Continuing in 1 John chapter 3, the teaching reviews the distinctions between a Christian who is loving and one who is not, then reads the passage from 3:7 through the end of the chapter. Little children, let no man deceive you. The one doing righteousness is righteous, even as He is righteous. The one doing sin is of the devil, for the devil sins from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil. Whoever is born of God does not do sin, for His seed is abiding in him and he is not able to sin because he is born of God. In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil. Whoever is not doing righteousness is not of God, neither he who is not loving his brother. For this is the message that you heard from the beginning, that we should love one another, not as Cain, who was of that wicked one and slew his brother. And wherefore slew he him? Because his own works were evil, and his brother’s righteous. Marvel not, my brethren, if the world hates you. We know that we have passed from death to life because we love the brethren. He who is not loving his brother is abiding in death. Whoever hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him. Hereby we perceive the love of God, because He laid down His life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. But whoever has this world’s goods and sees his brother have need and shuts up his bowels of compassion from him, how does the love of God abide in him? My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth. And by this we know that we are of the truth and shall assure our hearts before Him. For if our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart and knows all things. Beloved, if our heart condemns us not, then we have confidence toward God. And whatsoever we ask, we receive of Him, because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight. And this is His commandment, that we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ and love one another, as He gave us commandment. And he that keeps His commandments abides in Him, and He in him. And hereby we know that He abides in us, by the Spirit which He has given us.
John is dealing with what a person is currently doing, not whether the person is saved; chapter 1 already clarifies the distinction between past and present tense. Abiding means being at ease in something, related to present-tense salvation. The focus is on what we know and how we know it, and on the effect this knowing has on asking.
Two Greek words for knowing appear. Oida is intellectual knowledge gained by perceiving and putting things together. Gnosko is knowledge gained by experience, from memory of what has already been understood. In 3:14 oida is used: we intellectually know that we have passed from death to life because we love the brethren. This love is the new commandment of John 13:34—love one another as I have loved you—a higher standard than human love is capable of on its own, a self-sacrificial love that puts another’s needs first rather than mere fondness or occasional help. Romans 6:3–7 shows the reality that enables this: as many as were immersed into Christ were immersed into His death, co-buried with Him through the immersion into death so that just as Christ was raised we also should walk in newness of life. The old man was co-crucified so the body of sin might be destroyed and we should no longer serve sin. We have eternal life and can manifest resurrection life because the Father has imputed it; therefore we can live differently. In 3:15 oida appears again: you intellectually know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.
John reminds readers of the kind of love in view (3:16–18): Christ laid down His life; whoever has the goods of physical life (food, shelter, means of living) and sees a brother in need yet shuts up his bowels of compassion—how does the love of God abide in him? Love is not in word or tongue but in deed and truth (illustrated by James’s warning against saying “be warm and filled” while doing nothing). By this we gnosko—know by experience—that we are of the truth and will persuade/assure our hearts before Him. If the heart condemns, God is greater and knows all things.
Galatians 5:1–13 shows the connection: stand fast in the liberty with which Christ has made us free; do not be entangled again with the yoke of bondage. If you seek to be justified by law you are fallen from grace. Through the Spirit we wait for the hope of righteousness by faith. In Christ neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but faith which works through love. The Galatians were hindered from being persuaded by the truth. Called to liberty, do not use it as an occasion to the flesh, but through love serve one another. Christians can live reflecting newness of life by manifesting the fruit of the Spirit, not by law. Love is part of that fruit; the proof is in the pudding—this quality of love cannot be shown unless one is saved and using present-tense salvation by being filled with the Spirit. Even if not done today, the memory of having done it last week (something impossible without the Holy Spirit) gives experiential knowledge that we are of the truth.
1 Peter 1:22–23 adds: having purified your souls by obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned brotherly love (philadelphia), see that you agape one another with a pure heart fervently, being born again not of corruptible seed but of incorruptible, by the word of God which lives and abides forever. The soul is not the enemy—the flesh is—and the unsaved soul can still be positively affected through the Christian life when the spirit is the ringmaster. Earlier, 1 John 2:4–5 already taught that the one who says “I have known Him” and does not keep His commandments is a liar and the truth is not in him; but whoever keeps His word, in him truly is the love of God perfected, and by this we experientially know that we are in Him.
Knowing affects asking. If the heart does not condemn, we have confidence (parrhesia) toward God, and whatever we ask we receive because we keep His commandments and do what is pleasing. The commandment is to believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ and love one another. He who keeps His commandments abides in Him and He in him; by this we experientially know that He abides in us by the Spirit given. Ephesians 3:11–12 speaks of boldness and access with confidence through the faith of Him; we are not out of place in communicating with God. Hebrews 4:15–16: we have a high priest who was tempted in all points yet without sin, so let us come boldly to the throne of grace to obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. Hebrews 10:18–24: where there is forgiveness there is no more offering for sin; having boldness to enter the holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way through the veil (His flesh), and having a high priest, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and hold fast the confession without wavering.
John 14:12–15 places asking between the works believers will do and the command to love and keep commandments: whatever you ask in My name (in His character, not a formula) I will do, that the Father may be glorified. James 1:5–7: if any lack wisdom, let him ask of God who gives liberally; but ask in faith, nothing doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave and will receive nothing. Even something clearly in God’s will must be asked in faith. James 4:1–3 shows the opposite: wars come from lusts; you have not because you ask not, or you ask and receive not because you ask amiss to consume it on your lusts. 1 John 5:14–15 sums it up: this is the confidence we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will He hears us; and if we know He hears us, we know we have the petitions. The Christian life gives feedback—both intellectual and experiential knowledge that we are of the truth—which reassures the heart and produces confidence in asking communication.
