ANALYSIS. God shows a great love to you in bestowing upon you the great honor of being called his children. You are the sons of God, and yet there are greater blessings for you in store. You shall be like him, and see him just as he is. This is a great hope and a strong reason for striving to be pur... [ Continue Reading ]
VERSE 1. BEHOLD, WHAT MANNER OF LOVE. Remembering that the last thought in the foregoing chapter introduced was the fact that we were born of God. How wonderful has been the love of God in permitting and making provisions whereby we might thus become his sons. Here is a wide field for meditation. I... [ Continue Reading ]
VERSE 2. BELOVED, NOW ARE WE THE SONS OF GOD. The announcement that we have the exalted privilege of being the sons of God is followed by a still greater and more important fact, which is connected with that relationship, viz.: that it does not appear what we shall be. Our future reward and glory a... [ Continue Reading ]
VERSE 3. AND EVERY MAN THAT HATH THIS HOPE. Every faithful Christian has this hope. The hope of being like and dwelling with the Lord of glory will cause US to strive to be like him. Christ was, and is, pure; therefore, every faithful Christian will strive to be pure.... [ Continue Reading ]
VERSE 4. WHOSOEVER COMMITTETH SIN. The idea is, habitually or continually does wrong. This idea must be borne in mind in order that we may fully understand other statements contained in this chapter and thereby insure perfect harmony. Doing, working, or committing sin is a transgression of the law,... [ Continue Reading ]
VERSE 5. AND YE KNOW THAT HE WAS MANIFESTED. One of the objects of Christ's coming into the world was to take away our sins, by remitting the same; but a second object had in that coming was, by his example and the course of instruction given by him, which, if pursued by us, would take away even ou... [ Continue Reading ]
VERSE 6. WHOSOEVER ABIDETH IN HIM. Keeping close to his example, trustingly, lovingly following his instructions, we abide in him, and thus, abiding in him, sin not; have no disposition or desire to sin. WHOSOEVER SINNETH HATH NOT SEEN HIM. We cease to abide hi him when we engage in sinning. Such... [ Continue Reading ]
VERSE 7. LITTLE CHILDREN, LET NO MAN DECEIVE YOU. Exhortation is here made to prevent delusion or deception. Those claiming to be righteous are those only who do righteousness. Works are demanded in the economy of heaven to show the existence of faith. Those who abide in Christ do righteousness bec... [ Continue Reading ]
VERSE 8. HE THAT COMMITTETH SIN IS OF THE DEVIL. Since sin emanates from the devil, and is, therefore, of him, those who work sin, who exhibit a sinful life, give, thereby, all the proof sound reason can demand that they are under the dominion and control of the devil. From the very beginning of th... [ Continue Reading ]
VERSE 9. WHOSOEVER IS BORN OF GOD DOTH NOT COMMIT SIN. Here some have failed to catch the apostle's idea. It is not that those born of God become so far out of the reach of sin that temptation can not assail them, but those who are born of God do not habitually sin or live a life of sin. One can no... [ Continue Reading ]
VERSE 10. IN THIS THE CHILDREN OF GOD. Here, a sure mark of distinction is drawn between the children of God and the children of the devil. It is easy to tell one from the other. The child of God habitually performs good acts, deeds and works, and with a real affection loves his brother, while the... [ Continue Reading ]
VERSE 11. FOR THIS IS THE MESSAGE THAT YE HEARD. Christ brought from the Father, and we apostles proclaimed the message from the establishment of the kingdom on earth, that we should love one another. This message is God-given; it came from him, and this was evidently God's will from the beginning... [ Continue Reading ]
VERSE 12. NOT AS CAIN, WHO WAS OF THAT. This is the opposite of love it is hate. Hate is of the devil. Cain was, therefore, begotten by the devil that is to say, so controlled as to do the works of the devil. The child of God one begotten of God loves and does not hate. "This hater and murderer is... [ Continue Reading ]
VERSE 13. MARVEL NOT, MY BRETHREN. The apostle here says: We should not marvel wonder --if we be hated by the world. While no reason is given, the former verse indicates the source of all hatred. The conflict between good and evil had its origin early in the history of the race. That conflict is st... [ Continue Reading ]
VERSE 14. WE KNOW THAT WE HAVE PASSED FROM DEATH. While we are hated by the world, this should not be regarded by us, since we know that we have passed away from a state the final end of which is eternal death, into a state the end of which is life eternal. BECAUSE WE LOVE THE BRETHREN. The reaso... [ Continue Reading ]
VERSE 15. WHOSOEVER HATETH HIS BROTHER IS A MURDERER. One who hates his brother is in a state or condition, under slight provocation influenced by his passion of hate, to slay him. His hatred is the seed or germ from which murder is produced. The instance of Cain, given in a former verse, clearly i... [ Continue Reading ]
VERSE 16. HEREBY PERCEIVE WE THE LOVE OF GOD. Christ, by the appointment of God, showed his love when he laid down his life on the cross. Having his example before us for our guidance, should occasion require it, we should lay down our lives for the brethren.... [ Continue Reading ]
VERSE 17. BUT WHOSO HATH THIS WORLD'S GOODS. A plain contrast is here presented. If it be true that we should lay down our lives for the brethren, what shall be said of one who has an abundance, and yet refuses to furnish a needy brother those things necessary for his present succor? It is utterly... [ Continue Reading ]
VERSE 18. MY LITTLE CHILDREN, LET US NOT LOVE. We may claim to love our brethren, and many proper occasions present themselves where no outward manifestation is given\\ : If such a thing were possible, this would be loving in word or tongue. Such love is not acceptable. The love must be shown by de... [ Continue Reading ]
VERSE 19. AND HEREBY WE KNOW THAT WE ARE OF THE TRUTH. When our love exhibits itself in deeds, when it is operative or active, we may know assuredly that we are in the fellowship of God.... [ Continue Reading ]
VERSE 20. FOR IF OUR HEART CONDEMN US. If we are deficient in love to our needy brethren, we know it; our own conscience so informs us. We thus condemn ourselves. God is greater than our hearts, for he knows all things; his condemnation is therefore certain, because he is a more perfect and imparti... [ Continue Reading ]
VERSE 21. BELOVED, IF OUR HEART CONDEMN US NOT. But if our conscience does not condemn us that is, does not accuse us of being deficient in love to our needy brethren we have a conscience void of offense toward God, and we are assured that he will hear us, for he knows that we have not failed in du... [ Continue Reading ]
VERSE 22. AND WHATSOEVER WE ASK. Having kept Gods commandments, by loving our brethren in deed and in truth, and thereby acting in a way well pleasing to God, we know that whatever blessings we ask of him, agreeably to his will, we shall receive.... [ Continue Reading ]
VERSE 23. AND THIS IS HIS COMMANDMENT. The commandment that we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another; believe that God sent his Son into the world; the same Jesus that was born in the manger; that he was sent to save us; take him, accept him as our Prophet, Priest... [ Continue Reading ]
VERSE 24. AND HE THAT KEEPETH. By keeping God's commandments we have fellowship with him. We dwell with him, and he with us. THAT HE ABIDETH IN US. The spirit of the Master that is given to us manifests itself in our daily walk. If we be led by his spirit, we show its fruits in our lives, and by... [ Continue Reading ]