1 John 3 (part 1)

1 John 3
(Part 1 - verses 1 through 7)

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.

Ÿ Isn’t it amazing that God could love us so much that He sent His only begotten Son that we might have eternal life? His love is so bountiful that He provides our daily needs and blesses us continually. He is so loving that He even sends rain on the just and unjust (Matthew 5:45). God doesn’t want anyone to lose their soul, yet it is their choice in whom they will serve (Deuteronomy 30:19). The world doesn’t understand why Christians deny themselves worldly pleasure because they do not understand the sovereignty of God or His gift of eternal life. See John 1:12; John 15:18-20; John 17:25; 1 Corinthians 2:8, 14; Galatians 4:6-7.

Ÿ {And such we are ...} It is no empty title. The believers "in Christ" are genuine children of the Father in heaven. The word rendered "children" ("sons" in KJV) is "[Greek: tekna], that is, related to God by the new birth; and this is a closer relationship than that indicated by [Greek: huioi] (Paul's word, stressing the analogy of adoption)."<7> While no doubt true, in a sense, such a comment should not obscure the fact that "adoption" in Paul's usage carries all of the full benefits and privileges of sons by generation, having also the advantage of illuminating the truth that sonship is all of grace. [Coffman]

Ÿ See Rom 8:15-17; 2 Corinthians 6:18

Ÿ The people of the world regard us as fanatics or enthusiasts; as foolish in abandoning the pleasures and pursuits which they engage in; as renouncing certain happiness for that which is uncertain; as cherishing false and delusive hopes in regard to the future, and as practicing needless austerities, with nothing to compensate for the pleasures which are abandoned. There is nothing which the frivolous, the ambitious, and the selfish "less" understand than they do the elements which go into the Christian's character, and the nature and source of the Christian's joys. (from Barnes' Notes, Electronic Database. Copyright (c) 1997 by Biblesoft)

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.

Ÿ "What John is clearly saying is that our likeness to the Godhead will be realized in the coming of Christ." [J. W. Roberts, op. cit., p. 78.]

Ÿ John does not know, and nobody on earth knows , what we are going to be like at the resurrection when Jesus comes again. Paul tells us that we will receive an immortal, incorruptible body (1 Corinthians 15:51-54); but he does not say what it will be like. Our body shall be like His body (Philippians 3:20-21). Paul and John are in an agreement: we shall be like the Lord. Our bodies shall be like His glorified body, a body wonderful, glorious and eternal, perfectly adapted unto righteousness and fit for the heavenly world. (Wayne Fussell)

Ÿ Currently we as Christians are the sons of God; However, our bodies are not in the eternal state. We understand that at His Second Coming we will be transformed completely into His likeness. We will see Jesus in His glorious manifestation. He will not physically look as He did when He was here on earth, but in His glorious state. When we look upon Jesus we will understand what we will have become. See Romans 8:18; 1 Corinthians 15:51-54; 2 Corinthians 3:18; Philippians 3:21; Colossians 3:4.

3 And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.

Ÿ Every individual that has that hope of eternal life disciplines himself to obey God by putting off the philosophies of the world. They strive to be like Christ. Jesus was and is the unspotted lamb. He led by example and was without sin. Therefore, we should endeavor to lead sinless lives. This doesn’t mean we won’t stumble from time to time. What it does mean is that we should serve Christ and not sin. See John 11:55; Ephesians 2:10; Phil 2:12; James 4:8; 1 Peter 1:16; 1 John 2:6.

Ÿ Being as pure as Christ is pure is the same as being "perfect, as your Father in heaven is perfect" (Matt. 5:48), or being "holy, for I am holy" (1 Pet. 1:15,16). This idea, or goal, of absolute perfection is unattainable in human strength; but it is achieved for Christians and ascribed to them by reason of their having denied themselves, being baptized "into Christ," and thus made partakers of his sinless perfection.

Ÿ To "purify" means to be morally and ethically free from the corruption of sin. People can do this only through Christ's Spirit in them because, as Jesus said, "Apart from me you can do nothing" (John 15:5 NLT). This is an ongoing cleansing process, beginning at rebirth and continuing until the day Jesus returns. The more pure his people become, the clearer will be their view of Jesus, who is pure through and through. God also purifies Christians, but they must take steps to remain morally fit (see 1 Tim 5:22; James 4:8; 1 Peter 1:22).

Ÿ A child of God who is motivated by this hope keeps on purifying himself and thus keeps his hope both “sure and steadfast” (Hebrews 6:19). While it is the precious blood of Christ that constantly cleanses the Christian of all sin (1 John 1:7), the Christian has a duty before God to purify himself on a continual basis. We purify ourselves by abstaining from every form of evil, by living clean and chaste lives, and by keeping ourselves unspotted from the world. (W. Fussell). See Matthew 26:41.

4 Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.

Ÿ {And sin is lawlessness ...} Here the KJV is far better: "Sin is the transgression of the law." And what law is in view? "He is not thinking of the law of Moses."<14> Nor can we agree with Blaney that, "transgression of the law of love"<15> alone is meant. "It means the law of God in the fullest sense, not Moses' law, but transgression of the will of God."<16> Particularly, it is "the law of Christ" which sin transgresses; and that may not be limited to any classification of Jesus' commandments, but includes "all things whatsoever I have commanded you" (Matt. 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 under grace," while true enough as related to the law of Moses, does not relax any of the law of Christ

Ÿ A child of God keeps on doing righteousness, a transgressor continues in sin. See Matthew 7:21-23. The definition of sin according to Thayer is: “a failing to hit the mark” (see hamartanoo. NT:266). It is also that which is done wrong, committed or resultant sin, an offence, a violation of the divine law in thought or in act (hee hamartia estin hee anomia, 1 John 3:4). One who practices lawlessness is one who continues to sin and one who habitually sins is lawless. See Proverbs 24:9; Romans 14:3; James 4:17; 1 John 5:17. There is a perfect law of liberty. Please look at James 1:25; 2:12.

Ÿ [Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law] The law of God given to man as a rule of life. The object of the apostle here is to excite them to holiness, and to deter them from committing sin, perhaps in view of the fact stated in 1 John 3:3, that everyone who has the hope of heaven will aim to be holy like the Saviour. (from Barnes' Notes, Electronic Database. Copyright (c) 1997 by Biblesoft)

Ÿ ANTINOMIANS:

Those who reject the moral law as not binding upon Christians. Some go farther than this, and say that good works hinder salvation, and that a child of God cannot sin; that the moral law is altogether abrogated as a rule of life; that no Christian believeth or worketh any good, but that Christ only believeth and worketh, etc. Wesley defines Antinomianism as "the doctrine which makes void the law through faith." Its root lies in a false view of the atonement; its view of the imputation of Christ's righteousness implies that he performs for men the obedience which they ought to perform, and therefore that God, in justice, can demand nothing further from man. As consequences of this doctrine, Antinomianism affirms that Christ abolished the moral law; that Christians are therefore not obliged to observe it; that a believer is not obliged to use the ordinances, and is freed from "the bondage of good works;" and that preachers ought not to exhort men unto good works: not unbelievers, because it is hurtful; not believers, because it is needless (Wesley, Works, 5,196).

1. Antinomianism, i. e. faith without works, is one of the forms of error against which the Epistle of James is directed, showing that even in the apostolic age it had made its appearance. So the tract of Augustine (contra adversairiumn legis et prophetarum) indicates the existence of such opinions in the fourth century.

5 And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin.

Ÿ Jesus came into the world to take sin away from us so that we would not be guilty. He is the atonement. He paid the ransom for us. If he had not paid the ransom for us, there would be no deliverance from sin. We would have to carry our burdens and stand guilty on judgment day. Fortunately for all who choose to obey the Gospel, Jesus made a once and for all sacrifice. He was and is both the high priest and sacrificial lamb. No longer does man have to go to the high priest once a year who will go into the holy of holies to make atonement for the sins committed by offering an unblemished lamb. We can go directly to Jesus who makes intercession for us with the Father. See Hebrews 9:26; 1 Peter 2:24; John 8:46 (who can accuse the Lord of sinning anywhere?); 1 Peter 2:22

Ÿ How could we indulge in that which has brought heavy calamity upon the head of a father, or which has pierced a sister's heart with many sorrows? Still more, how can we be so ungrateful and hardhearted as to indulge in that which crushed our Redeemer in death?

Ÿ See Romans 6:23; Romans 8:2; 1 Corinthians 9:21; 1 John 1:9

6 Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him.

Ÿ Christians strive to live by Christ’s example. Whoever has a character that habitually or continually sins does not really know God. “Character is shown by one’s habitual actions, not the extraordinary ones.” [Wuest - 147]. See John 15:1-6; 1 John 1:8-10. Some either never really became Christians; others have fallen from grace. No matter which of these two categories individuals fall in, they both in essence reject the sovereignty of God and refuse the free gift of Grace. Check the following passages for falling from Grace: Galatians 5:4;1 Corinthians 10:12; 2 Peter 2:15. Again, it is the devout Christian who does his best to live by Christ’s example. The apostates, agnostics, and atheists are in danger of great peril unless they become born again (See John 3:3-5).

Ÿ {Abideth in him ...} This is the key to the sinlessness of Christians, since their sins are forgiven continually through the power of the blood of Christ (1 John 1:7). It is only in such a sense as this that any child of God was ever sinless. [Coffman]

Ÿ See 1 John 2:6; 2 Corinthians 5:17

Ÿ NT:3306 meno (men'-o); a primary verb; to stay (in a given place, state, relation or expectancy):KJV - abide, continue, dwell, endure, be present, remain, stand, tarry (for), X thine own. (Biblesoft's New Exhaustive Strong's Numbers and Concordance with Expanded Greek-Hebrew Dictionary. Copyright (c) 1994, Biblesoft and International Bible Translators, Inc.)

7 Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous.

Ÿ Do not let anyone lead you astray. The scriptures throughout the bible tell us to be a doer of the Word, not just a hearer. See Psalms 31:23; James 1:23-25. By doing God’s will, we are practicing righteousness. This makes us righteous because Jesus is righteous and the Spirit of Jesus lives in us and guides us. Without the indwelling of the Holy Spirit sin prevails. The indwelling of the Holy Spirit helps us adhere to God’s Holy Word. Practicing our Christian walk is the best test of being a Christian. See Hebrews 10:9; 1 Peter 2:21. For practicing righteousness see Romans 1:17; 2 Corinthians 5:21. For purity of life see 2 Timothy 2:22. For right action see Acts 10:34-35; Romans 6:13-22.

Ÿ In this verse, there is a strong suggestion that some of the false teachers who were troubling the church of that era were teaching that one could be saved without living a pure and godly life. Deceitful arguments to the same effect are current in our own times; and there has never been, perhaps, a period of church history when such deceitful heresies were not skillfully advocated. What John said here is: "Make no mistake about it, living the Christian life is the one and only proof of a person's being a Christian." [Coffman]

Ÿ {Even as he is righteous ...} This is possible only through perfect unity with and identification with Christ who is truly righteous. Nothing short of the perfect righteousness of Christ can ever save any one. Let every man decide, therefore, if he will dare to appear before God in judgment clad in his own personal righteousness alone, or if he will deny himself and be baptized "into Christ," thereby becoming a participant in that righteousness which alone is sufficient and efficacious. [Coffman]