3.1-24

In chapter one, John laid a foundation for a group within the church that was claiming an improper separation between the spirit and the flesh. "If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us." 1 Jn 1:8. In chapter three, we find John steering us in what seems to be a critically opposite direction. "No one who abides in Him sins; no one who sins has seen Him or has come to know Him." 1 Jn 3:6. "Everyone who has been born of God does not sin, because His seed abides in him; he cannot sin, because he has been born of God." 1 Jn 3:9. Yes, you should wrestle with these verses. No, John is not suggesting a group of "super Christians" living a life of higher character than is possible for the rest of us. We can easily accept that God's intention is for the believer to be free from sin. This is not incompatible with vv.6,9. We also can agree that sin "IS" incompatible with being a child of God. If anyone is following after sin, we know that person is not following after Christ - God and sin are incompatible. Therefore, if anyone continues in sin, he is not abiding in Christ, he is not living a life of righteousness, and he has not come to know God. John, by the Spirit of God, is compelling us to live purposefully opposed to the continual threat of sin. We must live free from sin on the condition of abiding in Christ, keeping His commandments. Recall vv2:3,29 noting the same affirmation of our salvation in Christ that John delivers in vv23-24.

CHAPTER 3

Children of God, Love One Another

1 See how great a love the Father has given to us, that we would be called children of God; and we are. For this reason the world does not know us, because it did not know Him.
2 Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not been manifested as yet what we will be. We know that when He is manifested, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is.
3 And everyone who has this hope fixed on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.
4 Everyone who does sin also does lawlessness; and sin is lawlessness.
5 And you know that He was manifested in order to take away sins, and in Him there is no sin.
6 No one who abides in Him sins; no one who sins has seen Him or has come to know Him.
7 Little children, let no one deceive you. The one who does righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous.
8 The one who does sin is of the devil, because the devil sins from the beginning. The Son of God was manifested for this purpose, to destroy the works of the devil.
9 Everyone who has been born of God does not sin, because His seed abides in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God.
10 By this the children of God and the children of the devil are manifested: everyone who does not do righteousness is not of God, as well as the one who does not love his brother.
11 For this is the message which you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another;
12 not as Cain, who was of the evil one and slew his brother. And for what reason did he slay him? Because his deeds were evil, and his brother’s were righteous.
13 Do not marvel, brothers, if the world hates you.
14 We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers. The one who does not love abides in death.
15 Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.
16 By this we have known love, that 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 and closes his heart against him, how does the love of God abide in him?
18 Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth.
19 And by this we will know that we are of the truth, and will assure our heart before Him
20 in whatever our heart condemns us; for God is greater than our heart and knows all things.
21 Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God;
22 and whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do the things that are pleasing in His sight.
23 And this is His commandment, that we believe in the name of His Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, just as He gave a commandment to us.
24 And the one who keeps His commandments abides in Him, and He in him. We know by this that He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He gave us.