1 John chapter 3

John says a Christian does not sin. Instead, we are to love one another. And we are to believe in the name of Jesus Christ.

 


 

JOHN SAYS A CHRISTIAN DOES NOT SIN

 

VERSE 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.

love the Father has given to us. The greatest sign of the love of God the Father for us is that he gave us Jesus Christ.

 

VERSE 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.

we are children of God. This may be true. However, there is no physical evidence that can be seen or measured.

 

VERSE 3. Everyone who has this hope set on him purifies himself, even as he is pure.

purifies himself. What does it mean to purify yourself? Are you on a path toward greater purification?

 

VERSE 4. Everyone who sins also commits lawlessness. Sin is lawlessness.

Everyone who sins. If a Christian were to sin, what does that mean?

Some people believe that once they are saved, there is nothing that can cause the loss of their eternal salvation. Therefore sin means nothing at all.

Other people believe that sin can indeed cause them to loose their eternal salvation and be cut off from God.

 

VERSE 5. You know that he was revealed to take away our sins, and no sin is in him.

to take away our sins. The purpose of the earthly mission of Jesus Christ was to take away our sins.

 

VERSE 6. Whoever remains in him doesn’t sin. Whoever sins hasn’t seen him and doesn’t know him.

Whoever sins. If a Christian commits a sin, did they ever even know God?

 

VERSE 7. Little children, let no one lead you astray. He who does righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous.

He who does righteousness. If we are righteous, we will do righteous deeds. That is the essence of being spiritually fruitful.

The LORD God calls us to be spiritually fruitful. We are to bear fruit for the kingdom of God. But in our day, the fruitfulness of many Christians has been hijacked. Read more »

 

VERSE 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.

 

VERSE 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.

doesn’t commit sin. This is a wonderful claim. However, it is not factually true:

  • Christians lie, cheat, and steal.
  • Christians commit crimes and go to jail.
  • Christians slander other people.
  • Christians enact laws to deny human rights
  • Christians sexually abuse children.

his seed. The Lord Jesus Christ within us.

 

VERSE 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.

 

WE ARE TO LOVE ONE ANOTHER

 

VERSE 11. For this is the message which you heard from the beginning, that we should love one another;

that you should love one another. The Lord Jesus Christ gives us a new command. It is that we love one another. Read more »

 

VERSE 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.

 

VERSE 13. Don’t be surprised, my brothers, if the world hates you.

 

VERSE 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.

out of death into life. The litmus test of whether we are saved or not is whether we love one another.

He who doesn’t love his brother. If we do not love, we are among the living dead.

 

VERSE 15. Whoever hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life remaining in him.

 

VERSE 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.

lay down our lives for the brothers. Christian love is not a mere emotion. Rather, it is expressed with deeds.

Love is an action. It is a verb. Christian love is sacrificial. It is willing to lay down its life for other people.

 

VERSE 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?

 

VERSE 18. My little children, let’s not love in word only, or with the tongue only, but in deed and truth.

This verse is fantastic! Would you consider memorizing it? More great verses to memorize from the First Letter of John and from the entire Bible.

in deed and truth. The Scriptural portrayal of love is not emotion. Rather, love is something we do. We demonstrate our love with actions, like the LORD God:

Romans 5:8. But God commends his own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

 

BELIEVE IN THE NAME OF JESUS CHRIST

 

VERSE 19. And by this we know that we are of the truth, and persuade our hearts before him,

 

VERSE 20. because if our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and knows all things.

if our heart condemns us. Sometimes we feel defeated. That sense of defeat can be very convincing.

We need to trust that God will do for us what he has promised.

 

VERSE 21. Beloved, if our hearts don’t condemn us, we have boldness toward God;

boldness. The Greek word is parrhesia. It means confidence.

 

VERSE 22. so whatever we ask, we receive from him, because we keep his commandments and do the things that are pleasing in his sight.

 

VERSE 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.

believe in the name of his Son. We are to to believe in the name of Jesus Christ.

 

VERSE 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.

 


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1 JOHN

CHAPTERS: 01, 02, 03, 04, 05

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