We Are Children of God
John begins with one of the most beautiful declarations in the New Testament.
“Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God!” — 1 John 3:1
Our identity as God’s children is entirely the result of His amazing love. John explains why the world often misunderstands believers.
“Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him.” — 1 John 3:1
Then he points to our future hope.
“Beloved, now we are children of God…” — 1 John 3:2
Although we do not yet fully know what our glorified bodies will be like:
“…we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.” — 1 John 3:2
This hope transforms the present.
“And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.” — 1 John 3:3
Looking forward to seeing Christ motivates believers to pursue holiness today.
This reminds us that our greatest identity is not found in our achievements, background, or circumstances, but in being children of God. Knowing that we will one day see Christ face to face encourages us to live lives that increasingly reflect His purity.
Practise Righteousness Because Christ Came to Destroy Sin
John now contrasts the lives of those who belong to Christ with lives characterised by continual sin. He writes:
“Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness.” — 1 John 3:4
He reminds us why Jesus came.
“And you know that He was manifested to take away our sins…” — 1 John 3:5
Because:
“…in Him there is no sin.” — 1 John 3:5
John then says:
“Whoever abides in Him does not sin…” — 1 John 3:6
John is not teaching that believers never commit individual acts of sin. Earlier, in 1 John 1:8–10, he clearly acknowledged that believers still sin and must confess their sins. Here, John speaks of a continual lifestyle characterised by unrepentant sin. Genuine believers cannot comfortably continue living in rebellion because God’s life is at work within them. He writes:
“He who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous.” — 1 John 3:7
Then explains Christ’s victory.
“For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil.” — 1 John 3:8
1 John 3 teaches that salvation changes the direction of our lives. While believers still battle sin, they no longer make peace with it. Christ came not only to forgive sin but also to break its power and enable us to live increasingly righteous lives.
Love One Another Through Sacrificial Action
John now turns again to one of his major themes.
“For this is the message that you heard from the beginning, that we should love one another.” — 1 John 3:11
He contrasts this with Cain.
“Not as Cain who was of the wicked one and murdered his brother.” — 1 John 3:12
Hatred belongs to darkness. Love belongs to God’s family. John writes:
“We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brethren.” — 1 John 3:14
He gives a serious warning.
“Whoever hates his brother is a murderer…” — 1 John 3:15
The greatest example of love is Jesus.
“By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us.” — 1 John 3:16
Therefore:
“…we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.” — 1 John 3:16
John makes love intensely practical.
“But whoever has this world’s goods, and sees his brother in need… how does the love of God abide in him?” — 1 John 3:17
He concludes:
“My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth.” — 1 John 3:18
John encourages us that even when their hearts condemn them:
“God is greater than our heart, and knows all things.” — 1 John 3:20
Finally:
“And whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments…” — 1 John 3:22
God’s central command is:
“…that we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ and love one another…” — 1 John 3:23
This reminds us that true love always takes action. Christ demonstrated love by giving His life for us, and His followers are called to demonstrate that same sacrificial love through practical care, generous service, and genuine concern for others.
Deeper Waters
1 John 3 develops two of the greatest evidences of genuine salvation: holy living and self-sacrificial love. John contrasts the children of God with the children of the devil, not to create fear in true believers, but to provide clarity. Those who have truly been born of God display lives increasingly characterised by righteousness and love because God’s life now dwells within them.
John begins with astonishment:
**”Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us.”**
The word Behold invites careful reflection. John is overwhelmed that sinful human beings should be called:
**”children of God.”**
This relationship is entirely the result of God’s gracious love. Believers are not merely forgiven servants or accepted citizens of God’s Kingdom—they are adopted sons and daughters who belong to His family.
John immediately adds:
**”now we are children of God.”**
Our adoption is not merely future. It is a present reality. Even though believers await the fullness of their glorification, they already possess a new identity through Christ. John then points toward the future.
**”when He is revealed, we shall be like Him.”**
This refers to the believer’s final glorification. It does not mean believers become divine. Rather, they will be completely conformed to Christ’s perfect holiness, free forever from sin and its effects. The reason is:
**”for we shall see Him as He is.”**
Throughout Scripture, seeing God’s glory transforms His people. Here the transformation reaches its complete fulfilment as believers behold the glorified Christ face to face. John then makes an important connection. Future hope produces present holiness.
**”everyone who has this hope… purifies himself.”**
Biblical hope never encourages spiritual laziness. Instead, anticipation of Christ’s return motivates believers to pursue purity today. John next explains the seriousness of sin.
**”sin is lawlessness.”**
Sin is not merely making mistakes or failing to reach personal goals. It is rebellion against God’s righteous authority. Against this dark backdrop, John declares:
**”He was manifested to take away our sins.”**
The incarnation had a definite purpose. Jesus came to remove both the guilt and the power of sin. Because:
**”in Him there is no sin.”**
Only the sinless Son could become the perfect sacrifice for sinners. John then writes:
**”Whoever abides in Him does not sin.”**
This statement must be understood alongside 1 John 1:8–10, where John clearly teaches that believers still commit sins. The grammar here describes ongoing, habitual practice rather than isolated acts. John’s point is that genuine believers cannot remain comfortably settled in continual, unrepentant rebellion because the Holy Spirit is transforming them from within. Likewise:
**”He who practices righteousness is righteous.”**
John consistently emphasises that behaviour reveals spiritual reality. Good works never create salvation. Rather, they reveal the presence of God’s saving work already active within the believer. John then contrasts two spiritual families. Those who continually practise sin demonstrate likeness to:
**”the devil.”**
Those who practise righteousness reveal that they belong to God. The reason Christ appeared was:
**”that He might destroy the works of the devil.”**
At the cross and resurrection, Christ decisively defeated Satan’s kingdom. Although spiritual conflict continues until His return, Satan’s ultimate defeat has already been secured. John again explains why believers cannot continue unchanged.
**”His seed remains in him.”**
God’s life has been implanted within every believer through the new birth. This divine life continually produces transformation, conviction, repentance, and growth in holiness. John then moves naturally into his second great test:
Love.
**”love one another.”**
This command has echoed repeatedly throughout the letter because it lies at the very heart of Christian discipleship. To illustrate the opposite, John points to Cain. Cain’s hatred eventually produced murder. John reveals the deeper spiritual issue. Cain:
**”was of the wicked one.”**
His outward actions exposed the condition of his heart. By contrast:
**”We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brethren.”**
Love becomes one of the clearest evidences of spiritual life. John’s statement:
**”Whoever hates his brother is a murderer.”**
echoes Jesus’ teaching in Matthew 5, where inward hatred is recognised as the root from which outward violence grows. The greatest definition of love appears in verse 16.
**”He laid down His life for us.”**
The cross defines love. Love is not primarily emotion or sentiment. Love willingly sacrifices itself for the good of another. Therefore:
**”we also ought to lay down our lives.”**
While this may include literal martyrdom, it also describes the daily self-denial involved in serving, forgiving, encouraging, and caring for fellow believers. John immediately applies this practically. If someone possesses material resources yet ignores a brother or sister in need:
**”how does the love of God abide in him?”**
Christian love always expresses itself through concrete action. Hence his famous command:
**”not… in word… but in deed and in truth.”**
Love speaks, but it also serves. John then provides comfort for tender consciences. Sometimes believers sincerely struggle with assurance because they remain deeply aware of their own weaknesses. John encourages them:
**”God is greater than our heart.”**
Our feelings are not the final authority. God knows His children completely and faithfully judges according to His perfect knowledge. John concludes by bringing together faith, love, obedience, and assurance. The central command of God is beautifully simple:
**”believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ and love one another.”**
Faith in Christ and love for others always belong together. Neither can exist authentically without the other. The chapter ends by introducing one of the letter’s recurring assurances. Those who keep God’s commandments:
**”abide in Him, and He in him.”**
The Holy Spirit continually assures believers that they truly belong to God. 1 John 3 encourages us to: re.joice in their identity as God’s dearly loved children, – eagerly anticipate Christ’s return and future glorification, – pursue holiness because Christ is holy, – remember that Jesus came to remove both the guilt and power of sin, – reject lifestyles characterised by continual rebellion, – love fellow believers with practical, sacrificial action, – care generously for those in need, – find assurance in God’s greater knowledge when their hearts struggle, – continually believe in Christ and obey His commands, – and rest confidently in the Holy Spirit’s abiding presence.
Ultimately, 1 John 3 points us to Jesus Christ, the beloved Son of the Father who became the perfect sacrifice to take away our sins, destroy the works of the devil, and adopt us into God’s family. He is the flawless model of righteousness, the perfect revelation of sacrificial love, and the One who laid down His life so that we might become children of God. As believers abide in Him, His life transforms them from within, enabling them to pursue holiness, love one another deeply, and eagerly await the glorious day when they shall see Him as He is and be made perfectly like Him.