The Result of Being a Child of God  3:1 Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him.Sadly, the marvel of God's love revealed in calling us to be His children doesn't mean much to a vast number of those who claim to be Christians. This is made more tragic in light of the fact that we live in a time when so many people seem to be forever searching to find value and meaning for their lives. What greater value could a created being have than to be given a second birth that infuses their inner being with the divine life of God, a life that at its completion in the presence of Christ will be as Christ Himself (v. 1-2). It is this new and divine life within us that restores our capacity for intimacy with God that was lost at the fall. This new life restores our spiritual senses and enables us to enjoy spiritual fellowship with God who is Spirit. This capacity for communion is so full of riches because, above all else, it enables us to receive God's love and give love in return. This is the greatest of all the wonders of being born again by God through His Spirit. It is love, a love that is as rich and deep as God's infinite being. Personally experiencing the love within the fatherhood of God enriches our soul as nothing else can ever do. The result of becoming children of God resolves two of the most perplexing issues of humanity throughout the ages. First, it resolves our ever-present struggle with personal wrongdoing—sin—through forgiveness and inner transformation. Secondly, it resolves that reoccurring, though often masked, inability to genuinely love others, as we ourselves need to be loved. What is so amazing is that the love from God as our Father that has been birthed within us is able to overcome sin and our selfish disregard to love others. To keep the will of God and be free from sin's control is the natural by-product of a heart that has been loved by God and now in return loves God. Those born of God have the seed of God's life within them. This is a life that is spiritually "rewired" to do the right thing, to live a righteous life, and to genuinely love people (v. 3-9). This love is the most obvious proof that we have actually been born of God. "We know that we have passed from death to life because we love the brethren" (3:14). It is this result of a genuine Father-child relationship with God that can become the brightest light of all to a world enslaved to darkness, sin, and death. | |||
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1 John 3:1-24  1 Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. 2 Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. 3 And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.4 Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness. 5 And you know that He was manifested to take away our sins, and in Him there is no sin. 6 Whoever abides in Him does not sin. Whoever sins has neither seen Him nor known Him. 7 Little children, let no one deceive you. He who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous. 8 He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil. 9 Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God. The Imperative of Love 10 In this the children of God and the children of the devil are manifest: Whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is he who does not love his brother. 11 For this is the message that you heard from the beginning, that we should love one another, 12 not as Cain who was of the wicked one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his works were evil and his brother's righteous. 13 Do not marvel, my brethren, if the world hates you. 14 We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love his brother abides in death. 15 Whoever hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him. The Outworking of Love 16 By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. 17 But whoever has this world's goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him? 18 My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth. 19 And by this we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before Him. 20 For if our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and knows all things. 21 Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence toward God. 22 And whatever we ask we receive from 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. The Spirit of Truth and the Spirit of Error 24 Now he who keeps His commandments abides in Him, and He in him. And by this we know that He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us. | |||
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| 1 John 3:1-24 v. 1 What Manner of Love – Central to the Christian faith is the relationship of love between God and believers. Of all the major religions of the world, only in Christianity is God portrayed as a loving Father. John not only emphasizes that God loves us, but he exhorts his readers to take note of what manner of love He loves us with. Children of God – This categorization defines the manner of love God has for us. Those who come to God through faith in Christ literally become Children of God (John 1:12). And God loves us as His very own children. There is no deeper, more committed love than the love a parent has for his or her child (2 Cor. 6:18). Because it Did Not Know Him – People who do not know and respect the Heavenly Father will not know or respect the children of God either. This is the reason we cannot expect to be treated with love or respect by the unbelievers of this world. v. 2 Now – nun (Gk.) at this time, the present, now. When a person receives Jesus as Lord and Savior they are born again at that very moment (Rom. 10:9-13, Eph. 1:13). They don't have to go through an initiation or trial period or a training program. Salvation happens now when a person puts their faith in Christ for salvation (Rom. 8:16). it Has Not Yet Been Revealed What We Shall Be – As great as it is to be a child of God, the best is yet to come. It has not yet been revealed to us all the wonderful things in store for the child of God in eternity (1 Cor. 2:9). When He is Revealed – The Greek word for revealed here is, phaneroo, which means to make known, to make visible what was hidden, expose to view, to show one's self, appear. This phrase is specifically referring to our future hope of when Christ visibly and physically returns (Mal. 3:2, Col. 3:4, Heb. 9:28). We Shall Be Like Him – God's ultimate objective for every child of God. This is what will happen to every believer when Jesus Christ returns (2 Tim. 4:1, 8) At Jesus' appearing we will all be changed in a twinkling of an eye (1 Cor. 15:52) We will be transformed into the likeness of Jesus when we see Him. This is God's ultimate plan for His children (Rom. 8:29). We Shall See Him as He is – The power of spiritual transformation for the believer is in seeing and experiencing Jesus in His glory (2 Cor. 3:18, 1 Cor. 13:12). v. 3 Hope – elpis (Gk.) joyful expectation or confidence Purifies – hagnizo (Gk.) to make morally pure, cleanse He is Pure – hagnos (Gk.) immaculate, perfect, and innocent Hope in Him Purifies – The person who has set his hope on the return of Christ will desire to be pure as Christ is pure. In addition to this, the happy expectation of being with Jesus at His return has a special purifying effect on the believing heart. v. 4 Sin – hamartia (Gk.) that which is done wrong, to miss the mark, err, an offence, a violation of God's divine law in thought or in act Lawlessness – anomia (Gk.) contempt and violation of law; the condition of being without law Sin is lawlessness – To commit lawlessness is to rebel against the lawgiver. Sin is not merely a falling short of perfection. Sin is a transgression against God's law. v. 5 Manifested – phaneroo (Gk.) to expose to view, to show one's self, appear. This is the same Greek word found in verse 2, but specifically refers here to His first appearance on earth as recorded in the Gospel accounts. Take away – airo (Gk.) to remove; to cause to cease He was Manifested to Take Away Our Sins – The objective of Jesus' mission on earth was to bring about both forgiveness and deliverance from sin. Therefore, to claim to embrace faith in Jesus and at the same time embrace sin is a major inconsistency and contradiction of spiritual life. in Him There is No Sin – Jesus has a sinless nature. As He is God incarnate, there is no sin in Him. Peter reaffirms this truth in 1 Peter 2:22. v. 6 Abides – meno (Gk.) continue, dwell, endure, be present, remain, stand. Jesus commanded His disciples, abide in Me (John 15:4). This implies an effort and cooperation on the part of the believer to resist sin and pursue righteousness. Does Not Sin – The word sin here in the Greek is stated in the present, active indicative, which means a continuous ongoing condition. John is saying here that the one who abides in Christ does not abide in sin. There has been a change in his nature and practice. This does not mean that a true Christian will never sin (1 John 2:1). Whoever Sins – Again, as stated in the explanation above, the Greek word for sin here carries with it the sense of an ongoing lifestyle and disposition of the heart. v. 7 Deceive – planao (Gk.) to cause to stray, to lead astray, lead aside from the right way; to lead away from the truth, to lead into error Practices – poieo (Gk.) to make, to do Righteous – dikaios (Gk.) innocent, faultless, guiltless Practices Righteousness – One who lives in an intentional and active state of doing right in God's eyes. v. 8 He Who Sins is of the Devil – Sin is the domain of the devil. The one who lives in sin is living under the devil's power and authority. Devil – diabolos (Gk.) specially applied to Satan; false accuser, slanderer Son of God – This phrase always refers to Jesus Christ. Though believers are called children of God (John 1:12, 11:52; Rom. 8:16, 21; 9:8; Phil. 2:15; 1 John 3:1), or even, sons of God (Matt. 5:9, Luke 20:36, Rom. 8:14,19, Gal. 3:26) there is only one Son of God. Destroy – luo (Gk.) to loose, to release, to dissolve. The works of the devil are sin. And the purpose of Jesus' coming is to utterly destroy sin and all sin's power and consequences. v. 9 Born of God – A term referring to those who have been given a new nature through faith in Jesus (John 1:13, 3:3-18; 1 John 4:7; 5:1, 4, 18). His Seed – The seed John is speaking of here is the new life of God implanted in the believer by the Spirit of God, which provided spiritual life. This seed of spiritual life implanted in a person causes him to be born of God and spiritually alive (Luke 8:11-15). The context of this phrase is declaring that the seed of God's life will not allow the believer to continue comfortably in sin. v. 10 Children of God – The new identity of those who have been born again (John 3:3, 7; 1 Peter 1:23) by God's Spirit through faith in Christ (Matt. 5:9; Luke 20:36; John 11:52; Rom. 8:16, 21; 9:8; Gal. 3:26; 1 John 3:10; 5:2). Children of the Devil – All who are not children of God. There are really only two kinds of people, children of God and children of the devil. Manifest – phaneros (Gk.) apparent, visible, evident, known Practice – poieo (Gk.) To act, to do or perform. Notice in this context John is dealing with the practice of one's life. One who does not practice righteousness (right living before God) reveals that he is not born of God (Matt. 7:16-20). He Who Does not Love His Brother – John reveals another very important distinction of a child of God. He loves his brother. A person who does not love the children of God is not a child of God himself. Again, keep in mind that we are speaking of practice and habit of life. There may be a time when a true Christian may find it difficult to love another Christian for some reason and thus must work though it in obedience to God. But the rule of thumb is, we will know they are Christians by their love one for another (John 13:35). v. 11 Message…from the Beginning – God's message to mankind has always been the message of love (Lev. 19:34). Love One Another – John now elaborates on what he has already said in 2:7-11. The message God has sent us through His Son and through His apostles is a message to love others (John 13:34-35; 15:12, 17; Rom. 13:8; 1 Thess. 4:9; 1 Peter 1:22; 1 John 3:11, 23; 4:7, 11, 12; 2 John 5). v. 12 Cain Who was of the Wicked – Cain and his brother Abel were the sons of Adam and Eve (Gen. 4:1-16). Cain murdered his own brother because he was jealous. God had accepted Abel's offering but rejected Cain's. God had even forewarned Cain that he was heading for trouble. But Cain refused to heed God's warnings. This was the first case of sibling rivalry and the first murder. The story of Cain is an example of the extent of wickedness hate can produce in a person. v. 13 Do Not Marvel…if the World Hates – We should not be surprised when those who do not know God hate us. Jesus taught us to expect this in Luke 21:17, John 7:7, and John 15:18, 19. But we should be surprised when those who claim to be Christians hate. v. 14 We Know that We Have Passed from Death to Life, Because We Love the Brethren – The most powerful evidence that a person is truly born again is the presence of love in their lives. We find this teaching throughout the scriptures (John 13:35, 15:12, 17; 1 Thess. 4:9; Heb. 13:1; 1 John 2:10, 3:23, 4:7, 8, 12, 21, 5:2). He Who Does Not Love His Brother Abides in Death – The one who does not love stays in that dark place of spiritual death (1 John 2:9, 11; 4:20). v. 15 Whoever Hates His Brother is a Murderer – This is a very strong statement. But remember that John has just used the example of Cain who murdered his brother. The path of hate leads to murder and death. Jesus said the same thing in Matthew 5:21-22. Eternal Life – Jesus defined eternal life as much more than merely existing eternally. Eternal life is a quality of life as much as it is a quantity of life (John 17:3). v. 16 By This We Know Love – Jesus is the ultimate example of what love is. Love is more than just a feeling; love is an action word (John 15:12-14, Rom. 5:8, 1 John 4:9-10). We Also Ought to – Jesus is given as an example for us to follow. It is not just a nice thing that He did for us. He set a pattern that we should follow in His footsteps (John 13:34, 15:12; Eph. 5:2, 25; 1 Peter 2:21; 1 John 2:6; 4:11). v. 17 Goods – bios (Gk.) that by which life is sustained, resources, wealth Sees His Brother in Need, and Shuts up His Heart from Him – John is defining love in a very practical way, saying here, The love of God is a love that gives. So how can God's love dwell in you if you refuse to give to those in need? v. 18 Love…in Deed and in Truth – Real love is seen in action and costs something from the lover. v. 19 Truth – aletheia (Gk.) The truth taught in the Christian religion, respecting God and the implementation of His purposes through Christ, and respecting the duties of man. Assure Our Hearts Before Him – Many Christians struggle with assurance of their salvation. Here, John gives us one cure for the doubt of our standing with God. If you can look at your life and see that you really love people in a tangible way, then you can assure your heart before God. David gave his own heart encouragement in Psalm 43:5. v. 20 if Our Heart Condemns Us…God is Greater than our Heart – John is telling us here that it is possible for our hearts to condemn us even if we are actually in good standing with God after all. Just as there is such a thing as false confidence (thinking that you are okay when you are not), so there is also a false condemnation (thinking you are condemned when in fact you are not). You cannot trust the feelings of your heart (Jer. 17:9). v. 21 Beloved – agapetos (Gk.) esteemed, dear, favorite, worthy of love Confidence – parrhesia (Gk.) free and fearless confidence, cheerful courage, boldness, assurance; freedom in speaking, unreservedness in speech. This is the state of mind every believer desires, a place of confidence before God. Confidence is boldness to stand before Him without fear or shame. This is a picture of a healthy, believing heart in right relationship with God (Heb. 4:16). v. 22 Whatever We Ask We Receive – These verses promise that God hears and answers the prayers of the one who is walking right with God. And the one who is walking right with God prays, Not my will, but Yours be done. He delights in answering those prayers that are according to His will (1 John 5:14). His Commandments – Jesus reduced all the commandments of God down to two: love God and love your neighbor (Matt. 22:36-40, John 6:29, 2 John 6). v. 23 Believe on the Name of His Son Jesus Christ – God's commandment is that we trust in, rely upon, and cling to His Son, Jesus Christ, as Savior and Lord (John 6:29). Love One Another – God's commandment mentioned in this verse has two parts. First, believe in Jesus Christ. Second, love one another. This sums up the entirety of the commandments of God. Commandment – entole (Gk.) an order, command, charge, precept, requirement. We are commanded to believe in the name of Jesus. But we are also commanded to love one another. v. 24 He Who keeps His commandments Abides in Him – To obey God's commandments is to abide in Jesus. To disobey God's commandments is to not abide. Jesus stressed the importance of abiding in Him in John 15:4-6. by the Spirit Whom – Note that Spirit is a whom, not an it. Jesus abides in us through the third person of the Godhead dwelling in us. He Has Given Us – The Holy Spirit is given to every believer in Christ (John 7:38, 39; Eph. 4:30; Rom. 4:11; 2 Cor. 1:22). The Holy Spirit is the determining factor of whether a person is born again or not (Rom. 8:9, 15; 1 John 3:24, 4:13). | |||
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Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. –1 John 3:1 As we read today, Jesus, we have a new seed implanted in us that gives us Your divine life. We can taste a bit of eternity within that seed. We pray to continually tend to our new life, so that we may grow in knowledge and love for You. | |||
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Office Staff
