First John Chapter Three
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.
See what great love [that] the Father has given to us, that we are called the children of God; because of this, the world is not knowing us, because it did not know Him (literal).1
It is through the love of the Father that we are able to be called His children by the redemptive sacrifice that Jesus made for all of humanity. This might remind us that it was God’s great love that caused Him to send the Word from the glories of heaven to earth to pay the price for the sins of all of humanity (John 3:16). However, after Paul identified some works of the flesh, he wrote this: “Let no one deceive you with empty words [words without truth]; for on account of these [the works of the flesh] comes the wrath of God upon the sons of disobedience” (Ephesians 5:6, literal).2 The God Who has a tremendous love for all of humanity, also requires that perfect justice be served for sin, and so His wrath rests upon the sons of disobedience – those who are committed to sin. However, many who are numbered among the sons of disobedience may appear to be Christian; Jesus called those who had done many wonderful things in His name, those who work iniquity (Matthew 7:23). Unless someone is both faithful to the Lord and obedient to His commandments, his only anticipation is for God’s wrath.
We might notice that in the quoted verse from Ephesians, the KJV shows the children of disobedience, and in our verse, in 1 John, they show sons of God; yet the literal translations show these (sons and children) to be reversed. The Greek word huious is sons, and tekna is children; for some reason, the translators of the KJV made no distinction between the two Greek words, even though they are quite different, and so they willfully blurred something that is clear in the Greek.3 Paul demonstrates the difference in his letter to the Romans. “For as many as are being led by the Spirit of God, these are the sons [huioi] of God” (Romans 8:14, literal);4 it is those who are being led by the Spirit who are called sons of God – this identifies a visible demonstration of obedience to the leading of the Spirit. “The Spirit Himself is bearing witness with our spirit that we are the children [tekna] of God” (Romans 8:16, literal);5 the presence of the Spirit of God confirms His presence in those who have been born of God. The Greek tekna points to the presence of a living relationship with the Lord – a child has received life from his/her parents; huios (in its various forms), on the other hand, identifies someone whose conduct is pleasing to the Lord – a son will honor his parents by his favorable conduct. When we are the children of God, we have been born again by His Spirit and have the full benefit of being joint-heirs with Christ (Romans 8:17); when we are the sons of God, then we are living in faithful obedience to His Spirit – a spiritual maturity has caused the child to become a son. “He who is believing in the Son is having life everlasting; but he who is disobeying the Son will not experience life, but the wrath of God is remaining upon him” (John 3:36, literal).6 The thief on the cross became a child of God, and he met Jesus in paradise (Luke 23:42-43); he had no opportunity to grow beyond a child of God so that he could demonstrate his obedience as a son. What is interesting is that John, in his letters, uses son only to refer to Jesus as the Son of God (the theme of his Gospel) – never as a reference to those who are His (that is always children, those who have been born into a relationship with the Lord).
Peter warns of the need to be very careful that having understood the truth of God’s Word, we not fall away from such by accepting error in place of the truth; he counters this with a command to be “increasing in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 3:18a, literal).7 Increasing is in the present tense (must be continual), imperative mood (it is a command), and active voice (we must ensure that we are increasing).8 We are to be increasing in our understanding of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ; it is noteworthy that Peter included Jesus as both our Lord and our Savior. As our Savior, Jesus is our means of becoming a child of God; we are born-again in Him, His Spirit comes to abide within (1 John 4:13), we become joint-heirs with Him, and the inheritance in Christ is ours (Romans 8:17). As our Lord, Jesus is our Master (since He purchased us out of sin), and we live according to the leading of His abiding Spirit in obedience to His commands (John 14:15). “And you have been made free from sin [through faith in Christ, born of God – His child], [and] have become enslaved to righteousness [submission to the Lord – His son]” (Romans 8:16, literal).9 Paul declares that these two events take place at the same time: if we have been freed from sin, then we are enslaved to righteousness. There is no middle ground where we are free from sin but not enslaved to His righteousness; the Evangelical concept of “Savior only” does not exist within God’s Word. Consequently, the Lord has given us many warnings to remain faithful to Him: “Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief [no faith], in departing [to become apostate] from the living God” (Hebrews 3:12).10 Jesus, Himself, issued a warning: “Beware! Do not let anyone deceive you” (Matthew 24:4b, literal).11
It is because we have God as our Father (we are His children), that the world, the domain of Satan, does not know us. Just before His crucifixion, Jesus prayed to the Father: “I have given to them [the disciples] Thy Word, and the world hates them because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. I am not asking that You take them out of the world, but that You protect them from the evil one” (John 17:14-15, literal).12 Jesus knew what His followers would face in this life, for He made this observation: “24. The disciple is not above his master, nor the servant above his lord. 25. It is enough for the disciple that he be as his master, and the servant as his lord. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more shall they call them of his household?” (Matthew 10:24-25). “Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution” (2 Timothy 3:12). In truth, a life yielded to our Master will lead to trials and persecutions, but our assurance is that Jesus has gained the victory over Satan and the world (John 16:33)!
Although John does not refer to us as being sons of God, the emphasis that he places upon obedience to the Lord’s commands tells us that it is his purpose to have the children of God continuing to abide in Christ – something that is only possible through faithful obedience! Clearly, it is his desire that the children grow in spiritual maturity so that they will become spiritual young men and fathers.
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.
Beloved, we are now the children of God, and it is not yet revealed what we will be, but we have known that when He is revealed, we will be like Him because we will see Him just as He is (literal).13
John begins to draw his readers’ attention to what lies ahead. He’s just told them that they are not known by the world, even as it did not know the Lord Jesus when He was on this earth. Because Jesus was not of this world, even the religious Jews refused to acknowledge Him for Who He was (John 8:21-23), since their focus was earthly (John 11:47-48). As we are living faithfully in Him (in obedience to His commandments), we will not be accepted by the world either, and, more particularly, by those who profess to be Christians. However, John assures his readers that they are, in this life, the children of God – in Christ by faith, and living in obedience to Him (1 John 2:3).
John readily admits that he doesn’t know what we will be when we enter eternity with the Lord. Even after he wrote the Revelation, which was primarily about the hereafter (Revelation 1:19), this was something that was not given much clarification. John wrote of the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures, both of whom were redeemed from the earth through Jesus’ blood (Revelation 5:9), yet it remains a mystery as to how these fit within the ekklesia that Christ is building. We are told that in the new heaven and earth, God will dwell with us (Revelation 21:3), all will be new (Revelation 21:5), there will be no more curse (Revelation 22:3), we will see His name in our foreheads and we will serve Him (Revelation 22:4); we learn something of the setting, but not what we will be like. John says that what we will be has not yet been revealed.
Paul also wrote on this subject: “because whom He [God] did foreknow, [He] determined in advance to be similar to the image of His Son, for Him to be the firstborn among many brethren” (Romans 8:29, literal).14 It is as we are in Christ that we are among those whom God did foreknow; it is these whom God has predetermined to become like unto the image of His Son. Notice that God knows who will be in Christ, but He has not predetermined who they will be; there is no support for Calvinism here, because foreknowledge cannot be misconstrued to be the same are predetermination! Paul explained to the Corinthians: “And as we have borne the image of the earthy [Adam], we shall also bear the image of the heavenly [Jesus]” (1 Corinthians 15:49). Further to that: “[Christ] Who will transform our humble body to become similar in form to His body of glory through the working of His power, even to subject all things to Himself” (Philippians 3:21, literal).15 Our heavenly bodies will be similar to that of Jesus, but since He is the Head of the ekklesia and God, we will not be exactly like Him. Jesus will bear the body of humanity forever, and it will have a continual reminder of the price that He paid to redeem us from sin and Satan.
It is noteworthy that John, who had been with Jesus after His resurrection and saw Him in His glorified body, still did not presume to know what He would be like after He ascended to the Father. What is very clear from Paul’s writings is that we will be like Jesus: He, the eternal Word, took on a human body through which He paid the debt of sin (Matthew 1:21; Luke 1:35); after dying, in payment for sin, He rose from the dead becoming the First to have an everlasting body (1 Corinthians 15:20); in that glorified body, He ascended to heaven to the Father, and as He ascended, so He will descend to gather His own from this world (Acts 1:9-11). However, it is also evident from John’s words that the heavenly Jesus does not appear to be the same as He was when He left His disciples: “13. And in the midst of the seven lampstands, [One] like to the Son of Man Who did wear a long robe, and He was girded about the breasts [with] a golden girdle16; 14. and His head and hair [were] white like wool – white as snow, and His eyes [were] as a blaze of fire; 15. and His feet [were] like fine brass as in a furnace they had been burned; and His voice as the sound of many waters” (Revelation 1:13-15, literal).17 As John beheld the ascended Jesus, he fell before Him as a dead man (Revelation 1:17); he described His appearance as the sun, shining in its strength (Revelation 1:16), and, indeed, there will be no need for the sun in the eternal New Jerusalem, “for the glory of God gave it light, and the Lamp of it [is] the Lamb” (Revelation 21:23, literal). John was given just a glimpse of the glory of the Lamb, and he fell before Him as dead; as Moses communed with Jehovah, the Lord told him that no one could look upon Him and live (Exodus 33:20) – the glory of God is too great for sinful man.
Nevertheless, John assured his readers that we will be like the Lord Jesus one day, for we will have then been changed into an immortal body so that we are able to be with Him forever (1 Corinthians 15:51-54)!
3. And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.
And everyone who is having this hope in Him is purifying himself, even as He is pure (literal).18
This hope refers to the time when we will be like Him because we will see Him just as He is. We live in a world that is filled with distractions, but we must remain focused on the Lord Who has purchased us out of sin, and, as such, we are no longer a part of this world – in it, but not of it. There is no hope in this world; our hope lies with the Lord and His promise of a new heaven and earth where we will abide with Him forever. Jesus taught His disciples this truth: “And if I go and prepare for you a place, I am coming again and will take you to Myself, so that where I am, you also are” (John 14:3, literal).19 The promise is that we will be with Him because He is coming to take those who are His (in Him) to be with Him in that heavenly place – this is our hope!
The writer of Hebrews made this observation: “1. Because we have such a great cloud of witnesses surrounding us [the OT saints], we have removed every hindrance and the easily entangling sin; with endurance let us run the race of life that is set before us, 2. fixing our eyes upon Jesus, the Founder and Finisher of the faith …” (Hebrews 12:1-2a, literal).20 There are two things here that expand on what John has written: 1) we have removed everything that would hinder us in our growth in the Lord – this identifies a completed action, not something that we will do one day; 2) fixing our eyes upon Jesus, speaks of a singular focus on Him – there is no room for distractions as we journey toward this Hope. In order to have our eyes fixed upon the Lord Jesus alone, we must have already set everything aside that would distract us from living faithfully in Him and in complete obedience to His commands – this is the purifying that His Spirit will work in us, preparing us for that day when He will take us to be with Him. It is as we live faithfully obedient to Him that He fills our vision, and we have a living hope that we will one day see Him as He is. What we must not overlook is the fact that unless we remain in Him, the hope of becoming like Him and remaining with Him forever, will be lost. “Let us hold fast an unwavering confession of hope, because faithful [is] He Who did promise” (Hebrews 10:23, literal);21 we must hold an unwavering hope, lest we lose the hope that we have in Him – the One Who is faithful to keep His promises.
God has given us many warnings to remain faithful, and to hold fast to the truth and the hope that we have in Christ (2 Timothy 1:13; Hebrews 3:6). Unless we hold fast and permit the Spirit of God to renew us from within, we will not be among those who will see Jesus and be like Him. “Therefore, [there is] now no condemnation to those in Christ Jesus: who are not living according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit” (Romans 8:1, literal). Heaven is not the hope of the lazy; it is the hope of those who diligently seek to live a life in this world that is founded upon a living faith in the Lord, and a life that is pleasing to Him.
4. Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.
Everyone who is practicing sin, is also working lawlessness: and the sin is lawlessness (literal).22
Practicing (committeth) is in the present tense; this is not a single act of sin, but, rather, a continual action – a life of sin. John has written this letter so that no one should sin, yet he assures his readers that if anyone does sin, then we have an Advocate Who is our means of forgiveness (1 John 2:1-2) if we come to Him for cleansing (1 John 1:9). John identifies the one who is continually sinning as working lawlessness; from this we must understand that the one who is abiding in Christ is also keeping the Law (the opposite of being lawless). This is confirmed by Paul: through His sacrifice, Jesus judged sin in the flesh, “so that the requirements of the Law are fulfilled in us who are not living according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit” (Romans 8:4, literal).23 If we are living in keeping with the guidance of the Spirit of God, then the requirements of the Law will be fulfilled in us; to put it another way, the Spirit of God will never lead us to break any of God’s Laws. Therefore, if someone is breaking any of God’s Laws (this includes the Ten Commandments, which form the foundation for all Laws), then he is not living in submission to the Spirit of God, he is not abiding in Christ, and he does not have the hope of which John has written.
The writer of Hebrews wrote of something similar to John, but from a different perspective, and with greater clarity as to the consequences of such a life: “26. No more sacrifice for sins continues to exist for our intentional sinning after a full knowledge of the Truth [has been] received, 27. but only a terrible expectation of condemnation and fury of fire that is about to be devouring the adversaries [of God]” (Hebrews 10:26-27, literal).24 This is someone who has come to know the full knowledge of the Truth – something that can only happen through faith in the Lord and the guidance of the abiding Spirit of God; this is someone who has been made holy by the blood of Christ (Hebrews 10:29)! Therefore, such a person has been truly born again, but then turned away from the Truth to a life of sin – for this one, cleansing for sins is no longer available: he is destined for eternal condemnation. John does not tell us if he is referring to someone who has known the Truth, or if he is writing of those who have never known the Truth (more on this later). In the former case, he has already declared that, without obedience to the Lord’s commands, such a person is a liar, is without the Truth (1 John 2:4), and, as we’ve just noted, is without hope; in the latter case, there is still hope that this one will come to repentance and faith (2 Peter 2:21).
What John is making very clear is that sin is lawlessness – that which is contrary to the Law. To this point in his letter, he has emphasized quite vigorously that without obedience to the Lord’s commandments (His Law), we do not know Him (1 John 2:2)! Therefore, without a demonstrated obedience to the Lord’s commands, lawlessness (practicing sin) is present. Lawlessness and obedience are mutually exclusive!
5. And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin.
And you know that He was revealed in order to remove our sins, and in Him is no sin (literal).25
John now presents two truths about the Lord Jesus: 1) He came to earth for the sole purpose of providing payment for the sins of humanity so that, through Him, cleansing from sin is available to everyone; 2) in Jesus there is no sin. Jesus, as the eternal Word made flesh (John 1:14), bore the sins of the world – “for He Who did not know sin, on our behalf He was made to be sin, so that in Him, we are becoming the righteousness of God” (2 Corinthians 5:21, literal).26 Despite bearing the sins of all of humanity while on the cross (made to be sin), Jesus remained without sin; He paid the penalty for sin (death) even though He, as the Son of God, remained pure and holy – without sin (Hebrews 7:26). Concerning the Child Whom she would bear, Mary was told: “the Holy Spirit will come upon you and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; and so the Holy Begotten will be called the Son of God” (Luke 1:35b, literal).27 In his Gospel account, John declared: “And the Word became flesh and did dwell with us, and we beheld His glory – glory as of the only Begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14, literal).28 The eternal Word became flesh as the Son of God in fulfillment of the eternal plan to provide redemption from sin for all of humanity; as the holy Son of God, Jesus alone was qualified to be the perfect Lamb of God, the Sacrifice for sin (Revelation 13:8).
The Word had to come to earth in a body of flesh, as the sinless Son of God, in order to be qualified to pay the price for sin – that was God’s eternal plan (1 Peter 1:19-20). For a sinner, the just reward for sin is death (Romans 6:23) – eternal physical and spiritual separation from God in the Lake of Fire (Matthew 10:28; Revelation 20:15). In order to satisfy the justice of God and still provide redemption from sin, Someone Who was holy and pure (without sin) needed to bear the sins of humanity; because Jesus was sinless, death could not hold Him – inasmuch as death is the reward for sin. Jesus died, not for His own sin but for the sins of humanity – He took the penalty for our sins; He rose to life again, thereby forever breaking the power of death over those who are in Him by faith in His payment for sin. The reward for the sins of humanity (death) was paid by Jesus, so that no one need ever die for their sins; redemption is available through faithful obedience to the Lord – the message that John has been making very clear in this letter.
6. Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him.
Everyone who is abiding in Him is not sinning; everyone who is sinning, has not seen Him, nor known Him (literal).29
There are three present tense verbs in this verse: abiding, and sinning (both times); verb tenses can have a significant impact on the meaning of the words of Scripture. In simple terms, the present tense identifies an action that is ongoing, unlike the perfect tense (a past action), and the future tense (an action that has yet to take place).
Therefore, when we read, abiding in Him, we understand that the abiding is a present reality, and that it is not momentary, but continuous. From what we have learned from John’s writing, we also know that this means that we are in Him by faith, and that we are remaining in Him by living in obedience to Him (1 John 2:5).
Now John writes that whoever is abiding in Him is not sinning; yet, earlier he wrote: “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us” (1 John 1:8). From this we know that abiding in Him does not mean that we will never sin, but that we will not live in a state of continual sinning (remember, sinning is in the present tense). Earlier he made it clear that the one who is continually sinning is working lawlessness (v. 4); lawlessness speaks of violating God’s Law, not keeping it, and so we understand that whoever is living in such a state of continual sin is not abiding in Him. As Jesus used the illustration of the vine (Himself) and its branches (those in Him), He said this: “Continue in Me, and I in you …” (John 15:4a, literal);30 what we must not miss is that continue is in the imperative mood – it is a command! How do we obey this command? Jesus said that if we are loving Him, then we must be living in obedience to His commandments (John 14:15); He also said: “If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love …” (John 15:10a). Therefore, we can only conclude that abiding in Him is our responsibility: will we live in obedience to His commandments, or not? No, this is not a works salvation, which is doing certain things in order to merit salvation. When we place our faith in Jesus, His payment for sin becomes ours; our faith in Him is built upon a love for Him for what He did for us, and that becomes the motivation for our obedience.
Consider, for a moment, the full impact of Jesus’ words: continue in Me, and I in you. When we place our faith in the Lord Jesus for forgiveness of sins, we come to abide in Him; His words command us to continue in Him, which means that it is possible to not continue in Him, otherwise there would be no need for this command. Notice, further, that His command for us to continue comes before His commitment to remain in us; in other words, if we do not continue in Him, then He will not be in us – the choice is ours to make! “Beware, brethren [earlier (v. 1) called holy brethren], that there never be in anyone of you a wicked heart of unbelief, to become apostate from the God Who is living” (Hebrews 3:12, literal).31 The warnings of Scripture, and this one does not stand alone, make it very clear that it is very possible to make a choice that will sever our abiding in the Lord. How do we continue in Him? We enter by faith, and we continue by obedience to His commandments! The choice is ours.
Now John goes on to say that the one who is sinning, has not seen Him, nor known Him. Let’s consider this carefully. We’ve already considered the words of the writer of Hebrews concerning those who have fully known the truth and then turn away to a life of willful sinning; John’s words might seem to contradict this. The words seen and known, in the Greek, are in the perfect tense, which describes a completed action with the results of that action continuing; this is unlike our English that simply points to a completed action.32 With this as a foundation, we can now understand that for the one who turned from the truth to a life of sin (Hebrews 10:26), even though he, at one time, had been forgiven and cleansed (Hebrews 10:29), his turning away indicates that he did not continue in his past action of seeing and knowing the Lord. What John has written is correct: the one who is sinning has neither seen nor known the Lord; this is true for both the pagan and the apostate. There is still hope that the pagan may turn to the Lord in repentance, whereas for the apostate, there is no longer any possibility of repentance (Hebrews 6:4-6). It is very important that we thoroughly understand our need to remain faithfully in the Lord: in Him by faith, and remaining in Him by obedience.
7. Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous.
Little children, do not let anyone lead you astray; he who is practicing righteousness, is righteous, even as He is righteous (literal).
John, once again, addresses the spiritually younger among his readers, and commands them to be sure that no one is leading them astray. When Jesus warned His disciples against deception, He said: “Watch, that no one should lead you astray” (Matthew 24:4b, literal); by contrast, John’s words are not a warning, but a command to guard against being led astray. As we learned earlier (2:26), the many antichrists that were among the brethren were having some success in deceiving those who were not sufficiently mature in the faith to discern their error. John has challenged his readers (generally) to recall what they heard from the beginning (1 John 2:7, 24); this is what the little children need to do in order to guard against being led astray. If the antichrists are able to introduce confusion into the minds of these young Christians, then it is very possible that they will lose sight of what they first learned. Error is seldom passive; Satan will always provide some rational justification to his error so that those who are being deceived will be motivated to spread the deception. This is not new: “And evil men and deceivers will advance from bad to worse, leading astray and being led astray” (2 Timothy 3:13, literal). Paul identifies a downward spiral – a cycle of leading astray and being led astray; John’s command is to break this cycle, and remain firmly rooted in the truth of Christ through faith and obedience.
John then correlates the one who is practicing righteousness to Jesus, Who is righteous. This is very similar to 1 John 2:29. Paul wrote that the one who has been freed from sin has become enslaved to righteousness (Romans 6:18; literal of servants of righteousness); it is only through the working of the power of God that anyone can be translated from being bound by sin to becoming enslaved to righteousness. Such a transformation only comes through being faithfully in Christ; the one who is faithfully in Christ (by faith and in obedience) stands in righteousness before God. “Therefore, [there is] now no condemnation to those in Christ Jesus: who are not living according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit” (Romans 8:1, literal); no condemnation because they are living in the righteousness of Christ.
Earlier, John wrote of those who are practicing sin as working lawlessness (v. 4); a life that is characterized by sin stands in contradiction to those who are in Christ, who are practicing righteousness. Paul describes those who are now enslaved to righteousness as having formerly been the servants [slaves] of sin (Romans 6:17); what is clear from the writings of both John and Paul, is that there is absolutely no common ground between practicing sin and practicing righteousness. The new commandment that John declared was this: “Do not love the world, nor the things in the world; if anyone is loving the world, the love of the Father is not in him” (1 John 2:15, literal). To love the world is to practice sin; in such a one there is no love of the Father – no righteousness, only lawlessness!
Yet, among Evangelicals there is a disdain for the Narrow Way Who leads to life (Matthew 7:13-14), and a desire to live according to their favored theology, which allows them to exercise a greater liberty to what is deemed to be acceptable. Despite their profession of knowing the Lord, they have no qualms about ignoring His commandments, and becoming incensed when their theology comes into question. Satan, who loves religion, has helped their experts draft theologies that promise much and require little – a combination that receives their unquestioning approval. Nevertheless, John has presented this truth: “The one who is saying, ‘I know Him,’ and His commandments he is not obeying, is a liar, and the truth is not in this one” (1 John 2:4, literal); this is the clear teaching of Scripture. For the one who is professing but not obeying, John presents two realities: 1) he is a liar; “But the fearful, and unbelieving … and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death” (Revelation 21:8); and 2) the truth [aletheia] is not in him; “Jesus saith … I am the way, the truth [aletheia], and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me” (John 14:6).33 The disobedient one who professes to know the Lord, does not have the presence of Jesus within – he is not one of His.
The one who is righteous as He is righteous, is living in faithfulness and obedience to the Lord – there is no other way! Any departure from faithful obedience is a withdrawal from the righteousness that comes from being in Him; do not let anyone lead you astray!
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.
He who is practicing sin is of the Devil, because from the first the Devil is sinning; unto this was the Son of God revealed, so that He could destroy the works of the Devil (literal).
John has already stated that the one who is practicing sin is working lawlessness (v. 4), and now he ties such a life directly to the Devil. Again, this is referring to a life that is characterized by habitual sin (a violation of God’s Law), not an occasional failure, to which we are all prone. John tells us that the one who is practicing sin is of the Devil; not that he is the Devil, but that he is permitting the Devil to guide his life. Jesus said this: “he who is not with Me, is against Me, and he who is not gathering with Me, is scattering” (Matthew 12:30, literal). What we can discern from this is that there are only two positions that can be taken in this life: either, we are for the Lord and against the Devil, or we are against Him and for the Devil. Among professing Christians today, there is a propensity to live in a spiritually gray zone – where God’s promises of heaven are retained, but His standards are relaxed and positive encouragement abounds; unfortunately for them, such a zone does not exist. Nevertheless, Satan will readily manufacture for them any kind of gray zone that they desire; he is a master at compromise and has a long list of reasons that will seemingly justify such lawlessness, and countless teachers who are willing to promote his lies. Jesus said that if we are not with Him (abiding in Him and living in obedience to Him), then we are on the side of the Devil – against Him. There is nothing in between these two positions: we cannot live with one foot in the world and the other in Him, and still hope to be awarded His salvation in the end. Salvation will only be given to the one who remains faithful to the Lord unto the end (Matthew 24:13) – one foot in the world is a disqualifier!
John notes that from the first the Devil is sinning; let’s consider this for a moment. Does from the first mean that he sinned from the moment that he was created, or is it from the beginning of time, or something else altogether?
We are not told a lot about the Devil and his origin, but there are passages that would seem to hint at a deeper application than expressed, and these are typically thought to hold a figurative application to Satan. As the Lord instructed Isaiah to record a proverb, or parable, against the king of Babylon (Isaiah 14:4), he wrote this: “For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God … I will be like the most High” (Isaiah 14:13-14). However, as we consider the life of Nebuchadnezzar, even though he expressed the sin of pride, it was not to the extent that Isaiah recorded: “The king spake, and said, Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for the house of the kingdom by the might of my power, and for the honour of my majesty?” (Daniel 4:30). This was only one year after Daniel had interpreted his troubling dream and cautioned him to live in righteousness and generosity (Daniel 4:27, 29). From this it seems to be apparent that the Lord’s proverb against the king of Babylon also provides a glimpse into the early days of Satan, a created angelic being – the Devil aspired to be like his Creator.
Ezekiel wrote a lamentation, or a dirge, concerning the king of Tyre, but, once again, it spoke of more than a sole application to the king. The Lord speaks of the king in these terms: as having “been in Eden the garden of God,” “thou art the anointed cherub [an angelic being] that covereth,” and “thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee” (Ezekiel 28:13-15).34 None of these have direct relevance to the king of Tyre (perhaps, figuratively), yet a second application could be made to Satan, the one who is using the king of Tyre. The Devil was in Eden, for he inhabited the body of the serpent to tempt Adam and Eve into sin; it is clear that the Lord cursed the serpent to slither on the ground (Genesis 3:14), but it is also evident that the enmity that was to exist against the woman and her seed would not come from a snake and its baby snakes – it would come from Satan and those who were committed to following him (Genesis 3:15). The Devil is an angelic being (something that no man can claim), for he is able to transform himself into an angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:14); in the great battle that took place as Jesus paid for the sins of humanity, we are told that “Michael and his angels fought against the dragon (the serpent, the Devil, Satan; Revelation 12:9); and the dragon fought and his angels” (Revelation 12:7). Michael, who is one of the chief holy angels (archangel, Jude 9), led other angels into battle against Satan and his fallen angels; with his defeat, Satan and his hosts were cast into the earth (Revelation 12:9) where they continue to this day. You will recall that Job spoke of Satan appearing before the Lord in heaven (Job 1:6); as he was defeated at the cross, he lost his access to heaven so that he can no longer bring accusations against the children of God (Revelation 12:10). Satan, as he chose to exalt himself in iniquity before God, took one-third of the angelic hosts with him (Revelation 12:3-4), and, as the leader of this host, he is called Abaddon (Hebrew for destruction) and Apollyon (the Greek translation for the Hebrew Abaddon) – in both cases the meaning is the Destroyer (Revelation 9:11).35
As we consider what little we understand about Satan, it would seem that John’s from the first would refer to the beginning of creation. John’s context is dealing with someone who is sinning continually, and so it involves humanity; it is evident that Satan’s iniquity was discovered at some time before creation, but, within John’s purposes, the impact of Satan’s sin was felt very soon after the creation of Adam and Eve (Genesis 3:1) – from the first.
Jesus, the Son of God and the eternal Word become flesh, was revealed, or brought into this world, for the purpose of destroying the works of Satan. “Since, therefore, the children have flesh and blood in common, He also, similarly, did share in the same, so that, through death, He put an end to the one having the power of death – namely, the Devil” (Hebrews 2:14, literal).36 At the same time that Jesus provided the way to rescue us from sin, He also broke the power of the Devil; the just recompense for sin is death (Romans 6:23), and sinners are under the control of the Devil (Matthew 12:30): Jesus, as the sinless Lamb of God, died, and thereby made the payment for sin for all of humanity (1 John 2:2), and broke the power of death for all who are in Him. Although the Devil is still very active today, his fate has been sealed and he knows it; however, he has not submitted to his fate, and, instead, goes about as a roaring lion seeking to devour (completely overpower) as many of the children of God as possible (1 Peter 5:8). “Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the Devil is come down unto you, having great wrath (thumos, a passionate expression of anger – rage), because he knoweth that he hath but a short time” (Revelation 12:12b). “And the dragon became enraged with the woman [the Kingdom of God], and went to make war with the rest of her seed: those who are obeying the commandments of God and who are holding the witness of Jesus Christ” (Revelation 12:17, literal).37 John has been challenging his readers to know Christ, and that this only comes through a life of obedience to His commandments; in other words, he is exhorting them to live in a way that will make them the specific targets of the Devil. Jesus said, “In the world you are having tribulation, but, take courage, I have conquered the world” (John 16:33b, literal);38 we have already noted that the world is the active domain of Satan, hence John’s exhortation that we are not to love the world (1 John 2:15). If we live in harmony with the world, then we will avoid the tribulations that would otherwise come our way; however, if we live in faithfulness to the Lord, then we are assured that we will face tribulations and persecutions: “And even all who purpose to live in a godly manner in Christ Jesus, will be persecuted” (2 Timothy 2:13, literal).39 A life of faithfulness to the Lord will make us the targets of Satan, but Jesus has conquered Satan and is able to protect us from his attacks! “And the Devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever” (Revelation 20:10).
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.
Everyone who has been born of God is not practicing sin because His Seed is remaining in him, and he is not able to continue sinning because he has been born of God (literal).40
This stands in contrast to the previous verse that declared that the one who is practicing sin is of the Devil. John now identifies that the one who is not practicing sin has been born of God; here we have polar opposites: practicing sin/not practicing sin, and of the Devil/of God. Jesus said that if we are not for Him, then we are against Him (Matthew 12:30); John is expanding on that very truth!
John tells us that there is a reason that the one who has been born of God is not practicing sin: His Seed is remaining in him. Central to understanding this verse correctly, is to discern the thrust of this phrase. A seed is something that contains a germ of life that will, if the conditions are right, produce a plant, and a harvest of more seeds. We must understand what Seed it is that God plants within us when we place our faith in the Lord Jesus. The Scriptures speak of several things: 1) the Spirit of God comes to abide within us, prepared to remain with us forever (John 14:16); 2) God writes His Law upon our minds and places them within our hearts (Hebrews 10:16); 3) as we abide in Christ, He has promised to abide within us (John 15:4). These are significant Seeds! John declares that the one who is born of God is not practicing sin because these three are remaining in him – this is a present tense (remaining) reality! Is it possible for this reality to fail?
Let’s begin with the third seed: Jesus is in us as we abide in Him. First of all, we must recognize this as being a conditional promise. Jesus commands us to abide in Him (John 15:4); abide is in the imperative mood (identifying it as a command) and active voice: He commands us to remain in Him – this is something that we must do, and then He will abide in us. “Do you, yourselves, not know that Jesus Christ is in you, unless you are failing to meet the test?” (2 Corinthians 13:5b, literal).41 What is that test? Jesus said that if we are loving Him (something that will precede placing our faith in Him), then we must be obeying His commandments (John 14:15); the test is: are we obeying His commandments? Therefore, if we are not living in obedience to His commands, then we are failing the test and He is not abiding in us because we are not abiding in Him! If we are living in disobedience to the Lord’s commandments, then Jesus is not in us.
The second seed that we noted was God’s Law in us. However, if we should fail to live in obedience to His Law, which is clearly an option that we can choose (failing to meet the test), then His Law within us is of no value. We may know about His Law, but we do not know it because we are in disobedience to it.
Finally, the Spirit of God Who is given to us when we place our faith in the Lord Jesus – Who comes with the intent to remain with us forever (John 14:16). As we consider this most significant Seed, Who has been given so as to be remaining in us forever, let’s draw two Scriptures together: Ephesians 4:30 and Hebrews 10:29. “And do not be grieving the Holy Spirit of God, in Whom you were marked unto the day of redemption” (Ephesians 4:30, literal).42 Grieving, as it is used here, is in the present tense (a continual action), active voice (we carry this action out), and imperative mood (with the included not, this is a command of something that we are not to do).43 The word for grieving (from the Greek lupeo), means to vex, offend or insult;44 anything that is contrary to God would cause the Spirit of God to grieve. Hebrews 10:29 – “How much more severe punishment, do you suppose [that] he is worthy, who treats with disdain the Son of God and considers the blood of the [New] Covenant [as] unclean, by which he was made holy, and the Spirit of grace he did insult” (literal).45 This is describing someone who has fully known the Truth (he was made holy), but has now insulted (grieved) the Spirit of God, shown disdain for the Son of God, and despised the blood that Jesus shed to bring cleansing from sin; this is someone who has been born of God (made holy), but has turned away and is now willfully living in a continual state of sin (Hebrews 10:26). For such as this, there is no more sacrifice available for sin; at one time he was cleansed from sin (made holy), but now he has grieved the Holy Spirit, despised the forgiveness of sins afforded him through the blood of Christ, and now awaits God’s certain condemnation (Hebrews 10:27) – he is no longer in Christ, the insulted Spirit of God has departed, and there is no more opportunity for him to repent (Hebrews 6:4-6).
From this we understand that the one in whom the Seed is remaining, is living in faithful obedience to the Lord; it is clear from Scripture that if the Lord’s forgiveness of sins is despised and turned away from, then His Seed is no longer within: the Spirit of God has departed, the Law of God is gone, and we are neither abiding in Christ, nor He in us. We who have been born of God are not practicing sin because we are faithfully obeying the Lord’s commands so that the Spirit of God is not grieved, and remains within us.
Now we come to John’s words: he is not able to continue sinning because he has been born of God. This might appear to be contradictory to what John has just laid out. However, if we consider it carefully, then we will be able to understand John’s intent. The one who has been born of God does not sin continually because of the presence of the Spirit within, Who is the Mark that he is in Christ; this only takes place, and only remains in place, as long as the one born of God lives in faithful obedience to Him. The one who lives in faithful obedience is not able to continue sinning because these two ways of living cannot co-exist.
However, the Scriptures contain many warnings against permitting sin to have the upper hand. “And thanks to God because you were slaves of sin; now, from the heart, you have followed the form of teaching that was delivered [to you], and you, having been freed from sin, have become enslaved to righteousness” (Romans 6:17-18, literal).46 Through faith in Christ, there is a movement from being slaves of sin, to being enslaved to righteousness – again, these two do not co-exist. “Become imitators of God, as beloved children” (Ephesians 5:1, literal).47 A life that is lived in faithfulness to the Lord does not include room for sin.
However, the Scriptures are also clear that it is very possible to fall away from following the Lord faithfully. “Beware, brethren, that there never be in anyone of you a wicked heart of unbelief, to become apostate from the God Who is living” (Hebrews 3:12, literal).48 This warning is directed to brethren, who were earlier called holy brethren (v. 1); it is possible to turn away from the Lord. Jesus taught that we are to consider the cost of following Him, lest we begin but fail to follow through (Luke 14:28-29), and then He tells us the cost: “Therefore, in this way, every one of you who does not give up all that is his, is not able to be My disciple” (Luke 14:33, literal).49 We are cautioned to count the cost of following the Lord before we commit to doing so, for to begin and then become apostate, assures us of the Lord’s condemnation – there is no return from this estate (Hebrews 6:4-6).
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.
By this it is clearly seen, the children of God and the children of the Devil: everyone who is not practicing righteousness is not from God, also he who is not loving his brother (literal).50
By this refers back to what John has just covered, namely that the one who is practicing sin is of the devil, and he who is born of God does not practice sin. How someone lives expresses to those around him the guidance that he has for his life: the devil, or God. John takes the negative aspects as the indication that this person is not of God: not practicing righteousness, and not loving his brother.
Let’s consider this for a moment. Earlier (1 John 2:18-19), John spoke of the many antichrists who were already at work, and that some of them were even among them. For the antichrists to be among the children of God means that they would be feigning a righteous life and a love for the brethren – otherwise, they would not have been accepted. It takes very careful observation and discernment, with the guidance of the Spirit of God, to discover those who are only pretending to be good Christians. This is something that we must be doing, as we will soon see, but it is easier to identify those who make no pretense of being what they are not. It seems that John is encouraging his readers to become fruit-watchers, and this is the easiest place to begin: with those who are obviously not practicing the righteousness and love of God.
Jesus taught this very principle: “16. By their fruits you will recognize them; are they gathering grapes from thorns? Or figs from thistles? [included in the Greek is a small word, meti, which requires an emphatic negative response to these questions] 17. Thus, every sound tree produces good fruit, and the unfit tree yields bad fruit. 18. A sound tree is not able to produce bad fruit, nor an unfit tree to yield good fruit. 19. Every tree that does not yield good fruit, is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20. Consequently, by their fruits you will recognize them” (Matthew 7:16-20, literal).51 The principle is this: from a godly heart will come righteousness and love, but from an ungodly, such good will not be evident. The easiest test to perform is for bad fruit, which always comes from an unfit heart, and this is what John is telling his readers to practice – if you see a lack of righteousness and love, then you know that that person is not of God. Learning to practice this test continually will provide protection from being influenced by those whom we need to avoid, and as this becomes a habit, John will soon guide his readers to sharpen this testing in order to provide even greater protection.
11. For this is the message that ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another.
Since this is the command that you heard from the beginning, that we love one another (literal).52
John now returns to a thought that he dealt with earlier (loving your brother, 1 John 2:10), and which he has just stated will not be present in those who are not from God. In his account of Jesus’ ministry, John included these words of Jesus: “A new commandment I am giving to you, that you love one another even as I have loved you, that you also love one another” (John 13:34, literal).53 Jesus directed this commandment to His disciples, and now John, to his readers. The command to love one another is in the present tense – this is to be a continual part of how we are living. The command is to find expression within the Body of Christ – among Jesus’ disciples. Even though this is the same kind of love (agape) that we are to have for our neighbor (Matthew 22:39), there is a difference; the love that Jesus, and now John, commands, is within the context of a close, spiritual relationship. When Jesus was asked by an expert in the Law of Moses, “Who is my neighbor?” (Luke 10:29), He related the parable of the good Samaritan; the neighbor was someone who acted with kindness toward someone he didn’t even know. However, the command to love one another that we are considering, is among the disciples of the Lord: we are all in Him, and we hold submission to the Lord in common. The difficulty that we face is that there are so few who are truly disciples of the Lord; although Evangelicals are everywhere, it is safe to say that the vast majority of them are not following the Lord, and, according to John, do not know Him (1 John 2:3).
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.
Not as Cain, [who] was of the evil one and did murder his brother. Why did he murder him? Because his works were evil, and those of his brother, righteous (literal).54
In contrast, John draws on the Genesis record of the murder of Abel by his brother, Cain. “3. Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the LORD. 4. And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat [the best55] thereof. And the LORD had respect [to regard with favor56] unto Abel and to his offering: 5. But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell” (Genesis 4:3b-5). Why did Cain become so angry? Because he knew that the Lord required shed blood, and, by giving heed to the Devil, he thought that he had a better idea; his offering was the best of what he had labored to produce, Abel’s was simply the best of what he had watched over. Cain’s offering looked good, smelled good, and represented his labors; Abel’s, on the other hand, was not pleasant to the eyes, did not smell wonderful, but was what the Lord required in order to provide a covering for sins; Cain’s was what he had done, while Abel’s was in obedience to the Lord. The most pious Evangelicals today bring offerings to the Lord that, like Cain, are the product of disobedience and express their sense of self-righteousness. These same sincere Evangelicals will look with disdain upon those who endeavor to live according to the standards that God established (the Ten Commandments); in reality, not much has changed since the days of Cain and Abel.
Nevertheless, John has strongly emphasized obedience to the commandments of the Lord as the only means of knowing Him (1 John 2:4). As John wrote of religious Babylon, the woman riding the beast (Satan), he noted this: “In her was found the blood of prophets and saints and of all of those who had been murdered on the earth” (Revelation 18:24, literal).57 Notice that this religion that is carried by Satan flows with the blood of God’s people (prophets and saints), but also includes all of the murders from the time of Cain! Cain was the first to follow this religion of Satan: his offering was contrary to what God required, and his anger against Abel led to murder – Abel’s blood is found in this religious Babylon, that age-old religion of the Devil.
John gets right to the point: Cain killed Abel because God looked with favor upon Abel and his offering. Adam and Eve, while still in the Garden, learned that they could not make an acceptable covering for sin; they fashioned garments of fig leaves (Genesis 3:7), which the Lord replaced with the skins of animals that shed their blood in order to provide that adequate covering (Genesis 3:21). Clearly, Adam and Eve had instructed their children in the required covering for sin (the shedding of blood), and had undoubtedly demonstrated the procedures of sacrifice many times; Cain became angry because, being inspired by the Devil, he sought to sanitize the offerings to the Lord, even though he knew that this was not what the Lord required. The Devil whispered, “Yea, hath God said,” to Eve, and it appears that the same tactic was used with Cain – and it worked!
Evangelicals today are still following the Devil’s “yea, hath God said,” and are strongly opposed to “thus saith the Lord.” They have devised numerous theologies that include the hope of glory without giving any heed to the commandments of God. This is not too surprising since the first Evangelicals were those who sought to change the churches of the Reformation, but came to realize that separation was their only recourse.58 These were people who had come out of the apostate Roman Catholic Church, realized that the Reformed churches were little better than their mother Church, and set out to establish gatherings more in keeping with the Biblical example. However, without a radical cleansing and re-evaluation of teachings within those who separated, there was a tendency to retain a lot of the religious baggage from the group out of which they came. Therefore, the history of modern Evangelicals leads back to the Roman Catholic Church, which had for centuries cultivated its apostasy, and had developed all manner of justifications for its teachings under the guidance of their mentor, the Devil. Although much closer to the Truth than either the Roman Catholics or the Reformed, those early Evangelicals seemed unable to purge themselves of all that was not Biblical; consequently, throughout the centuries since then, Evangelicals have followed many different leaders into numerous factions, and have developed and harbored all manner of heresies – the Devil has been more than pleased to assist them along the way. Today, most Evangelicals are content with their theologies and high-profile leaders, remain largely ignorant of God’s Word, and have no interest in evaluating what they are being taught – it is the last of these that keeps them chained to error and unwilling to consider that they might be wrong. The error of Cain’s understanding of what was acceptable to the Lord, continues to live on today – not surprising, since the religion of Babylon is still at work.
13. Marvel not, my brethren, if the world hate you.
Do not be amazed, my brethren, that the world is hating you (literal).59
We noted earlier that John has been exhorting his readers to live in such a way that they will become the specific targets of Satan – in obedience to the commandments of God, and bearing the witness of Jesus (Revelation 12:17). Abel followed life as prescribed by God, and, as a result, he became the first to be killed for his faith; Satan’s purpose is to find those who are the children of God, and destroy them. His OT mission was to stop the coming of the One by Whom he would be destroyed (Genesis 3:15); since the cross of Christ (and his defeat), he is determined to devour as many of God’s children as he can – those who are not vigilant and become paralyzed by his roaring (1 Peter 5:8).
One of the natural outcomes of living in faithful obedience to the commandments of God, is a separation from the world – a love for the Lord, but not for the world (1 John 2:15). This demonstrates to the world that it is possible to live in a different manner, and one that is pleasing to the Lord; the world perceives this as a criticism of how they live, which it is. Jesus said, “I am not of this world” (John 8:23), and, truly, He was the eternal Word made flesh (John 1:14); therefore, as we abide in Him, Who is not of this world, then we must understand that we, too, are not of this world, and, as such, we will not garner the world’s acceptance.
Interestingly, the word hate, as used here, is from precisely the same Greek word that is used in Luke 14:26 (the same voice, tense and mood), where Jesus said that we must hate our families in order to be His disciple. We understand that Jesus is not telling us to hate our family, but that our commitment to Him must be greater than to our earthly family; the hate is used in a comparative manner to emphasize that the Lord must hold a greater priority for us than our family; it is not that we are to detest, or reject, our family, but that the Lord and what He requires, is dominant. We understand the comparative nature of its use in Luke because of the context: Jesus follows this with an illustration of someone building a house: unless he considers the cost first, he may not be able to finish it, and will be ridiculed by those who see what’s happened. Jesus counsels us to count the cost of being His disciple, lest when He calls us to leave our earthly situation, we discover that we hate Him more than we hate our family, or, to put it another way, we love our earthly state more than we love Him.
When we consider the word hate within John’s use, we must again consider the context; this time, it follows the illustration of Cain’s hatred for Abel that led him to murder his brother. Therefore, we understand that the hatred that the world will have for us is not comparative, but absolute. The world will detest and reject us because we, being in Christ, are not a part of it; although we are in the world, we, like the Lord Jesus, are not of it. Jesus said: “If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you” (John 15:18); John commands: do not be amazed because the world is hating you. However, Jesus also said: “The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you” (John 15:20b). Who were the greatest persecutors of Jesus during His ministry? It was the religious elite of the Jews: the scribes, Pharisees and Sadducees; if the religious leaders persecuted Jesus to the point of securing His crucifixion, then we should not be surprised when the religious of our day oppress us – including modern-day Evangelicals. Satan is in this world as a roaring lion, and he cares not if his roaring comes through the culture of this world (which is his domain), or from those whom we might consider to be “Christian” but who refuse to live in obedience to the Lord’s commands (also his domain). “Because with us the struggle is not against blood and flesh, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the world-rulers of darkness of this present time, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenlies” (Ephesians 6:12, literal).60 As we live in obedience and faithfulness to the Lord, we can be sure that Satan will work his wiles against us – we must remain alert!
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.
We have known that we have moved from death unto life, because we are loving the brethren; he who is not loving his brother, is remaining in death (literal).61
John is presenting another variation of what it means to be faithfully in Christ. He has already stated that the one who is born of God is not practicing sin (v. 9), and Jesus made it clear that in order to love one another, within the context that He placed it, we must be one of His disciples – born of God. Therefore, when John uses the love of the brethren as the sign that we have moved from death unto life, it is understood that the basis for this is that we have been born of God. A feigned love for the brethren will not indicate that we are in His life.
What is very interesting is that moved is in the active voice, which tells us that the subject (in this case, we) has made the move! It is also in the perfect tense, a completed action with continuing results, and the indicative mood – it is a statement of fact.62 As we bring all of this together, this is what we understand: it is a fact that we chose to move from death unto life (in Christ), and that this change continues to be reflected in how we live. Moved, being in the perfect tense, does not support the heresy of once-saved-always-saved; the English perfect tense is simply a past, completed action, which is precisely how Evangelicals view a prayer offered in faith for the Lord’s cleansing from sin, and arrive at this heresy. However, the perfect tense in the Greek identifies a past completed action, but it also includes a continuing expression of the results of that action; therefore, a prayer of faith that brings someone into Christ, must be followed by a life of faithful obedience to Him, otherwise that prayer, no matter how sincere, has been lost forever.
Jesus spoke of the Seed (the Word of God) falling upon rocky soil; there was immediate growth, but when trials came, it died: “and those on the rock, when they heard, with joy receive the Word and these have no root, who for a time are believing, and in a time of trial become apostate” (Luke 8:13, literal).63 When the Seed fell into weedy soil, it grew but was choked by the weeds, so that it, too, died: “and that which fell among the thorns, these are those who have heard, and going their way [there is spiritual growth], by the cares and riches and pleasures of life they are being choked and are not bearing fruit” (Luke 8:14, literal).64 Jesus also clarified that “every branch in Me that is not bearing fruit – it is cut off …” (John 15:2a, literal);65 from this we understand the complete end of the plants growing among the thorns, just in case being choked is not evidence enough. It is the correct application of the Greek perfect tense of moved that requires growth into spiritual maturity, because the change is not simply a past action, but an ongoing reality.
John is identifying loving the brethren as an indication that the transfer from death to life is still true; if someone is not loving the brethren, then John rightly concludes that that person remains in death. A little later, John explains how our love for the brethren is evident: “By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments” (1 John 5:2). If we are not obeying the commandments of God, then we do not know Him (1 John 2:3), and we do not love the brethren. Once again, obedience to the commandments of God becomes central to a life that is pleasing to the Lord and loving toward the children of God!
15. Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him.
Everyone who is hating his brother is a murderer, and you have known that every murderer does not have life everlasting remaining in him (literal).66
Earlier, John stated that whoever is not loving his brother is not of God, and, hence, of the devil (v. 10); in 1 John 2:9, he declared that the one who is hating his brother is abiding in darkness. In the latter case, we considered Jesus’ words that it is understood that a murderer is subject to the condemnation of his local city judges, but Jesus went on to say that the one who is angry with his brother for no reason, is subject to the same judgment (Matthew 5:21-22). There is a correlation between hatred and murder – the former can lead to the latter, as John has illustrated through Cain’s actions. After speaking of the one who is angry without a reason being subject to the same judgment as murderers, Jesus then spoke of the one who lusts after a woman as being an adulterer (Matthew 5:28); John follows the same pattern by asserting that the one who is continually hating his brother is a murderer.
To this point, John has identified the one who is hating his brother as abiding in darkness – apart from God and under the finger of Satan. Therefore, it is a small thing to equate a continual hatred with murder; it follows Jesus’ teaching, and the destiny for someone who is in darkness is the same as for a murderer. Paul declared that murderers will not inherit the kingdom of God (Galatians 5:21); John wrote that such a person is without life everlasting, and, indeed, their destiny is the Lake of Fire (Revelation 21:8).
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.
In this we have known love, because that One [the Lord Jesus] did give His life for us, and we must give [our] lives for the brethren (literal).67
We come to know love because the Lord Jesus gave His life for us (as well as for the whole world, 1 John 2:2). The ultimate expression of love comes from God, Who gave His Son for the sins of humanity; we were without hope, but God had determined to open a way of redemption for those sinful creatures whom He created in His own image. As we place our faith in the Lord for cleansing, we experience His great love for us: He cleanses us from sin, freely gives His Holy Spirit to abide in us, and He places His Law within us – we are both cleansed and enabled to live in obedience to His commandments. Jesus, the sinless Lamb of God, died for the sins of humanity, thereby breaking forever the power of the Devil (Hebrews 2:14); as we remain in Him, we will remain free from the clutches of Satan. However, “Be clear-headed, be alert, because your adversary, the Devil, is going about like a roaring lion seeking someone to completely overpower” (1 Peter 5:8, literal).68 The Devil is specifically targeting “those who are obeying the commandments of God, and who have the witness of Jesus Christ” (Revelation 12:17b, literal);69 he is not aimlessly going through the earth – his goal is to destroy as many of the children of God as he can. Hence the many exhortations to stand fast: … in the faith (1 Corinthians 16:13), … in our freedom from sin in Christ (Galatians 5:1), … in the Lord (Philippians 4:1), and … in the teachings of Scripture (2 Thessalonians 2:15). If we are challenged to stand fast, then it only follows that it is very possible to not stand fast. “Beware, brethren, that there never be in anyone of you a wicked heart of unbelief, to become apostate from the God Who is living” (Hebrews 3:12, literal).70
John ends with: and we must give [our] lives for the brethren. Since Jesus willingly gave His life to buy us out of sin, it is only fitting that we, as His disciples, should follow His example and willingly give our lives for our brethren in the Lord. John has been reminding his readers of Jesus’ words to love one another; this last phrase fits perfectly with this record of His words: “12. This is my commandment, that you love one another, even as I have loved you. 13. No one has a greater love than this: that one lays his life down for his friends” (John 15:12-13, literal).71 Jesus then adds a further note to this: “You are My friends if you are doing whatever I am commanding you” (John 15:14, literal).72 Jesus says that the greatest love is for someone to die for his friends; Jesus died for the cleansing of sins for all of humanity – He bore their sins so that they might be freed from that bondage. He laid His life down for all of humanity (not friends); for someone to die for his friends would require that he be able to foresee good coming out of his sacrifice. Jesus relinquished His life for the world: what a great love (John 3:16)! However, He says that a greater love than this is involved when it is for His friends, and we are His friends if we are living in continual obedience to His commandments! How is His love for His obedient ones greater than His love that brought Him to die for the sins of humanity? His love for His friends involves a relationship: they are in Him and He is in them! This is something that is not true of all of humanity.
Because of His great love for all of humanity, God gave His Son to die for their sins. The Scriptures tell us: “Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated” (Romans 9:13b); yet the promise of a coming Redeemer was as much for Esau as it was for Jacob – yes, the promise continued through the family line of Jacob, but the promise was there for Esau as well. Jesus would come to die for the sins of Esau, as well as those of Jacob – God’s love was there for both; yet, Esau spurned the Lord’s ways, whereas Jacob developed a spiritual relationship with the Lord. God’s love for Esau was present, while His greater love for Jacob was founded upon a spiritual bond. Jesus said: “If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple” (Luke 14:26). As we’ve noted before, this is not a call for us to hate our family, but rather that we are to have a greater love for the Lord than we have for those whom we naturally love. The Lord has done more for us than anyone – our eternal hope rests only in Him; therefore, as we live in obedience to His commandments, His love for us is greater than His love for the world, which is already a love beyond words.
It is because of His great love for us, His friends through our obedience to His commands, that we, in turn, can express our love for our brethren in the Lord by giving our lives for them. If we jump ahead for a moment, we will understand what that means: “In this we are knowing that we are loving the children of God: when we are loving God and His commandments we are obeying” (1 John 5:2, literal).73 The greatest way that we can show our love for the brethren, and, indeed, it means that we must give our lives for them, is to continually love God and obey Him! Remember that John has also issued this command from the Lord: “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him” (1 John 2:15). We must lay our lives down for the Lord, and as we do so, we are also giving our lives for our 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?
But whoever may have worldly goods, and should see his brother having need and should have closed his heart from him – how is the love of God remaining in him? (literal).74
John now provides an illustration of what can form a part of what it means to give our lives for our brethren, while at the same time teaching another lesson on what it means to love. If we are in possession of something, and see our spiritual brother in need of it, then we must give to meet his need – this is a demonstration of God’s love being in us. We must not cling to what we have in this life (a love for this world) when someone else is in need (a necessity, not a want!), but willingly share (showing the love of the Father) – “If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him” (1 John 2:15b). We must note the use of the word need, which speaks of necessity, and not desire, wish or want.
The Greek word shown as goods, is from bios, and primarily means life, and then the means whereby life is maintained.75 In the previous verse, lives is from the plural form of the Greek psuche, which is the soul.76 The former is a consideration of the physical requirements of life, while the latter focuses more on the non-material aspects. However, it is not that these two are mutually exclusive, and that is the point that John is making here. If we see someone in need of something that we have, and we turn away, then we have shown a greater love for the worldly things than for our brother in need – that is not the love of the Father!
18. My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.
My little children, let us not love in word nor by tongue, but by deed and in truth (literal).77
Again, John addresses those who are not spiritually mature, which, really, is everyone who is not in the presence of the Lord. He gives us four means of expressing love: two negative and two positive.
Word (logos) is used for speaking in general, but includes the thought of being rational and understandable.78 Tongue (glossa), on the other hand, refers specifically to the organ that makes speech possible, and can refer to a language that is either known, or unknown, and this can be either to the hearer, or to the speaker.79 Deed (ergon) refers to something that is done, an action, or, more generally, to work.80 Truth (aletheia) is that which bears certainty, is factual, and does not vary with the transient nature of life because it is reality.81 Our love is to be characterized by the latter two, not the former.
James wrote: “15. If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, 16. And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit?” (James 2:15-16). This identifies the contrast between words and deeds; although words may sound gracious and kind, they will do nothing to provide for those who are in need. Even our culture recognizes the difference: “actions speak louder than words”; “he’s all talk and no action.” John has dealt with this within the spiritual realm: “He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him” (1 John 2:4). The words of his mouth are: “I know Him,” but he does not live in obedience to the Lord’s commandments – he’s all talk and no action; in fact, John says that he does not know the Lord at all! Moreover, the Truth (the Lord Jesus Christ, John 14:6) is not in him; he is neither abiding in the Lord, nor is the Lord abiding in him.
Therefore, to love in deed and truth means to abide in the Lord and to live in obedience to His commandments. This is the message that John has been emphasizing, and as this becomes our life in the Lord, then our words will express our experience, rather than revealing hypocrisy. John is not saying that we should not express our love in our speech, but that there first needs to be a foundation of loving God and loving action.
19. And hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before him.
In this we not only know that we are of the Truth, but also our hearts will rest before Him (literal).82
In this refers back to our love being expressed in action and in truth – faithfully abiding in the Lord. It is as we live in faithful obedience to the Lord that we hold a present assurance that we belong to Him. “The Spirit, Himself, testifies with our spirit that we are the children of God” (Romans 8:16, literal).83 Such an affirmation will not come from the Spirit of God unless we are living in faithful obedience to the commandments of the Lord; disobedience makes us children of the prince of this world, the Devil, and subject to the wrath of God, not His assurance (Ephesians 2:2-3). John has already declared that the one who is obeying the Lord enjoys His full love, and, thereby we know that we are in Him (1 John 2:5).
It is noteworthy that even though there is a present tense knowing that we are of the Truth, there is also a future when our hearts will rest before Him. Jesus promised that our lives will be filled with tribulation, but since He has overcome this world (John 16:33) and we are in Him, there is also a future when our hearts will be at rest with Him. The message that John has been stressing is that it is what we do in this life (faith in the Lord and obedience to Him) that will establish our future with the Lord. He has promised us everlasting life if we remain faithfully (obediently) in Him (1 John 2:24-25). “And the one who endured unto the end, that is the one who will be saved” (Matthew 24:13, literal);84 the faithful perseverance must remain until the end, and only then will salvation be inherited.
20. For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things.
For if our heart is condemning [us], God is greater than our heart, and He knows all (literal).85
This is based upon loving in deed and in Truth (v. 18), which affirms that we are of the Truth (v. 19) – we are living faithfully in the Lord: we are abiding in Him, and He in us. This is the expected relationship that we are to have with the Lord Jesus. However, even in such a proper bond with the Lord, the thought of our unworthiness of such mercy and grace may creep into our thinking – our heart is condemning us! John is addressing that situation here; in essence, he is saying that we must not listen to our hearts at that moment, but to God Who has declared us to be His children because we are loving the Lord and living faithfully for Him.
We must be careful not to remove this from its context. This is premised upon living in a faithful (obedient) relationship with the Lord, and it cannot be separated from this. There are times when our hearts will condemn us because we know that we have done wrong; God knows this as well, and we must then confess, repent and be restored (1 John 1:9; 2:1-2).
21. Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God.
Beloved, if our heart is not condemning [us], [then] we have our confidence with God (literal).86
John now deals with the opposite scenario to the previous verse: our heart is not condemning us. In this case, he states that our confidence lies entirely with God. In reality, whether our heart is condemning us or not, our stability lies with God: in the former, we realize that God knows our frame, and will, with our confession, restore us to Himself; in the latter, our confidence is in God, and not in our own hearts. In both cases, we must be living in faithful obedience to the Lord – that is the essence of abiding in Christ.
22. And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight.
And for whatever we are asking, we are receiving from Him, because His commandments we are obeying and we are doing that which is pleasing before Him (literal).87
Jesus said, “And for whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, so as to glorify the Father in the Son” (John 14:13, literal).88 Jesus made several similar statements to His disciples, and we often wonder about them since we ask for many things that do not come. In this particular quote, Jesus gave one reason for providing us with His answer: so that His Father will be glorified through Him. That is clearly something that we cannot determine; there is no way for us to discern if the Father would be glorified by His Son providing us with that for which we asked. We make our requests known to the Lord, and then the Son intercedes with the Father on our behalf (Romans 8:34), and, when we don’t know how the pray, the Spirit will intercede for us in accordance with the Father (Romans 8:26-27). Although we are now free to come before the Father, we do so through Christ, and both the Son and the Spirit are mediating for us in order to ensure that our requests are as they should be. Jesus spoke with surety (you ask, I will do), yet we are dependent upon His intercession in order to ensure that our requests are according to God’s desires.
The Apostle Paul provided us with a personal example: “7. And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure. 8. For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. 9. And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me” (2 Corinthians 12:7-9). What did Jesus say to Paul? “My grace is enough for you, because My strength is being made complete in [your] weakness” (literal).89 Paul’s request was for a thorn to be removed; Jesus’ response was to leave the thorn and provide him with the grace and strength that he needed to live with it. Are we able to see His answer when it comes in this form? Paul did; he realized that, without this thorn, there was a good chance that he could have become proud of how the Lord had revealed so much to him. As it was, he was able to experience the Lord’s enabling and His grace as needed as he lived with this thorn. Paul would never have said that his prayer was not answered – perhaps not as he had hoped (being human), but definitely for his growth in the Lord.
John then outlines the minimum requirement that must be met in order for the Lord to hear our requests: His commandments we are obeying, and we are doing what is pleasing to Him. Once again, obedience to the Lord’s commandments comes to the fore. However, beyond that, we understand that not every action that we do will be either obedience or disobedience to a command of the Lord – there is much of life that flows around obedience to His commands, and it is this that must be pleasing before Him. Jesus clarified this: “If you are loving Me, [then] My commandments you are to obey” (John 14:15, literal).90 Our lives are to express our love for the Lord, not only when we are obedient to Him; we must live in a manner that continually acknowledges Him as our Lord – that will be pleasing before Him. Then it becomes less a matter of us getting what we asked for, and more that we are confident that He will provide us with what we need: either by the answer as we imagined, or by the grace and strength to bear the cross to which He has called us. Either way, we must seek the glory of the Father through His Son, knowing that we have the best Mediators with the Father; we must remain faithful to Him even when the answer is His grace and His strength to bear His cross!
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.
And this is His commandment that we believe on the name of His Son, Jesus Christ, and that we are loving one another just as He gave commandment to us (literal).91
John now brings faith (believe) and obedience (loving) together. Believe, within its Biblical use, always includes a thorough examination so that it is a conviction of the truth of a matter, and, consequently, is the active element that forms the basis for faith. John states that God has commanded us to believe in the Lord Jesus. Believe, as it is used here, is in the aorist tense, subjunctive mood and active voice; being part of a purpose clause, the subjunctive mood no longer suggests possibility, but presents the outcome of obeying God regarding His Son – believe. The active voice means that we must believe – no one can do it for us, not even God; as we believe in keeping with God’s command, then we have a proper faith in the Lord. Lastly, we have the aorist tense, which presents believe as a complete action; since this is a response to a command from God, it is understood that believe forms a solid foundation for our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ – it includes a full examination and commitment. This believe cannot change; it may grow deeper, but its essence will remain the same. However, if we become persuaded to change this believe, then we have become apostate from the Lord (Hebrews 3:12); any change made will destroy the original function of believe. This was clearly exemplified by the Galatians who were seeking to change what they had come to believe under Paul’s ministry (the true Gospel) – a small change destroyed the Gospel that Paul had taught them (Galatians 1:6-7).
Jesus said, “13. You must enter through the narrow gate; for wide [is] the gate and many are those who are going through it, and broad [is] the way that is leading to destruction. 14. For narrow [is] the gate and compressed [is] the way that is leading to life, and few are finding it” (Matthew 7:13-14, literal).92 Notice that the gate that opens onto the way to life, is narrow (stenos), a metaphorical reference to the strict requirements that must be met before entrance is possible.93 It is interesting that the Greek takes the narrow gate and the compressed way, and couples them with a singular verb (is leading); in truth, they are One, because they are both found in Jesus. He said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me” (John 14:6) – He is the only access to the compressed Way to life (the Narrow Gate). Because this Gate is restrictive, only those who come to the Lord in faith (enter through the Narrow Gate; believe on the name of His Son, Jesus Christ) and live a life of obedience (walk the compressed Way; loving one another) will come to the Father. John presents the essence of what it means to live a life that it pleasing to the Lord!
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.
And the one who is obeying His commandments is abiding in Him, and He in him; by this we know that He is abiding in us: by the Spirit, Whom He gave to us (literal).94
John recorded Jesus’ words: “abide in Me, and I in you” (John 15:4a); the first is a command and the second a promise to those who abide in Him. John now brings Jesus’ words into the context of his theme: the need for obedience to the Lord’s commands; for those who are obeying His commandments, they are abiding in Him, and He in them. Jesus made a series of statements that are very interesting when taken together. “If you are loving Me, [then] My commandments you must obey” (John 14:15, literal); “The one who has My commandments and is obeying them, this one is loving Me …” (John 14:21a, literal); “If someone is loving Me, [then] he will give heed to My Word, and My Father will love him, and to him We will come, and will make Our dwelling with him” (John 14:23, literal).95 Obedience to the Lord’s commands is inextricably linked to our love for Him; it is our willing submission to His authority (obedience) that tells Him that we are loving Him. Paul wrote: “Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?” (1 Corinthians 3:16); according to Jesus, this can only be someone who is living in obedience to His Word. Just like the one who says, “I know Him,” but then lives in disobedience, is a liar (1 John 2:4), so whoever says, “I love Him,” but doesn’t obey Him, is also a liar.
John concludes that we know that Jesus is abiding in us by the Spirit Whom He has given to remain with us (John 14:16). When Philip asked Jesus to show His Father to them, His response was that those who had seen Him, had seen the Father; the writer of Hebrews declared Jesus to be the exact representation of the essence of the Father (Hebrews 1:3). Jesus consoled His disciples that, after He left them, He would send them another Comforter – One Who was the same as He was (John 14:16). What is very evident is this: all three members of the Godhead (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) are equally God. As the Spirit comes to abide within us, we have the full presence of God abiding within – indeed, we are His temple! However, as glorious as this is, it is not a certainty forever; the Spirit will not remain in the one who is not living in faithful obedience. James assures us that to break one Law makes us guilty of violating the whole Law (James 2:10), therefore, if we are disobedient to the Lord in one Law, then we have submitted to the Devil, the prince of the power of the air, who is now working in the children of disobedience (Ephesians 2:2). We are assured that there is no condemnation to those who are living in accordance with the Spirit of God (Romans 8:1), but disobedience to the Spirit, in even one aspect of the Law, means that we are now under the guidance of the Devil (1 John 3:8). Again, we must be reminded that this is not a single misstep or failure (for which repentance is possible), but a pattern of disobedience, yet James assures us that that pattern need only involve one of God’s Laws. As we permit this reality to seep into our thinking, we realize that the vast majority of those who claim to be a part of Christ’s kingdom, are, in fact, under the thumb of the Devil – the Spirit of God has either never been resident within them, or has long since left them. Obedience to the Lord’s commandments is the expected result of faith in Him; it is certainly not optional.
John’s theme is very relevant for today: obedience to the Lord’s commandments is essential for knowing Him, loving Him, and enjoying the presence of His Spirit in our lives. Jesus warned against being led astray, even in the midst of great deception, turmoil, conflict, and being the target of much hatred, because it is the one who remains faithful to Him who will be saved (Matthew 24:4-13). Faithful (hupomeno; KJV endure) speaks of perseverance; however, we know that unless that perseverance is focused on obedience to the Lord’s commandments, it will not work to our benefit. “1. Therefore, [there is] now no condemnation to those in Christ Jesus, who are not living according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. 2. For the Law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus did free me from the law of sin and death 3. For what is impossible of the law, in that it was weak through the flesh, God, Who did send His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and [to atone] for sin, did condemn sin in the flesh, 4. so that the requirements of the Law are fulfilled in us who are not living according to the flesh but according to the Spirit” (Romans 8:1-4, literal).96 If we are living under the guidance of the Spirit of God, then: 1) we are not under God’s condemnation, 2) we are free from the law of sin and death, and 3) the requirements of the Law are being lived out through us (obedience!).
See what great love [that] the Father has given to us, that we are called the children of God; because of this, the world is not knowing us, because it did not know Him (literal).1
It is through the love of the Father that we are able to be called His children by the redemptive sacrifice that Jesus made for all of humanity. This might remind us that it was God’s great love that caused Him to send the Word from the glories of heaven to earth to pay the price for the sins of all of humanity (John 3:16). However, after Paul identified some works of the flesh, he wrote this: “Let no one deceive you with empty words [words without truth]; for on account of these [the works of the flesh] comes the wrath of God upon the sons of disobedience” (Ephesians 5:6, literal).2 The God Who has a tremendous love for all of humanity, also requires that perfect justice be served for sin, and so His wrath rests upon the sons of disobedience – those who are committed to sin. However, many who are numbered among the sons of disobedience may appear to be Christian; Jesus called those who had done many wonderful things in His name, those who work iniquity (Matthew 7:23). Unless someone is both faithful to the Lord and obedient to His commandments, his only anticipation is for God’s wrath.
We might notice that in the quoted verse from Ephesians, the KJV shows the children of disobedience, and in our verse, in 1 John, they show sons of God; yet the literal translations show these (sons and children) to be reversed. The Greek word huious is sons, and tekna is children; for some reason, the translators of the KJV made no distinction between the two Greek words, even though they are quite different, and so they willfully blurred something that is clear in the Greek.3 Paul demonstrates the difference in his letter to the Romans. “For as many as are being led by the Spirit of God, these are the sons [huioi] of God” (Romans 8:14, literal);4 it is those who are being led by the Spirit who are called sons of God – this identifies a visible demonstration of obedience to the leading of the Spirit. “The Spirit Himself is bearing witness with our spirit that we are the children [tekna] of God” (Romans 8:16, literal);5 the presence of the Spirit of God confirms His presence in those who have been born of God. The Greek tekna points to the presence of a living relationship with the Lord – a child has received life from his/her parents; huios (in its various forms), on the other hand, identifies someone whose conduct is pleasing to the Lord – a son will honor his parents by his favorable conduct. When we are the children of God, we have been born again by His Spirit and have the full benefit of being joint-heirs with Christ (Romans 8:17); when we are the sons of God, then we are living in faithful obedience to His Spirit – a spiritual maturity has caused the child to become a son. “He who is believing in the Son is having life everlasting; but he who is disobeying the Son will not experience life, but the wrath of God is remaining upon him” (John 3:36, literal).6 The thief on the cross became a child of God, and he met Jesus in paradise (Luke 23:42-43); he had no opportunity to grow beyond a child of God so that he could demonstrate his obedience as a son. What is interesting is that John, in his letters, uses son only to refer to Jesus as the Son of God (the theme of his Gospel) – never as a reference to those who are His (that is always children, those who have been born into a relationship with the Lord).
Peter warns of the need to be very careful that having understood the truth of God’s Word, we not fall away from such by accepting error in place of the truth; he counters this with a command to be “increasing in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 3:18a, literal).7 Increasing is in the present tense (must be continual), imperative mood (it is a command), and active voice (we must ensure that we are increasing).8 We are to be increasing in our understanding of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ; it is noteworthy that Peter included Jesus as both our Lord and our Savior. As our Savior, Jesus is our means of becoming a child of God; we are born-again in Him, His Spirit comes to abide within (1 John 4:13), we become joint-heirs with Him, and the inheritance in Christ is ours (Romans 8:17). As our Lord, Jesus is our Master (since He purchased us out of sin), and we live according to the leading of His abiding Spirit in obedience to His commands (John 14:15). “And you have been made free from sin [through faith in Christ, born of God – His child], [and] have become enslaved to righteousness [submission to the Lord – His son]” (Romans 8:16, literal).9 Paul declares that these two events take place at the same time: if we have been freed from sin, then we are enslaved to righteousness. There is no middle ground where we are free from sin but not enslaved to His righteousness; the Evangelical concept of “Savior only” does not exist within God’s Word. Consequently, the Lord has given us many warnings to remain faithful to Him: “Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief [no faith], in departing [to become apostate] from the living God” (Hebrews 3:12).10 Jesus, Himself, issued a warning: “Beware! Do not let anyone deceive you” (Matthew 24:4b, literal).11
It is because we have God as our Father (we are His children), that the world, the domain of Satan, does not know us. Just before His crucifixion, Jesus prayed to the Father: “I have given to them [the disciples] Thy Word, and the world hates them because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. I am not asking that You take them out of the world, but that You protect them from the evil one” (John 17:14-15, literal).12 Jesus knew what His followers would face in this life, for He made this observation: “24. The disciple is not above his master, nor the servant above his lord. 25. It is enough for the disciple that he be as his master, and the servant as his lord. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more shall they call them of his household?” (Matthew 10:24-25). “Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution” (2 Timothy 3:12). In truth, a life yielded to our Master will lead to trials and persecutions, but our assurance is that Jesus has gained the victory over Satan and the world (John 16:33)!
Although John does not refer to us as being sons of God, the emphasis that he places upon obedience to the Lord’s commands tells us that it is his purpose to have the children of God continuing to abide in Christ – something that is only possible through faithful obedience! Clearly, it is his desire that the children grow in spiritual maturity so that they will become spiritual young men and fathers.
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.
Beloved, we are now the children of God, and it is not yet revealed what we will be, but we have known that when He is revealed, we will be like Him because we will see Him just as He is (literal).13
John begins to draw his readers’ attention to what lies ahead. He’s just told them that they are not known by the world, even as it did not know the Lord Jesus when He was on this earth. Because Jesus was not of this world, even the religious Jews refused to acknowledge Him for Who He was (John 8:21-23), since their focus was earthly (John 11:47-48). As we are living faithfully in Him (in obedience to His commandments), we will not be accepted by the world either, and, more particularly, by those who profess to be Christians. However, John assures his readers that they are, in this life, the children of God – in Christ by faith, and living in obedience to Him (1 John 2:3).
John readily admits that he doesn’t know what we will be when we enter eternity with the Lord. Even after he wrote the Revelation, which was primarily about the hereafter (Revelation 1:19), this was something that was not given much clarification. John wrote of the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures, both of whom were redeemed from the earth through Jesus’ blood (Revelation 5:9), yet it remains a mystery as to how these fit within the ekklesia that Christ is building. We are told that in the new heaven and earth, God will dwell with us (Revelation 21:3), all will be new (Revelation 21:5), there will be no more curse (Revelation 22:3), we will see His name in our foreheads and we will serve Him (Revelation 22:4); we learn something of the setting, but not what we will be like. John says that what we will be has not yet been revealed.
Paul also wrote on this subject: “because whom He [God] did foreknow, [He] determined in advance to be similar to the image of His Son, for Him to be the firstborn among many brethren” (Romans 8:29, literal).14 It is as we are in Christ that we are among those whom God did foreknow; it is these whom God has predetermined to become like unto the image of His Son. Notice that God knows who will be in Christ, but He has not predetermined who they will be; there is no support for Calvinism here, because foreknowledge cannot be misconstrued to be the same are predetermination! Paul explained to the Corinthians: “And as we have borne the image of the earthy [Adam], we shall also bear the image of the heavenly [Jesus]” (1 Corinthians 15:49). Further to that: “[Christ] Who will transform our humble body to become similar in form to His body of glory through the working of His power, even to subject all things to Himself” (Philippians 3:21, literal).15 Our heavenly bodies will be similar to that of Jesus, but since He is the Head of the ekklesia and God, we will not be exactly like Him. Jesus will bear the body of humanity forever, and it will have a continual reminder of the price that He paid to redeem us from sin and Satan.
It is noteworthy that John, who had been with Jesus after His resurrection and saw Him in His glorified body, still did not presume to know what He would be like after He ascended to the Father. What is very clear from Paul’s writings is that we will be like Jesus: He, the eternal Word, took on a human body through which He paid the debt of sin (Matthew 1:21; Luke 1:35); after dying, in payment for sin, He rose from the dead becoming the First to have an everlasting body (1 Corinthians 15:20); in that glorified body, He ascended to heaven to the Father, and as He ascended, so He will descend to gather His own from this world (Acts 1:9-11). However, it is also evident from John’s words that the heavenly Jesus does not appear to be the same as He was when He left His disciples: “13. And in the midst of the seven lampstands, [One] like to the Son of Man Who did wear a long robe, and He was girded about the breasts [with] a golden girdle16; 14. and His head and hair [were] white like wool – white as snow, and His eyes [were] as a blaze of fire; 15. and His feet [were] like fine brass as in a furnace they had been burned; and His voice as the sound of many waters” (Revelation 1:13-15, literal).17 As John beheld the ascended Jesus, he fell before Him as a dead man (Revelation 1:17); he described His appearance as the sun, shining in its strength (Revelation 1:16), and, indeed, there will be no need for the sun in the eternal New Jerusalem, “for the glory of God gave it light, and the Lamp of it [is] the Lamb” (Revelation 21:23, literal). John was given just a glimpse of the glory of the Lamb, and he fell before Him as dead; as Moses communed with Jehovah, the Lord told him that no one could look upon Him and live (Exodus 33:20) – the glory of God is too great for sinful man.
Nevertheless, John assured his readers that we will be like the Lord Jesus one day, for we will have then been changed into an immortal body so that we are able to be with Him forever (1 Corinthians 15:51-54)!
3. And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.
And everyone who is having this hope in Him is purifying himself, even as He is pure (literal).18
This hope refers to the time when we will be like Him because we will see Him just as He is. We live in a world that is filled with distractions, but we must remain focused on the Lord Who has purchased us out of sin, and, as such, we are no longer a part of this world – in it, but not of it. There is no hope in this world; our hope lies with the Lord and His promise of a new heaven and earth where we will abide with Him forever. Jesus taught His disciples this truth: “And if I go and prepare for you a place, I am coming again and will take you to Myself, so that where I am, you also are” (John 14:3, literal).19 The promise is that we will be with Him because He is coming to take those who are His (in Him) to be with Him in that heavenly place – this is our hope!
The writer of Hebrews made this observation: “1. Because we have such a great cloud of witnesses surrounding us [the OT saints], we have removed every hindrance and the easily entangling sin; with endurance let us run the race of life that is set before us, 2. fixing our eyes upon Jesus, the Founder and Finisher of the faith …” (Hebrews 12:1-2a, literal).20 There are two things here that expand on what John has written: 1) we have removed everything that would hinder us in our growth in the Lord – this identifies a completed action, not something that we will do one day; 2) fixing our eyes upon Jesus, speaks of a singular focus on Him – there is no room for distractions as we journey toward this Hope. In order to have our eyes fixed upon the Lord Jesus alone, we must have already set everything aside that would distract us from living faithfully in Him and in complete obedience to His commands – this is the purifying that His Spirit will work in us, preparing us for that day when He will take us to be with Him. It is as we live faithfully obedient to Him that He fills our vision, and we have a living hope that we will one day see Him as He is. What we must not overlook is the fact that unless we remain in Him, the hope of becoming like Him and remaining with Him forever, will be lost. “Let us hold fast an unwavering confession of hope, because faithful [is] He Who did promise” (Hebrews 10:23, literal);21 we must hold an unwavering hope, lest we lose the hope that we have in Him – the One Who is faithful to keep His promises.
God has given us many warnings to remain faithful, and to hold fast to the truth and the hope that we have in Christ (2 Timothy 1:13; Hebrews 3:6). Unless we hold fast and permit the Spirit of God to renew us from within, we will not be among those who will see Jesus and be like Him. “Therefore, [there is] now no condemnation to those in Christ Jesus: who are not living according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit” (Romans 8:1, literal). Heaven is not the hope of the lazy; it is the hope of those who diligently seek to live a life in this world that is founded upon a living faith in the Lord, and a life that is pleasing to Him.
4. Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.
Everyone who is practicing sin, is also working lawlessness: and the sin is lawlessness (literal).22
Practicing (committeth) is in the present tense; this is not a single act of sin, but, rather, a continual action – a life of sin. John has written this letter so that no one should sin, yet he assures his readers that if anyone does sin, then we have an Advocate Who is our means of forgiveness (1 John 2:1-2) if we come to Him for cleansing (1 John 1:9). John identifies the one who is continually sinning as working lawlessness; from this we must understand that the one who is abiding in Christ is also keeping the Law (the opposite of being lawless). This is confirmed by Paul: through His sacrifice, Jesus judged sin in the flesh, “so that the requirements of the Law are fulfilled in us who are not living according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit” (Romans 8:4, literal).23 If we are living in keeping with the guidance of the Spirit of God, then the requirements of the Law will be fulfilled in us; to put it another way, the Spirit of God will never lead us to break any of God’s Laws. Therefore, if someone is breaking any of God’s Laws (this includes the Ten Commandments, which form the foundation for all Laws), then he is not living in submission to the Spirit of God, he is not abiding in Christ, and he does not have the hope of which John has written.
The writer of Hebrews wrote of something similar to John, but from a different perspective, and with greater clarity as to the consequences of such a life: “26. No more sacrifice for sins continues to exist for our intentional sinning after a full knowledge of the Truth [has been] received, 27. but only a terrible expectation of condemnation and fury of fire that is about to be devouring the adversaries [of God]” (Hebrews 10:26-27, literal).24 This is someone who has come to know the full knowledge of the Truth – something that can only happen through faith in the Lord and the guidance of the abiding Spirit of God; this is someone who has been made holy by the blood of Christ (Hebrews 10:29)! Therefore, such a person has been truly born again, but then turned away from the Truth to a life of sin – for this one, cleansing for sins is no longer available: he is destined for eternal condemnation. John does not tell us if he is referring to someone who has known the Truth, or if he is writing of those who have never known the Truth (more on this later). In the former case, he has already declared that, without obedience to the Lord’s commands, such a person is a liar, is without the Truth (1 John 2:4), and, as we’ve just noted, is without hope; in the latter case, there is still hope that this one will come to repentance and faith (2 Peter 2:21).
What John is making very clear is that sin is lawlessness – that which is contrary to the Law. To this point in his letter, he has emphasized quite vigorously that without obedience to the Lord’s commandments (His Law), we do not know Him (1 John 2:2)! Therefore, without a demonstrated obedience to the Lord’s commands, lawlessness (practicing sin) is present. Lawlessness and obedience are mutually exclusive!
5. And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin.
And you know that He was revealed in order to remove our sins, and in Him is no sin (literal).25
John now presents two truths about the Lord Jesus: 1) He came to earth for the sole purpose of providing payment for the sins of humanity so that, through Him, cleansing from sin is available to everyone; 2) in Jesus there is no sin. Jesus, as the eternal Word made flesh (John 1:14), bore the sins of the world – “for He Who did not know sin, on our behalf He was made to be sin, so that in Him, we are becoming the righteousness of God” (2 Corinthians 5:21, literal).26 Despite bearing the sins of all of humanity while on the cross (made to be sin), Jesus remained without sin; He paid the penalty for sin (death) even though He, as the Son of God, remained pure and holy – without sin (Hebrews 7:26). Concerning the Child Whom she would bear, Mary was told: “the Holy Spirit will come upon you and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; and so the Holy Begotten will be called the Son of God” (Luke 1:35b, literal).27 In his Gospel account, John declared: “And the Word became flesh and did dwell with us, and we beheld His glory – glory as of the only Begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14, literal).28 The eternal Word became flesh as the Son of God in fulfillment of the eternal plan to provide redemption from sin for all of humanity; as the holy Son of God, Jesus alone was qualified to be the perfect Lamb of God, the Sacrifice for sin (Revelation 13:8).
The Word had to come to earth in a body of flesh, as the sinless Son of God, in order to be qualified to pay the price for sin – that was God’s eternal plan (1 Peter 1:19-20). For a sinner, the just reward for sin is death (Romans 6:23) – eternal physical and spiritual separation from God in the Lake of Fire (Matthew 10:28; Revelation 20:15). In order to satisfy the justice of God and still provide redemption from sin, Someone Who was holy and pure (without sin) needed to bear the sins of humanity; because Jesus was sinless, death could not hold Him – inasmuch as death is the reward for sin. Jesus died, not for His own sin but for the sins of humanity – He took the penalty for our sins; He rose to life again, thereby forever breaking the power of death over those who are in Him by faith in His payment for sin. The reward for the sins of humanity (death) was paid by Jesus, so that no one need ever die for their sins; redemption is available through faithful obedience to the Lord – the message that John has been making very clear in this letter.
6. Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him.
Everyone who is abiding in Him is not sinning; everyone who is sinning, has not seen Him, nor known Him (literal).29
There are three present tense verbs in this verse: abiding, and sinning (both times); verb tenses can have a significant impact on the meaning of the words of Scripture. In simple terms, the present tense identifies an action that is ongoing, unlike the perfect tense (a past action), and the future tense (an action that has yet to take place).
Therefore, when we read, abiding in Him, we understand that the abiding is a present reality, and that it is not momentary, but continuous. From what we have learned from John’s writing, we also know that this means that we are in Him by faith, and that we are remaining in Him by living in obedience to Him (1 John 2:5).
Now John writes that whoever is abiding in Him is not sinning; yet, earlier he wrote: “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us” (1 John 1:8). From this we know that abiding in Him does not mean that we will never sin, but that we will not live in a state of continual sinning (remember, sinning is in the present tense). Earlier he made it clear that the one who is continually sinning is working lawlessness (v. 4); lawlessness speaks of violating God’s Law, not keeping it, and so we understand that whoever is living in such a state of continual sin is not abiding in Him. As Jesus used the illustration of the vine (Himself) and its branches (those in Him), He said this: “Continue in Me, and I in you …” (John 15:4a, literal);30 what we must not miss is that continue is in the imperative mood – it is a command! How do we obey this command? Jesus said that if we are loving Him, then we must be living in obedience to His commandments (John 14:15); He also said: “If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love …” (John 15:10a). Therefore, we can only conclude that abiding in Him is our responsibility: will we live in obedience to His commandments, or not? No, this is not a works salvation, which is doing certain things in order to merit salvation. When we place our faith in Jesus, His payment for sin becomes ours; our faith in Him is built upon a love for Him for what He did for us, and that becomes the motivation for our obedience.
Consider, for a moment, the full impact of Jesus’ words: continue in Me, and I in you. When we place our faith in the Lord Jesus for forgiveness of sins, we come to abide in Him; His words command us to continue in Him, which means that it is possible to not continue in Him, otherwise there would be no need for this command. Notice, further, that His command for us to continue comes before His commitment to remain in us; in other words, if we do not continue in Him, then He will not be in us – the choice is ours to make! “Beware, brethren [earlier (v. 1) called holy brethren], that there never be in anyone of you a wicked heart of unbelief, to become apostate from the God Who is living” (Hebrews 3:12, literal).31 The warnings of Scripture, and this one does not stand alone, make it very clear that it is very possible to make a choice that will sever our abiding in the Lord. How do we continue in Him? We enter by faith, and we continue by obedience to His commandments! The choice is ours.
Now John goes on to say that the one who is sinning, has not seen Him, nor known Him. Let’s consider this carefully. We’ve already considered the words of the writer of Hebrews concerning those who have fully known the truth and then turn away to a life of willful sinning; John’s words might seem to contradict this. The words seen and known, in the Greek, are in the perfect tense, which describes a completed action with the results of that action continuing; this is unlike our English that simply points to a completed action.32 With this as a foundation, we can now understand that for the one who turned from the truth to a life of sin (Hebrews 10:26), even though he, at one time, had been forgiven and cleansed (Hebrews 10:29), his turning away indicates that he did not continue in his past action of seeing and knowing the Lord. What John has written is correct: the one who is sinning has neither seen nor known the Lord; this is true for both the pagan and the apostate. There is still hope that the pagan may turn to the Lord in repentance, whereas for the apostate, there is no longer any possibility of repentance (Hebrews 6:4-6). It is very important that we thoroughly understand our need to remain faithfully in the Lord: in Him by faith, and remaining in Him by obedience.
7. Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous.
Little children, do not let anyone lead you astray; he who is practicing righteousness, is righteous, even as He is righteous (literal).
John, once again, addresses the spiritually younger among his readers, and commands them to be sure that no one is leading them astray. When Jesus warned His disciples against deception, He said: “Watch, that no one should lead you astray” (Matthew 24:4b, literal); by contrast, John’s words are not a warning, but a command to guard against being led astray. As we learned earlier (2:26), the many antichrists that were among the brethren were having some success in deceiving those who were not sufficiently mature in the faith to discern their error. John has challenged his readers (generally) to recall what they heard from the beginning (1 John 2:7, 24); this is what the little children need to do in order to guard against being led astray. If the antichrists are able to introduce confusion into the minds of these young Christians, then it is very possible that they will lose sight of what they first learned. Error is seldom passive; Satan will always provide some rational justification to his error so that those who are being deceived will be motivated to spread the deception. This is not new: “And evil men and deceivers will advance from bad to worse, leading astray and being led astray” (2 Timothy 3:13, literal). Paul identifies a downward spiral – a cycle of leading astray and being led astray; John’s command is to break this cycle, and remain firmly rooted in the truth of Christ through faith and obedience.
John then correlates the one who is practicing righteousness to Jesus, Who is righteous. This is very similar to 1 John 2:29. Paul wrote that the one who has been freed from sin has become enslaved to righteousness (Romans 6:18; literal of servants of righteousness); it is only through the working of the power of God that anyone can be translated from being bound by sin to becoming enslaved to righteousness. Such a transformation only comes through being faithfully in Christ; the one who is faithfully in Christ (by faith and in obedience) stands in righteousness before God. “Therefore, [there is] now no condemnation to those in Christ Jesus: who are not living according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit” (Romans 8:1, literal); no condemnation because they are living in the righteousness of Christ.
Earlier, John wrote of those who are practicing sin as working lawlessness (v. 4); a life that is characterized by sin stands in contradiction to those who are in Christ, who are practicing righteousness. Paul describes those who are now enslaved to righteousness as having formerly been the servants [slaves] of sin (Romans 6:17); what is clear from the writings of both John and Paul, is that there is absolutely no common ground between practicing sin and practicing righteousness. The new commandment that John declared was this: “Do not love the world, nor the things in the world; if anyone is loving the world, the love of the Father is not in him” (1 John 2:15, literal). To love the world is to practice sin; in such a one there is no love of the Father – no righteousness, only lawlessness!
Yet, among Evangelicals there is a disdain for the Narrow Way Who leads to life (Matthew 7:13-14), and a desire to live according to their favored theology, which allows them to exercise a greater liberty to what is deemed to be acceptable. Despite their profession of knowing the Lord, they have no qualms about ignoring His commandments, and becoming incensed when their theology comes into question. Satan, who loves religion, has helped their experts draft theologies that promise much and require little – a combination that receives their unquestioning approval. Nevertheless, John has presented this truth: “The one who is saying, ‘I know Him,’ and His commandments he is not obeying, is a liar, and the truth is not in this one” (1 John 2:4, literal); this is the clear teaching of Scripture. For the one who is professing but not obeying, John presents two realities: 1) he is a liar; “But the fearful, and unbelieving … and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death” (Revelation 21:8); and 2) the truth [aletheia] is not in him; “Jesus saith … I am the way, the truth [aletheia], and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me” (John 14:6).33 The disobedient one who professes to know the Lord, does not have the presence of Jesus within – he is not one of His.
The one who is righteous as He is righteous, is living in faithfulness and obedience to the Lord – there is no other way! Any departure from faithful obedience is a withdrawal from the righteousness that comes from being in Him; do not let anyone lead you astray!
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.
He who is practicing sin is of the Devil, because from the first the Devil is sinning; unto this was the Son of God revealed, so that He could destroy the works of the Devil (literal).
John has already stated that the one who is practicing sin is working lawlessness (v. 4), and now he ties such a life directly to the Devil. Again, this is referring to a life that is characterized by habitual sin (a violation of God’s Law), not an occasional failure, to which we are all prone. John tells us that the one who is practicing sin is of the Devil; not that he is the Devil, but that he is permitting the Devil to guide his life. Jesus said this: “he who is not with Me, is against Me, and he who is not gathering with Me, is scattering” (Matthew 12:30, literal). What we can discern from this is that there are only two positions that can be taken in this life: either, we are for the Lord and against the Devil, or we are against Him and for the Devil. Among professing Christians today, there is a propensity to live in a spiritually gray zone – where God’s promises of heaven are retained, but His standards are relaxed and positive encouragement abounds; unfortunately for them, such a zone does not exist. Nevertheless, Satan will readily manufacture for them any kind of gray zone that they desire; he is a master at compromise and has a long list of reasons that will seemingly justify such lawlessness, and countless teachers who are willing to promote his lies. Jesus said that if we are not with Him (abiding in Him and living in obedience to Him), then we are on the side of the Devil – against Him. There is nothing in between these two positions: we cannot live with one foot in the world and the other in Him, and still hope to be awarded His salvation in the end. Salvation will only be given to the one who remains faithful to the Lord unto the end (Matthew 24:13) – one foot in the world is a disqualifier!
John notes that from the first the Devil is sinning; let’s consider this for a moment. Does from the first mean that he sinned from the moment that he was created, or is it from the beginning of time, or something else altogether?
We are not told a lot about the Devil and his origin, but there are passages that would seem to hint at a deeper application than expressed, and these are typically thought to hold a figurative application to Satan. As the Lord instructed Isaiah to record a proverb, or parable, against the king of Babylon (Isaiah 14:4), he wrote this: “For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God … I will be like the most High” (Isaiah 14:13-14). However, as we consider the life of Nebuchadnezzar, even though he expressed the sin of pride, it was not to the extent that Isaiah recorded: “The king spake, and said, Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for the house of the kingdom by the might of my power, and for the honour of my majesty?” (Daniel 4:30). This was only one year after Daniel had interpreted his troubling dream and cautioned him to live in righteousness and generosity (Daniel 4:27, 29). From this it seems to be apparent that the Lord’s proverb against the king of Babylon also provides a glimpse into the early days of Satan, a created angelic being – the Devil aspired to be like his Creator.
Ezekiel wrote a lamentation, or a dirge, concerning the king of Tyre, but, once again, it spoke of more than a sole application to the king. The Lord speaks of the king in these terms: as having “been in Eden the garden of God,” “thou art the anointed cherub [an angelic being] that covereth,” and “thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee” (Ezekiel 28:13-15).34 None of these have direct relevance to the king of Tyre (perhaps, figuratively), yet a second application could be made to Satan, the one who is using the king of Tyre. The Devil was in Eden, for he inhabited the body of the serpent to tempt Adam and Eve into sin; it is clear that the Lord cursed the serpent to slither on the ground (Genesis 3:14), but it is also evident that the enmity that was to exist against the woman and her seed would not come from a snake and its baby snakes – it would come from Satan and those who were committed to following him (Genesis 3:15). The Devil is an angelic being (something that no man can claim), for he is able to transform himself into an angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:14); in the great battle that took place as Jesus paid for the sins of humanity, we are told that “Michael and his angels fought against the dragon (the serpent, the Devil, Satan; Revelation 12:9); and the dragon fought and his angels” (Revelation 12:7). Michael, who is one of the chief holy angels (archangel, Jude 9), led other angels into battle against Satan and his fallen angels; with his defeat, Satan and his hosts were cast into the earth (Revelation 12:9) where they continue to this day. You will recall that Job spoke of Satan appearing before the Lord in heaven (Job 1:6); as he was defeated at the cross, he lost his access to heaven so that he can no longer bring accusations against the children of God (Revelation 12:10). Satan, as he chose to exalt himself in iniquity before God, took one-third of the angelic hosts with him (Revelation 12:3-4), and, as the leader of this host, he is called Abaddon (Hebrew for destruction) and Apollyon (the Greek translation for the Hebrew Abaddon) – in both cases the meaning is the Destroyer (Revelation 9:11).35
As we consider what little we understand about Satan, it would seem that John’s from the first would refer to the beginning of creation. John’s context is dealing with someone who is sinning continually, and so it involves humanity; it is evident that Satan’s iniquity was discovered at some time before creation, but, within John’s purposes, the impact of Satan’s sin was felt very soon after the creation of Adam and Eve (Genesis 3:1) – from the first.
Jesus, the Son of God and the eternal Word become flesh, was revealed, or brought into this world, for the purpose of destroying the works of Satan. “Since, therefore, the children have flesh and blood in common, He also, similarly, did share in the same, so that, through death, He put an end to the one having the power of death – namely, the Devil” (Hebrews 2:14, literal).36 At the same time that Jesus provided the way to rescue us from sin, He also broke the power of the Devil; the just recompense for sin is death (Romans 6:23), and sinners are under the control of the Devil (Matthew 12:30): Jesus, as the sinless Lamb of God, died, and thereby made the payment for sin for all of humanity (1 John 2:2), and broke the power of death for all who are in Him. Although the Devil is still very active today, his fate has been sealed and he knows it; however, he has not submitted to his fate, and, instead, goes about as a roaring lion seeking to devour (completely overpower) as many of the children of God as possible (1 Peter 5:8). “Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the Devil is come down unto you, having great wrath (thumos, a passionate expression of anger – rage), because he knoweth that he hath but a short time” (Revelation 12:12b). “And the dragon became enraged with the woman [the Kingdom of God], and went to make war with the rest of her seed: those who are obeying the commandments of God and who are holding the witness of Jesus Christ” (Revelation 12:17, literal).37 John has been challenging his readers to know Christ, and that this only comes through a life of obedience to His commandments; in other words, he is exhorting them to live in a way that will make them the specific targets of the Devil. Jesus said, “In the world you are having tribulation, but, take courage, I have conquered the world” (John 16:33b, literal);38 we have already noted that the world is the active domain of Satan, hence John’s exhortation that we are not to love the world (1 John 2:15). If we live in harmony with the world, then we will avoid the tribulations that would otherwise come our way; however, if we live in faithfulness to the Lord, then we are assured that we will face tribulations and persecutions: “And even all who purpose to live in a godly manner in Christ Jesus, will be persecuted” (2 Timothy 2:13, literal).39 A life of faithfulness to the Lord will make us the targets of Satan, but Jesus has conquered Satan and is able to protect us from his attacks! “And the Devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever” (Revelation 20:10).
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.
Everyone who has been born of God is not practicing sin because His Seed is remaining in him, and he is not able to continue sinning because he has been born of God (literal).40
This stands in contrast to the previous verse that declared that the one who is practicing sin is of the Devil. John now identifies that the one who is not practicing sin has been born of God; here we have polar opposites: practicing sin/not practicing sin, and of the Devil/of God. Jesus said that if we are not for Him, then we are against Him (Matthew 12:30); John is expanding on that very truth!
John tells us that there is a reason that the one who has been born of God is not practicing sin: His Seed is remaining in him. Central to understanding this verse correctly, is to discern the thrust of this phrase. A seed is something that contains a germ of life that will, if the conditions are right, produce a plant, and a harvest of more seeds. We must understand what Seed it is that God plants within us when we place our faith in the Lord Jesus. The Scriptures speak of several things: 1) the Spirit of God comes to abide within us, prepared to remain with us forever (John 14:16); 2) God writes His Law upon our minds and places them within our hearts (Hebrews 10:16); 3) as we abide in Christ, He has promised to abide within us (John 15:4). These are significant Seeds! John declares that the one who is born of God is not practicing sin because these three are remaining in him – this is a present tense (remaining) reality! Is it possible for this reality to fail?
Let’s begin with the third seed: Jesus is in us as we abide in Him. First of all, we must recognize this as being a conditional promise. Jesus commands us to abide in Him (John 15:4); abide is in the imperative mood (identifying it as a command) and active voice: He commands us to remain in Him – this is something that we must do, and then He will abide in us. “Do you, yourselves, not know that Jesus Christ is in you, unless you are failing to meet the test?” (2 Corinthians 13:5b, literal).41 What is that test? Jesus said that if we are loving Him (something that will precede placing our faith in Him), then we must be obeying His commandments (John 14:15); the test is: are we obeying His commandments? Therefore, if we are not living in obedience to His commands, then we are failing the test and He is not abiding in us because we are not abiding in Him! If we are living in disobedience to the Lord’s commandments, then Jesus is not in us.
The second seed that we noted was God’s Law in us. However, if we should fail to live in obedience to His Law, which is clearly an option that we can choose (failing to meet the test), then His Law within us is of no value. We may know about His Law, but we do not know it because we are in disobedience to it.
Finally, the Spirit of God Who is given to us when we place our faith in the Lord Jesus – Who comes with the intent to remain with us forever (John 14:16). As we consider this most significant Seed, Who has been given so as to be remaining in us forever, let’s draw two Scriptures together: Ephesians 4:30 and Hebrews 10:29. “And do not be grieving the Holy Spirit of God, in Whom you were marked unto the day of redemption” (Ephesians 4:30, literal).42 Grieving, as it is used here, is in the present tense (a continual action), active voice (we carry this action out), and imperative mood (with the included not, this is a command of something that we are not to do).43 The word for grieving (from the Greek lupeo), means to vex, offend or insult;44 anything that is contrary to God would cause the Spirit of God to grieve. Hebrews 10:29 – “How much more severe punishment, do you suppose [that] he is worthy, who treats with disdain the Son of God and considers the blood of the [New] Covenant [as] unclean, by which he was made holy, and the Spirit of grace he did insult” (literal).45 This is describing someone who has fully known the Truth (he was made holy), but has now insulted (grieved) the Spirit of God, shown disdain for the Son of God, and despised the blood that Jesus shed to bring cleansing from sin; this is someone who has been born of God (made holy), but has turned away and is now willfully living in a continual state of sin (Hebrews 10:26). For such as this, there is no more sacrifice available for sin; at one time he was cleansed from sin (made holy), but now he has grieved the Holy Spirit, despised the forgiveness of sins afforded him through the blood of Christ, and now awaits God’s certain condemnation (Hebrews 10:27) – he is no longer in Christ, the insulted Spirit of God has departed, and there is no more opportunity for him to repent (Hebrews 6:4-6).
From this we understand that the one in whom the Seed is remaining, is living in faithful obedience to the Lord; it is clear from Scripture that if the Lord’s forgiveness of sins is despised and turned away from, then His Seed is no longer within: the Spirit of God has departed, the Law of God is gone, and we are neither abiding in Christ, nor He in us. We who have been born of God are not practicing sin because we are faithfully obeying the Lord’s commands so that the Spirit of God is not grieved, and remains within us.
Now we come to John’s words: he is not able to continue sinning because he has been born of God. This might appear to be contradictory to what John has just laid out. However, if we consider it carefully, then we will be able to understand John’s intent. The one who has been born of God does not sin continually because of the presence of the Spirit within, Who is the Mark that he is in Christ; this only takes place, and only remains in place, as long as the one born of God lives in faithful obedience to Him. The one who lives in faithful obedience is not able to continue sinning because these two ways of living cannot co-exist.
However, the Scriptures contain many warnings against permitting sin to have the upper hand. “And thanks to God because you were slaves of sin; now, from the heart, you have followed the form of teaching that was delivered [to you], and you, having been freed from sin, have become enslaved to righteousness” (Romans 6:17-18, literal).46 Through faith in Christ, there is a movement from being slaves of sin, to being enslaved to righteousness – again, these two do not co-exist. “Become imitators of God, as beloved children” (Ephesians 5:1, literal).47 A life that is lived in faithfulness to the Lord does not include room for sin.
However, the Scriptures are also clear that it is very possible to fall away from following the Lord faithfully. “Beware, brethren, that there never be in anyone of you a wicked heart of unbelief, to become apostate from the God Who is living” (Hebrews 3:12, literal).48 This warning is directed to brethren, who were earlier called holy brethren (v. 1); it is possible to turn away from the Lord. Jesus taught that we are to consider the cost of following Him, lest we begin but fail to follow through (Luke 14:28-29), and then He tells us the cost: “Therefore, in this way, every one of you who does not give up all that is his, is not able to be My disciple” (Luke 14:33, literal).49 We are cautioned to count the cost of following the Lord before we commit to doing so, for to begin and then become apostate, assures us of the Lord’s condemnation – there is no return from this estate (Hebrews 6:4-6).
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.
By this it is clearly seen, the children of God and the children of the Devil: everyone who is not practicing righteousness is not from God, also he who is not loving his brother (literal).50
By this refers back to what John has just covered, namely that the one who is practicing sin is of the devil, and he who is born of God does not practice sin. How someone lives expresses to those around him the guidance that he has for his life: the devil, or God. John takes the negative aspects as the indication that this person is not of God: not practicing righteousness, and not loving his brother.
Let’s consider this for a moment. Earlier (1 John 2:18-19), John spoke of the many antichrists who were already at work, and that some of them were even among them. For the antichrists to be among the children of God means that they would be feigning a righteous life and a love for the brethren – otherwise, they would not have been accepted. It takes very careful observation and discernment, with the guidance of the Spirit of God, to discover those who are only pretending to be good Christians. This is something that we must be doing, as we will soon see, but it is easier to identify those who make no pretense of being what they are not. It seems that John is encouraging his readers to become fruit-watchers, and this is the easiest place to begin: with those who are obviously not practicing the righteousness and love of God.
Jesus taught this very principle: “16. By their fruits you will recognize them; are they gathering grapes from thorns? Or figs from thistles? [included in the Greek is a small word, meti, which requires an emphatic negative response to these questions] 17. Thus, every sound tree produces good fruit, and the unfit tree yields bad fruit. 18. A sound tree is not able to produce bad fruit, nor an unfit tree to yield good fruit. 19. Every tree that does not yield good fruit, is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20. Consequently, by their fruits you will recognize them” (Matthew 7:16-20, literal).51 The principle is this: from a godly heart will come righteousness and love, but from an ungodly, such good will not be evident. The easiest test to perform is for bad fruit, which always comes from an unfit heart, and this is what John is telling his readers to practice – if you see a lack of righteousness and love, then you know that that person is not of God. Learning to practice this test continually will provide protection from being influenced by those whom we need to avoid, and as this becomes a habit, John will soon guide his readers to sharpen this testing in order to provide even greater protection.
11. For this is the message that ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another.
Since this is the command that you heard from the beginning, that we love one another (literal).52
John now returns to a thought that he dealt with earlier (loving your brother, 1 John 2:10), and which he has just stated will not be present in those who are not from God. In his account of Jesus’ ministry, John included these words of Jesus: “A new commandment I am giving to you, that you love one another even as I have loved you, that you also love one another” (John 13:34, literal).53 Jesus directed this commandment to His disciples, and now John, to his readers. The command to love one another is in the present tense – this is to be a continual part of how we are living. The command is to find expression within the Body of Christ – among Jesus’ disciples. Even though this is the same kind of love (agape) that we are to have for our neighbor (Matthew 22:39), there is a difference; the love that Jesus, and now John, commands, is within the context of a close, spiritual relationship. When Jesus was asked by an expert in the Law of Moses, “Who is my neighbor?” (Luke 10:29), He related the parable of the good Samaritan; the neighbor was someone who acted with kindness toward someone he didn’t even know. However, the command to love one another that we are considering, is among the disciples of the Lord: we are all in Him, and we hold submission to the Lord in common. The difficulty that we face is that there are so few who are truly disciples of the Lord; although Evangelicals are everywhere, it is safe to say that the vast majority of them are not following the Lord, and, according to John, do not know Him (1 John 2:3).
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.
Not as Cain, [who] was of the evil one and did murder his brother. Why did he murder him? Because his works were evil, and those of his brother, righteous (literal).54
In contrast, John draws on the Genesis record of the murder of Abel by his brother, Cain. “3. Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the LORD. 4. And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat [the best55] thereof. And the LORD had respect [to regard with favor56] unto Abel and to his offering: 5. But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell” (Genesis 4:3b-5). Why did Cain become so angry? Because he knew that the Lord required shed blood, and, by giving heed to the Devil, he thought that he had a better idea; his offering was the best of what he had labored to produce, Abel’s was simply the best of what he had watched over. Cain’s offering looked good, smelled good, and represented his labors; Abel’s, on the other hand, was not pleasant to the eyes, did not smell wonderful, but was what the Lord required in order to provide a covering for sins; Cain’s was what he had done, while Abel’s was in obedience to the Lord. The most pious Evangelicals today bring offerings to the Lord that, like Cain, are the product of disobedience and express their sense of self-righteousness. These same sincere Evangelicals will look with disdain upon those who endeavor to live according to the standards that God established (the Ten Commandments); in reality, not much has changed since the days of Cain and Abel.
Nevertheless, John has strongly emphasized obedience to the commandments of the Lord as the only means of knowing Him (1 John 2:4). As John wrote of religious Babylon, the woman riding the beast (Satan), he noted this: “In her was found the blood of prophets and saints and of all of those who had been murdered on the earth” (Revelation 18:24, literal).57 Notice that this religion that is carried by Satan flows with the blood of God’s people (prophets and saints), but also includes all of the murders from the time of Cain! Cain was the first to follow this religion of Satan: his offering was contrary to what God required, and his anger against Abel led to murder – Abel’s blood is found in this religious Babylon, that age-old religion of the Devil.
John gets right to the point: Cain killed Abel because God looked with favor upon Abel and his offering. Adam and Eve, while still in the Garden, learned that they could not make an acceptable covering for sin; they fashioned garments of fig leaves (Genesis 3:7), which the Lord replaced with the skins of animals that shed their blood in order to provide that adequate covering (Genesis 3:21). Clearly, Adam and Eve had instructed their children in the required covering for sin (the shedding of blood), and had undoubtedly demonstrated the procedures of sacrifice many times; Cain became angry because, being inspired by the Devil, he sought to sanitize the offerings to the Lord, even though he knew that this was not what the Lord required. The Devil whispered, “Yea, hath God said,” to Eve, and it appears that the same tactic was used with Cain – and it worked!
Evangelicals today are still following the Devil’s “yea, hath God said,” and are strongly opposed to “thus saith the Lord.” They have devised numerous theologies that include the hope of glory without giving any heed to the commandments of God. This is not too surprising since the first Evangelicals were those who sought to change the churches of the Reformation, but came to realize that separation was their only recourse.58 These were people who had come out of the apostate Roman Catholic Church, realized that the Reformed churches were little better than their mother Church, and set out to establish gatherings more in keeping with the Biblical example. However, without a radical cleansing and re-evaluation of teachings within those who separated, there was a tendency to retain a lot of the religious baggage from the group out of which they came. Therefore, the history of modern Evangelicals leads back to the Roman Catholic Church, which had for centuries cultivated its apostasy, and had developed all manner of justifications for its teachings under the guidance of their mentor, the Devil. Although much closer to the Truth than either the Roman Catholics or the Reformed, those early Evangelicals seemed unable to purge themselves of all that was not Biblical; consequently, throughout the centuries since then, Evangelicals have followed many different leaders into numerous factions, and have developed and harbored all manner of heresies – the Devil has been more than pleased to assist them along the way. Today, most Evangelicals are content with their theologies and high-profile leaders, remain largely ignorant of God’s Word, and have no interest in evaluating what they are being taught – it is the last of these that keeps them chained to error and unwilling to consider that they might be wrong. The error of Cain’s understanding of what was acceptable to the Lord, continues to live on today – not surprising, since the religion of Babylon is still at work.
13. Marvel not, my brethren, if the world hate you.
Do not be amazed, my brethren, that the world is hating you (literal).59
We noted earlier that John has been exhorting his readers to live in such a way that they will become the specific targets of Satan – in obedience to the commandments of God, and bearing the witness of Jesus (Revelation 12:17). Abel followed life as prescribed by God, and, as a result, he became the first to be killed for his faith; Satan’s purpose is to find those who are the children of God, and destroy them. His OT mission was to stop the coming of the One by Whom he would be destroyed (Genesis 3:15); since the cross of Christ (and his defeat), he is determined to devour as many of God’s children as he can – those who are not vigilant and become paralyzed by his roaring (1 Peter 5:8).
One of the natural outcomes of living in faithful obedience to the commandments of God, is a separation from the world – a love for the Lord, but not for the world (1 John 2:15). This demonstrates to the world that it is possible to live in a different manner, and one that is pleasing to the Lord; the world perceives this as a criticism of how they live, which it is. Jesus said, “I am not of this world” (John 8:23), and, truly, He was the eternal Word made flesh (John 1:14); therefore, as we abide in Him, Who is not of this world, then we must understand that we, too, are not of this world, and, as such, we will not garner the world’s acceptance.
Interestingly, the word hate, as used here, is from precisely the same Greek word that is used in Luke 14:26 (the same voice, tense and mood), where Jesus said that we must hate our families in order to be His disciple. We understand that Jesus is not telling us to hate our family, but that our commitment to Him must be greater than to our earthly family; the hate is used in a comparative manner to emphasize that the Lord must hold a greater priority for us than our family; it is not that we are to detest, or reject, our family, but that the Lord and what He requires, is dominant. We understand the comparative nature of its use in Luke because of the context: Jesus follows this with an illustration of someone building a house: unless he considers the cost first, he may not be able to finish it, and will be ridiculed by those who see what’s happened. Jesus counsels us to count the cost of being His disciple, lest when He calls us to leave our earthly situation, we discover that we hate Him more than we hate our family, or, to put it another way, we love our earthly state more than we love Him.
When we consider the word hate within John’s use, we must again consider the context; this time, it follows the illustration of Cain’s hatred for Abel that led him to murder his brother. Therefore, we understand that the hatred that the world will have for us is not comparative, but absolute. The world will detest and reject us because we, being in Christ, are not a part of it; although we are in the world, we, like the Lord Jesus, are not of it. Jesus said: “If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you” (John 15:18); John commands: do not be amazed because the world is hating you. However, Jesus also said: “The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you” (John 15:20b). Who were the greatest persecutors of Jesus during His ministry? It was the religious elite of the Jews: the scribes, Pharisees and Sadducees; if the religious leaders persecuted Jesus to the point of securing His crucifixion, then we should not be surprised when the religious of our day oppress us – including modern-day Evangelicals. Satan is in this world as a roaring lion, and he cares not if his roaring comes through the culture of this world (which is his domain), or from those whom we might consider to be “Christian” but who refuse to live in obedience to the Lord’s commands (also his domain). “Because with us the struggle is not against blood and flesh, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the world-rulers of darkness of this present time, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenlies” (Ephesians 6:12, literal).60 As we live in obedience and faithfulness to the Lord, we can be sure that Satan will work his wiles against us – we must remain alert!
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.
We have known that we have moved from death unto life, because we are loving the brethren; he who is not loving his brother, is remaining in death (literal).61
John is presenting another variation of what it means to be faithfully in Christ. He has already stated that the one who is born of God is not practicing sin (v. 9), and Jesus made it clear that in order to love one another, within the context that He placed it, we must be one of His disciples – born of God. Therefore, when John uses the love of the brethren as the sign that we have moved from death unto life, it is understood that the basis for this is that we have been born of God. A feigned love for the brethren will not indicate that we are in His life.
What is very interesting is that moved is in the active voice, which tells us that the subject (in this case, we) has made the move! It is also in the perfect tense, a completed action with continuing results, and the indicative mood – it is a statement of fact.62 As we bring all of this together, this is what we understand: it is a fact that we chose to move from death unto life (in Christ), and that this change continues to be reflected in how we live. Moved, being in the perfect tense, does not support the heresy of once-saved-always-saved; the English perfect tense is simply a past, completed action, which is precisely how Evangelicals view a prayer offered in faith for the Lord’s cleansing from sin, and arrive at this heresy. However, the perfect tense in the Greek identifies a past completed action, but it also includes a continuing expression of the results of that action; therefore, a prayer of faith that brings someone into Christ, must be followed by a life of faithful obedience to Him, otherwise that prayer, no matter how sincere, has been lost forever.
Jesus spoke of the Seed (the Word of God) falling upon rocky soil; there was immediate growth, but when trials came, it died: “and those on the rock, when they heard, with joy receive the Word and these have no root, who for a time are believing, and in a time of trial become apostate” (Luke 8:13, literal).63 When the Seed fell into weedy soil, it grew but was choked by the weeds, so that it, too, died: “and that which fell among the thorns, these are those who have heard, and going their way [there is spiritual growth], by the cares and riches and pleasures of life they are being choked and are not bearing fruit” (Luke 8:14, literal).64 Jesus also clarified that “every branch in Me that is not bearing fruit – it is cut off …” (John 15:2a, literal);65 from this we understand the complete end of the plants growing among the thorns, just in case being choked is not evidence enough. It is the correct application of the Greek perfect tense of moved that requires growth into spiritual maturity, because the change is not simply a past action, but an ongoing reality.
John is identifying loving the brethren as an indication that the transfer from death to life is still true; if someone is not loving the brethren, then John rightly concludes that that person remains in death. A little later, John explains how our love for the brethren is evident: “By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments” (1 John 5:2). If we are not obeying the commandments of God, then we do not know Him (1 John 2:3), and we do not love the brethren. Once again, obedience to the commandments of God becomes central to a life that is pleasing to the Lord and loving toward the children of God!
15. Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him.
Everyone who is hating his brother is a murderer, and you have known that every murderer does not have life everlasting remaining in him (literal).66
Earlier, John stated that whoever is not loving his brother is not of God, and, hence, of the devil (v. 10); in 1 John 2:9, he declared that the one who is hating his brother is abiding in darkness. In the latter case, we considered Jesus’ words that it is understood that a murderer is subject to the condemnation of his local city judges, but Jesus went on to say that the one who is angry with his brother for no reason, is subject to the same judgment (Matthew 5:21-22). There is a correlation between hatred and murder – the former can lead to the latter, as John has illustrated through Cain’s actions. After speaking of the one who is angry without a reason being subject to the same judgment as murderers, Jesus then spoke of the one who lusts after a woman as being an adulterer (Matthew 5:28); John follows the same pattern by asserting that the one who is continually hating his brother is a murderer.
To this point, John has identified the one who is hating his brother as abiding in darkness – apart from God and under the finger of Satan. Therefore, it is a small thing to equate a continual hatred with murder; it follows Jesus’ teaching, and the destiny for someone who is in darkness is the same as for a murderer. Paul declared that murderers will not inherit the kingdom of God (Galatians 5:21); John wrote that such a person is without life everlasting, and, indeed, their destiny is the Lake of Fire (Revelation 21:8).
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.
In this we have known love, because that One [the Lord Jesus] did give His life for us, and we must give [our] lives for the brethren (literal).67
We come to know love because the Lord Jesus gave His life for us (as well as for the whole world, 1 John 2:2). The ultimate expression of love comes from God, Who gave His Son for the sins of humanity; we were without hope, but God had determined to open a way of redemption for those sinful creatures whom He created in His own image. As we place our faith in the Lord for cleansing, we experience His great love for us: He cleanses us from sin, freely gives His Holy Spirit to abide in us, and He places His Law within us – we are both cleansed and enabled to live in obedience to His commandments. Jesus, the sinless Lamb of God, died for the sins of humanity, thereby breaking forever the power of the Devil (Hebrews 2:14); as we remain in Him, we will remain free from the clutches of Satan. However, “Be clear-headed, be alert, because your adversary, the Devil, is going about like a roaring lion seeking someone to completely overpower” (1 Peter 5:8, literal).68 The Devil is specifically targeting “those who are obeying the commandments of God, and who have the witness of Jesus Christ” (Revelation 12:17b, literal);69 he is not aimlessly going through the earth – his goal is to destroy as many of the children of God as he can. Hence the many exhortations to stand fast: … in the faith (1 Corinthians 16:13), … in our freedom from sin in Christ (Galatians 5:1), … in the Lord (Philippians 4:1), and … in the teachings of Scripture (2 Thessalonians 2:15). If we are challenged to stand fast, then it only follows that it is very possible to not stand fast. “Beware, brethren, that there never be in anyone of you a wicked heart of unbelief, to become apostate from the God Who is living” (Hebrews 3:12, literal).70
John ends with: and we must give [our] lives for the brethren. Since Jesus willingly gave His life to buy us out of sin, it is only fitting that we, as His disciples, should follow His example and willingly give our lives for our brethren in the Lord. John has been reminding his readers of Jesus’ words to love one another; this last phrase fits perfectly with this record of His words: “12. This is my commandment, that you love one another, even as I have loved you. 13. No one has a greater love than this: that one lays his life down for his friends” (John 15:12-13, literal).71 Jesus then adds a further note to this: “You are My friends if you are doing whatever I am commanding you” (John 15:14, literal).72 Jesus says that the greatest love is for someone to die for his friends; Jesus died for the cleansing of sins for all of humanity – He bore their sins so that they might be freed from that bondage. He laid His life down for all of humanity (not friends); for someone to die for his friends would require that he be able to foresee good coming out of his sacrifice. Jesus relinquished His life for the world: what a great love (John 3:16)! However, He says that a greater love than this is involved when it is for His friends, and we are His friends if we are living in continual obedience to His commandments! How is His love for His obedient ones greater than His love that brought Him to die for the sins of humanity? His love for His friends involves a relationship: they are in Him and He is in them! This is something that is not true of all of humanity.
Because of His great love for all of humanity, God gave His Son to die for their sins. The Scriptures tell us: “Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated” (Romans 9:13b); yet the promise of a coming Redeemer was as much for Esau as it was for Jacob – yes, the promise continued through the family line of Jacob, but the promise was there for Esau as well. Jesus would come to die for the sins of Esau, as well as those of Jacob – God’s love was there for both; yet, Esau spurned the Lord’s ways, whereas Jacob developed a spiritual relationship with the Lord. God’s love for Esau was present, while His greater love for Jacob was founded upon a spiritual bond. Jesus said: “If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple” (Luke 14:26). As we’ve noted before, this is not a call for us to hate our family, but rather that we are to have a greater love for the Lord than we have for those whom we naturally love. The Lord has done more for us than anyone – our eternal hope rests only in Him; therefore, as we live in obedience to His commandments, His love for us is greater than His love for the world, which is already a love beyond words.
It is because of His great love for us, His friends through our obedience to His commands, that we, in turn, can express our love for our brethren in the Lord by giving our lives for them. If we jump ahead for a moment, we will understand what that means: “In this we are knowing that we are loving the children of God: when we are loving God and His commandments we are obeying” (1 John 5:2, literal).73 The greatest way that we can show our love for the brethren, and, indeed, it means that we must give our lives for them, is to continually love God and obey Him! Remember that John has also issued this command from the Lord: “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him” (1 John 2:15). We must lay our lives down for the Lord, and as we do so, we are also giving our lives for our 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?
But whoever may have worldly goods, and should see his brother having need and should have closed his heart from him – how is the love of God remaining in him? (literal).74
John now provides an illustration of what can form a part of what it means to give our lives for our brethren, while at the same time teaching another lesson on what it means to love. If we are in possession of something, and see our spiritual brother in need of it, then we must give to meet his need – this is a demonstration of God’s love being in us. We must not cling to what we have in this life (a love for this world) when someone else is in need (a necessity, not a want!), but willingly share (showing the love of the Father) – “If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him” (1 John 2:15b). We must note the use of the word need, which speaks of necessity, and not desire, wish or want.
The Greek word shown as goods, is from bios, and primarily means life, and then the means whereby life is maintained.75 In the previous verse, lives is from the plural form of the Greek psuche, which is the soul.76 The former is a consideration of the physical requirements of life, while the latter focuses more on the non-material aspects. However, it is not that these two are mutually exclusive, and that is the point that John is making here. If we see someone in need of something that we have, and we turn away, then we have shown a greater love for the worldly things than for our brother in need – that is not the love of the Father!
18. My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.
My little children, let us not love in word nor by tongue, but by deed and in truth (literal).77
Again, John addresses those who are not spiritually mature, which, really, is everyone who is not in the presence of the Lord. He gives us four means of expressing love: two negative and two positive.
Word (logos) is used for speaking in general, but includes the thought of being rational and understandable.78 Tongue (glossa), on the other hand, refers specifically to the organ that makes speech possible, and can refer to a language that is either known, or unknown, and this can be either to the hearer, or to the speaker.79 Deed (ergon) refers to something that is done, an action, or, more generally, to work.80 Truth (aletheia) is that which bears certainty, is factual, and does not vary with the transient nature of life because it is reality.81 Our love is to be characterized by the latter two, not the former.
James wrote: “15. If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, 16. And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit?” (James 2:15-16). This identifies the contrast between words and deeds; although words may sound gracious and kind, they will do nothing to provide for those who are in need. Even our culture recognizes the difference: “actions speak louder than words”; “he’s all talk and no action.” John has dealt with this within the spiritual realm: “He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him” (1 John 2:4). The words of his mouth are: “I know Him,” but he does not live in obedience to the Lord’s commandments – he’s all talk and no action; in fact, John says that he does not know the Lord at all! Moreover, the Truth (the Lord Jesus Christ, John 14:6) is not in him; he is neither abiding in the Lord, nor is the Lord abiding in him.
Therefore, to love in deed and truth means to abide in the Lord and to live in obedience to His commandments. This is the message that John has been emphasizing, and as this becomes our life in the Lord, then our words will express our experience, rather than revealing hypocrisy. John is not saying that we should not express our love in our speech, but that there first needs to be a foundation of loving God and loving action.
19. And hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before him.
In this we not only know that we are of the Truth, but also our hearts will rest before Him (literal).82
In this refers back to our love being expressed in action and in truth – faithfully abiding in the Lord. It is as we live in faithful obedience to the Lord that we hold a present assurance that we belong to Him. “The Spirit, Himself, testifies with our spirit that we are the children of God” (Romans 8:16, literal).83 Such an affirmation will not come from the Spirit of God unless we are living in faithful obedience to the commandments of the Lord; disobedience makes us children of the prince of this world, the Devil, and subject to the wrath of God, not His assurance (Ephesians 2:2-3). John has already declared that the one who is obeying the Lord enjoys His full love, and, thereby we know that we are in Him (1 John 2:5).
It is noteworthy that even though there is a present tense knowing that we are of the Truth, there is also a future when our hearts will rest before Him. Jesus promised that our lives will be filled with tribulation, but since He has overcome this world (John 16:33) and we are in Him, there is also a future when our hearts will be at rest with Him. The message that John has been stressing is that it is what we do in this life (faith in the Lord and obedience to Him) that will establish our future with the Lord. He has promised us everlasting life if we remain faithfully (obediently) in Him (1 John 2:24-25). “And the one who endured unto the end, that is the one who will be saved” (Matthew 24:13, literal);84 the faithful perseverance must remain until the end, and only then will salvation be inherited.
20. For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things.
For if our heart is condemning [us], God is greater than our heart, and He knows all (literal).85
This is based upon loving in deed and in Truth (v. 18), which affirms that we are of the Truth (v. 19) – we are living faithfully in the Lord: we are abiding in Him, and He in us. This is the expected relationship that we are to have with the Lord Jesus. However, even in such a proper bond with the Lord, the thought of our unworthiness of such mercy and grace may creep into our thinking – our heart is condemning us! John is addressing that situation here; in essence, he is saying that we must not listen to our hearts at that moment, but to God Who has declared us to be His children because we are loving the Lord and living faithfully for Him.
We must be careful not to remove this from its context. This is premised upon living in a faithful (obedient) relationship with the Lord, and it cannot be separated from this. There are times when our hearts will condemn us because we know that we have done wrong; God knows this as well, and we must then confess, repent and be restored (1 John 1:9; 2:1-2).
21. Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God.
Beloved, if our heart is not condemning [us], [then] we have our confidence with God (literal).86
John now deals with the opposite scenario to the previous verse: our heart is not condemning us. In this case, he states that our confidence lies entirely with God. In reality, whether our heart is condemning us or not, our stability lies with God: in the former, we realize that God knows our frame, and will, with our confession, restore us to Himself; in the latter, our confidence is in God, and not in our own hearts. In both cases, we must be living in faithful obedience to the Lord – that is the essence of abiding in Christ.
22. And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight.
And for whatever we are asking, we are receiving from Him, because His commandments we are obeying and we are doing that which is pleasing before Him (literal).87
Jesus said, “And for whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, so as to glorify the Father in the Son” (John 14:13, literal).88 Jesus made several similar statements to His disciples, and we often wonder about them since we ask for many things that do not come. In this particular quote, Jesus gave one reason for providing us with His answer: so that His Father will be glorified through Him. That is clearly something that we cannot determine; there is no way for us to discern if the Father would be glorified by His Son providing us with that for which we asked. We make our requests known to the Lord, and then the Son intercedes with the Father on our behalf (Romans 8:34), and, when we don’t know how the pray, the Spirit will intercede for us in accordance with the Father (Romans 8:26-27). Although we are now free to come before the Father, we do so through Christ, and both the Son and the Spirit are mediating for us in order to ensure that our requests are as they should be. Jesus spoke with surety (you ask, I will do), yet we are dependent upon His intercession in order to ensure that our requests are according to God’s desires.
The Apostle Paul provided us with a personal example: “7. And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure. 8. For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. 9. And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me” (2 Corinthians 12:7-9). What did Jesus say to Paul? “My grace is enough for you, because My strength is being made complete in [your] weakness” (literal).89 Paul’s request was for a thorn to be removed; Jesus’ response was to leave the thorn and provide him with the grace and strength that he needed to live with it. Are we able to see His answer when it comes in this form? Paul did; he realized that, without this thorn, there was a good chance that he could have become proud of how the Lord had revealed so much to him. As it was, he was able to experience the Lord’s enabling and His grace as needed as he lived with this thorn. Paul would never have said that his prayer was not answered – perhaps not as he had hoped (being human), but definitely for his growth in the Lord.
John then outlines the minimum requirement that must be met in order for the Lord to hear our requests: His commandments we are obeying, and we are doing what is pleasing to Him. Once again, obedience to the Lord’s commandments comes to the fore. However, beyond that, we understand that not every action that we do will be either obedience or disobedience to a command of the Lord – there is much of life that flows around obedience to His commands, and it is this that must be pleasing before Him. Jesus clarified this: “If you are loving Me, [then] My commandments you are to obey” (John 14:15, literal).90 Our lives are to express our love for the Lord, not only when we are obedient to Him; we must live in a manner that continually acknowledges Him as our Lord – that will be pleasing before Him. Then it becomes less a matter of us getting what we asked for, and more that we are confident that He will provide us with what we need: either by the answer as we imagined, or by the grace and strength to bear the cross to which He has called us. Either way, we must seek the glory of the Father through His Son, knowing that we have the best Mediators with the Father; we must remain faithful to Him even when the answer is His grace and His strength to bear His cross!
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.
And this is His commandment that we believe on the name of His Son, Jesus Christ, and that we are loving one another just as He gave commandment to us (literal).91
John now brings faith (believe) and obedience (loving) together. Believe, within its Biblical use, always includes a thorough examination so that it is a conviction of the truth of a matter, and, consequently, is the active element that forms the basis for faith. John states that God has commanded us to believe in the Lord Jesus. Believe, as it is used here, is in the aorist tense, subjunctive mood and active voice; being part of a purpose clause, the subjunctive mood no longer suggests possibility, but presents the outcome of obeying God regarding His Son – believe. The active voice means that we must believe – no one can do it for us, not even God; as we believe in keeping with God’s command, then we have a proper faith in the Lord. Lastly, we have the aorist tense, which presents believe as a complete action; since this is a response to a command from God, it is understood that believe forms a solid foundation for our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ – it includes a full examination and commitment. This believe cannot change; it may grow deeper, but its essence will remain the same. However, if we become persuaded to change this believe, then we have become apostate from the Lord (Hebrews 3:12); any change made will destroy the original function of believe. This was clearly exemplified by the Galatians who were seeking to change what they had come to believe under Paul’s ministry (the true Gospel) – a small change destroyed the Gospel that Paul had taught them (Galatians 1:6-7).
Jesus said, “13. You must enter through the narrow gate; for wide [is] the gate and many are those who are going through it, and broad [is] the way that is leading to destruction. 14. For narrow [is] the gate and compressed [is] the way that is leading to life, and few are finding it” (Matthew 7:13-14, literal).92 Notice that the gate that opens onto the way to life, is narrow (stenos), a metaphorical reference to the strict requirements that must be met before entrance is possible.93 It is interesting that the Greek takes the narrow gate and the compressed way, and couples them with a singular verb (is leading); in truth, they are One, because they are both found in Jesus. He said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me” (John 14:6) – He is the only access to the compressed Way to life (the Narrow Gate). Because this Gate is restrictive, only those who come to the Lord in faith (enter through the Narrow Gate; believe on the name of His Son, Jesus Christ) and live a life of obedience (walk the compressed Way; loving one another) will come to the Father. John presents the essence of what it means to live a life that it pleasing to the Lord!
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.
And the one who is obeying His commandments is abiding in Him, and He in him; by this we know that He is abiding in us: by the Spirit, Whom He gave to us (literal).94
John recorded Jesus’ words: “abide in Me, and I in you” (John 15:4a); the first is a command and the second a promise to those who abide in Him. John now brings Jesus’ words into the context of his theme: the need for obedience to the Lord’s commands; for those who are obeying His commandments, they are abiding in Him, and He in them. Jesus made a series of statements that are very interesting when taken together. “If you are loving Me, [then] My commandments you must obey” (John 14:15, literal); “The one who has My commandments and is obeying them, this one is loving Me …” (John 14:21a, literal); “If someone is loving Me, [then] he will give heed to My Word, and My Father will love him, and to him We will come, and will make Our dwelling with him” (John 14:23, literal).95 Obedience to the Lord’s commands is inextricably linked to our love for Him; it is our willing submission to His authority (obedience) that tells Him that we are loving Him. Paul wrote: “Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?” (1 Corinthians 3:16); according to Jesus, this can only be someone who is living in obedience to His Word. Just like the one who says, “I know Him,” but then lives in disobedience, is a liar (1 John 2:4), so whoever says, “I love Him,” but doesn’t obey Him, is also a liar.
John concludes that we know that Jesus is abiding in us by the Spirit Whom He has given to remain with us (John 14:16). When Philip asked Jesus to show His Father to them, His response was that those who had seen Him, had seen the Father; the writer of Hebrews declared Jesus to be the exact representation of the essence of the Father (Hebrews 1:3). Jesus consoled His disciples that, after He left them, He would send them another Comforter – One Who was the same as He was (John 14:16). What is very evident is this: all three members of the Godhead (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) are equally God. As the Spirit comes to abide within us, we have the full presence of God abiding within – indeed, we are His temple! However, as glorious as this is, it is not a certainty forever; the Spirit will not remain in the one who is not living in faithful obedience. James assures us that to break one Law makes us guilty of violating the whole Law (James 2:10), therefore, if we are disobedient to the Lord in one Law, then we have submitted to the Devil, the prince of the power of the air, who is now working in the children of disobedience (Ephesians 2:2). We are assured that there is no condemnation to those who are living in accordance with the Spirit of God (Romans 8:1), but disobedience to the Spirit, in even one aspect of the Law, means that we are now under the guidance of the Devil (1 John 3:8). Again, we must be reminded that this is not a single misstep or failure (for which repentance is possible), but a pattern of disobedience, yet James assures us that that pattern need only involve one of God’s Laws. As we permit this reality to seep into our thinking, we realize that the vast majority of those who claim to be a part of Christ’s kingdom, are, in fact, under the thumb of the Devil – the Spirit of God has either never been resident within them, or has long since left them. Obedience to the Lord’s commandments is the expected result of faith in Him; it is certainly not optional.
John’s theme is very relevant for today: obedience to the Lord’s commandments is essential for knowing Him, loving Him, and enjoying the presence of His Spirit in our lives. Jesus warned against being led astray, even in the midst of great deception, turmoil, conflict, and being the target of much hatred, because it is the one who remains faithful to Him who will be saved (Matthew 24:4-13). Faithful (hupomeno; KJV endure) speaks of perseverance; however, we know that unless that perseverance is focused on obedience to the Lord’s commandments, it will not work to our benefit. “1. Therefore, [there is] now no condemnation to those in Christ Jesus, who are not living according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. 2. For the Law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus did free me from the law of sin and death 3. For what is impossible of the law, in that it was weak through the flesh, God, Who did send His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and [to atone] for sin, did condemn sin in the flesh, 4. so that the requirements of the Law are fulfilled in us who are not living according to the flesh but according to the Spirit” (Romans 8:1-4, literal).96 If we are living under the guidance of the Spirit of God, then: 1) we are not under God’s condemnation, 2) we are free from the law of sin and death, and 3) the requirements of the Law are being lived out through us (obedience!).
ENDNOTES:
1 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon; Gingrich Lexicon.
2 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon; Gingrich Lexicon; Bauer Greek-English Lexicon; Vine’s “anger.”
3 Vine’s “child.”
4 Stephanus 1550 NT.
5 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon.
6 Ibid.
7 Stephanus 1550 NT.
8 Ibid.
9 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon; Gingrich Lexicon.
10 Strong’s Online; Gingrich Lexicon.
11 Stephanus 1550 NT; Gingrich Lexicon.
12 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon; Gingrich Lexicon.
13 Ibid.
14 Ibid.
15 Ibid.
16 The high priest wore an ephod (a special tunic) that was held in place by an attached “girdle,” or sash, that went around his chest; in similar fashion, Jesus, as our High Priest, wore a more resplendent sash – the Levitical high priest’s sash was of gold, blue, purple and scarlet, while Jesus’ is only made of gold!
17 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon; Gingrich Lexicon.
18 Ibid.
19 Ibid.
20 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon; Gingrich Lexicon.
21 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon; Gingrich Lexicon; https://ntgreek.org/learn_nt_greek/subj-detail-frame.htm (Hortatory Subjunctive).
22 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon; Gingrich Lexicon.
23 Ibid.
24 bid.
25 Ibid.
26 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon; Gingrich Lexicon; Bauer Greek-English Lexicon.
27 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon; Gingrich Lexicon.
28 Ibid.
29 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon; Gingrich Lexicon.
30 Stephanus 1550 NT; Gingrich Lexicon.
31 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon; Gingrich Lexicon.
32 https://www.ntgreek.org/learn_nt_greek/verbs1.htm.
33 Strong’s Online.
34 BDB.
35 Friberg Lexicon.
36 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon; Gingrich Lexicon.
37 Ibid.
38 Stephanus 1550 NT; Gingrich Lexicon.
39 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon; Bauer Greek-English Lexicon.
40 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon; Gingrich Lexicon.
41 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon; Gingrich Lexicon; Bauer Greek-English Lexicon.
42 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon; Gingrich Lexicon.
43 Stephanus 1550 NT.
44 Friberg Lexicon.
45 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon; Gingrich Lexicon.
46 Ibid.
47 Ibid.
48 Stephanus 1550 NT; Gingrich Lexicon.
49 Ibid.
50 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon; Gingrich Lexicon.
51 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon; Gingrich Lexicon; Abbott-Smith Greek Lexicon.
52 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon; https://www.ntgreek.org/learn_nt_greek/subj-purpose.htm.
53 Stephanus 1550 NT; https://www.ntgreek.org/learn_nt_greek/subj-purpose.htm.
54 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon; Gingrich Lexicon.
55 TWOT #651a.
56 BDB.
57 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon; Gingrich Lexicon; Bauer Greek-English Lexicon.
58 E. H. Broadbent, The Pilgrim Church, p. 275-6.
59 Stephanus 1550 NT; Gingrich Lexicon.
60 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon; Gingrich Lexicon.
61 Ibid.
62 https://www.ntgreek.org/learn_nt_greek/verbs1.htm.
63 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon; Gingrich Lexicon.
64 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon; Gingrich Lexicon; Vine’s, “go.”
65 Stephanus 1550 NT; Gingrich Lexicon.
66 Stephanus 1550 NT.
67 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon; Gingrich Lexicon.
68 Ibid.
69 Ibid.
70 Stephanus 1550 NT; Gingrich Lexicon.
71 Ibid; https://www.ntgreek.org/learn_nt_greek/subj-purpose.htm.
72 Stephanus 1550 NT.
73 Ibid.
74 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon; Gingrich Lexicon.
75 Friberg Lexicon.
76 Ibid.
77 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon; Gingrich Lexicon; https://ntgreek.org/learn_nt_greek/subj-detail-frame.htm.
78 Friberg Lexicon.
79 Ibid.
80 Ibid.
81 Ibid.
82 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon; Bauer Greek-English Lexicon.
83 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon.
84 Ibid.
85 Ibid.
86 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon; Gingrich Lexicon.
87 Ibid.
88 Ibid.
89 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon.
90 Stephanus 1550 NT.
91 Ibid.
92 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon.
93 Friberg Lexicon.
94 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon.
95 Ibid.
96 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon; Gingrich Lexicon; https://www.ntgreek.org/learn_nt_greek/subj-purpose.htm.
1 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon; Gingrich Lexicon.
2 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon; Gingrich Lexicon; Bauer Greek-English Lexicon; Vine’s “anger.”
3 Vine’s “child.”
4 Stephanus 1550 NT.
5 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon.
6 Ibid.
7 Stephanus 1550 NT.
8 Ibid.
9 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon; Gingrich Lexicon.
10 Strong’s Online; Gingrich Lexicon.
11 Stephanus 1550 NT; Gingrich Lexicon.
12 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon; Gingrich Lexicon.
13 Ibid.
14 Ibid.
15 Ibid.
16 The high priest wore an ephod (a special tunic) that was held in place by an attached “girdle,” or sash, that went around his chest; in similar fashion, Jesus, as our High Priest, wore a more resplendent sash – the Levitical high priest’s sash was of gold, blue, purple and scarlet, while Jesus’ is only made of gold!
17 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon; Gingrich Lexicon.
18 Ibid.
19 Ibid.
20 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon; Gingrich Lexicon.
21 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon; Gingrich Lexicon; https://ntgreek.org/learn_nt_greek/subj-detail-frame.htm (Hortatory Subjunctive).
22 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon; Gingrich Lexicon.
23 Ibid.
24 bid.
25 Ibid.
26 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon; Gingrich Lexicon; Bauer Greek-English Lexicon.
27 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon; Gingrich Lexicon.
28 Ibid.
29 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon; Gingrich Lexicon.
30 Stephanus 1550 NT; Gingrich Lexicon.
31 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon; Gingrich Lexicon.
32 https://www.ntgreek.org/learn_nt_greek/verbs1.htm.
33 Strong’s Online.
34 BDB.
35 Friberg Lexicon.
36 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon; Gingrich Lexicon.
37 Ibid.
38 Stephanus 1550 NT; Gingrich Lexicon.
39 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon; Bauer Greek-English Lexicon.
40 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon; Gingrich Lexicon.
41 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon; Gingrich Lexicon; Bauer Greek-English Lexicon.
42 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon; Gingrich Lexicon.
43 Stephanus 1550 NT.
44 Friberg Lexicon.
45 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon; Gingrich Lexicon.
46 Ibid.
47 Ibid.
48 Stephanus 1550 NT; Gingrich Lexicon.
49 Ibid.
50 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon; Gingrich Lexicon.
51 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon; Gingrich Lexicon; Abbott-Smith Greek Lexicon.
52 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon; https://www.ntgreek.org/learn_nt_greek/subj-purpose.htm.
53 Stephanus 1550 NT; https://www.ntgreek.org/learn_nt_greek/subj-purpose.htm.
54 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon; Gingrich Lexicon.
55 TWOT #651a.
56 BDB.
57 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon; Gingrich Lexicon; Bauer Greek-English Lexicon.
58 E. H. Broadbent, The Pilgrim Church, p. 275-6.
59 Stephanus 1550 NT; Gingrich Lexicon.
60 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon; Gingrich Lexicon.
61 Ibid.
62 https://www.ntgreek.org/learn_nt_greek/verbs1.htm.
63 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon; Gingrich Lexicon.
64 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon; Gingrich Lexicon; Vine’s, “go.”
65 Stephanus 1550 NT; Gingrich Lexicon.
66 Stephanus 1550 NT.
67 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon; Gingrich Lexicon.
68 Ibid.
69 Ibid.
70 Stephanus 1550 NT; Gingrich Lexicon.
71 Ibid; https://www.ntgreek.org/learn_nt_greek/subj-purpose.htm.
72 Stephanus 1550 NT.
73 Ibid.
74 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon; Gingrich Lexicon.
75 Friberg Lexicon.
76 Ibid.
77 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon; Gingrich Lexicon; https://ntgreek.org/learn_nt_greek/subj-detail-frame.htm.
78 Friberg Lexicon.
79 Ibid.
80 Ibid.
81 Ibid.
82 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon; Bauer Greek-English Lexicon.
83 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon.
84 Ibid.
85 Ibid.
86 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon; Gingrich Lexicon.
87 Ibid.
88 Ibid.
89 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon.
90 Stephanus 1550 NT.
91 Ibid.
92 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon.
93 Friberg Lexicon.
94 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon.
95 Ibid.
96 Stephanus 1550 NT; Friberg Lexicon; Gingrich Lexicon; https://www.ntgreek.org/learn_nt_greek/subj-purpose.htm.