1 John 3
About 1 JohnWritten by AI
First John reads more like a sermon or pastoral letter than a typical letter. It has no greeting and names no author, but from the earliest days the church linked it with the apostle John, the same voice as the Gospel of John. It was likely written late in the first century, perhaps from Ephesus. Some scholars credit it to a community or leader shaped by John's teaching.
A group had left the church, teaching that Jesus had not truly come in the flesh and that how we live does not matter. The writer's readers were shaken. He writes so that they may know they have eternal life.
The letter circles rather than marches, returning again and again to three tests of real faith: believing that Jesus is the Christ come in the flesh, obeying God's commands, and loving one another. Watch for the words know, abide, light, and love, and for the simple heart of it all: “God is love.”
Before you read 1 John 3Written by AI
See what great love the Father has given, that we are called children of God, and when Christ appears we will be like Him. Those born of God do not keep on living in sin. The message from the beginning is to love one another, unlike Cain. Christ laid down His life for us, so love must show itself in action and truth, not just words.
Children of God
Behold what manner of love the Father has given to 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. Beloved, we are now children of God, and what we will be has not yet been revealed. We know that when Christ appears, we will be like Him, for we will see Him as He is. And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as Christ is pure.
Everyone who practices sin practices lawlessness as well. Indeed, sin is lawlessness. But you know that Christ appeared to take away sins, and in Him there is no sin. No one who remains in Him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has seen Him or known Him.
Little children, let no one deceive you: The one who practices righteousness is righteous, just as Christ is righteous. The one who practices sin is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the very start. This is why the Son of God was revealed, to destroy the works of the devil.
Anyone born of God refuses to practice sin, because God’s seed abides in him; he cannot go on sinning, because he has been born of God. By this the children of God are distinguished from the children of the devil: Anyone who does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is anyone who does not love his brother.
Love One Another
This is the message you have heard from the beginning: We should love one another. Do not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did Cain slay him? Because his own deeds were evil, while those of his brother were righteous. So do not be surprised, brothers, if the world hates you.
We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love our brothers. The one who does not love remains in death. Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that eternal life does not reside in a murderer.
By this we know what love is: Jesus laid down His life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. If anyone with earthly possessions sees his brother in need, but withholds his compassion from him, how can the love of God abide in him?
Little children, let us love not in word and speech, but in action and truth. And by this we will know that we belong to the truth, and will assure our hearts in His presence: Even if our hearts condemn us, God is greater than our hearts, and He knows all things.
Beloved, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God, and we will receive from Him whatever we ask, because we keep His commandments and do what is pleasing in His sight. And this is His commandment: that we should believe in the name of His Son, Jesus Christ, and we should love one another just as He commanded us. Whoever keeps His commandments remains in God, and God in him. And by this we know that He remains in us: by the Spirit He has given us.