‘Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God; and such we are. For this reason the world knows us not, because it knew him not. The thought of being begotten by Christ now raises John to adoration in the face of such a glorious truth. See, he s... [ Continue Reading ]
‘Beloved, now are we children of God, and it is not yet made manifest what we shall be. We know that, if he shall be manifested, we will be like him, for we will see him even as he is. And every one who has this hope set on him (or ‘in him') purifies himself, even as he is pure.' ‘Beloved.' Possibl... [ Continue Reading ]
GOD'S PEOPLE CONTRASTED WITH THE LAWLESS WORLD (1 JOHN 3:2). Following on his declaration that God has begotten His true people through Christ so that they are His children (tekna - John only uses ‘son' of Christ), John now calls them to Godlikeness. They are to be so in the light of the glorious t... [ Continue Reading ]
‘Every one who practises sin practises also lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness, and you know that he was manifested to take away sins; and in him is no sin. Whosoever abides in him does not sin. Whoever goes on sinning has not seen him, nor knows him.' To continue sinning without regard, says John... [ Continue Reading ]
THE WAY THAT MEN WALK REVEALS WHOSE CHILDREN THEY ARE (1 JOHN 3:8). ‘Little children, let no man lead you astray. He who practises righteousness (carries righteousness into practise) is righteous, even as he is righteous, he who practises sin (deliberately carries sin into practise) is of the devil... [ Continue Reading ]
‘Whoever is begotten of God does no sin, because his seed abides in him, and he cannot sin, because he is begotten of God.' For the plain fact is that if a man has been begotten of God, God's seed is within him. Begetting involves the planting of seed. And he who has been planted with God's seed has... [ Continue Reading ]
‘In this the children of God are clearly revealed, and the children of the devil. Whoever does not practise righteousness is not of God, nor he who loves not his brother.' So the children of God are clearly revealed. They are revealed by the fact that they love God and obey His teachings, that they... [ Continue Reading ]
THE CENTRALITY OF CHRISTIAN LOVE (1 JOHN 3:11 TO 1 JOHN 4:21). The reference to loving one's brother, deliberately added almost as an appendage in 1 John 3:10 in order to introduce the next section, now leads on to that section where love is pre-eminent. Previously any emphasis has been on God's lov... [ Continue Reading ]
THE ESSENTIAL NATURE OF CHRISTIAN LOVE AS A TEST OF FAITHFULNESS TO GOD (1 JOHN 3:11). In all this we must keep in mind that the emphasis is on loving our brothers who are true to the Gospel, those who walk in the light. As we have seen earlier, whether men love those who are true to the Gospel rev... [ Continue Reading ]
‘For this is the message which you heard from the beginning, that we should love one another, not as Cain was of the evil one, and killed his brother. And why did he kill him? Because his works were evil, and his brother's righteous.' ‘For this is the message which you heard from the beginning.' Com... [ Continue Reading ]
‘Marvel not, brethren, if the world hates you. We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love dwells in death. Whoever hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.' Cain represented the world... [ Continue Reading ]
‘By this we know love, because he laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.' He now draws attention to what that love must be like. It is a love known through experience (‘we know'), for love is what Jesus showed in His life and practised, and through which we... [ Continue Reading ]
EXHORTATION THAT OUR CHRISTIAN LOVE SHOULD BE PRACTICAL (1 JOHN 3:16). As throughout John is now concerned that those he speaks to should examine their hearts to ensure that they really are true Christians. He has been speaking of faith, but now he comes down to practicalities. And his word is that... [ Continue Reading ]
‘But whoever has the world's goods, and observes his brother in need, and shuts up his compassion from him, how does the love of God abide in him?' Yes, says one glibly. I am ready to lay down my life for the brethren, I am ready to take up the cross. Good, says John. But what about a brother in nee... [ Continue Reading ]
‘Little children, let us not love in word, nor with the tongue, but in deed and truth.' John then follows his specific example with a general plea. It is not only in charitable giving that we should love. Our love, if true, should not be just something we talk about but something we live out practi... [ Continue Reading ]
‘By this we will know that we are of the truth, and will convince (persuade) our heart before him, because if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knows all things.' To the modern commentator these and the following verses are seen as somewhat linguistically complicated. This ma... [ Continue Reading ]
‘Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, we have boldness toward God, and whatever we ask we receive of him, because we keep his commandments and do the things that are pleasing in his sight. And this is his commandment, that we should believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another,... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And he who keeps his commandments abides in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit which he gave us.' John sums up the section by indicating the close relationship between ‘keeping His commandments' and ‘abiding in Him'. Those who do keep (receive, meditate on,... [ Continue Reading ]