Bible Commentaries
1 John 3

Verses 1-3

See what great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. 1 John 3:1

This has to be one of the greatest statements regarding our salvation to be found anywhere in the Bible. It is a picture of divine love lavished upon us as we are ushered into the heavenly family. Meyer notes how astounding this statement is, and he marvels, "Why God should have made us his children is incomprehensible!"^(F1) Kretzmann says of this passage, "The image of God, lost by the Fall, is being renewed in us once more. Christ Himself is being formed in us (Galatians 4:19). What unspeakable, immeasurable majesty is ours!"^(F2) The early Methodist biblical scholar, Adam Clarke adds, "Whole volumes might be written upon this and the two following verses, without exhausting the extraordinary subject contained in them, viz., the love of God to man."^(F3) This special love of God is known by the Greek term of agape.

Of course, as the image of Christ is formed in us, the world is not pleased. The world hates him and therefore as we reflect his image, the world will hate us also. Barnes comments, "and it is no wonder that, having wholly mistaken his character, they should mistake ours."^(F4) Just as Jesus was destined for suffering as the natural Son (Luke 24:26), we too are destined for suffering as the adopted sons (John 15:20).

Perhaps it would be good here to clarify our relationship to the Father as regarding his Son the Lord Jesus. The Bible is clear that God has accepted us into his family as adopted sons (Romans 8:14-17, 23; 1 Corinthians 1:9; 2 Corinthians 6:18; Galatians 3:26-27; 4:6-7; Ephesians 1:5), while Jesus is the true and "only begotten" Son of God.

Barclay points out, however, some things we know from the Roman adoption procedure. He mentions how the adopted son lost all obligations and connections with his former family and at the same time gained all the rights of a legitimate son in his new family. He had as much right to be an heir as the natural born son.^(F5) Through Jesus, we believers are now sons of God in the fullest sense. As we live by the Spirit (Romans 8:14), Jesus is not ashamed to call us "brothers" (Hebrews 2:11). We are even predestined to be conformed to his image (Colossians 3:10). Paul points out in Galatians 4:6 that we have now received the Spirit of sonship, and we can call him "Father" or "Daddy." In Romans 8:16, we see that the Holy Spirit bears witness with our spirits that we are God's children. Calvin cautions us though with these words, "…He, in short, means that the more abundantly God's goodness has been manifested towards us, the greater are our obligations to him."^(F6)

"Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is" (3:2). Wiersbe states here, "First John 3:1 tells us what we are, and 1 John 3:2 tells us what we shall be."^(F7) When Christ appears we shall be made like him. We were originally made in the likeness of God (Genesis 1:26). However, the Fall did much to mar that image within us. It was man's destiny to bear that broken image^(F8) and thus Christ came to earth to restore it. Colossians 3:4 says, "When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory." We really are not able to imagine the glory and splendor of our new spiritual body as we are made like Christ. 1 Corinthians 2:9 says, "'…What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived' – the things God has prepared for those who love him – ." He will transform our lowly bodies like his glorious heavenly body (Philippians 3:21). That is too much to even imagine!

"All who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure" (3:3). Because of these glorious truths, what must we do? We must purify ourselves just as the people of old did a ritual purification before approaching the Lord and his temple. Our purification is not just ritual however, but it is in Spirit and in truth. It is done as we allow the Holy Spirit, the word of God and the blood of the Lamb to daily cleanse us. The word "purify" is present tense here and it conveys the idea of being constantly purified.^(F9) Pett explains this further saying: All who have this hope set themselves "diligently about making themselves pure, through the word, through prayer, through meditation, through exhortation, through hearing the word, through godly living, through continual submission to God, through yielding their lives and bodies…"^(F10) In 1 Peter 1:15-16, we read, "But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: 'Be holy, because I am holy.'"

God has a process of sanctification going on for each of us but we must do our best to cooperate with that divine program (2 Corinthians 7:1; James 4:8; 1 Peter 1:22; 2 Peter 3:13-14). No doubt, that program was interrupted for those early Christians who were being lured away by the Gnostic teachers. These teachers probably felt their special knowledge would exempt them from moral flaws and that what was done in the body was not too important anyway.

Verses 4-6

LIVING IN LAWLESSNESS

Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness. 1 John 3:4

We have pointed out how many Christians feel they have nothing to do with the law. Here John makes clear that we do have something to do with it. If we sin we break it. If we sin we become lawless because sin is lawlessness. The Greek word for Law is nomos and the word for lawlessness is anomos. This word negates law.^(F11) While the unbeliever sins against law, the Christian sins both against law and against love. Sin is mentioned in this verse in the singular, speaking of the root of sin and not individual sins. Wiersbe says, "Sins are the fruit, but sin is the root."^(F12)

"But you know that he appeared so that he might take away our sins. And in him is no sin" (3:5). When John the Baptist saw Jesus coming toward him he exclaimed, "…Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!" (John 1:29). There are a lot of things we can do for ourselves but we cannot take away our own sin, and that is no doubt our greatest and most pressing human problem. Jesus came to earth to do the big thing that we could never do for ourselves. He came to seek and save the lost (Luke 19:10).

One reason he could help us with our sins was that he had no sin. The New Testament bears constant witness to this fact (cf. John 8:46; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Hebrews 7:26; 1 Peter 2:22-23). It required a pure Redeemer to make us pure and to keep us pure.

"No one who lives in him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen him or known him" (3:6). This is a difficult and straightforward statement of John. Utley says of it, "He wrote in black and white categories (also found in Dead Sea Scrolls). For him one was in Christ and thereby righteous, or in Satan and thereby sinful. There was no third category. This serves as a 'wake-up call' to peripheral, cultural, part-time, funeral-only, Easter-only Christianity!"^(F13)

Utley continues saying, "This passage has been the center of the controversy between Christian perfectionism (cf. Romans 6), sometimes called entire sanctification, and the continuing sinning of the Christian (cf. Romans 7)."^(F14) Even in the early centuries there was some teaching around that a Christian must not sin after baptism. That similar idea has been carried over with some "sanctification" movements up till modern times. In many ways this is a dreadful doctrine. It has caused numerous saints to live their lives in unnecessary fear and condemnation.

Even some of our Bible translations seem to foster this misunderstanding. The NAS version of 1 John 3:6 says, "No one who abides in Him sins; no one who sins has seen Him or knows Him." The NKJ version says, "Whoever abides in Him does not sin. Whoever sins has neither seen Him nor known Him." Other versions have it right, including the NIV which says, "No one who continues to sin has either seen him or known him." The words "sinning" and "sin" used here are in the present tense indicating habitual acts and the habitual character of the person involved.^(F15) No one can be a real Christian and maintain a habitual practice of sinning. "What is important is that we never sign a 'peace treaty' with sin. We never wink at its presence or excuse it by saying, 'Everybody has their own sinful areas, and this is mine. Jesus understands.'"^(F16) We cannot continue in sin.

Every Christian will sin occasionally but it is in no way his or her lifestyle. John has already assured us that if we say we are totally without sin we are liars (1 John 1:8). Barnes asks, "Who can maintain that Abraham, or Isaac, or Jacob; that Moses, David, or Job; that Peter, John, or Paul, were absolutely perfect, and were never, after their regeneration, guilty of an act of sin? Certainly they never affirmed it of themselves, nor does the sacred record attribute to them any such perfection."^(F17)

Verses 7-10

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SINNERS AND SAINTS

Dear children, do not let anyone lead you astray. The one who does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous.1 John 3:7

Long ago the early church writer Oecumenius (about 990) said, "The person who does what is right is righteous, and the person who does what is wrong is wicked. It is as simple as that."^(F18) Once again, the word for doing righteousness is present tense, indicating a continuing and habitual action.

We must quickly clear the air here lest people think that they can really be righteous on their own. There is no one righteous before God, not even one person (Romans 3:10). Rather, righteousness is imputed to us as a gift through Christ. Romans 1:17 reads:"For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: 'The righteous will live by faith.'"So, we gain righteousness as a gift from God and it is received by simple faith in Jesus. Once a person has gained this status with God, that person will begin to live a righteous life. It is simply a fruit of the relationship with Jesus. The great English preacher Charles Spurgeon once said it well, "The grace that does not change my life will not save my soul."^(F19)

The false teachers were no doubt quite skilled in making their evil philosophy and their wretched works seem righteous and attractive. By this deceit they were leading many astray. It is true today that so many false religions at first seem attractive. We must remember to respond to these like the Psalmist who wrote:"I gain understanding from your precepts; therefore I hate every wrong path" (Psalm 119:104).

John now presents the other side of the coin saying,"He who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil's work" (3:8).Bruce comments, "Here the antithesis is between the family of God and the family of the devil; in either family the children may be known by their moral likeness to the head of the family."^(F20) The devil has sinned from the beginning, no doubt a reference to the beginning of his evil career. Several scriptures have allusion to the devil's work (Isaiah 14:9-17; Ezekiel 28:12-14), or else speak specifically of him."He is called 'the destroyer' (Revelation 9:11)…father of lies; (John 8:44)…His power is considerable, as is plain from his widespread, malicious activity…He rules from a 'throne' (Revelation 2:13), and his dominion is so extensive that 'the whole world is under the control of the evil one; (1 John 5:19)…"^(F21)

Wiersbe says of the devil, "Christ is God but was willing to become a servant. Satan was a servant and wanted to become God…"^(F22) Satan is one who sins habitually. Although we might fall into sin occasionally, we must never follow the pattern of the devil and sin habitually.

Godbey remarks at this verse, "Oh, how pertinent this warning today, when the world is flooded with sinning religion."^(F23) Clearly, we cannot live in habitual sin and claim to be a Christian. Trapp, speaks of those who would want to "fly to heaven with dragon's wings; dance with the devil all day, and sup with Christ at night; live all your lives long in Delilah's lap, and then go to Abraham's bosom when you die…"^(F24)

We see in this verse that Jesus has come to destroy the works of the devil. The word destroy in the Greek is luō, which means "to loose, to unbind, or to destroy."^(F25) Jesus will, in a very real sense, unbind all that Satan has bound and will destroy all his programs. In Genesis 3:15, we read that Satan would bruise the heel of man, but that Christ [in man] would bruise the head of Satan. In Romans 16:20, Paul assures believers that God would soon crush Satan underneath their feet.

James 4:7 promises us,"Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you."When Jesus first sent out his disciples to preach the word, and as they were being successful he exclaimed,"…I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you"(Luke 10:18-19).

"No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God's seed remains in them; they cannot go on sinning, because they have been born of God"(3:9).Once more, John speaks of a continuing or habitual sinfulness. He is not speaking of a single act of sin wherein some believer occasionally falls prey. When we feel sin trying to encroach upon us, we need to remember that trusty scripture in 1 Corinthians 10:13, "No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it."

There is a beautiful story of one resisting temptation in Genesis chapter 39. Young Joseph, who was in charge of all that Potiphar had, was sorely tempted by the man's wife to have sex with her. Finally Joseph replied, "No one is greater in this house than I am. My master has withheld nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. How then could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God?"(Genesis 39:9). In the end, Joseph actually fled from her.

John says here that we cannot continue in sin or maintain a habit of sinning because God's seed is planted in us. This has been a puzzling scripture for many. What does it mean to have God's seed planted in us? Some have thought the seed is the word of God, while others have thought it to be the Holy Spirit within us. Utley feels it is possibly Christ himself, who is called "the seed of Abraham" (Luke 1:55).^(F26) We may not solve this problem, but it does seem likely that the divine seed is the word of God. Jesus clearly identifies the seed as the word in Luke 8:11. In 1 Peter 1:23, the apostle speaks of the imperishable seed which brings about our new birth. In James 1:21, he speaks of the engrafted or implanted word which is able to save us.

Some scholars think it possible that the Gnostic teachers felt that God had sown seed into the world and through these seed they would be perfected. They felt that only the Gnostics had received these special seeds.^{sperma theou…If so, it is not necessary to suppose that he endorsed their theology…In other New Testament passages the word of God is pictured as 'seed' (1 Peter 1:23,25; James 1:18,23; cf. Luke 8:11)…We shall probably never know for certain precisely what John intended, or his readers understood, by sperma autou." (Stott, p. 132).">(F27)} "Some supposed that their possession of gnosis had made them perfect, others maintained that sin did not matter because it could not harm the enlightened. Both positions are morally perverse."^(F28)

"This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not God's child, nor is anyone who does not love their brother and sister"(3:10).As Westcott says, "Life reveals the children of God." Or as A.E. Brooke has it, "Life is a chance of learning how to love."^(F29) Here the subject of loving the brothers and sisters in Christ is introduced and it will be developed through the rest of the book.

Of course, God has given us a shining example of how a person is to live and love. That example is Christ himself. In 1 Peter 2:21-22, it is said of him:"To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps. 'He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth.'"

Verses 11-15

LOVING ONE ANOTHER WITH CHRIST'S LOVE

"This is the message you heard from the beginning: We should love one another.1 John 3:11.

Wiersbe comments heresaying that John's writing is much like a spiral staircase. It always keeps returning to the same topics such as love, obedience and truth.^(F30) Here he returns to love and will fully develop this subject. It is possible that the activity of the heretics had caused a general lessening of love in the Christian community.^(F31) Perhaps there were many suspicions and much anger against the ones influenced by this false doctrine.

"Do not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own actions were evil and his brother's were righteous. Do not be surprised, my brothers and sisters, if the world hates you" (3:12-13). Cain is such a clear example of a worldly man. He cared only for himself and had no regard for others. Strangely, although he was able to converse directly with God, he had absolutely no regard for the Lord's instruction. He would have fit right into our current "Me Generation."

Cain murdered his brother out of envy and jealousy. The Greek word for murder is esphaxen and it means to slaughter or even to butcher.^(F32) We get the picture that Abel was truly offered up as a sacrifice, no doubt with his throat being slashed.

Cain was of the evil one, who was a murderer from the beginning. Jesus made an astounding comparison when he disputed with the Jewish leaders. Since these leaders desired to kill him, Jesus told them that their father was the devil (John 8:44). All who murder are of their father the devil and they are walking in the way of Cain. Sadly, Cain introduced murder into the human race and it has been with us ever since. Tertullian (c. 145 – c. 240) spoke of Cain as the devil's patriarch.^(F33)

We might ask why did Cain want to murder Abel? He wanted to kill him because his brother's works were good and his own works were evil."…An evil man will instinctively hate a good man. …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 passes a silent judgment. Socrates was the good man par excellence; Alcibiades was brilliant but erratic and often debauched. He used to say to Socrates: 'Socrates, I hate you, because every time I meet you, you show me what I am.'"^(F34)

"We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love each other. Anyone who does not love remains in death" (3:14). Meyer says, "Love to the brethren is a sign that we have been born into the family. We may not like them all, yet we can love them. If we love, we live; and if we live in the deepest sense, we shall love…"^(F35) If we love we have crossed over from death to life (cf. John 5:24; Colossians 1:13). It is by this that all people know we are disciples of Jesus (John 13:35).

Conversely, if we live on in hatred of our brothers we abide in death. Jesus makes clear in Matthew 5:21-22,that hatred in the heart is the same as murder. As Spurgeon has said, "Every man who hates another has the venom of murder in his veins…"^(F36)

"Anyone who hates his brother or sister is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life residing in him" (3:15). Quite simply, we cannot be Christians if we harbor hatred of anyone in our hearts. Someone said that this is like drinking poison and hoping the hated person will die. John wants to make it plain – to hate is to murder. The Venerable Bede (672- 735) is astounded at this remarking, "The victim is alive, but the slayer has already been judged a murderer."^(F37)

Perhaps we should make something clear here. "This text has been quoted to prove that no murderer can be saved. This is not said in the text; and there have been many instances of persons who have been guilty of murder having had deep and genuine repentance…"^(F38) We think of the beloved David, who became a murderer in order to hide his sin of adultery with Bathsheba. After some time of deep and agonizing repentance, he was able to say in Psalm 32:2, "Blessed is the one whose sin the LORD does not count against them and in whose spirit is no deceit."

Verses 16-17

LAYING DOWN OUR LIVES IN LOVE

This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. 1 John 3:16

Again, Jesus is our picture of what real love is. While Cain was the example of hatred, Jesus is the example of love. In John 15:12-13, Jesus says, "My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, to lay down one's life for one's friends." The Lord not only taught about it, but he did it by dying on the cross for all of us.

Wiersbe comments, "Every Christian knows John 3:16, but how many of us pay much attention to 1 John 3:16… 'Self-preservation' is the first law of physical life, but 'self-sacrifice' is the first law of spiritual life…"^(F39)

Now obviously, we all do not have ready opportunities to lay down our lives for the sake of a brother or sister. That was much more common in the first century. In Romans 16:3-4, we learn that Priscilla and Aquila had apparently risked their lives for Paul. Dionysius of Alexandria around AD 262, is quoted by the historian Eusebius concerning a terrible epidemic that befell them:

Very many of our brethren, in their exceeding love and brotherly kindness, did not spare themselves. Rather, they stayed by each other and visited the sick without thought of their own peril. They diligently ministered to them and treated them for their healing in Christ. They died from time to time most joyfully along with them, loading themselves with pains derived from others and drawing upon themselves their neighbor'sdiseases….^(F40)

The early church father Tertullian reports how the pagans would say of the Christians, "Behold, how they love one another; they are ready to die for one another."^(F41) The times we are living in are changing rapidly and it is not unthinkable that we in the West should soon be called upon to die for a brother or sister in Christ.

There is a very practical side to this challenge. Wescott says, "The question is commonly not of dying for another but of communicating to another the outward means of living."^(F42) Or as Guzik says, "… God calls us to lay down our lives piece by piece, little by little in small, but important ways every day."^(F43)

James, the brother of Jesus, brings this teaching down to home by saying, "Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to them, 'Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,' but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it?" (James 2:15-16).

"If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person?" (3:17). John certainly backs up the words of James. The word for "possessions" or "goods" is bios in the Greek. It means, "'the necessaries of life' such as food clothing, and shelter….[the] mundane sphere of life on earth…"^(F44) The great Augustine once said, "If you are not yet able to die for your brother, at least show him your ability to give him of your goods."^(F45) The Greek in this verse speaks of shutting or slamming the door of mercy and compassion to the brother. On the other hand, real love for a brother or sister is a "gut feeling" (Gk. splagchna) or something felt deep in the heart.

Real love cannot dwell in one who closes the heart. The word John uses for love here as in the first verse is the Greek agape. This is the special love of God that is poured out upon us from heaven. It is the God-kind of love. It is that special self-giving love. John will use this word many times in the remainder of his little book (cf. 4:7,8,9,10,12,16,17, etc.).

Our generation in the West is thoroughly confused about real love. In the English language we have only one word for love. In the Greek language there were four words for love. There was eros, describing erotic or sexual love. There was storge, referring to family love, then philia, which spoke of brotherly love or affection, and finally agape, that unchanging love of God.^(F46) It is unfortunate that we have only one word because we see people speaking of erotic love and calling it real love. We see people speaking of selfish love and calling that love too. Much of the Hollywood love is not agape love but erotic kind and in reality is not love at all but only selfish victimization of others.

It is not only John who talks about real love but Paul does the same. No doubt, we would have to say that 1 Corinthians chapter 13 is the most profound description of real love that has ever been penned. In this beautiful chapter we learn that real love is patient and kind. True love is never envious. It is not boastful or proud. It is not rude, self-seeking or easily angered. Real love does not keep a record of wrongs. It does not delight in evil but rather rejoices in the truth. It is always protecting, trustful and hopeful. It always perseveres and it never fails. What a picture of agape or heavenly love!

Verses 18-20

GETTING LOVE INTO ACTION

Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth. 1 John 3:18

Talk is cheap. In the Corinthians chapter mentioned above, we see that those without the practical applications of love are like sounding brass or a clanging symbol (1 Corinthians 13:1). As that old adage goes, "Actions speak louder than words." One good deed can speak volumes, and our godly actions are perhaps the only gospel that many in our age will ever read.

"This is how we know that we belong to the truth and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence: If our hearts condemn us, we know that God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything" (3:19-20). All through his little book, John is telling us how we can know we are redeemed and how we can know that we know it. We can know it by our love, when that love flows out to others. Strangely, not only can we know it, but others can know it as well.

Through the centuries, this passage has been a difficult one for interpreters. Not only is the Greek a little difficult but it is also hard to know exactly what John is saying. The word peisomen used in verse 19 seems to mean to "convince" or to "persuade" our hearts.^(F47)

We can set our hearts at rest in the presence of God. Sometimes our heart and conscience can play tricks on us and make something out to be a lot bigger than it is. The adversary is always alert to such things and no doubt he adds to our discomfort. Barclay says about this, "God judges us by the deep emotions of the heart; and, if in our heart there is love, then, however feeble and imperfect that love may be, we can with confidence enter into his presence. The perfect knowledge which belongs to God, and to God alone, is not our terror but our hope."^(F48) We cannot depend on our feelings but on God's love for us. Even in the midst of his great failure when he denied Jesus, Peter could still reply to the Master in these words, "…Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you…" (John 21:17).

Verses 21-22

HAVING CONFIDENCE BEFORE GOD

Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God and receive from him anything we ask, because we keep his commands and do what pleases him. 1 John 3:21-22

If our conscience and our hearts are clear before God, the way is open for us to ask and receive from him. We should be aware that there are several other requirement put upon us before our prayers can be guaranteed an answer. Stott spells all this out for us saying:

"The incarnate Son as the supreme example of pleasing God and so being heard by God (John 8:29; 11:41-42)…If a prayer is to be answered it must be 'according to his will' (5:14; cf. Psalm 37:4; John 15:7)…We must also pray in Christ's name (John 16:23-24), and for God's glory (James 4:2-3)."^(F49) He goes on to say that one must be cleansed from his sins (Psalm 66:18; Proverbs 15:29; Isaiah 59:1-2; James 5:16), forgiven himself and also forgiving others (Mark 11:25). He must believe in God's promises (Matthew 21:22; Mark 11:24; cf. James 1:5-7). We can surely understand by this why some of our prayers remain unanswered.

One great requirement which John continually emphasizes is that of obedience. Gregory the Great once said, "It must be understood that if we are to get what we ask for from God we have to obey his commands. The two things go indissolubly together."^(F50) As fathers, it is very easy for us to give a gift to a beautifully obedient child, but extremely difficult to give a gift to a disobedient one. When we spend our lives in loving obedience we can expect to receive from our Father. Psalm 37:4 expresses this well, "Take delight in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart."

Before we leave this verse we need to look at the word "confidence" which is parresia in the Greek. Wuest describes this as "freedom in speaking, unreservedness in speech, free and fearless confidence, cheerful courage, boldness, assurance."^(F51) It is in this manner that we should all appear before our Heavenly Father. We should not want to hide or slink away.

Verses 23-24

HIS COMMANDMENT TO LOVE

And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us. 1 John 3:23

This is Christianity at its simplest, to believe in Jesus and love one another. We cannot love without believing and we cannot really believe without loving.^(F52) Paul sums it up in Galatians 5:13 saying, "…The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love."

Calvin says of this section, "This is a remarkable passage; for he defines briefly as well as lucidly in what the whole perfection of a holy life consists."^(F53)

"The one who keeps God's commands lives in him, and he in them. And this is how we know that he lives in us: We know it by the Spirit he gave us" (3:24). John comes back to one of his favorite words, which is "live" or "abide" (Gk. menei). As continually obedient children, we can live in God and he can live in us. The Venerable Bede says, "Therefore let God be a home to thee, and be thou the home of God…Ephesians 3:16-17."^(F54)

This is the first occasion in John's little book that he mentions the Holy Spirit. Yet, it is specifically the Spirit who is the presence of Christ living in us. Paul tells us in Romans 8:15-16, that it is through the Spirit that we can now cry "Abba, Father." That, "The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children."