1 John 3

Children of God

2:29, 3:1-3 All who do right are righteous, beloved children of God, and will be unknown by the world just as Jesus was. We don’t know what we’ll be, only that we’ll be like Jesus at his revelation, made pure by our hope in him.

4-10 Just as those who do right are righteous, sinless children of God, so those who sin are lawless children of the devil. If we abide in Christ, we do not sin, because in him is no sin. Children of the devil are identified by their sins and their lack of love for fellow Christians.

This relates back to 1 John 1:7, which speaks of walking in the light. Though we may not keep Christ’s commandments perfectly, as long as we abide in him – walk in the light – God does not see our mistakes or weaknesses. We are justified. Those who rebel against God’s laws – or do not love, which is apparently just as damning – are seen as children of Satan.

Love One Another

11-13 From the beginning, we were to love one another, unlike Cain, who murdered his brother out of envy of his brother’s righteousness. Don’t be surprised if the world hates you for the same reason.

Does the world hate us because we’re righteous – for our examples of righteousness – or because we’re trying to control them? Before we indignantly claim persecution from the world, we need to examine ourselves to make sure we are righteous in God’s eyes.

14-17 Life in Christ means we love one another. Hatred for each other is tantamount to murder. As Christ loved us and gave his life for us, so we physically help other Christians who are in need.

Hatred means we wouldn’t sorrow if the object of our hatred suffered and died. It means we wouldn’t help them in their need, much less sacrifice our lives for them.

18-22 Love not just in word, but truly and actively, assured that God knows everything, that he will not condemn us, which gives us boldness in our petitions to him.

This is another assurance that we ought not to worry about doing everything just “right.” If our good deeds are motivated by love, we don’t need to worry about God’s approval or be shy about approaching him, as long as we’re doing his commandments.

23-24 And what is his commandment? That we believe in Christ and love one another. This is how we abide in him, assuring that he abides in us by the Holy Spirit.

Love and keeping commandments are not mutually exclusive, as long as keeping commandments is motivated by love for one another.