Jesus-SECOND COMING
“Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.” (1John: 3:2)
Text, 1 John Chapter 3 (KJV)
1 Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.
2 Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.
3 And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.
4 Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sons of God,.
5And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin.
6 Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him.
7 Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous.
8 He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose, the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.
9 Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.
10 In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother.
11 For this is the message that ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another.
12 Not as Cain, who was of that wicked one, and slew his brother. And wherefore slew he him? Because his own works were evil, and his brother's righteous.
13 Marvel not, my brethren, if the world hate you.
14 We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death.
15 Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him.
16 Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.
17 But whoso hath this world’s good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?
18 My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.
19 And hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before him.
20 For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things.
21 Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God.
22 And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight.
23 And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment.
24 And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us.
Introduction
The beginning of 1 John Chapter 3 is a discussion of God’s love for us. In the epistle, John said that believers are now God’s children, but whatever we shall be in the future has not been revealed and that they shall see God as He is. John also urged peo-ple to avoid sin and wickedness.
John described how wonderful the love of God is for His people and how hope should motivate us to lead pure lives. John said that believers should live a righteous life since they can differentiate between good and evil.
Those who sin, John said, will not see or recognize Christ. In Verse 7, John asked God’s children to be vigilant and not lead into sin, for those who act upright are just like God, who is also upright. Those who live in sin belong to the devil because the devil has been a sinner since the beginning.
Commentary
1.Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.
Behold, what manner of love The Father hath bestowed upon us,
Whole volumes might be written about this and the two following verses, with-out exhausting the extraordinary subject contained in them, namely, the love of God to (for) man. Though filled with God, the apostle himself, and walking in the fulness of his light, does not attempt to describe it; he calls on the world and the Church to behold it, look upon it, contemplate it, and wonder at it.
What manner of love.
Both as to quantity and quality, wondrous love for these ideas is included in the original communication. This entire chapter, also including the last verse of 1 John 2, is a discussion dealing principally with the children of God. We must disagree with those who make this section a dissertation on the "love of God," although, of course, that subject is prominently mentioned. Aside from the opening verse, love is not mentioned until 1 John 3:11, and there it is not the love of God, but God's command that we should love one another. I have read that the Greek here has the implication "of what country," suggesting that such love is not of earth but of that heavenly country, as if he had said, "what unearthly love!"
The Father hath bestowed upon us
Christ used the expression "my Father" and taught his disciples to pray "our Fa-ther," but the meaning here "includes both," Father and Son with the additional thought that God is the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
that we should be called the sons of God:
For we had neither claim nor merit that we should be called, that is, constituted or made, the sons of God, who were before children of the wicked one, animal, earthly, devilish. Therefore, the love which brought us from such a depth of mis-ery and degradation must appear more extraordinary and impressive.
The vital kinship of humanity with the Creator is glimpsed in such a concept as this, as it is also seen in the great truth underlying the doctrine of the Incarnation. God would not have become a man unless it had been confirmed that man had been created in God's image. The most glorious truth the world has ever received is in this invitation or "call" of God to become his children.
therefore the world knoweth us not,
The Jews, and all who know not God and seek their portion in this life, knoweth us not —do not acknowledge, respect, love, or approve of us. In this sense, the Word is here to be understood. The world KNEW well enough that there were such persons, but they disapproved of them. We have often seen that this is frequent use of the term know, both in Hebrew and Greek, in the Old Testament, and the New.
The reason for the world's hatred of Christians lies in their hostility to all truth and righteousness. They did not recognize Jesus Christ as the Son of God. John's statement here that the world did not know him means that, "Although they saw the human Jesus, they did not recognize him as the Son of God." In connection with the re-jection of himself, Christ foretold the hatred of his followers (John 16:3); and in the holocaust so soon coming upon the Christians, the same root hatred of the light was assigned here as the reason behind it
Because it knew him not.
The Jews did not acknowledge Jesus; they neither approved of him, his doctrine, nor his manner of life.
2. Beloved now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.
Beloved
The word given to a much-loved person. Synonyms: darling, dear, dearest, pre-cious, adored.
Now are we the sons of God,
He speaks of those who are begotten of God and who bring about righteous-ness.
And it doth not yet appear what we shall be:
It is not yet clear; though we know that we are the children of God, we do not know that state of glorious excellence to which, as such, we shall be raised. John made this statement in response to questions which Christians had raised regarding their fu-ture state. People have always been curious regarding such things, but we cannot say. It is not suitable for us to know. We shall be like Christ, and that must be enough for us.
but we know that when he shall appear.
When he shall be manifested, i.e., he shall be manifested in his glorified human nature to judge the world when he comes the second time.
We shall be like him.
Our vile bodies shall be made like unto his glorious body; we shall see him as he is, in all the glory and majesty of the Divine and human nature. See Philippians 3:21; and John 17:24: Father, I will that they also whom thou hast given me be with me where I am, that they may behold my glory. John had seen his glory on the mount when he was transfigured; this we find was unspeakably grand; but even this must have been partially obscured to enable the disciples to bear the sight, for they were not then like him. However, when they shall be like him, they shall see him as he is in all the splendor of his infinite majesty. "What John is clearly saying is that our likeness to the Godhead will be realized in the coming of Christ."
"Grammatically, HIM should mean the Father, but it is impossible to think this is not a reference to Christ. What John is clearly saying is that our likeness to the God-head will be realized in the coming of Christ."
for we shall see him as he is.
"This does not mean that seeing God (Christ) is a proof of our being like him, but the cause of our being so." Furthermore, "The Apostle is speaking of an abiding sight of Christ because a transient view of him would not be a reason for our being like him." All people shall see Him in the final judgment, but the view of the wicked shall be momentary.
3. And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.
All who have the hope of seeing Christ as he is; that is, of enjoying him in his glory; purifieth himself—abstains from all evil and keeps himself from all that is in the world, which is to say, the lusts of the flesh, of the eye, and the pride of life. Man having purified his heart, it is his business to keep himself in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. The apostle does not speak here of any man purifying his own heart because only God can purify it. However, by persevering in the state of purity into which the Lord hath brought him, a Christian may take ad-vantage of all the means that lead to purity; and imploring God for the sanctifying Spir-it, to “cleanse the thoughts of his heart by its inspiration, that he may perfectly love him, and worthily magnify his name.”
Even as he is pure.
Until he is as ultimately saved from his sins as Christ was free from sin. Many tell us that “this never can be done, for no man can be saved from sin in this life.” Will, these persons permit us to ask, how much sin may we be saved from in this life? Some-thing must be ascertained on this subject: 1. that the soul may have some definitive ob-ject in view; 2. That it may not lose its time, or employ its faith and energy, in praying for what is impossible to be attained. Now, as he was manifested to take away our sins, 1 John 3:5, to destroy the works of the devil, 1 John 3:8; and as his blood cleanseth from all sin and unrighteousness, 1 John 1:7; 1 John 1:9; is it not evident that God means that believers in Christ shall be saved from all sin? For if his blood cleanses from all sin, if he destroys the works of the devil, (and sin is the work of the devil,) and if he who is born of God does not sin, 1 John 3:9, then he must be cleansed from all sin; and, while he continues in that state he lives without sinning against God, for the seed of God remaineth in him, and he cannot sin because he is born, or begotten, of God, 1 John 3:9. How strangely warped and blinded by prejudice and system must men be who, in the face of such evidence as this, will still dare to maintain that no man can be saved from his sin in this life; but must daily commit sin, in thought, word, and deed, as the Westminster divines have asserted: that is, every man is laid under the fatal necessi-ty of sinning as many ways against God as the devil does through his natural wicked-ness and malice; for even the devil himself can have no other way of sinning against God except by thought, word, and deed.
Nevertheless, according to these and others of the same creed, “even the most regenerate sin is against God as long as they live.” It is a miserable salvo to say that they do not sin as much as they used to do; they do not sin habitually, only occasional-ly. Alas for this system! Could not the grace that saved them partially save them ideally? Could not that power of God that saved them from habitual sin save them from occasional or accidental sin? Shall we suppose that sin, how potent soever it may be, is as potent as the Spirit and grace of Christ?
Furthermore, everyone that has this hope set on him. The RSV is a better transla-tion: "Everyone who thus hopes in him." This means "everyone who hopes in Christ." The significant obligation of every person "in Christ" is to exhibit the righteousness and purity so perfectly exemplified in him.
There is another glimpse in this of the "perfection" that God requires of his chil-dren. Being as pure as Christ is pure is the same as being "perfect, as your Father in heaven is perfect" (Matthew 5:48), or being "holy, for I am holy" (1 Peter 1:15,16). This idea, or goal, of absolute perfection is unattainable in human strength. However, it is achieved for Christians and ascribed to them because of their having denied them-selves, being baptized "into Christ," and thus made partakers of his sinless perfection. People are saved, not in their own identity, but "like Christ" and "in Christ." This points to the immense importance of the expression "in him," as used in this verse (RSV). This should not take away from the power of the exhortation that all Christians should strive to achieve and maintain the very highest state of purity and perfection of which they are capable. Sin can never be any casual business with the Christian.
THE LETTER AND SPIRIT OF GOD’S WORD, AND THE DESIGN AND END OF CHRIST’S COMING, IS TO SAVE HIS PEOPLE FROM THEIR SINS.
4 Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the trans-gression of the law.
Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law:
What law does he mean? "He is not thinking of the law of Moses," Nor can we agree with Blaney that "transgression of the law of love" alone is meant. "It means the law of God in the fullest sense, not Moses' law, but transgression of the will of God." Notably, it is "the law of Christ" which sin transgresses; and that may not be lim-ited to any classification of Jesus' commandments, but includes "all things whatsoever I have commanded you" (Matthew 28:18-10). Inherent in this is the epic truth that the grace of God has not abolished sin. The proposition that "we are not under law but grace," while true enough as related to the law of Moses, does not relax any of the law of Christ.
Passing from verse 1Jn_3:3 to verse 1Jn_3:4 of our chapter, we are conscious of a very abrupt change. We have just been told how we may discern the true children of God by their practice of righteousness. We are now to see the complete contrast be-tween the children of God and the children of the devil. There are two distinct seeds in the earth from a moral and spiritual standpoint, opposing the other. They cannot be confused or mixed, though an individual may be transferred from one to the other by an act of God, by being begotten of Him.
However, first, the true nature of sin must be exposed. One of the few blemishes of our excellent Authorized Version occurs in verse 1Jn_3:4, where the word for lawless-ness is translated as “transgression of the law.” “Everyone that practices sin practices also lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness.” (New Trans.). If sin had been the transgression of the law, then there would have been no sin committed in the world between Adam and Moses, as Rom_5:13, Rom_5:14 says. Nevertheless, sin is something more profound than that, for
Lawlessness is the denial and repudiation of all law and not merely the breaking of it when given. If the planets that encircle our sun were suddenly to reject all laws, the solar system would be destroyed. Lawlessness amongst the intelligent creatures of God’s hand is equally deadly and destructive of His moral order and government.
Once more, the apostle turns from the positive to the negative. Having shown what birth from God involves, he goes on to show what it excludes. "Everyone that doeth sin" evidently balances "every one that hath this hope" (1 John 3:3), and "to do sin" is the exact opposite of "to do righteousness" (1 John 2:29). Sin is lawless-ness. Both words having the article, the two terms are precisely equivalent—all sin is lawlessness, and all lawlessness is sin. "Lawlessness,'' expresses the ignoring of the law rather than the absence of it. "The law" means the law of God in the fullest sense, not the Mosaic Law. In short, sin is defined as the transgression of God's will.
For sin is the transgression of the law.
The spirit of the law as well as of the Gospel is that “we should love God with all our powers, and our neighbor as ourselves.” All disobedience is contrary to love; there-fore, sin is the transgression of the law, whether the act refers immediately to God or our neighbor.
7. And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; in him is no sin.
The sons of God know that their Lord is of purer eyes than to allow anything un-holy and impure to dwell with him. It is the hope of hypocrites, not of the sons of God, which makes allowance for gratifying impure desires and lusts. May we be followers of him as his dear children, thus show our sense of his unspeakable mercy, and express that obedient, grateful, humble mind which becomes us. Sin is rejecting the Divine law. In him, that is, in Christ, was no sin. All the sinless weaknesses were consequences of the fall he took; that is, all those infirmities of mind or body which subject man to suffering and expose him to temptation. However, our moral infirmities, our proneness to sin, he had not. He that abides in Christ continues not in the practice of sin. Renouncing sin is the great proof of spiritual union with continuance in and saving knowledge of the Lord Christ. Beware of self-deceit. He that doeth righteousness is righteous, and to be a fol-lower of Christ, shows an interest by faith in his obedience and sufferings.
Nevertheless, a man cannot act like the devil, and at the same time, be a disciple of Christ Jesus. Let us not serve or indulge what the Son of God came to destroy. To be born of God is to be inwardly renewed by the power of the Spirit of God. Renewing grace is an abiding principle. Religion is not an art, a matter of dexterity and skill, but a new nature.
Moreover, the regenerate person cannot sin as he did before he was born of God, and as others do, who are not born again. There is that light in his mind, which shows him the evil and malignity of sin. There is that bias upon his heart, which dispos-es him to loathe and hate sin. There is the spiritual principle that opposes sinful acts. Furthermore, there is repentance for sin if committed. It goes against him to sin with forethought. The children of God and the children of the devil have distinct characters. The seed of the serpent is known by the neglect of religion and by their hating real Christians. He only is righteous before God as a justified believer who is taught and disposed to righteousness by the Holy Spirit. In this, the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil. May all professors of the gospel take these truths to heart and try themselves by them.
Two additional reasons for the absolute separation of the children of God from sin.
(1) They know well that the Son of God was manifested in the flesh to put away the sins of the world (John 1:29); not mere "sins," one here and one there, but "the sins" whatever sins exist.
(2) The Son of God was separated from sin.
6 Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him.
Everyone that abideth in Christ sinneth not; for, if he sins, he ceases to abide in him. Just as far as he abides, he does not sin. Or it may mean that he who abides in Christ cannot deliberately and habitually sin. However, if that were the case, would not John have written, "He that abideth in Christ abideth not in sin"? Nevertheless, the main difficulty is in the second half. In what sense is it true that everyone that sinneth hath not seen, Christ? Primarily, there are two explanations given.
(1) Here, the Greek that John uses expresses the present and permanent result of a past action.
(2) The fact of the man's sinning proves that his perception and knowledge have been imperfect, if not superficial, or even imaginary, just as the fact of Christians leaving the Church proves that they never were members of it (1 John 2:19). This explanation is preferable. In verse 2, we were told that seeing God will make us like God, and similarly, to see and know Christ make us like Christ. Whoever is unlike Christ, to that extent, has not seen nor come to know him. The best of us, it may be, have seen but the hem of his garment.
known Him] The Apostle once more (1 John 2:21, 1 John 3:2) appeals to the knowledge which, as Christians, they must possess.
7 Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is right-eous, even as he is righteous.
John’s tender affection for his readers causes him to remind them of the peril of their situation. Because they are God’s children, they must be on guard against those who want to lead them away and into sin. These words carry with them the idea of “Let no one engage in deceiving you, i.e., even try it. Historically, the reference is to the false teachers who have attempted both doctrinal (2:26) and moral deception. It was pointed out that the subject of this deception appears to center around the false teaching, that one “could be” righteous without necessarily bothering to practice righteousness. His warning still applies in our day.
The apostle's words of caution include moral criteria for the professing believer: “He who does what is right is righteous.” With their sophisticated attitude, the false teachers could not merely condone sin but also make it is virtuous. John’s warning was valid not only during his day but throughout history too! He is not speaking of an oc-casional righteous deed but the “habitual” act of righteousness. Furthermore, “the righteousness” he refers to is particular righteousness. It emphasizes the completeness and unity of this righteous quality. The reference is to that righteousness that is charac-teristic of Christ. It is a distinguishing trait of God’s family and is a product of regenera-tion. Notice that the practice of righteousness is not what makes the individual right-eous, but it reveals the inner nature of the one practicing righteousness. One practices righteousness because of his righteous character.” By their fruit, you will recognize them” (Matt. 7:16). The individual’s conduct is sure evidence of his nature. The one who practices righteousness does so because he has been granted the righteousness of God. The believer does right because he has been granted the righteousness of Christ.
This righteousness is expected of the child of God because “he is righteous.” This is, of course, a reference to the Son of God (3:8). John’s use of “just as” does not imply that the believer is righteous to the extent that Jesus is righteous. Instead, Christ is the standard, the means, the motivation for the Christian’s righteousness. As a child of God, the believer seeks to live a life of Christlike righteousness. He seeks to be like Jesus.
John warns against the deception of the false teachers, who claim to be right-eous based on some avowed obscure knowledge but whose life is marked by continual sin. In response, the apostle warns his readers against the danger of being led astray by these heretical teachers. Righteousness is an inner quality that displays itself outwardly. The genuinely righteous one is the one who practices righteousness, righteousness provided and displayed by Christ, the eternally Righteous One.
8 He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the begin-ning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.
The man who knows that Christ is at the end of the road will make his entire life a preparation to meet his God.
In its immediate aim, this passage is directed against the Gnostic false teachers. As we have seen, the Gnostics produced more than one reason to justify sin. They said that the body is evil and that, therefore, there is no harm in satisfying its lusts and flooding it with its pleasures because the body is of no importance, and what happens to it is of no importance. They said that the truly spiritual man is so armored with the Spirit that He can sin to his heart’s desire and receive no harm from it. They even said that the true Gnostic, the man with true knowledge, must know both the heights of vir-tue and the depths of sin. He is under obligation to scale the heights and plumb the depths so that he may indeed be said to know all things. Behind John’s answer, there is a complete analysis of sin.
“The test of progress is obedience.” Progress does not confer the right to sin; the further along a man is, the purer and the more disciplined a character he will be. John then goes on to say and to imply certain fundamental truths about sin.
1. He tells us what sin is. Sin is lawlessness. Sin is the deliberate breaking of a law that a man knows well.
2. He tells us what sin does. Sin undoes the work of Christ. “Christ is the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world” (John 1:29). Therefore, to sin is the same as un-doing the work of Jesus Christ.
3. He tells us why sin is.
Sin comes from the failure to abide in Christ. So long as we remember the continual presence of Jesus, so long as we deliberately walk with Him, we will not sin. It is when we forget Christ that we sin.
4. He tells where sin comes from. Sin comes from the devil, and the devil is the one who sins, as it were, on principle.
5. He tells us how sin is conquered. Sin is conquered because Jesus Christ destroyed the works of the devil. Jesus Christ, by His victory, broke the power of the forces of evil, and by His help, the same power can be ours.
9 Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.
First, what does John mean by the phrase “for his seed remaineth in him”? There are three possibilities.
i. Frequently, the Bible uses the word “seed” to mean a man’s family and descendants. Anyone who has been born of God does not sin because God’s family constantly abides in Him. The man born of God is a member of God’s family; God’s family are those who abide in God, those who never forget God, those who are constantly prais-ing God, those who live so near to God that they may be said to abide in God. The man who lives like that will have a strong defense and antiseptic against sin.
ii. It is human seed that produces human life. The father's seed produces the child, and the child may be said to have the father’s seed in him. Now, the Christian is reborn through God and has the Father’s seed in him. This was an idea with which the people of John’s age were remarkably familiar. The Gnostics said that God had sowed seeds into this world, and through the actions of these seeds, the world was being perfected, and they claimed that it was the true Gnostics who had received these seeds. Those who are genuinely spiritual have these seeds of God for souls. If we take John’s words this way, it will mean that every reborn man has the seed of God in him; that every man reborn of God has nothing less than this spark of God in Him; and that, therefore, he cannot sin. There is no doubt that John’s hearers and readers would know this idea and would recognize it.
iii. There is a much simpler idea which may well be the idea here. Twice in the New Testa-ment, the word of God is that which is said to bring rebirth and recreating to man. James has it, “Of His own will begat first-fruit of His creatures” (James 1:18). The Word of God is like the seed of God, which produces new life. The word of God is identified with the incorruptible seed of God (1 Pe. 1:23). If we take it this way, John will mean that the man born of God cannot sin because he has the strength, power, and guidance of God's Word, which is the seed of God, within Him. This third way is the simplest and, overall, the best. It will mean quite simply that the Christian is preserved from sin by the indwelling power of the Word of God.
Second, this verse presents us with the problem of relating it with certain other things which John has already said about sin. For instance, he said that “If we say that we have not sinned, we make God a liar,” and He urges us to confess our sins (1 John 1:8-10). And then he says that He accepts the Jewish picture of two ages.
i. There was this present age, which is entirely bad and abandoned to evil.
ii. There was the age to come, which is the golden age of God. He also said, “Christians must not commit individual acts of sin,” but if through temptation, they do lapse into acts of sin, they have in Christ an advocate to plead their cause and a sacrifice to atone.
10 In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: who-soever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother.
John provides in this verse and those that follow a closely-knit argument. One idea pre-sented is that “Life reveals the children of God.” There is no way to know what a man is other than by his conduct. John lays it down that anyone who does not do righteous-ness has demonstrated that he is not of God.
John has a very practical mind; therefore, he will not leave righteousness vague and un-defined. The first question he may be asked is, “What is righteousness?” It is the thing that proves that a man belongs to God. However, there is another thing; “to be right-eous is to love our brother man. John says, “This is a duty about we should never be in doubt.” There are several reasons why that commandment is so central and so binding.
i. It is a duty taught to a Christian from the first moment he entered the Church. The Christian ethic can be summed up in one word, “love,” and from the moment a man pledges himself to Christ, he pledges himself to make love the mainspring of his life.
ii. For that very reason, the fact that a man loves his brother men is conclusive proof that he has passed from death into life. Life without love is death. To love is to be in the light; to hate is to remain in the dark.
iii. Further, not to love is to become a murder. John may have been thinking of Jesus and the Sermon on the Mount. There Jesus said, whenever there is hatred in the heart, a man becomes a potential murderer; anger, contempt, and bitterness are grave sins. To allow anger to settle in the heart is to break a definite commandment of Jesus.
iv. If you want to see what love is, look at Jesus Christ. In His death for men on the cross, it is fully displayed. In other words, the Christian life is the imitation of Christ. “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 2:5). “For even here unto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps” (1 Peter 2:21). No man can look at Christ and then say that he does not know what the Christian life is.
v. John meets one more objection. A man may say, “How can I follow in the steps of Jesus? He laid down His life on the cross, “True. However, when you see your brother in need and have enough to give him some of what you have, follow Christ. To shut your heart and refuse to give is to show that that love of God which was in Jesus Christ has no place in you.”
11. For this is the message that ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another.
Earlier in the letter, John has been exhorting the faithful to brotherly love. Now he refers to true righteousness by adding this clause about love. I have already stated the reason why the whole of righteousness is included in brotherly love. Indeed, the love of God holds the first place, but as love for other people depends on it, it is often included in it. So then, the apostle is saying that everyone who is endued with benevo-lence and humanity is just and should be regarded as such because love is the fulfill-ment of the law. He confirms this declaration by saying that the faithful had been taught this from the beginning.
This is the message you heard from the beginning (3:11), John tells his readers. It is not new, but for many others, it remains undiscovered. Even for those who have discovered the message, it still may not be experienced. Furthermore, for those who have experienced it, there remain struggles and failures and the need for restora-tion. The message is and always has been that we should love one another (3:11),
Love is the reason God sent His Son. Love is the reason that Christ died for our sins. Love is the best way to imitate Christ. Love is the central message of Christianity, and it is the core dynamic of holiness. In this passage (John 3:11-15), John offers several more of His characteristic contrasts: love and hatred, life and death, self-sacrifice and murder, confidence and uncertainty. The determining factor, time and time again, is love.
12. Not as Cain, who was of that wicked one, and slew his brother. And where-fore slew he him? Because his own works were evil, and his brother’s righteous.
Next, John cites one of history’s saddest chapters, the murder of Abel by Cain. Do not be like Cain; it seems so obvious that one wonders why he would bother to ad-dress it. He writes that “Cain, who was of that wicked one, and slew his brother.” The Hebrew word describing that first homicide was a term that often used to refer to the butchering of cattle or cutting the throat of an animal about to be used as a sacrifice for sin,
Looking into the text of Genesis 4, we begin to understand the motives for the murder. Ironically, the murder occurred over an act of worship. God looked with favor on Abel’s offering, but not on Cain’s, whose offering was flawed more by his attitude than by anything else.
Cain was dealing with some deep-seated resentment. God gave him the perfect opportunity to regroup, confess his pain and anguish, and find favor with God. Never-theless, Cain refused to counsel and rejected the opportunity to address his jealousy and pride, and he deliberately and maliciously slaughtered his brother. He is a proto-type of the worst in human nature. The direct reason John gives for the murder was that Cain’s actions were evil and his brothers were not.
13 Marvel not,The previous verse gives the reason my brethren, if the world hate you.
The previous verse finishes with John's reason for Cain murdering his brother—Because his works were evil, and his brother's righteous. Then he drops the remark: “Do not be surprised, brothers, if the world hates you.”
An evil man will instinctively hate a good man. Righteousness always provokes hostility in the minds of those whose actions are evil. The reason is that the good man is a walking rebuke to the evil man. Even if he never speaks a word to him, his life pass-es a silent judgment.
The Wisdom of Solomon has a grim passage (2:10-20). In it, the evil man is made to express his attitude to the good man:“ Let us lie in wait for the righteous be-cause He is not for our turn and he is clean contrary to our doings . . . He was made to reprove our thoughts. He is grievous to us even to behold: for his life is not like other men’s, His ways are like another fashion. We are esteemed of Him as counterfeits: He abstains from our ways as from filthiness. The very sight of the good man made the evil man hate him.
Wherever the Christian is, even though he speaks no word, he acts as the con-science of society; for that very reason, the world will often hate him.
In ancient Athens, the noble Aristides was unjustly chndenmned to death; when one of the jurymen was asked how he could have cast his vote against such a man, he answered that he was tired of hearing Aristides called, “The Just.” The hatred of the world against the Christian is an ever-present phenomenon, and it is because the world-ly man sees in the Christian the condemnation of himself; he sees in the Christian what he is not and what in his heart of hearts he knows what he ought to be; and, because he will not change, he seeks to eliminate the man who reminds him of the lost goodness.
14 We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death.
This passage (3:11-14) has to do with the theme “love for the brethren.” The es-sence of the Christian message is, “We should love one another” (v.11). Christians must not be like Cain, for he was under the influence of the evil one, at whose urging he slew his brother (v.12). The term brother stems from the Cain-Abel story (v. 12) but now is applied to the spiritual family. As Cain hated Abel, much of the world will hate believers (v. 13). Believers are vastly different. When Christians love their brethren, they have evi-dence that they have passed from spiritual death into spiritual life. John’s point is not so much, “If you do not love fellow Christians, then you are not saved!” but because you love fellow Christians, this is one of the reassurances that you are saved. The per-son who does not love other Christians abides in spiritual death—i.e., is still unsaved (v. 14).
15 Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him.
The love-hate contrast continues, even though the word “love” is missing. Love and hate travel together. We know John says that all Christians have knowledge, and he brings it out many times. We have passed from death to life (Jn. 5:24) is expressive and unusual. Unbelievers live in a condition that can only be called death. It is not that way for believers. Believers have passed clean out of death, and they live the life that is life. The test whereby we may know this has happened is that we love our brothers. John keeps coming back to this thought. He reinforces it here with the corresponding nega-tive. Anyone who does not love remains in death. This is spelled out with an emphatic declaration about hate. Anyone who hates his brother is a murderer. Jesus said that the lustful look is adultery and that the ugly word breaks the command, “Do not murder” (Mt. 5:21, 22). John follows this example and goes to the deep roots of our actions. Ha-tred has the same essence as murder, and no murderer has eternal life in him. (To take life is to forfeit life.) This does not mean that a murderer cannot repent and find for-giveness. It means that no one who has the attitude that brings murder is the possessor of eternal life. The two are mutually exclusive.
16 Hereby (at this moment) perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.
At this moment perceive we the love of God
The words “of God” are not in the original and should not have been intro-duced into the translation. The words “of God” would naturally convey the idea that “God” laid down his life for us; or that God himself, in his divine nature, suffered. How-ever, this idea is not expressed in this passage as it is in the original, and of course, no argument can be derived from it either to prove that Christ is God or that the divine nature is capable of suffering. The original is much more expressive and emphatic than it is with this addition: “By this, we know love;” that is, we know what true love is; we see a most affecting and striking illustration of its nature. “Love itself” - its real nature, its power, its sacrifices, its influences - was seen in its highest form when the Son of God gave himself to die on a cross.
Because he laid down his life for us
There can be no doubt that the Saviour is referred to here, though his name is not mentioned particularly. There are bhseveral instances in the New Testament where he is mentioned under the general name “he,” as one who was well known and about whom the writers were accustomed to speak.
and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren
For the good of our fellow Christians, if it is necessary. That is, circumstances may occur where it would be proper to do it, and we ought always to be ready to do it. The spirit which led the Saviour to sacrifice his life for the good of the Church, should lead us to do the same thing for our brethren if circumstances should require it. That this is a cor-rect principle no one can doubt; for:
(1)The Saviour did it, and we are bound to imitate his example and to possess his spirit;
(2)The prophets, apostles, and martyrs did it, laying down their lives in the cause of truth, and for the good of the Church and the world; and,
(3)It has always been held that it is right and proper, in certain circumstances, for a man to lay down his life for the good of others.
So we speak of the patriot who sacrifices his life for the good of his country; so we feel in the case of a shipwreck, that it may be the duty of a captain to sacrifice his life for the good of his passengers and crew; so in case of a pestilent disease, a physician should not regard his own life, if he may save others; and so we always hold the man up to honor who is willing to jeopard his own life on noble principles of self-denial for the good of his fellow-men. In what cases this should occur, the apostle does not state, but the general principle would seem to be that it is to be done when a greater good would result from our self-sacrifice than from carefully guarding our own lives. Thus, in the case of a patriot, his death, in the circumstances, might be of more excellent value to his country than his life would be; or, his exposing himself to death would be a more out-standing service to his country than if that should not be done.
Thus, the Saviour laid down his life for the good of mankind; thus the apos-tles exposed their lives to constant peril in extending the principles of religion; and thus the martyrs surrendered their lives in the cause of the Church and of truth. In like man-ner, we ought to be ready to hazard our lives, and even to lay them down, if in that way we may promote the cause of truth, and the salvation of sinners, or serve our Christian brethren. In what way this injunction was understood by the primitive Christians, may be perceived from what the world is reported to have said of them, “Behold, how they love one another; they are ready to die for one another.” - Tertullian, Apol. c. 39. So Eu-sebius (Eccl. His. vii. 22) says of Christians, that “in a time of plague they visited one an-other, and not only hazarded their lives, but actually lost them in their zeal to preserve the lives of others.” We are not indeed to throw away our lives; we are not to expose them in a rash, reckless, imprudent manner; but when, in the discharge of duty, we are placed in a situation where life is exposed to danger, we are not to shrink from the du-ty, or to run away from it. Perhaps the following would embrace the principal instances of the duty here enjoined by the apostle:
(1)We ought to have such love for the Church that we should be willing to die for it, as patriot is willing to die for his country.
(2)We ought to have such love for Christians as to be willing to jeopard our lives to aid them - as in case of a pestilence or plague, or when they are in danger by fire, or flood, or foes.
(3)We ought to have such love for the truth as to be willing to sacrifice our lives rather than deny it.
(4)We ought to have such love for the cause of our Master as to be willing to cross oceans, and snows, and sands; to visit distant and barbarous regions, though at immi-nent risk of our lives, and though with the prospect that we shall never see our country again.
(5)We ought to have such love for the Church that we shall engage heartily and con-stantly in services of labor and self-sacrifice on its account, until, our work being done, exhausted nature shall sink to rest in the grave. In one word, we should regard our-selves as devoted to the service of the Redeemer, living or dying to be found engaged in his cause. If a case should actually occur where the question would arise whether a man would abandon his Christian brother or die, he ought not to hesitate; in all cases he should regard his life as consecrated to the cause of Sion and its friends. Once, in the times of primitive piety, there was much of this spirit in the world; how little, it is to be feared, does it prevail now!
17 But whoso hath this world’s good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?[1]
The word “God” is not in the original: it seems to be omitted by the apostle just as the name of Jesus is omitted by Mary when she meets Jesus near the tomb and sup-posed that He was the gardener, “Sir, if thou hast borne him hence, etc.,” (Jn. 20:15)[1]. Mary's remarks declare how the blessed and glorious subject possessed her thoughts. It also expresses the excellent dignity and warm-heartedness of the Lord Jesus, as though He, and He alone, was, or deserved to be, both known and admired by all. Because He laid down His life not merely for sinners but us in particular, from this truth, believed, and salvation received by that faith, the love of Christ, and, in conse-quence thereof, the love of the brethren, take their rise, which may very justly be admit-ted as evidence that our faith is no delusion. However, whosoever has this world’s Worldly substance, which is far less valuable than life; and seeth his brother has need (The very sight of want knocks at the door of the spectator’s heart;) and shutteth up (restraineth) his heart of compassion, whether asked or not.
Nevertheless, His bowels of compassion may be excited by the view of misery and the love of God that dwelleth in him? However, he may talk about it, as the next verse supposes him to do. Thus, the apostle having, in the preceding verse, observed that we know the love of Christ by his laying down his life for us and that the consider-ation of His love for us should persuade us “to love Him so that at his call, to lay down our lives for the brethren. Here he tells us that if, so far from laying down our lives for them, we refuse them, when in need, some part of our worldly goods to support their lives, the love of God can in no sense be said to be in us.
18. My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth. [2]
My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue,
Though this is true of our love for God and Jesus Christ, it must be understood to pertain to our love for the brethren, as the context shows. So the Syriac version reads, "let us not love one another in word,” that is, without the heart, or with a double heart; speaking one thing with the lips, and another thing in the heart; speaking peace-ably with the mouth, and laying wait with the heart; or we should not love in this man-ner "only"; and so the Arabic version adds; It is very lawful, and right to express our love to one another, and all men in words, to give good words, and use courteous lan-guage, and speak in a kind, tender, and affectionate manner, and especially to persons in distress; but this should not be all, it will be of no avail to say to such, be warmed and filled, and give them nothing but these good words, nothing to warm and fill them with (see James 2:15).
Nevertheless, we should love in deed and truth; for true love is a laborious and functioning grace; hence we read of the work and labor of love; it shows itself by the saints serving one another by bearing one another's burdens, forbearing with, and for-giving one another, praying for each other, and building up one another on their most holy faith; exhorting each other to the duties of religion, and not tolerating sins upon one another, but admonishing in love, and restoring with meekness; and in the tempo-rary, contributing to the necessities of the saints, ministering to them of their worldly substance, and supplying their daily wants: and this is loving "indeed,” or "in work"; this is real love, love in fact, and what is apparent and evident: and it is "in truth,” when it is in reality, and not in show only; and when it is cordially and heartily done, with cheer-fulness, and without grudging.
19 And hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts be-fore him.
In this verse, "heart" is used with the meaning of "conscience." "The heart in St. John's language is also conscience."
"Opinion is divided on whether these verses are meant to inspire awe or give consolation." There does not seem to be any way of arriving at an absolute certainty on this point, so both viewpoints (and translations) will be presented.
One paraphrase is: "We shall then still our heart in whatsoever it may condemn us because we are in fellowship with God, and that fact assures us of His sovereign mercy."
David Smith explained the meaning thus:
The preceding exhortation may have awakened a misgiving in our minds: "Am I as loving as I ought to be?" Our failures in duty and service rise before us, and "our heart condemns us." So the apostle furnishes a great reassurance. The assurance is: (1) the worst that is in us is known to God, and (2) God sees the most profound things, and these are the real things. If we intend to do His will, He takes that into account.
When conscience brings its accusations, we may appeal to the higher and final tribunal of Omniscience. "Lord, you know everything; you know that I love, etc." (John 21:17).
"God knoweth all things ..." is an awful thought for the unrepentant, a blessed and encouraging thought for the repentant. God knows our sins, but he also knows our temptations, struggles, sorrow, and love.
In spite of the above, however, there is another viewpoint that must be consid-ered.
It could mean: since our hearts condemn us and God is infinitely greater than our hearts, God must condemn us even more. If we take it that way, it leaves us only with the fear of God and with nothing to say but, "God be merciful to me, a sinner."
Our conscience is only the faint echo of His voice, the voice of God who knoweth all things: if it condemns us, how much more could He?
The main objection to this interpretation was the thought that the definite pur-pose of the paragraph was that of healing wounded hearts and not that of "opening the wounds wider ... and striking terror into their hearts." Despite this, we cannot rule out the possibility of this second meaning, for in so doing, we might be guilty of pre-sumption. Nevertheless, we dare to hope that the first meaning is correct. It could be that the blessed Spirit who inspired these precious words intended a certain vagueness.
20. For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things.
For if our heart condemn us
We cannot hope for peace from any expectation that our hearts will never accuse us or that we can approve of all that we have done. The reference here is not so much to our past lives but our present conduct and demeanor. The object is to induce Chris-tians to live so that their hearts will not condemn them for any secret sins, while their outward demeanor may be unsullied. The general sentiment is that if they should live so that their hearts would condemn them for present insincerity and hypocrisy, they could have no hope of peace, for God knows all that is in the heart. Because of the past—when the heart accuses us of what we have done—we may find peace by such evidence of piety as shall dispel the troubles of an agitated soul (1 John 3:9). However, we cannot have such peace if our hearts condemn us for the indulgence of secret sins, now that we profess to be Christians. If our hearts condemn us for present insincerity and secret sins, we can never “persuade” or soothe them by any external act of piety. Given the consciousness of past guilt, we may find peace; we can find none if there is a present purpose to indulge in sin.
God is greater than our heart and knoweth all things - We cannot hope to find peace by hiding anything from his view or by any supposition that he is not ac-quainted with the sins for which our consciences trouble us. He knows all the sins we are conscious of and sees all their guilt and aggravation as clearly as we do. He knows more than this. He knows all the sins we have forgotten; all those acts which we en-deavor to persuade ourselves are not sinful, but which are evil in his sight; and all those aggravations attending our sins which it is impossible for us fully and distinctly to con-ceive. He is more disposed to condemn sin than we are; he looks on it with less allow-ance than we do. We cannot hope, then, for a calm mind in any supposition that God does not see our sins as clearly as we do or hope that he will look on them with more favor and indulgence. Peace cannot be found in the indulgence of sin in the hope that God will not perceive or regard it, for we can sooner deceive ourselves than we can him; and while therefore, 1 John 3:19, about the past, we can only “persuade” our hearts, or soothe their uneasy feelings by evidence that we are of the truth now, and that our sins are forgiven; in reference to the present and the future, the heart can be kept calm only by such a course of life that our hearts and our God shall approve of how we live.
21 Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God.
22 And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his command-ments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight.
“Beloved, if our heart condemn us not.”
If our conscience, duly enlightened by the word and Spirit of God, compare all our thoughts, words, and works with that word, pronounce that they agree in addition to that;
“then have we confidence toward God.”
Our consciousness of his favor continues, with the liberty of access to him, and intercourse with him; and we have this further blessing, that
“whatsoever we ask.”
According to his will;
“we receive of him.”
Or shall receive in the time, measure, and manner which he knows will be pri-marily for his glory and for our good. This general declaration must be limited by the conditions which in other passages of Scripture are represented as necessary in order for our petitions to be granted by God: such as that we ask things which his word au-thorizes us to ask, 1 John 5:14-15; and that we ask them in faith, James 1:6; or in a full persuasion of, and reliance upon, his wisdom, power, and goodness; and with sin-cerity and resignation. Such prayers they who live in his fear and love, and comply with his will, as far as they know it, walking before him in holiness and righteousness, may expect will be heard and answered.
23 And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment.
24 And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us.
“That we should believe on the name of his Son.”
We are commanded to believe in Christ, that for the sake of his passion and death we may be justified from all things from which the law of Moses could not justify us; and being through Him redeemed from the guilt of sin, restored to the Divine favor, and made partakers of the Holy Ghost, we are enabled to “love one another as he gave us commandment”; for without a renewal of the heart, love to God and man is impossible, and this renewal comes by Christ Jesus.
‘Dwelleth in him — i.e., in God; “and he”-God, “in” the “him”-the believer.
“And hereby we know” — We know by the Spirit which he hath given us that we dwell in God, and God in us. It was not by conjecture or inference that Christians of old knew they were in favor of God; it was by the testimony of God's Spirit in their hearts, and this testimony was not given transiently, but was constant and “abiding” while they continued under the influence of that faith that worketh by love. Every good man is a temple of the Holy Ghost, and wherever he is, he is both light and power. By his power, he works; by his light, he makes both himself and his work known. Peace of conscience and joy in the Holy Ghost must proceed from the indwelling of that Holy Spirit, and those who have these blessings must know that they have them, for we cannot have heavenly peace and heavenly joy without knowing that we have them. However, this Spirit in the soul of a believer is not only manifest by its effects, but it bears its witness to its indwelling. So that a man not only knows that he has this Spirit from the fruits of the Spirit, but he knows that he has it from its direct witness. It may be said, "How can these things be?"
Furthermore, it may be answered, By the power, light, and mercy of God. Howev-er, that such things are, the Scriptures uniformly attest, and the experience of the whole genuine Church of Christ and every genuinely converted soul sufficiently proves. As the wind bloweth where it listeth, and we cannot tell whence it cometh and whither it goeth, so is everyone born of the Spirit: the thing is sure, and fully known by its effects; but how this testimony is given and confirmed is inexplicable. Every good man feels it and knows he is of God by the Spirit which God has given him.
General Notes
[1]Love One Another
…16By this we know what love is: Jesus laid down His life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for our broth-ers. 17 If anyone with earthly possessions sees his brother in need, but withholds his compassion from him, how can the love of God abide in him? 18Little children, let us love not in word and speech, but in action and truth.…
[2] Love One Another
…17If anyone with earthly possessions sees his brother in need, but withholds his com-passion from him, how can the love of God abide in him? 18Little children, let us love not in word and speech, but in action and truth. 19And by this we will know that we belong to the truth, and will assure our hearts in His presence:…
