Scripture
1 John 3
Questions
1 See what sort of love the Father has given to us: that we should be called children of God, and we are! Because of this the world does not know us: because it did not know him.
We are not what we do, we are not what we have, we are not what others think of us. Coming home is claiming the truth: I am the beloved child of a loving creator.
Henri J. M. Nouwen
What special privilege does John say believers have?1 What false identies does Nouwen identify?
Why does the world not recognize or understand believers, according to John?2
2 Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been revealed. We know that whenever he is revealed we will be like him, because we will see him just as he is.
What does John say about the future state of believers?3
3 And everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, just as that one is pure.
What is “purifies himself” reminiscent of? How does John rework this concept and link it with Christian hope?4
4 Everyone who practices sin also practices lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness.
How does John define sin?5
5 And you know that that one was revealed in order that he might take away sins, and in him there is no sin.
What was the purpose of Jesus being revealed [v5]? What is the bigger picture of v8b?6
6 Everyone who resides in him does not sin. Everyone who sins has neither seen him nor known him. 7 Little children, let no one deceive you: the one who practices righteousness is righteous, just as that one is righteous. 8 The one who practices sin is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. For this reason the Son of God was revealed: in order to destroy the works of the devil. 9 Everyone who is fathered by God does not practice sin, because his seed resides in him, and he is not able to sin, because he has been fathered by God. 10 By this the children of God and the children of the devil are evident: everyone who does not practice righteousness is not of God, namely, the one who does not love his brother.
7. How does John distinguish between those who are in Jesus and those who are not? How does this align with 1:8-10? What is the application for our daily walk in Jesus?7
11 For this is the message that you have heard from the beginning: that we should love one another, 12 not as Cain, who was of the evil one and violently murdered his brother. And for what reason did he violently murder him? Because his deeds were evil and the deeds of his brother were righteous.
What is John pointing at when he speaks of “the beginning”, Cain, “the evil one” etc.? Why is hate, i.e. not loving your brother [v10] such a serious sin?8
More
BibleProject Guide: The Books of 1-3 John
Believers have the profound privilege of being called children of God.
The world does not know believers because it did not know Jesus; this disconnect arises from the world’s lack of relationship with him.
John says that what believers will be has not yet been revealed, but when Jesus is revealed, believers will be like Him and see Him as He truly is.
John’s language is reminiscent of Levitical ritual purification. Perfect [completed] purification comes through the blood of Jesus to those who believe. Everyone who has hope in Jesus must purify themselves indicating that transformation is not a single conversion event but a life long experience in which we must actively participate.
Sin is defined as lawlessness, meaning living in disregard of God’s law.
Jesus was revealed to take away sins and to destroy the works of the devil.
Those who reside in Jesus do not sin, while those who continue to sin have neither seen nor known him. However, John has already insisted that we are accusing God that he is a liar if we are without sin [1:10]. The application is that we must continue to confess our sin and God will continue to cleanse us from all unrighteousness [1:9]. John’s purification language, in his context, hyperlinks to ritual purity etc. in Leviticus etc. [see v3].
Cain killed Abel because he hated him [Genesis 4]. Jesus identifies hate as murder [Matthew 5:21-22]. If we are not to hate our brother we must love him.