in) to the Kingdom of Light, that is Christ. The Christ encounter gave him identity and purpose. The moment of truth corrected the course of his devotion and focus.


Conversion and infilling of the Holy Spirit can do that for us too.


In Christ we are FORGIVEN. By fulfilling the law, Jesus broke the power of that law to give out life sentences of "guilty, condemned." Not embracing this truth and adding it to our arsenal of Spiritual weaponry, gives the condemning thoughts and angst a foothold. To combat this tendency  to wallow in self recrimination, we need to embrace and apply the truth of Christ and allow Him to change us.


How? The power is in your mouth, the words you speak aloud and hear with your ears the truth of the Gospel Message: Forgiven, beloved, advocate, family. The power is in revelation and knowledge through which we gain understanding and wisdom.
 
So why am I writing about this today? Because my bible readings took me to 1 John 3: 18-22 and it connected some truths for me and I wanted to share them. Scripture says,
 
"... let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth. We will know by this that we are of the truth and will assure our heart before Him in whatever our heart condemns us; for God is greater than our heart and knows all things. 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 the things that are pleasing in His sight..."
 
This verse "connects the dots" of truth that empower in moments of question. It is a simple truth. According to the Apostle John, God is greater than our heart.
 
You may say, "well, I knew that! What is so great about that revelation?"
 
It is great to me because for a very long time I believed in what the world taught regarding the heart.  I allowed my heart to lead me. You know the saying that applies, right?


 "Follow your heart..."
 
Please know, I am not saying the heart is evil. OR that we should ignore how we feel about things or reason out and apply our understanding. What I am saying is, we need balance that only comes from the revelation of the entire Gospel of Christ and all He did for us. The balance comes when we allow the Holy Spirit to lead.


When the heart alone leads, there tends to be more alarm, anxiety, and anger and very little of the peace that Jesus promised (John 14:27). Over the years, I have learned that my heart was very good at pointing out a lot of things I could have done, said or thought, loved, or served better. In some cases, it would tell me that I had “sinned” and if I had “sinned” then I had disappointed my Heavenly Father  who was looking for His “children” to be good little boys and girls who loved their neighbor…


A question would sometimes come to mind about the people in the story who thought they were going to heaven (sheep), only to find out they had disappointed the Father too much and therefore were with the “goats” and therefore condemned. Was I one of those? EEEK! (Matt 25) see note**


It may seem I'm going off on a tangent, but stay with me, it connects, I promise. See if you agree...


What my heart needed was the balance found in the application of the verses regarding growing up in Him and “putting away childish things” (1 Cor 13). But as much as I wanted to do that, I found it difficult. It was actually the religious admonition about being “children of God (John 1)” that was supposed to comfort really seemed to be the issue.


I didn't realize I had misunderstood the phrase “child or children of God.”   The word was child as in heir and member of the family of God, not “CHILDISH” as in, the childish of God being helpless, distracted, manipulated by issues that need tissues, petty fighting, or personal agendas.I'm not alone in this either because thinking back, it was fairly easy to spot the adult version of Me first! Mine! Love me most, I’m so left out! I feel abandoned! I’m so offended! Poor me! I’m afraid! WAAAA among the Church crowd, as I knew it.  I’ve met these people, tried to help them, but found I was one of them, and therefore we all had a big problem! One dysfunctional family!


The verses about putting away childish things and being “children of God’ contradict when we think of ourselves as needy and helpless. Believers are not meant to be childish with daddy-God always coming to make things better and deliver us from or clean up the messes we make. He did that already, gave us the tools at conversion to overcome and says now, “Go and sin no more.”  The original word, I believe, is “son of God”, as in seed carriers of God. That is those who have the Word of God (seed) in their hearts and from them come the fruit of that Word (harvest).


The reality of being a member of the Family of God, the Church Jesus is Building and citizen of the Kingdom of God comes with responsibility to GROW UP and not be led by our feelings, not allowing old patterns of thinking to lead our responses/reactions to life events. It is a matter of identity. And this is important.


In order to apply the Word (logos and rhema) to heart leading, Being be filled with the Holy Spirit is essential, not just know about the Holy Spirit.  It is only by His power and equipping that we can actively choose to apply the Law of the Spirit of Life when we know who we are , to Whom we belong, and all the gifts and tools available to us to live the promised abundant life, overcoming sin and darkness (Romans 8).


For me this was not easy. Old ruts of thinking were deep and took some time to fill. Repeated applications of the Truth that I sought out myself and prayed and studied. I couldn’t just rely on someone else’s revelation. I needed to seek out what the Lord was saying through His Word and how He was leading me. The interesting thing about this is that it is the same Holy Spirit in those who believe and therefore it will agree. So counsel of others is extremely important.


“It is the glory of God to conceal a thing: but the honor of kings is to search out a matter.”

Proverbs 25:2

 

To sum it up:


God is Greater than my heart's tendency to  point out ways in which I can better love my neighbor.


God is Greater than my heart's tendency to be too tender toward a person and ignore speaking truth in love.


God is Greater than my heart that wants to apply its own justice rather than His; to exact a revenge I feel is appropriate rather than allow God to deal with justice, righteousness and mercy.


God is Greater  than my impulse to defend and I can find rest in Him because from Him, I do not fear an unjust ruling on my behalf.


Because God is Greater than my heart's need to protect, I can entrust ALL that is precious to me into His arms and care.


Grace and peace,

Anne


Just a note: beware of any type of  misinterpretations of Scripture that  uses fear to keep people obedient or creates a “us” vs “them” mentality. It wreaks havoc with one’s assurance in Christ and hope  in Him.)


Consider Hebrews 12:22

 

He Invites Our Participation

By Anne Bradshaw • May 8, 2025
Dear Reader, It has been on my mind this morning the incredible gift we have in Christ to be members of the Family of God, the Church Jesus is building, citizens of the Kingdom, joint heirs with Christ. We are in His Good Care, always. I’m sure you have also had moments when the appreciation for this gift seems to eclipse the momentary business of daily life. I’m sure you would have your insights as well to add. It is from this place that I am sharing today. My husband and I take time each morning to pray together for family, the Church and the nation. Today when we were praying for our nation and for the people of God, we prayed for those who hear His voice that they would choose obedience above the temptations and the insecurities that they may experience. We prayed for Congress, especially, to be focused on good stewardship of the office they are holding and accomplish the pressing needs of the nation rather than simply the “easy” stuff they can agree on. Our prayers were for those who are not being good stewards of the power and influence they have been given, would now make choices according to the Law of the Spirit of Life or be removed from their places of power and influence until they can fulfill their oath of office responsibly and faithfully. It occurred to me amidst the prayer time, that God really doesn’t need our approval to accomplish His plan. He doesn’t need anyone to be obedient. He invites it. He designed the covenantal relationship with us to not be dependent upon us because He is somehow lacking in something we have, rather He includes us because it is His good pleasure. When I say he doesn’t need us, I mean that He is God all by Himself. He doesn’t need anything from us in order to maintain His sovereignty and Grace and accomplish His plan for humanity that is already in the works. When I was young, I used to think that if I stopped believing in God He would simply vanish. It was quite a revelation to realize I was not that powerful and that whether I believed or not, approved or not, was happy, sad, faithful or disobedient, God was still God. He is faithful to His covenant regardless of my momentary lapses or victories. He loved me and wanted me to have the abundant life promised. Then I learned an even greater truth. It’s not about me. Never was. There is no personal plan of God for my life. It isn’t all planned out. He just knows what is in store and prepares me in advance with all the skills and ability I need to enjoy, endure or receive all that is ahead of me. He’s in my corner, but not for my sake… It’s for everyone. It’s for His kingdom, His righteousness working through me so ALL can have an abundant life promised. I just have a small corner in a much bigger purpose in which to work and follow His leading. It’s not about me... I find that incredibly freeing. I can’t make a mistake that messes up His plan. I’m not that powerful. I am free to choose. I am offered leadership and favor according to His good will for me, for all. If the consequences of sin are experienced, it is because sin carries its own punishment. And sometimes that punishment spills over to others. A drunk driver could have an accident and kill other people. The other people didn’t do anything wrong; the evil of alcohol abuse is at fault. But God still cares and is not defined by the accident. He takes care of His people, but that doesn’t mean we don’t experience the fall out of evil in our world. He promises to walk with us through it. He promises His justice. Evil wears out because it “eats its own” just as a wasting disease will “eat” the host until there is nothing left to survive, then the disease also dies with the host it destroyed. This is evil. God never designed our bodies to host wasting diseases. He didn’t design us to sin. We were meant for more. Evil things have been happening behind the scenes of our government for years. It is now being revealed. Pray with us that the evil will not only be brought to light, but that it will also receive the just judgment of God and His righteousness through His people who are even now, building impenetrable cases to process. We pray for them. We must keep the courts in our prayers that the just judgments of God would be able to work successfully. We must not be discouraged when judges make rulings that are prejudiced, excessive, biased and unfair. Why? Because our hope is in the Lord who is above all and sees all and is faithful to His Covenant with those who believe. God always wins. Those who confront the evil of death, doubt and despair, are not forgotten. The mothers and fathers who lost children to fentanyl, brought in and distributed illegally in our nation, are not forgotten. The people struggling to pay debts, to provide for family and be good stewards are not forgotten. What is needed is for the Church Jesus is building to realize the power of her voice among the nations to make a difference; speak forth the will of God, His one Will, His Just Judgments. What we have currently is a church that is praying in a dozen or more different directions. Because God has Chosen to work through us, is it not important that we steward that responsibility corporately with accuracy rather than personally? Is it a surprise that personal agendas are most likely not God’s agenda? If it is the Church’s mandate to push back darkness and administrate the principles of the Kingdom of God upon the earth, is it any wonder evil has gotten a foothold when we are so busy looking after “me, myself, and I” our own local church food banks and Sunday morning services rather than speaking as one with the whole church against the evil that is even making the food banks necessary? Here's a thought: Maybe those who run the food banks (for example) wonder what purpose they would have if the food banks were not necessary? (just a thought) Would they pray to end the need for something in which they are finding fulfillment? Could the concern for fulfillment, validation, and significance apply to any other Church-run organization made necessary because of the works of evil? I wonder, how many have read Matthew 23 lately? Maybe it isn't that. Maybe the sincere concern for others cannot see past the momentary need to the corporate power of the Faith of God and the one Church Jesus is building to confront the evil source and heal the root of the need. Something to think about, anyway... Grace and peace, my friends. Anne

Marta's Story

By Anne Bradshaw • April 9, 2025
A short story for the season

Have we made it too easy?

By Anne Bradshaw • April 3, 2025
The struggle is real...and necessary.

Walking Revelations

By Anne Bradshaw • March 26, 2025
Revelation and many teachers

Psalm 37: 39

By Anne Bradshaw • March 6, 2025
Confidence in Him

Psalm 37:23-24

By Anne Bradshaw • March 4, 2025
Steps of the Righteous

Evildoers

By Anne Bradshaw • February 3, 2025
Psalm 37: 1-2

Focus

By Anne Bradshaw • January 16, 2025
Set your mind on Christ

Great is His Faithfulness

By Anne Bradshaw • January 10, 2025
Great is His Faithfulness. Isaiah 40 is a testament to God's faithfulness to His people. His people are defined by relationship, not by birth. Those who Know Him. How do we know someone? We spend time with them. We seek to hear what they say and understand the meaning of their words, their message both spoken and unspoken. I am currently watching the snow fall outside my window. It covers everything. I can't see the imperfections of the road, the hillside or even the branches on the tree. This is what the Law of Moses did. It covered temporarily the sins of the people. Therefore they were considered sinners forgiven. But they still had to make the sacrifices every year. In the New Covenant a new order was established. This Covenant did away with the accusers voice because Jesus made the final sacrifice for sin and fulfilled the Law of Moses once and for all. For those who embrace this truth, and are initiated into the Kingdom of God through repentance, baptism, they are no longer "sinners." This term, "sinners" and the claim of "being just a sinner saved by Grace" while true once, cannot continue to be true for the fully converted believer in Christ. Why? because it rejects the saving power of Christ and the Holy Spirit working in us toward perfection. To describe oneself as "sinner" is either because they lack knowledge of their identity in Christ or to excuse their laziness, to put it frankly. It isn't that a person doesn't do anything wrong, but as saint, and the identity offered in Christ, wrong is identified and corrected. The imperfections are not life sentences as it is with those who identify as "sinners," seemingly helpless to their own thought processes and patterns of behavior. That was the life offered by the Old Covenant. As believers, we no longer live that life. There is a way of victory if one is brave enough to step into the journey toward it. Isaiah 40: 26-31 testifies to the Character and desire of God from His throne of Righteousness and Justice, that we be whole and live a life of freedom and grace. This is peace, this is the life giving liberty to move forward unencumbered by the haunting of old sins (See Colossians 2). We are not helpless to the "sin that besets/entangles us" we have a saving Grace, a life-giving way of salvation for living now. Hebrews 11 tells all about the faith choices of those throughout Scripture who made obedient choices according to the will of God and received rewards (earthly and/or heavenly) and left a legacy for others to build upon. Hebrews 12 then gives a key for living: "Therefore, since we also have such a great cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let’s rid ourselves of every obstacle and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let’s run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking only at Jesus, the originator and perfecter of the faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. " vs 1-2 His Spirit quickens, brings alive our spirit so we may be victorious over sin (ours and others). Not because of anything we do, but because of His Faithfulness to His Covenant with the Son and the Spirit that is not dependent upon our "goodness." You can read the same characteristic of God in Isaiah 40. He does not change. His love has not changed. His desire for us to be victorious as on eagles wings, soaring far above circumstances, "what man can do to us or regarding us." II encourage you to read this for yourself) http://blb.sc/00CLfY What HAS changed is that the work of Christ did away with sin completely, forgiveness is available to be embraced and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we can overcome because of the Blood of Christ and our Testimony of Him. What a great way to start the New Year--on eagles wings. Grace and Peace Anne

365 Days

By Anne Bradshaw • July 15, 2024
Oil of Joy
More Posts