Fist John 3:1-3 is the command for us who are God’s legal, blood-bought, sin-forgiven children, to whom the Holy Spirit has given His witness, in Romans 8:12-17, that we are to give our total self to God, through Christ Jesus, by the Holy Spirit, so we keep ourself pure in Christ Jesus, by allowing Him to be our wisdom, righteousness, holiness (sanctification), and redemption (1 Corinthians 1:30), which means we are what He is (1 John 4:17), for we are members of His body on earth, with Christ the Head in heaven.
1 John 3:1-3—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. 2 Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know 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.
First John 3:4-9 reveals how our being in Christ Jesus, Him in us, and our active, close, intimate, relationship with Him, keeps us from the desire to sin, although the temptation to sin is there, yet us being crucified to the world and the world crucified to us (Galatians 6:14), temptation to sin no longer interest us. But if we still desire to sin, then our love for the world is greater than our love for Christ Jesus. The world is passing away, Christ Jesus is eternal.
1 John 3:4-9—4 Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness. 5 And you know 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.
First John 3:10-15 reveals the necessity of pure love, because hate is satanic but love is of God; therefore, hate is the father of “steal, kill, and destroy” (John 10:10), so we must always love people and never hate anyone, especially those who hate us for our Christian life in Christ Jesus; thus, when we, as Christians mature in Christ Jesus, so we genuinely love everyone, then we know we have passed from sinful death to life in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 4:1-32). The way we “practice righteousness” is by allowing Christ Jesus to be “our righteousness” (1 Corinthians 1:30). Matthew 18:21-35 and Mark 11:25-26 assure us if we refuse to forgive anyone for anything, then God will refuse to forgive our sins, for God does to us what we do to others (Galatians 6:6-10).
1 John 3:10-15—10 In this the children of God and the children of the devil are manifest (revealed): Whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is he who does not love his brother. 11 For this is the message 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 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 no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.
First John 3:16-24 is perfect, pure love (1 John 2:5; 4:11-12), working for, in, and through us to forgive and reveal Christ to others, even to those who hate God, Christians, Israel, and desire to rule the nation and bring in a world ruler. Always keep the human spirit (spiritual heart) in the Holy Spirit’s power, love, and sound mind (2 Timothy 1:7), so God’s love (Jude 1:20-23), in us gives dictatorial leaders over to Him, so He deals with them rather than us being concerned with their hatred, for He is their Creator and Judge; not us.
1 John 3:16-24—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 (James 2:14-17)? 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 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 pleasing in His sight. 23 And this is His commandment: we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ and love one another, as He gave us commandment. 24 Now he who keeps His commandments abides in Him, and He in him. And by this we know He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us.
We love others with the pure love of Christ Jesus our Creator, Lord, Master, and Owner.
Jim Nabors
