1 João 3

David Guzik · Citado em PreceptAustin

1 João 3:1

Guzik says "Bestowed on us speaks many things. First, it speaks of the measure of God’s love to us; it could more literally be translated lavished on 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. What is it that makes us slow to believe the love of God? Sometimes it is pride, which demands to prove itself worthy of the love of God before it will receive it. Sometimes it is unbelief, which cannot trust the love of God when it sees the hurt and pain of life. And sometimes it just takes time for a person to come to a fuller understanding of the greatness of God’s love....There is a sense in which this is a totally “unnecessary” blessing that God gives in the course of salvation, and a demonstration of His true and deep love for us. We can picture someone helping or saving someone, but not going so far as to make them a part of the family – but this is what God has done for us. In this, we gain something in Jesus Christ greater than Adam ever possessed. We never once read of Adam being called one of the children of God in the sense John means here. He was never adopted as a son of God in the way believers are. We err when we think of redemption as merely a restoration of what was lost with Adam; we are granted more in Jesus than Adam ever had.. If we are truly children of God, then it should show in our likeness to our Father and in our love for our “siblings.” Alexander

1 João 3:1

Guzik comments that "As God looked down on lost humanity, He might have merely had a charitable compassion, a pity on our plight, both in this life and in eternity. With a mere pity, He might have set forth a plan of salvation where man could be saved from hell. But God went far beyond that, to call us the children of God." Children (5043) (teknon [4x 1Jn = 1Jn 3:1, 2, 10; 5:2] from tikto = to bring forth or bear children ) literally refers to those who are "born ones" and in the plural (tekna) refers to descendants, posterity or children, those viewed in relation to their parents or family. Here teknon is used figuratively to refer to those who have by grace through faith been born (by the Spirit - Jn 3:5, 6, 7, 8, Ep 2:8, 9+) spiritually (Jn 1:12). How can we be certain we are children of the Living God? (See 1Jn 2:29, 3:7, 9, 10, 5:2, et al - (present tense = as one's general lifestyle!) The Holy Spirit bears testimony to our human spirit that we are children of God, and our Spirit-energized spirit thus joins the Holy Spirit in a joint-testimony to that fact (Ro 8:16, 17+) Note that children (teknon) occurs while the related word "little children" (teknion) occurs in 1Jn 2:1, 2:12, 2:28, 3:7, 4:4, 5:21. What really makes us children of God is that God has put His own life into us. John explains how this supernatural adoption into God's family has miraculously transpired writing that… as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, who were born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God (It was God's plan for our life from the beginning - let us gratefully worship Him Ro 11:36+). (Jn 1:12, 13) If you know that He is righteous, you know that everyone also who practices (present tense = as one's general lifestyle!) righteousness is born of Him. (1Jn 2:29) TEKNON USES BY JOHN - Jn. 1:12; Jn. 8:39; Jn. 11:52; 1 Jn. 3:1; 1 Jn. 3:2; 1 Jn. 3:10; 1 Jn. 5:2; 2 Jn. 1:1; 2 Jn. 1:4; 2 Jn. 1:13; 3 Jn. 1:4; Rev. 2:23; Rev. 12:4; Rev. 12:5 And such we are - Note that this phrase does not appear in the KJV (Textus Receptus) but is considered authentic by the modern critical manuscripts and this is found in most of the modern translations. Hiebert comments that "These words, "and such are we" (kai esmen, "and we are"), emphatically declare that we are not merely God's children in name but in reality. They express a ringing note of assurance, encouraging and strengthening the readers. Lias notes that "the words `children of God' were no mere title, but the expression of a fact, a fact which was to colour all their thoughts and actions, to banish superstitious fear, and to fill them with a thought of ever-present love, which should sustain them in all the trials and distresses of the world." (1 John 2:29-3:12) Alexander

1 João 3:2

Guzik commenting on we shall see Him just as He is writes that… Perhaps this is the greatest glory of heaven: not to be personally glorified, but to be in the unhindered, unrestricted, presence of our Lord. Paul said of our present walk, "For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known." (1Cor 13:12+). Today, when we look in a good mirror, the image is clear. But in the ancient world, mirrors were made out of polished metal, and the image was always unclear and somewhat distorted. We see Jesus now only in a dim, unclear way, but one day we will see Him with perfect clarity. Heaven is precious to us for many reasons. We long to be with loved ones who have passed before us and whom we miss so dearly. We long to be with the great men and women of God who have passed before us in centuries past. We want to walk the streets of gold, see the pearly gates, and see the angels round the throne of God worshipping Him day and night. However, none of those things, precious as they are, make heaven really "heaven." What makes heaven heaven is the unhindered, unrestricted, presence of our Lord, and to see Him as He is will be the greatest experience of your eternal existence. What will we see when we see Jesus? Rev 1:13-16+ describes a vision of Jesus in heaven: He was dressed in a long robe with a golden [breastplate]; His head and His hair were white as snow-white wool, His eyes blazed like fire, and His feet shone as the finest bronze glows in the furnace. His voice had the sound of a great waterfall, and I saw that in His right hand He held seven stars. A sharp two-edged sword came out of His mouth, and His face was ablaze like the sun at its height. (J. B. Phillips translation) This isn't the same Jesus who walked this earth, looking like a normal man. At the same time, we know that in heaven, Jesus will still bear the scars of His suffering on this earth. After Jesus rose from the dead in His glorified body, His body uniquely retained the nail prints in His hands and the scar on his side (John 20:24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29). In Zechariah 12:10+, Jesus speaks prophetically of the day when the Jewish people, turned to Him, see Him in glory: "then they will look on Me Whom they pierced. Yes, they will mourn for Him as one mourns for his only son, and grieve for Him as one grieves for a firstborn." Zechariah 13:6+ continues the thought: "And one will say to him, "What are these wounds between your arms?" Then he will answer, "Those with which I was wounded in the house of my friends." (see also Rev 5:6+ "Lamb… as if slain" = marks of His crucifixion) John makes the connection between seeing Him as He is and our transformation to be like Jesus. Couldn't it be said that the same principle works right now? To the extent that you see Jesus as He is, to that same extent, you are like Him in your life. Kenneth Wuest makes the point that "Only at the Rapture will we be able to see our Lord as He is now, for physical eyes in a mortal body could not look on that glory, only eyes in glorified bodies. And that is the reason we shall be like Him, for only in that state can we see Him just as He is. (Eerdmans Publishing - used by permission) Marianne M. Thompson has an interesting note stating that "Both the Gospel and epistles assert that no one has ever seen God (Jn 1:18; 1Jn 4:12, 20) except the Son, who makes God known. The statement we shall see him as he is does not imply that we have somehow been misled in understanding God or that we have been granted an inadequate vision of God in Jesus (Jn 14:8, 9, 10), any more than it implies that our present status as children of God is somehow inadequate or unsatisfactory. Just as it is true that we shall be changed, so also is it true that a future and new "seeing" of God is promised. We shall see God face to face, even as the Son who is "always at the Father's side" (Jn 1:1-18) sees God. Here John is not so much interested in speculating on what God is like, or precisely what we shall see in our future vision of God. Rather, the accent falls upon knowing God more fully and intimately than is possible for us now. (The Privileges of the Children of God) We shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. —I JOHN 3:2 Being afflicted with early-onset Alzheimer's disease, Thomas DeBaggio chronicled his gradual memory loss in the book Losing My Mind. This book records the disturbing process by which—little by little—tasks, places, and people are all forgotten. Alzheimer's disease involves the failure of nerve cells in the brain, leading to gradual memory loss, confusion, and disorientation. It can be tragic to watch a person slowly forget how to dress or fail to recognize the faces of loved ones. It's like losing the person before he or she dies. Memory loss can occur by other means as well, such as injury or life trauma. And for those of us who live into old age, the breakdown of our bodies is inevitable. But for the Christian, there is hope. When believers receive their glorified bodies at the resurrection, they will be perfect (2 Corinthians 5:1-5). But even more important, in heaven we will recognize the One who died to redeem us. We will remember what He did and know Him by the nail prints in His hands (John 20:25; 1 Corinthians 13:12). Forgetfulness may beset our earthly bodies, but when we see the Lord, "We shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is" (1 John 3:2). —DF Our Savior's life for us was given That we might one day bloom in heaven, Our mortal bodies changed to be Like His through all eternity! —Spicer In the twinkling of an eye ... we shall all be changed. —Paul the Apostle THE FINISHED PRODUCT - Another day. Another strip of wallpaper goes up. Another wall gets painted. That's the way it's been around our house for the past year or so as we've tackled a remodeling project with a real do-it-yourself flavor. Living in an unfinished house where you have to push paint cans and ladders out of the way to get to the kitchen can be frustrating. But once in a while, when we peer through the drywall dust, we can visualize the finished result. We have hope; we know that one day we will complete the job. Then we'll be able to live in our house the way people are supposed to—with carpet on the floors and the tools put away. Hope. Completion. Those two words are even more meaningful to Christians. Our lives always seem to be in a state of remodeling. We are often frustrated by our inability to be complete in our likeness to Christ. We sin. We fail. We forget to honor the Lord in everything. F F Bruce - These first two verses of 1 John 3 celebrate the accomplishment of God’s eternal purpose concerning man. This purpose finds expression in Genesis 1:26, where God, about to bring into being the crown of creation, says: “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness.” In other words, he declares his intention of bringing into existence beings like himself, as like himself as it is possible for creatures to be like their Creator. In words which echo the language of Genesis 1, the status and function of man in the purpose of God are celebrated in Psalm 8:5ff.: “thou hast made him little less than God, and dost crown him with glory and honor. Thou hast given him dominion over the works of thy hands; thou hast put all things under his feet.” But Genesis 3 tells how man, not content with the true likeness to God which was his by creation, grasped at the counterfeit likeness held out as the tempter’s bait: “you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” In consequence, things most unlike God manifested themselves in human life: hatred, darkness and death in place of love, light and life. The image of God in man was sadly defaced. Yet God’s purpose was not frustrated; instead, the fall itself, with its entail of sin and death, was overruled by God and compelled to become an instrument in the furtherance of his purpose. In the fulness of time the image of God, undefaced by disobedience to his will, reappeared on earth in the person of his Son. In Jesus the love, light and life of God were manifested in opposition to hatred, darkness and death. With his crucifixion it seemed that hatred, darkness and death had won the day, and that God’s purpose, which had survived the fall, was now effectively thwarted. But instead, the cross of Jesus proved to be God’s chosen instrument for the fulfillment of his purpose.… This purpose is stated by Paul in terms which go back far beyond the act of creation in Genesis 1: “those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the first-born among many brethren” (Rom. 8:29). The children of God, who enter his family through faith in his Son, display their Father’s likeness, because of their conformity to him who is the perfect image of the invisible God. (Borrow The Gospel and epistles of John page 84) Martyn Lloyd-Jones - DESTINED FOR GLORY We shall be like him. 1 JOHN 3:2 “We shall see him as he is.” “Now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known” (1 Corinthians 13:12). Do you know that you are destined for that? We shall see Him as He is—what a blessed, glorious vision to see the Son of God in all His glory, as He is, face to face—standing and looking at Him and enjoying Him for all eternity. It is only then that we will begin to understand what He did for us, the price He paid, the cost of our salvation. You and I are destined for that glorious vision; we shall see Him as He is, face to face. But consider something still more amazing and incredible. We shall be like Him. “We know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.” This is John’s way of addressing the whole doctrine of the resurrection of our bodies, the ultimate final resurrection, the ultimate glorification of God’s people. What John is telling us, in other words, is that when that great day comes, we shall not only see Him—we shall be made like Him. Paul says that God’s purpose is that we shall be “conformed to the image of his Son” (Romans 8:29). That is the argument, and that is the doctrine. In other words, while we are here on earth, the Holy Spirit is working in us, doing His work of holiness in us and ridding us of sin, so that eventually we shall be faultless, blameless, without spot, and without rebuke. We shall have been delivered from every sin and vestige and appearance of sin within us; and in addition to that, our very bodies shall be changed and shall be gloriﬁed. We shall see Him as He is— standing and looking at Him and enjoying Him for all eternity. GOOD MUSIC TAKES TIME - When a man visited a piano manufacturing plant, the guide took him first to a large workroom where employees were cutting and shaping wood and steel. Nothing there bore any resemblance to a piano. Next they visited a department where parts were being fitted into frames, but still there were no strings or keys. In a third room, more pieces were being assembled—but still no music. Finally the guide took the guest to the showroom. There a musician was playing classical music on a beautiful piano. The visitor, aware for the first time of all the steps involved in the development of this marvelous musical instrument, could now appreciate its beauty more fully. The apostle John said, "It has not yet been revealed what we shall be" (1John 3:2). God has saved us and is now changing us into the image of Christ "from glory to glory" (2Corinthians 3:18). One day that work will be completed because we were "predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son" (Romans 8:29). But for now, we are in process. NT Words for Today - Warren

1 João 3:2

Guzik: God's ultimate goal in our lives is to make us like Jesus, and here (1Jn 3:2), John speaks of the fulfillment of that purpose. This conformation into the image of God's Son is already under way in this life, Paul explaining that… all of us (believers), as with unveiled face, [because we] continued to behold [in the Word of God] as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are constantly being transfigured (progressive sanctification) into His very own image in ever increasing splendor and from one degree of glory to another; [for this comes] from the Lord [Who is] the Spirit. (2Cor 3:18+ AMP) Paul describes the believer's future physical transformation at which time we will "be like Him"… For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ; who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory, by the exertion of the power that He has even to subject all things to Himself. (Php 3:20, 21+) (See Glorification) In Colossians Paul declares When Christ, who is our life, is revealed (phaneroo), then you also will be revealed (phaneroo) with Him in glory. (Colossians 3:4+) (See Glorification) “A child of God is here and now, indeed, like a diamond that is crystal white within but is still uncut and shows no brilliant flashes from reflected facets. -- R C H Lenski Ryrie comments that "like Him" "includes both physical changes of the resurrection body and spiritual changes of purity (1Jn 3:3), no sin (1Jn 3:5) and righteousness (1Jn 3:7)." David Guzik comments on we will be like Him noting that "This does not mean that we cease to be ourselves, full of the distinct personality and character God has given us. Heaven will not be like the Nirvana of Eastern mysticism, where all personality is dissolved into God like a drop into the ocean. We will still be ourselves, but our character and nature will be perfected into the image of Jesus' perfection. We will not be "clones" of Jesus in heaven! (Ed: Nor will we be "little Christs" as the New Age movement teaches!) Do you long to be like Jesus? God will never force a person to be like Jesus if they don't want to. And that is what hell is for: people who don't want to be like Jesus. The sobering, eternal truth is this: God gives man what he really wants (Ed: cp Jn 3:19, 20+, "darkness" in Mt 8:12, 22:13, 25:30). If you really want to be like Jesus, it will show in your life now, and it will be a fact in eternity. If you don't really want to be like Jesus, it will also show in your life now, and it will also be a fact in eternity. We will be like Him: This reminds us that even though we grow into the image of Jesus now, we still have a long way to go. None of us will be finished until we see Jesus, and only then truly we shall be like Him. “He will not be anything essentially different hereafter, but he will be what he is now essentially more completely, though in ways wholly beyond our powers of imagination.” -- B F Westcott Steven

1 João 3:3

Guzik - Having the anticipation of being with Jesus, of the soon coming of Jesus Christ, can have a marvelous purifying effect in our lives. It makes us want to be ready, to be serving Him now, to be pleasing Him now. The hope John describes includes three primary factors: Christ’s appearing, the believer’s seeing Him, and the believer’s becoming as He is -- Daniel Akin D Edmond Hiebert says that "Christian hope is assured of future realization because it is grounded in the person of Christ and His sure word...Our eschatological hope has objective validity and will certainly be fulfilled because Christ Himself is the guarantee of its fulfillment." Hope as the world typically defines it is a desire for some future occurrence of which one is not absolutely assured of attaining. The ancient world did not generally regard hope as a virtue, but merely as a temporary illusion. Historians tell us that a great cloud of hopelessness covered the ancient world. Philosophies were empty; traditions were disappearing; religions were powerless to help men face either life or death. Hope is the looking forward to something with some reason for confidence respecting fulfillment. Peter used this truth to encourage the suffering saints writing Therefore (on the basis of the salvation and the "living hope" they now possessed) (to) gird your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, fix your hope (elpizo - verb form of elpis) completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ." (1Pe 1:13+) Elpis - 53x in 48v in the NAS - Acts 2:26; 16:19; 23:6; 24:15; 26:6, 7; 27:20; 28:20; Ro 4:18; 5:2, 4, 5; 8:20, 24; 12:12; 15:4, 13; 1Co. 9:10; 13:13; 2 Co. 1:7; 3:12; 10:15; Gal. 5:5; Eph. 1:18; 2:12; 4:4; Phil. 1:20; Col. 1:5, 23, 27; 1Th 1:3; 2:19; 4:13; 5:8; 2Th 2:16; 1Ti 1:1; Titus 1:2; 2:13; 3:7; Heb. 3:6; 6:11, 18; 7:19; 10:23; 1Pe 1:3, 21; 3:15; 1Jn. 3:3 Related Resource: In depth study of Biblical hope - discussion and chart summarizing the definition of, source of, stabilizing effect of and sanctifying effect of hope.

1 João 3:6

Guzik - It is very important to understand what the Bible means - and what it does not mean - when it says does not sin. According to the verb tense John uses, does not sin means does not live a life style of habitual sin. John has already told us in 1 John 1:8+ If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. In 1 John 1:8, the grammar indicates John is speaking about occasional acts of sin. The grammar of 1 John 3:6 indicates that John is speaking of a settled, continued lifestyle of sin. John is not teaching here the possibility of sinless perfection. "The present tense in the Greek verb implied habit, continuity, unbroken sequence" (Stott); the NIV has the right idea when it translates these verbs with phrases such as keeps on sinning, continues to sin, and he cannot go on sinning. John's message is plain and consistent with the rest of the Scriptures. It tells us that a life style of habitual sin is inconsistent with a life of abiding in Jesus Christ. A true Christian can only be temporarily in a life style of sin. Paul's teaching in Romans 6:1-23+ is a great example of this principle. He shows us that when a person comes to Jesus, when his sins are forgiven and God's grace is extended to him, he is radically changed - the old man is dead, and the new man lives. So it is utterly incompatible for a new creation in Christ to be comfortable in habitual sin; such a place can only be temporary for the Christian. In some ways, the question is not "Do you sin or not?" We each sin. The question is, "How do you react when you sin? Do you give into the pattern of sin, and let it dominate your lifestyle? Or do you humbly confess your sin, and do battle against it with the power Jesus can give?" This is why it is so grieving to see Christians make excuses for their sin, and not humbly confess them. Unless the sin is dealt with squarely, it will contribute to a pattern of sin that may soon become their lifestyle - perhaps a secret lifestyle, but a lifestyle nonetheless. What is important is that we never sign a "peace treaty" with sin. We never wink at its presence or excuse it by saying, "Everybody has his own sinful areas, and this is mine. Jesus understands." This completely goes against everything we are in Jesus, and the work He has done in our life.(1 John 3 Commentary) Daniel Akin - 1Jn 3:6 logically and necessarily flows from 1Jn 3:5. Because there is no sin in Jesus, no one who abides in Him keeps on sinning. In fact, if one does continue in a pattern or practice of sin, another logical and necessary conclusion must be drawn: "everyone who sins [keeps on sinning] has not seen Him or known Him" in a personal, saving relationship. John's theology is flawless. If the sinless Son of God appeared in history to take away sin, how is it possible to abide in Him and sin at the same time? The answer is, you can't. It is impossible. Some have understood 1Jn 3:6 and 1Jn 3:9 to affirm sinless perfection in this life. This, however, would contradict what John said in 1Jn 1:8, 10+. No, the use of the present tense verb in 1Jn 3:6 and 1Jn 3:9 help us see what John is saying. Because of the new birth, we have a new nature. Because Christ has taken away our sins, we have a new liberty and freedom (Ed: cp Jas 1:25+). Sin no longer dominates us or enslaves us (Ed: Ro 6:11-14+). Sin is no longer the character and conduct of my life. Because I now abide in Christ and in the power of His person and work in the Gospel, I may fall into sin, but I will not walk in sin. Sin will not be my habit; it will not be my normal practice. I no longer love sin; I hate sin. I no longer delight in sin; I despise sin. In my union with Christ, which is another way of saying abiding in Christ, I have experienced a definite and decisive break with sin. It no longer rules me. Christ does! A life of living in sin and living in the Savior is an oxymoron. It does not make sense. It is spiritually absurd. (See Exalting Jesus in 1,2,3 John) (Bolding added) Holman NKJV Study Bible - John was aware that Christians sin (1Jn 2:1+). They can receive forgiveness through Jesus' death (1Jn 1:7+) as they confess their sins (1Jn 1:9+). In condemning whoever sins, John had in mind flagrant sin by false "believers" whose confession of Jesus was feigned (1Jn 2:23+), whose love was set on the world rather than God (1Jn 2:15+), and whose obedience was lacking (1Jn 2:4+). Jesus Himself warned about people who called Him "Lord" and did great things in His name, but ultimately were not genuine disciples (Mt. 7:21-23+). Sins (hamartano) in the present tense means continually misses the mark, living a lifestyle which is contrary to the will and law of God. I like the ESV translation as "keeps on sinning." Those who do habitually sin have neither seen him nor known him. They are not genuine Christians. ESV study Bible (borrow) - To confess the Son and to have the Father (1Jn 2:23) profoundly alters daily living… True followers of Christ do not recklessly and habitually violate what their anointing (1Jn 2:20, 1Jn 2:27) has planted within them (see 1Jn 3:9–10). Those who do habitually sin have neither seen him nor known him. They are not genuine Christians. A T Robertson (well known expert in Greek Grammar) on the two uses of sin - Linear present (linear menōn, keeps on abiding) active indicative of hamartanō, "does not keep on sinning." Present (linear) active articular participle like menōn above, "the one who keeps on sinning" (lives a life of sin, not mere occasional acts of sin as hamartēsas, aorist active participle, would mean). Peter taught a similar truth writing "Therefore, since Christ has suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same purpose (cp 1Pe 2:21+), because he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin (not speaking of so-called "sinless perfection," but of a general lifestyle dominated by sin), so as to live the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for the lusts of men, but for the will of God." (1Peter 4:1-2+) As Ryrie says "The thought is this: Christ suffered in the flesh. He is your example. So, arm yourselves by taking the same view of suffering as Christ took, which is to accept it in the will of God. Thereby the dominion of sin is broken in practical experience." Nelson NKJV Study Bible - if we claim to be a Christian but sin is our way of life, our status as children of God can legitimately be questioned. Matthew

1 João 3:11

Guzik - The basic Christian message has not changed. Perhaps some have thought that because Christians talk about a “personal relationship with Jesus Christ” that it is only us and Jesus who matter. But how we treat others - how we love one another - really matters before God. John

1 João 3:14

Guzik - A love for the people of God is a basic sign of being born again. If this love is not evident in our lives, our salvation can be questioned. If it is present, it gives us assurance… This speaks to our pursuit of fellowship. If we love the brethren, we will want to be with them - and even if we have been battered and bruised by unloving brethren, there will still be something in us drawing us back to fellowship with the brethren we love. John

1 João 3:15

Guzik - To live in the practice of murder – or to have a life style of the habitual hatred of our brethren – is a demonstration that we do not have eternal life abiding in us, that we are not born again. There are many people for whom being a Christian is a “none of the above” sort of thing. They consider themselves Christians because they are not Moslems, or Jewish, or Buddhists, or atheists. But being a Christian is never a “none of the above” kind of thing.. Being a Christian is more than saying, “I am a Christian.” There are in fact some who claim to be Christians who are not. How can we know if we are one of these? John’s reply has been constant and simple. There are three tests to measure the proof of a genuine Christian: the truth test, the love test, and the moral test. If we believe in what the Bible teaches as true, if we show the love of Jesus to others, and if our conduct has been changed and is becoming more like Jesus, then our claim to be a Christian can be proven true. New Bible Commentary - This does not mean that a murderer cannot repent and find forgiveness. It means that no-one in whom is the attitude that brings murder is the possessor of eternal life. The two are mutually exclusive. (Borrow New Bible commentary page 1404) John

1 João 3:15

Guzik - There are many people for whom being a Christian is a “none of the above” sort of thing. They consider themselves Christians because they are not Moslems, or Jewish, or Buddhists, or atheists. But being a Christian is never a “none of the above” kind of thing. Being a Christian is more than saying, “I am a Christian.” There are in fact some who claim to be Christians who are not. How can we know if we are one of these? John’s reply has been constant and simple. There are three tests to measure the proof of a genuine Christian: the truth test, the love test, and the moral test. If we believe in what the Bible teaches as true, if we show the love of Jesus to others, and if our conduct has been changed and is becoming more like Jesus, then our claim to be a Christian can be proven true. Pulpit Commentary - As in 1 John 4:20, St. John passes at once from not loving to hating, treating the two as equivalent. He takes no account of the neutral ground of indifference. He that is not for his brother is against him. Indifference is hate quiescent, there being nothing to excite it. Love is the only security against hate. And as every one who does not love is potentially a hater, so every hater is potentially a murderer. A murderer is a hater who expresses his hatred in the most emphatic way. A hater who does not murder abstains for various reasons from this extreme way of expressing his hate. But the temper of the two men is the same; and it is obvious ( οἴδατε "ye know what needs no evidence") that every murderer is incapable of possessing eternal life. It is the murderous temper, not the act of homicide, that excludes from eternal life. St. John, of course, does not mean that murder is an unpardonable sin; but he shows that hate and death go together, as love and life, and that the two pairs are mutually exclusive. How can life and the desire to extinguish life be compatible? (1 John 3 Commentary) S Lewis Johnson (former professor at Dallas Theological Seminary) says "Christian love is designed to characterize the church. Hatred characterizes the world. The prototype is Cain. It originates in the devil. It issues in murder. The evidence is spiritual death." (Divine Love and Its Inevitable Truth) Andreas Kostenberger - John asserts that the Christian community is the company of those who love one another, echoing the pervasive theme of the gospel’s Farewell Discourse (John 13–17). This love is congruent with eternal life (1 John 3:14; cf. 1Jn 2:25), just as lack of love indicates that a person remains in a state of spiritual death. In fact, hatred is equivalent to spiritual murder, and no murderer will be granted access to God’s presence in heaven (1Jn 3:15).

1 João 3:16

Guzik adds that agape "described a love that loves without changing. It is a self-giving love that gives without demanding or expecting re-payment. It is love so great that it can be given to the unlovable or unappealing. It is love that loves even when it is rejected. Agape love gives and loves because it wants to; it does not demand or expect repayment from the love given - it gives because it loves, it does not love in order to receive… It isn't the death of Jesus in itself that is the ultimate demonstration of love; it is the death of Jesus together with what it does for us that shows the epitome of love (See Denney's description below). James Denney - If I were sitting on the end of the pier on a summer day enjoying the sunshine and the air, and some one came along and jumped into the water and got drowned “to prove his love for me”, I should find it quite unintelligible. I might be much in need of love, but an act in no rational relation to any of my necessities could not prove it. But if I had fallen over the pier and were drowning, and some one sprang into the water, and at the cost of making my peril, or what but for him would be my fate, his own, saved me from death, then I should say, “Greater love hath no man than this.” I should say it intelligibly, because there would be an intelligent relation between the sacrifice which love made and the necessity from which it redeemed. (Death of Christ - Christian Classics Ethereal Library) Steven

1 João 3:16

Guzik - Since we are sent with the same mandate Jesus was sent with, we must demonstrate our love by laying down our lives for the brethren. Jesus' words As the Father sent Me, I also send you (John 20:21) seem to be ringing in John's ears. As

1 João 3:20

Guzik - Condemnation can well up inside us that has nothing to do with our standing before God. It may be the work of the enemy of our souls (who, according to Revelation 12:10 accuses the brethren), or the work of an over-active conscience. At those times, we trust in what God's Word says about our standing, not how we feel about it. We can come confidently to God when we recognize that His grace and mercy are greater than our guilt. --1-3 John page 356 Marvin Vincent on God is greater than our heart - Is this superior greatness to be regarded as related to God’s judgment (Ed: As favored by Calvin, Martyn Lloyd-Jones) or to His compassion (Ed: As favored by most modern commentators)? If to His judgment, the sense is: God who is greater than our heart and knows all things, must not only endorse but emphasize our self-accusation. If our heart condemns us, how much more God, Who is greater than our heart. If greater refers to His compassion, the sense is: when our heart condemns us we shall quiet our hearts with the assurance that we are in the hands of a God who is greater than our heart—Who surpasses man in love and compassion no less than in knowledge. This latter sense better suits the whole drift of the discussion. Spurgeon in this quote (see another Spurgeon quote above) seems to see the judgment side of God's greater knowledge (I seldom argue with him, and so it may be that John's passage conveys both senses - warning to professors, comfort to possessors!) - If you, with your narrow knowledge of right and wrong, — your imperfect understanding of your own motives, — if you find reason to condemn yourself, what must be your position before the bar of the all-seeing, heart-reading God? That little flutter in thy bosom, my friend, that trembling, that uneasiness, what means it? Is not this a forewarning of the sounding of the trumpet of the great assize, when thou wilt have to stand before the Judge of all the earth, and answer for thyself to Him? It is easy to deceive thy fellow-man, but it is impossible to deceive thy God. "Conscience is one drop; the reconciled God is a sea of comfort.” --Martin Luther David Allen writes that "sometimes our conscience may condemn us when we are not guilty of overt sin. We sometimes become keenly aware of our unworthiness before God, especially at times of prayer. Sometimes this unworthiness is satanic in nature. As Luther said, “Sometimes the devil interprets the best things badly and the bad things well, weakens the good things and makes much of the things that are bad. From a little laughter he can make eternal damnation.” Yet God is greater than our conscience and knows everything concerning us, including our deepest motives… When we are living and loving as we ought, even if our oversensitive conscience condemns us, we take comfort in knowing that God is greater than our conscience. Our conscience is not the Supreme Court! There is a higher court: God!" (See 1–3 John: Fellowship in God's Family) Greater (meizon) is the comparative of mégas which means great, more in magnitude, degree or effectiveness, beyond what is usual. Greater (meizon) than our heart (or conscience) - While God in no way winks at or minimizes our failures, He knows us better than we know ourselves. Our heart or consciences "knows" us to a degree, but God's knowing is perfect and infallible. Ultimately believers are clothed in the righteousness of His Son and when God looks at us, He knows we are still positionally in His Son, regardless of our failures and the conviction of our conscience. While we as believers tend to be either to severe or too lenient in our own consciences, God's omniscience trumps our conscience, and is a firm ground for our continued assurance in spite of our failures and foibles. God…knows (ginosko) all things - All means all without exception, all things, all the time! In a word He is omniscient. In the present context, it means He knows our heart and our conscience. So why is that significant to us? In context, if favor that God knows our conscience and is able to comfort us if we have misgivings in our conscience regarding our love of the brethren. Hiebert (POSITIVE INTERPRETATION) explains it this way - The added words “and knows all things” seem to be a note of encouragement; it is better to have the all-knowing God as our judge than our own conscience. “It is the difference between conscience and Omniscience.” While He knows our failures and shortcomings, He also understands our true motives and desires, the innermost yearnings of our heart. His omniscience is also linked to His unchanging love and sympathy; He remembers His saving intentions and purposes for each of us. It is to that perfect knowledge that the conscience-stricken believer, like Peter in John 21:17, can appeal: “Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee.” The fact that He has implanted His love in our hearts assures us that He will not reject or disown us. God’s omniscience is linked with his love and sympathy. God knows every secret in our hearts. A T Robertson James Montgomery Boice (POSITIVE INTERPRETATION) - "Whatever our hearts may say, God knows us better than even we ourselves do and, nevertheless, has acquitted us. Therefore, we should reassure ourselves by His judgment, which alone is trustworthy, and refuse to trust our own." (Borrow The Epistles of John page 124) Simon Kistemaker (POSITIVE INTERPRETATION) - John writes these reassuring words: “God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything.” That is, as Christians we can always go to God, who knows us better than we know ourselves. David testifies to this truth. At the conclusion of one of his psalms, he prays this fervent prayer: Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. [Ps. 139:23–24] Because God is greater than our hearts, He will show us mercy when we come to him; He will comfort us, and reassure us that we are His children. (Epistles of John- Simon J. Kistemaker) Sam Storms (POSITIVE INTERPRETATION) - When our conscience accuses us in this way, to what shall we appeal? John mentions two things. * The first answer was given in the previous context, vv. 11-18. The fact that we have loved in deed and truth and not merely in word. In other words, "there are actual things we can point to not things we have professed or felt or imagined or intended, but things that we have done, and that we know we would never have done but for the love which God has put into our hearts. Of ecstatic emotions, heaven-piercing vision, we may know nothing; but if, in the practice of love in bearing another's burden, in denying ourselves to give to another's need (3:17), we are sure of our ground, hereby we shall tranquilize our self-accusing hearts yea, even in the presence of God" (Law, 282). * The other way of pacifying the condemning and disquieting doubts of our hearts is by our knowledge of God's knowledge of us. Stott (page 150) explains: "Our conscience is by no means infallible; its condemnation may often be unjust. We can, therefore, appeal from our conscience to God who is greater and more knowledgeable. Indeed, he knows all things, including our secret motives and deepest resolves, and it is implied, will be more merciful towards us than our own heart. His omniscience should relieve, not terrify, us". See also 1 Cor. 4:3-5+. To sum up, John appeals to two means by which we may pacify our doubting hearts. We may reassure ourselves of salvation, first, by looking back to the love which we have shown to the brethren; love in deed, however, not in word only. The second means of assurance is an appeal to the omniscience of God, regardless of what one's own doubts and misgivings might be. God knows us far better than we know ourselves. We should reassure ourselves by His judgment, which alone is ultimately trustworthy, and refuse to trust our own. (1 John 3:10b-24) David Legge on God knows all things (POSITIVE INTERPRETATION) - Now if you are conscious in your life of a momentary failure, of a partial transgression - at some time in your Christian experience you have let the Lord down, and you're continually reminded of it, and through it you have a condemnation attitude toward yourself, a bad conscience - does that mean that you no longer love the Lord? Does that mean that you have forfeited His grace, you no longer have a claim upon His name, that He's letting you go and maybe you're not even saved at all? Now listen, here's the answer, this is what John is trying to say: first of all, what you need to do is what we studied in chapter 1 and verse 9, 'If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness'. Because God is greater than even our condemned heart, He not only understands the way we really are in all of our sin that we can't even see with our eyes, but He is able to undertake for our sin, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness… It's not that God minimises or disregards our failures, He knows them better than we know them. Yet the amazing thing is that this God acquits us, even though He does know them. Here's the big question that John is trying to get to: why then should we listen to our condemning heart? If God is greater than our heart, and God knows all about us and what we've done, yet God still undertakes to forgive us our sins, why should we listen to our condemning heart? He, our God, is the just One and the Justifier of those who believe in Jesus. Am I speaking, tonight, to a Christian, and you got a condemning heart, and you're harder on yourself than God is? You hammer yourself constantly, because you've an oversensitive conscience; and you allow the devil to latch onto, perhaps, sins that were legitimate sins, but that Christ has forgiven you for a long, long time ago - but you still have this condemning heart that you won't let go of, and you're harder on yourself than the Almighty is! Oh, you need to hear this tonight: God is greater than your heart. He knows all things! (Confident Christianity) 'With my burden I begin, Lord, remove this load of sin. Let Thy blood for sinners spilt, Set my conscience free from guilt'. --John Newton former slave trader Marvin

1 João 3:21

Guzik - when we are in fellowship with God, and our heart does not condemn us, we know that we can have confidence toward God and our standing with Him. If someone is in true fellowship with God - not deceiving oneself, as mentioned in 1 John 1:6+ - then the assurance that comes to his heart while fellowshipping with God is a precious thing. It is what Paul spoke about in Romans 8:16 - The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God.