1 John 3:1-24
The Apostle John emphasizes God’s love for us as seen in Christ, urging us to love one another and obey God’s commands.
- Children of God:
- John opens by marveling at the love the Father has lavished on believers, allowing them to be called children of God.
- This identity as God’s children is real, though the world does not recognize them because it did not recognize Jesus.
- Hope in Christ’s Return:
- Believers have the hope that when Christ appears, they will be like Him because they will see Him as He is.
- This hope motivates them to purify themselves, just as Christ is pure.
- Sin and Righteousness:
- John clarifies that committing sin is lawlessness, and since Jesus appeared to take away sins, those who live in Him do not continue to sin.
- Whoever does what is right is righteous, just as Jesus is righteous.
- Love and Hate:
- The passage contrasts love and hate: not loving one’s brother is akin to the way Cain, who belonged to the evil one, killed his brother.
- True love is demonstrated by Jesus’ example, who laid down His life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters.
- Practical Love:
- John emphasizes practical expressions of love: if we have material possessions and see a brother or sister in need but have no pity on them, how can the love of God be in us?
- Love should not be merely words or speech but shown through actions and in truth.
- Confidence Before God:
- This true, action-oriented love gives believers confidence before God because their hearts do not condemn them, and they receive from God whatever they ask because they obey His commands and do what pleases Him.
- God’s command is to believe in the name of His Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as He commanded.
- Living by the Spirit:
- The passage concludes by discussing the role of the Spirit: those who obey God’s commandments live in Him, and He in them, and this is confirmed by the Spirit He gave us.
1 John 3:1-24 reminds us that we are deeply loved by God and called to live in that love by showing kindness and care to others. True love isn’t just words—it’s shown through our actions. We can apply this by being generous, forgiving, and helping those in need. When we love others the way God loves us, we reflect His heart and grow closer to Him. Even when we feel uncertain, we can trust that God sees our hearts and wants us to live with confidence in His love.
1 John 3:1-24 (WEB)
3:1 See how great a love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God! For this cause the world doesn’t know us, because it didn’t know him. 2 Beloved, now we are children of God. It is not yet revealed what we will be; but we know that when he is revealed, we will be like him, for we will see him just as he is. 3 Everyone who has this hope set on him purifies himself, even as he is pure.4 Everyone who sins also commits lawlessness. Sin is lawlessness. 5 You know that he was revealed to take away our sins, and no sin is in him. 6 Whoever remains in him doesn’t sin. Whoever sins hasn’t seen him and doesn’t know him.7 Little children, let no one lead you astray. He who does righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous. 8 He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. To this end the Son of God was revealed: that he might destroy the works of the devil. 9 Whoever is born of God doesn’t commit sin, because his seed remains in him, and he can’t sin, because he is born of God. 10 In this the children of God are revealed, and the children of the devil. Whoever doesn’t do righteousness is not of God, neither is he who doesn’t love his brother. 11 For this is the message which you heard from the beginning, that we should love one another— 12 unlike Cain, who was of the evil one and killed his brother. Why did he kill him? Because his deeds were evil, and his brother’s righteous.13 Don’t be surprised, my brothers, if the world hates you. 14 We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers. He who doesn’t love his brother remains in death. 15 Whoever hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life remaining in him.16 By this we know love, because he laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. 17 But whoever has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, then closes his heart of compassion against him, how does God’s love remain in him?18 My little children, let’s not love in word only, or with the tongue only, but in deed and truth. 19 And by this we know that we are of the truth and persuade our hearts before him, 20 because if our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and knows all things. 21 Beloved, if our hearts don’t condemn us, we have boldness toward God; 22 so whatever we ask, we receive from him, because we keep his commandments and do the things that are pleasing in his sight. 23 This is his commandment, that we should believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and love one another, even as he commanded. 24 He who keeps his commandments remains in him, and he in him. By this we know that he remains in us, by the Spirit which he gave us.