Background Scripture: 1 John 3:1-10
Lesson Context: Five books of the New Testament have traditionally been attributed to the apostle John, who was one of the original 12 disciples (Matthew 10:2). Three of the five-the ones designate l John, 2 John, and 3 John-any letters from the apostle to various believers in the first century A.D.
It is unsure of the issues that faced the letter’s original audience. Apparently, they had been confronted with threats of their faith. Some of these threats included the temptation from an early form of the attractive heresy we call Gnosticism. Among other things, Gnostics taught that it did not matter whether a person had morality or love-as long as he or she had “secret knowledge.” To combat this false teaching, John emphasized the connection between right belief, right actions, and right love. The Child of God must believe the truth, obey the commands, and love the brethren.
l. The Love of God (l John 3:1-3):
A. Our Identity (v. l). la. “Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God.” Having just mentioned being born of Him, John speaks in amazement about this manner of love that makes us children of God. He wants us to behold it-that is, look at it and study it. It is great benefit to the Christian to take a good, intense look at the love of God bestowed on us. Bestowed on us speaks many things. First, it speaks of the measure of God’s love to us. Secondly, it speaks of the manner of God’s giving of love; bestowed has the idea of a one-sided giving, instead of a return for something earned. (David Gutz Bible Commentary)
1b. “Therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.” Because of our unique parentage from God, we are strangers to this world (or should be).
i. This shows the great danger of a Christianity that works so hard to show the world just how much like the world they can be, we cannot be surprised or offended to find out that the world does not know us. Because it did not know Him: Ultimatley, we should expect the world to treat us as it treated Him-rejecting Jesus and crucifying Jesus. (David Gutz Blue Letter Bible Commentary)
B. God’s Purity (vv. 2-3). 2a. “Beloved, now are we the sons of God.” Our present standing is plain. We can know, and have an assurance, that we are indeed among the children of God.
2b. “And it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when we shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.” It has not been revealed what we shall be: Though our present standing is plain, our future destiny is clouded. We can’t imagine what we will be like in glory. (David Gutz Blue Letter Bible Commentary)
ll. The Mission of God (l John 3:4-6):
A. Our Situation (v. 4). “Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.” Sin is the destitution or privation of correspondence and agreement with the divine law, that law which is the transcript of the divine nature and purity, which contains his will for the government of the world, and enacted for the good of the world, which shows man the way of felicity and peace, and conducts him to the author of his nature and of the law. (Matthew Henry Bible Commentary)
B. God’s Solution (vv. 5-6). 5. “And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin.” John here defined the mission of Jesus Christ at its most basic root-to take away our sins. Jesus takes away our sin in the sense of taking the penalty of our sin. This is immediately accomplished when one comes by faith to Jesus.
lll. The Children of God (l John 3:7-10):
A. Our Warning (vv. 7-8). “Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness, even as he is righteous.” “Let no one deceive you.” This tells us that John wrote against a deception threatening the Christians of his day. (David Gutz Blue Letter Bible Commentary)
B. God’s Seed (vv. 9-10). 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.” John here is simply emphasizing what it means to be born again. It means that a change comes into our lives-it is a change that will be worked out into every area of our lives as we grow in Christ, but it is a real, observable change. (David Guzik Blue Letter Bible Commentary)
I0. “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.” The children of God and the children of the devil: John has already introduced the idea of being a child of God (l John 3: l, that he should be called the children of God and l John 3:9, born of God). He has already written of some being of the devil (l John 3:8). But here, he makes it plain, some are children of God and some are children of the devil. (David Gutz Bible Commentary)
