June 4 – 1 John 3:1-15

Main focus: Being a child of God means walking in Jesus’s righteousness instead of walking in sin.

John’s words in this week’s passage are certainly not minced or intended to be subtle. In several places in his letters, he gets straight to the point and tells us what he (and, more importantly, God) thinks about sin. This passage is a bit longer than those in the rest of this series so we’re presented with a lot of content. Within these verses there’s a lot of good stuff from John, but the main takeaway is that we should choose righteousness instead of sin. We should desire God over the world. Because of Christ’s finished work, we can freely walk with him rather than being bound to sin.

Verses 1 through 15 splits into two parts. In verses 1 to 10, John addresses the “children of God,” warning them of counterfeit Christians who talk as if they know God and have seen him but don’t live accordingly. In verses 11-15, John cites love as a fundamental part of following Christ, writing that “we have passed from death to life because we love our brothers and sisters” (3:14).

In verses 7-8, John proceeds to give a warning, saying, “let no one deceive you. Whoever practices righteousness is righteous, as he is righteous. Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil.” Here, he draws a line in the sand, telling Christians that some merely claim to be followers of Christ but do not live in alignment with their profession.

John gives harsh (sounding) but sobering language to describe these people, calling them “of the devil” in verse 8. But what does it mean to “make a practice of sinning”? If we’re all sinners (Rom. 3:23), how do we differentiate between those who sin and are of the Father and those who are not? The answer lies in verse 6, where John writes, “No one who abides in him keeps on sinning” (ESV). It’s a little murky now but stick with me.

John carries on this pattern of repetition so we can see and understand it. In 1:8-9, he writes, “If we say, ‘We have no sin,’ we are deceiving ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” Remaining in Christ means we’re to continually have our minds and hearts postured towards him. Claiming to be without sin is a lie, but remaining in him is how we’re instructed to fight temptation and focus on our Lord.

If you’ve ever tried to run, especially in a race, it’s awfully hard to do when looking back. That’s why Paul wrote to his colleague, Timothy, telling him that he has “finished the race” (2 Tim. 4:7). This is another one of the overarching messages of God’s word to us; you can’t follow and serve God while being infatuated with the world. 

What this means for us is that living a life of continual, unrepentant sin is a pretty good litmus test for genuine heart change or salvation. Ultimately, only God knows people’s hearts, but we can look to the fruit (or absence of it) to see if sanctification is genuinely taking place.

Returning to the rest of the passage, we see this healthy division made between those who are actually of God and those who are not. John then tells us that there is a thread that has run all through Scripture and that God desires for us; to love one another (3:11). This is the mark of the Christian, one who loves people well, even their enemies (1 John 3:13, Gal. 5:22, Matt. 5:43-45a).

This is the heart of what John is getting at in his letter. There is no expectation that we are perfect, as that’s impossible, but we’re called to walk in step with Jesus and seek to love him and one another, as our love for the Lord informs our love for one another. This is where John says that love is the evidence and assurance of our faith. He says that “We know that we have passed from death to life because we love our brothers and sisters. The one who does not love remains in death” (3:14). Love and faith go hand in hand all through the New Testament, as Paul writes that “neither circumcision nor uncircumcision,” that is, outward obedience to the law, “counts for anything, but only faith working through love” (Gal. 5:6).

As we get into discussion, we’ll talk about what it means to be a child of God and how that impacts and informs our daily lives. Paul tells us that love is the banner and signifier of faith and new life in Christ. John reminds us that we know we have been born again in God when love is our natural disposition (3:14). It is because of the “great love the Father has given us that we should be called God’s children” (3:1). It is by this assurance of identity as his children that we love others.