3:1 love the Father has given to us God demonstrates His love by allowing the community (and all true believers) to be known as His children.

children of God Refers to membership in God’s spiritual family (compare John 1:12).

3:2 has not yet been revealed God’s full plans for a person’s life are unknown, especially in terms of the transformation he will offer believers upon Jesus’ return.

whenever he is revealed we will be like him On the day that Jesus returns, a full transformation of believers will take place, though John admits that no one knows what this will look like.

3:3 purifies himself John is referring to the active role that a Christian plays in the effort to overcome sin, but his statement also points to ultimate reliance on Christ, the Pure One, to accomplish this effort.

3:4 practices lawlessness John seems to be describing those who oppose Christ and the work of His Church—which, in the letter’s context, indicates the secessionists (or antichrists; 1 John 2:18–19) and their followers.

3:5 in him there is no sin Jesus’ sinless nature is what makes it possible for Him to make people right with God (compare Isa 53:9).

3:6 Everyone who resides in him does not sin John likely is stating that those who are in Christ are free from a life of perpetual sin. This suggests that not sinning should be one of the goals of the believer.

3:7 righteous Refers to living by right principles—the values of Jesus, such as caring for the needs of other people (1 John 3:14, 17).

3:8 who practices sin Indicates a person who continues to unrepentantly sin and is openly fine with doing so.

is of the devil A person who sins stands in opposition to God’s plan and thus follows evil plans. The person who continually chooses to sin aligns with the work of the devil, not with Christ’s work (compare note on John 8:44; note on 1 John 2:19). John is not suggesting that the devil possesses people when they sin; rather, he means that opposition to God gives evil room to operate.

Son of God was revealed See 1 John 1:2 and note.

destroy the works of the devil Sin itself is advocated for by the devil because it destroys the relationship between God and humanity. When God became flesh in Jesus, and offered salvation to the world, He removed the stronghold sin had on humanity (compare Rom 6:22; Heb 2:14).

3:9 his seed resides Probably refers to God’s Spirit working in believers.

3:10 are evident John summarizes his argument from chapter two: those whose lives characterized by love and obedience are identified as God’s children and enjoy His fellowship. Those who proclaim a false religion do not have the characteristics that come from a life of love and obedience.

children of the devil People who condone sin are in essence following the devil’s leadership. John seems to be cautioning his audience about the dangers of excusing sin. Doing so makes a person’s life under the jurisdiction of the devil—not God.

3:11 from the beginning This message has always been foundational for faith (see 2:8 and note).

3:12 Cain Refers to the son of Adam and Eve who killed his brother, Abel (Gen 4:1–16).

who was of the evil one Cain’s story shows where sin leads—to works of evil, such as jealousy and murder.

3:13 the world hates you John tells his audience not to be surprised if people dislike and persecute them because of their faith. John’s audience lived in a culture that often opposed the values of Christianity.

3:14 because we love the brothers John once again advocates that a person can measure if they know Jesus—and have truly moved out of the realm of darkness and death, into the realm of light and life—by whether or not they love other Christians.

3:15 who hates his brother is a murderer John applies the example of Cain murdering his biological brother to hatred between siblings in the Lord (other believers). Hatred comes from the same emotional place as murder—a point that Jesus also made (Matt 5:21–24; compare 1 John 3:17).

does not have eternal life The act of murder shows a complete rejection of the living God’s authority over life. A person cannot be hate-filled while being in authentic relationship with Jesus, the authenticator of eternal life.

3:16 lay down our lives The ultimate act of self-sacrifice, which every believer in Jesus should be willing to make (compare note on 2:8). John sees this act as being practiced primarily in everyday acts of compassion.

3:17 observes his brother in need John calls for practical love: meeting the needs of those within the Christian family, and by extension, all people. John may have specifically had other churches in need in mind, like the church in Smyrna (see Rev 2:9 and note).

3:18 Little children See 1 John 2:1 and note.

but in deed and truth John encourages his audience to demonstrate love with authentic actions.

3:19 convince our heart before him Describes a re-centering of the life of the believer on the personhood and values of Jesus—this results in the believer changing their ways to be more like Christ.

3:20 heart condemns us The work of the Holy Spirit at work in the life of a believer reveals where sin is present—both the kind that is obvious and the sin of failing to take action on God’s behalf. When this revealing takes place, a person is prompted to change their habits and can do so by the power of the Holy Spirit’s work within them (v. 24).

God is greater than our heart God can overcome whatever stands between people and Him and is already aware of the issue, which implies that there is no point in holding anything back.

3:22 whatever we ask we receive In terms of their spiritual needs and the provisions required for God’s work, a believer will receive what they need (compare John 16:23–24).

3:23 believe in the name of his Son Belief in Jesus meant acknowledging that the eternal God as Son came in the flesh. This necessitated living by Jesus’ values.

3:24 resides in him Believers desire to remain in relationship with God and stay involved with His work.

by the Spirit The Holy Spirit ensures dialogue and relationship with a believer, and as such is a key to knowing if God is authentically involved in a person’s life (see John 14–16).