December
4th 1
John 3
Love one another
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. 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. 3:
And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as
he is pure. 4: Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law:
for sin is the transgression of the law. 5: And ye know that he was
manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin. 6: Whosoever
abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him,
neither known him. 7: Little children, let no man deceive you: he
that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous. 8: He
that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the
beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he
might destroy the works of the devil. 9: Whosoever is born of God
doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot
sin, because he is born of God. 10: In this the children of God are
manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not
righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother.
11: For this is the message that ye heard from the beginning, that we
should love one another. 12: Not as Cain, who was of that wicked one,
and slew his brother. And wherefore slew he him? Because his own
works were evil, and his brother's righteous. 13: Marvel not, my
brethren, if the world hate you. 14: We know that we have passed from
death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his
brother abideth in death. 15: Whosoever hateth his brother is a
murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in
him. 16: Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his
life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. 17:
But whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need,
and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the
love of God in him? 18: My little children, let us not love in word,
neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth. 19: And hereby we know
that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before him. 20:
For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and
knoweth all things. 21: Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then
have we confidence toward God. 22: And whatsoever we ask, we receive
of 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. 24: And he that keepeth his
commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that
he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us.
John
next moves on to the interesting subject of Sonship. He states that
Sonship is firmly established on the basis of the Love of God.
Sonship is what unites the believer to God and also what separates
him from the world. John says that it is not clear what he and his
readers will be like in the future but he does know that when Christ
comes they shall become like him. All of those who have the hope of
resurrection (the Jewish hope) purifies himself (humanly speaking)
John in this passage describes his readers under the Law and defines
sin as breaking the Mosaic law. The Jew who abides in Christ puts
away sin. John says do not be led astray, righteousness is measured
by doing right actions. (The Christians righteousness is totally
different it is the very righteousness of Christ - given on the basis
of Grace and Faith) Those who are born of God cease from habitual
sin. And love is the key to living righteously. Righteousness is seen
in acts of love. This is why charity is the height of Israel’s
legal righteousness. We should not be surprised if the world hate us.
We aught to be like Christ and lay down our lives for our brethren.
The faith of a godly man is seen in acts of love. Then John gives as
good a description of the Jew under the Law. ‘Whatsoever we ask, we
receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things
that are pleasing in his sight’. God under law gives his blessing
to those who do what is right. However we under grace receive the
blessings of God even though we do not do what is right under the
Law. Christians are just not under the law, they are under Grace. The
Key for the Jew was righteous acts. The key for the Christians is
walking in the Spirit. For the believer under the law John reminds
them that their obligation is to believe Gods message and live
righteously according to the Mosaic Law.
NB
It is difficult to understand this teaching in relation to the
Christian today. There are things that are the same for us but there
are things that are more that are a contrast. Often John uses ‘Us’
and ‘We’. We must remember that Johns Ministry as an Apostle was
to primarily to the Jews, that they might accept Jesus of Nazareth as
the Jewish Messiah.
- What is sonship?
- What is righteousness acording to the law?
- What is the difference between being a Jew and being in a christian?
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