1Jn 3:1
See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him.: This really is unfathomable. How can we possibly comprehend how a self-sufficient God loves us so much that He wants to adopt us as children? We're all corrupted and disloyal, and sinful, and not capable of meeting the righteous requirements God set forth, yet even in that state, He has made the offer available to anyone who wants it. The requirements are simple too: Believe that Jesus is Lord, died for our sins, and was resurrected (Rom 10:9). There are a lot of people who try to make it more complicated than that, but that's not God speaking. God simply wants to have a relationship with us and take care of us. Jesus came to reconcile us to God so all we have to do is accept His invitation. Now, I'm not saying that we can accept and continue to live like we did before believing, but it's God who changes us. Otherwise, we'd just be conforming to the world, presenting a false holiness, just as the Jewish religious leaders did.
As Christians, we're supposed to be so different from the world, that we're peculiar; So loving toward each other that the world can't fathom it. Is the Church like that? I don't think so. Do I think it's possible to be like that? Only through the power of the Holy Spirit. The worries of this world are great, and even as a Christian who knows better, I still worry about things like my image, thievery, savings, and many other things that take away from my ability to love as Jesus wants. I'm sure I'm not the only person like this, so even though we're supposed to be so different that the world doesn't know us, we aren't really that much different after all. There's a reason why most people view the Church as hypocrites. We speak a good game, but don't do what we say. We are concerned about worldly things, like voting for President. It's hard to fathom what the Church would be like if we truly did as Jesus wants.
1Jn 3:2
Beloved, we are God's children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is.: If we confess that Jesus is Lord, believe that He died for our sins and was resurrected, we are called God's children. We have been saved, and will spend eternity with God in the new Jerusalem (Rev 21:1-27) & (Rev 22:1-5). This is also a very important verse because it makes clear that we do not know yet what our new bodies will be like. We do know that we will be like the angels (Mar 12:25), and like Jesus (this verse tells us that we will be like Him), but other than that, we don't know.
1Jn 3:3
And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure.: John here sums up the Gospel of salvation by saying that everyone who hopes in the Jesus purifies himself. We are reconciled to God through Jesus Christ's sacrifice. Our belief on Jesus is what purifies us.
1Jn 3:4
Everyone who makes a practice of sinning also practices lawlessness; sin is lawlessness.: This isn't talking about people who sin, or we'd all be children of wrath. This is talking about people who make no effort to stop sinning. In my experience, this has usually been accompanied by excuses, something like, "It's for the children," or "I have no control over it," or "I was just following orders," or "I was born this way." There are many excuses to help us explain away our sinfulness so we can convince ourselves that there will be no consequences for our actions. However, we will all have to face our Creator and give an account. Those whose sins are covered by Jesus will be saved, "But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death." (Rev 21:8)
1Jn 3:5
You know that he appeared in order to take away sins, and in him there is no sin.: John makes the Gospel simple. Jesus appeared to take away our sins. There was no sin in Jesus, which met the sacrificial requirements. Atonement for all sin for all time could only come from a perfect being that existed throughout all time. Jesus's sacrifice was once, for all time, for everyone who believes (Heb 10:1-18).
1Jn 3:6
No one who abides in him keeps on sinning; no one who keeps on sinning has either seen him or known him.: When we are baptised, we are reborn in the Spirit, and the Holy Spirit dwells within us. There should be evidence in our lives that we have been saved. Sin should no longer be associated with us. Now, I am not claiming that it will happen immediately, but it will happen. And it needs to happen through the power of the Holy Spirit. If we try to present ourselves as holy, we'll end up failing. I'm also not claiming that we won't sin again. We will sin. However, we don't want to sin, and try not to. If we do sin, we stop and make corrections to not do so again in the future. We need to be very serious about not sinning. The Holy Spirit tells us when we're sinning (Heb 10:15-16), and we need to pay attention.
1Jn 3:7
Little children, let no one deceive you. Whoever practices righteousness is righteous, as he is righteous.: The evidence in our lives should be clear. Those of us who are saved and baptised into the Holy Spirit will have the Holy Spirit dwelling in them, who will change us from the inside. We will practice righteousness simply by following Jesus and letting the Spirit work in our lives. We will be faced with many challenges that will require us to make the righteous choice. The Spirit will tell us what is right, and we need to listen. Sounds easy, but these choices affect our lives here on earth. They could cost us our jobs, relationships, or even our lives. If righteousness was easy, there'd be no problems with being righteous. If sin wasn't enticing, we wouldn't sin. If we're honest with ourselves, we'll admit that sin is fun. But we know the price that Jesus paid to save us out of that sinful life, and with the help of the Holy Spirit, we can change from this state of being where sin is fun, to one where sin is no longer fun. We'll still sin, but Paul lays out the struggle clearly for us in Rom 7:14-25. "For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am of the flesh, sold under sin. For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. Now if I do what I do not want, I agree with the law, that it is good. So now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand. For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being, but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin."
1Jn 3:8
Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil.: John makes a clear distinction here. He's not addressing people who sin, but those who live in sin and make no effort to stop sinning. If that's the lifestyle we choose, then we're choosing to be of the devil. If we're saved, we should have evidence in our lives that we're not of the devil by walking in the Holy Spirit, who can't sin. If we have the Holy Spirit in us, we will have a desire to do righteousness, not a casual attitude toward sin in our lives. By walking in the Spirit, we destroy the works of Satan. Now, we can't fully understand what this means, but we can know it's true because the Bible says it.
1Jn 3:9
No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God's seed abides in him; and he cannot keep on sinning, because he has been born of God.: Pretty clear isn't it? If we're born again and baptised into the Holy Spirit, the Holy Spirit dwells within us, and we can't live in sin anymore. We lose that love of sin, and gain a love for the things of God. There was a time where I would rather be in a bar than sitting here dwelling on Jesus and trying to understand His word. But I'm saved, and have a deep love for the things of God. That certainly hasn't always been the case. It's been over the many years of being a believer that these changes have taken place. I've seen people immediately change, but it took years for me. Heck, I taught Sunday school hung over many times!
1Jn 3:10
By this it is evident who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother.: John makes it super simple. If you practice righteousness and love your brother, you are of God. If you practice sin, you're of the devil. Let's not make it more difficult than this. This should be the litmus test of our lives. People often ask, "I'm a believer who has repented and asked Jesus to be the Lord of my life and was baptised, but how do I know I'm saved?" Well, here's your answer.
1Jn 3:11
For this is the message that you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another.: Love is what Jesus said (Mat 22:36-40) the whole of the law hung on, and is the fulfillment of the law. Rom 13:8, "Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law." Gal 5:14, "For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”"
1Jn 3:12
We should not be like Cain, who was of the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own deeds were evil and his brother's righteous.: Cain's offering, which was rejected by God, was rejected because of the motivation for why it was brought to God. Abel's offering was accepted because he brought it in faith, while Cain brought it out of duty. It's impossible to please God without faith (Heb 11:6). This is similar to how the Jewish religious leaders approached God. They went through the motions, the rituals, etc., but they didn't have faith. God considers that evil because the actions are not for God, but to satisfy some worldly criteria. It would be similar to a husband routinely buying flowers not out of love, but because it's Friday or something like that.
1Jn 3:13
Do not be surprised, brothers, that the world hates you.: This can be confusing because living in America, or a similar free country, it can seem like the world doesn't really hate you too much as a Christian. Where I'm at in Oklahoma, being a Christian is the norm. I actually see people trying to make this verse fit almost anything negative that happens to them, like getting a ticket or something. However, go to any Muslim country and you will see that the world hates you. Mohammad called Christians and Jews, "People of the book," and wasn't too kind. Jews and Christians (non-believers) are forced to pay a special religious tax (the jizya) on top of state taxes. Christians and Jews are subject to brutal attacks, often ending up on the wrong end of a machete. Jewish and Christian populations in these countries are generally wiped out and the world ignores it. Today, thousands of Christians are killed by Muslims in countries like Sudan almost monthly. Places in the Middle East that once had a large population of Christians, no longer have the same Christian population. For example, In 1950, Christians made up over 15% of the population of Palestine, but are less than 2% today. In Russia, under the communist regime, Christians were arrested and tortured for years, as reflected in Richard Wurmbrand's book, "Tortured for Christ." Make no mistake about it, the world hates you. Satan hates you, and this is his dominion (1Jn 5:19). If you live in a Christian country, thank God that He has allowed you to live in a place where evil is held back by the Holy Spirit.
1Jn 3:14
We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers. Whoever does not love abides in death.: John applies the litmus test to his own life and the other disciples, concluding that they are saved because they see the evidence of love toward the brothers in their own lives. If they examine themselves and do not see evidence of love, they can conclude that they are not of God, but of the devil. Since they do see evidence of love, they know they're of God.
1Jn 3:15
Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.: This is a serious statement, and is very much in line with what Jesus said in His sermon on the Mount. Mat 5:21-22, “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.’ But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire." If there's any animosity in your heart toward a brother, don't let it sit there. Do whatever it takes to reconcile. You will become bitter, and bitterness will cause trouble. Bitterness grows, and unless you root it out, it will turn to hatred.
1Jn 3:16
By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers.: We are to emulate Jesus, and Jesus laid down His life for us. Joh 15:13, "Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends." This is the love that will set us apart from the world.
1Jn 3:17
But if anyone has the world's goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God's love abide in him?: God has entrusted us with things of this world, and we are to use them for His glory. How can we possibly be using these things allotted to us for His glory if we don't give to fellow Christians that are in need? It's the love of God that is attractive, and if we aren't emulating Jesus, what are we doing? John puts it simply saying that we don't have the love of the father in us if we don't.
1Jn 3:18
Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.: In other words, put our money where our mouths are. Don't just act like you're loving, prove it. This brings to mind Luk 10:25-37, in the story of the Good Samaritan. Jesus asked who was the neighbor and the law expert said, "The one who had mercy on him." This was the correct answer, and we are to love our neighbors. The example was given of the Samaritan who helped a man who was robbed, while the religious leaders walked by the man because they didn't want to get "defiled." Such a perversion of the scriptures.
1Jn 3:19
By this we shall know that we are of the truth and reassure our heart before him: Again, John talks about the litmus test of love. We can know we are children of God if we love. If we don't love, we're not children of God. Now, this is directed at those who believe, not just anyone.
1Jn 3:20
for whenever our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and he knows everything.: This means that as Christians, having the law written on our heart, our heart will condemn us when we sin. The Holy Spirit that indwells us is stronger than our heart meaning that it's the Spirit that sears our consciences. The Lord gets our attention in many ways, even when we don't know we're doing wrong.
1Jn 3:21
Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God: This is a comforting verse. We can be assured of how to proceed through life. It's prayerfully, followed by action, and if our heart does not condemn us, we can be confident we're on the correct path. I don't mean the path of salvation, but on the path that God wants in our lives. Everyone's path is different. Some people are meant to stand in front of large crowds, while some people are meant to live quiet lives being an example to those around them. We have this as a method to test our paths. When you're on the right path, you will have confidence, but if not, your heart will let you know.
1Jn 3:22
and whatever we ask we receive from him, because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him.: This verse is often misquoted and used to push this idea that anyone can get anything from God if we just ask. However, most often, these people leave off the end part and focus only on the beginning. If we live walking with God, we will do what pleases Him, namely living in love. If love is what we're concerned with, we won't be concerned with asking for things for ourselves, and when we ask for something it will be out of love. Of course God will give whatever we ask for when it's from that angle! God's not a genie, and He's not going to give us whatever we want for ourselves. That's a terrible idea. Even human parents that love their children don't just give their children anything.
1Jn 3:23
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.: A beautiful summary of the Gospel of Salvation. Don't make it complicated. It's a simple gospel. Believe that Jesus died for our sins, was resurrected, and then because of the grace we have received, show love to our brothers, and love your neighbor as yourself.
1Jn 3:24
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: John reiterates that we can test ourselves by seeing whether or not we live in love. If we do, we can know that the Holy Spirit lives in us.
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