1 John 3

Notes

Ver. 1. Behold with attention, admiration, gratitude, joy, and praise, what free and transcendent love and mercy the great Jehovah hath bestowed on us in making us, who are in ourselves altogether worthless, mean, vile, and contemptible sinners, his regenerated and adopted sons, heirs of himself and all the blessings of his new kingdom! No wonder the carnal and wicked men of this world do not esteem, love, or own, but hate us who bear his image, since they are ignorant of his nature and will, and do not esteem, approve, nor acknowledge either Father or Son. 2. My dear fellow-Christians, notwithstanding our many natural and sinful infirmities, and our apparently despicable meanness, we are already the sons and heirs of God by regeneration, adoption, and marriage union to his Son; and therefore, though neither worldly men around us, nor even ourselves, can as yet conceive the excellency of our station, or the full glory and happiness that are annexed to it, yet, by faith and by the witness of his Spirit, we certainly know that when Jesus Christ shall appear in his glory to judge the world, we, by the views and influences of his divine and mediatorial glory, then fully revealed, shall be made and appear like him in light, and love, holiness, happiness, and glory. 3. And wherever the true and well-grounded hope of this is, it powerfully influences to aim at, and endeavour through grace to attain, all possible purity in heart and life, in imitation of and conformity to him and his superlative purity and holiness. 4. But whoever wilfully lives in any known sin, not only rebels against the light, grace, and obligations of the gospel, but manifestly violates the moral law, which is holy, just, and good; for the strict and proper notion of sin is a deviation from or contrariety in disposition, thought, word, or deed, to the law of God, that unchangeable rule of righteousness which is a transcript of his holy nature and will. 5. And nothing can be more evident than that the allowed practice of any sin is inconsistent with a good hope of being glorified together with Christ at his second coming, since the whole gospel shows that the end of his first appearance in the flesh was, that, by his sacrifice of himself, he might deliver us from the guilt, power, pollution, and inbeing of our sins; and his perfect holiness caused all sacrifice for himself to be needless, and renders it impossible for him to have fellowship with wilful sinners. 6. Such therefore as abide in him by vital union and gracious fellowship cannot sin deliberately, habitually, presumptuously, and wilfully. And if any professor sin in this manner, he has not then any spiritual knowledge of or faith in Christ, nor any experimental and saving fellowship with him. 7. Let therefore no false teacher impose upon you, my dear children. Fix it in your minds, as a certain and important truth, that it is only they who, from principles of faith and love, conscientiously and habitually work righteousness in all their dealings with God or men, that are sustained, as faithfully and actively righteous before God, in conformity to Jesus, who loved and constantly fulfilled all righteousness. 8. Whoever deliberately, habitually, presumptuously, and wilfully works iniquity, under the influence of his inward corruptions, is a child and obedient subject of the devil, who, from the very beginning of time, has constantly persisted in sinning himself, and in tempting his fellow-angels and mankind to sin, to their everlasting ruin. Now, this is so contrary to everything said, done, or countenanced by Christ, that he, the eternal Son of God, came into this world as sent by his Father, that, by his doctrine, obedience, and sufferings, he might counteract the devil, and deliver men from that sin and misery which he had introduced. 9. Whosoever therefore is, by faith and the power of the Holy Ghost, made partaker of a divine nature, is no longer a wilful and habitual worker of iniquity, like the devil and his children; for that divine principle of grace which was infused into him in his regeneration will by its divine power tend to rule and govern him, that he can no more love and live in sin, or sin with deliberation and full consent of his will, as he was wont to do, or continue impenitent in the sins into which he had been surprised by temptation; because, being a child of God, and born of the Spirit, he has received an indwelling habit or principle of grace that wills and works in direct opposition to all sin. 10. By these habitual inclinations and exercises, either in opposition to or in favour of sin, are the children of God and those of the devil plainly distinguished, and openly discovered and known to be such; for let men's pretences be what they will, if they do not love and habitually live in the practice of religion and morality, and have not a sincere and cordial affection for their Christian brethren, it is impossible they can be the regenerated or adopted children of God. 11. For both our Lord himself and his apostles and servants have all along urged that, if we profess to be his followers, we should dearly love one another, and labour to promote one another's real advantage. 12. Not imitating Cain, that first-born of our fallen parents and notorious child of the devil, who, under the malignant influence of that infernal father, cruelly murdered his brother Abel, for no other reason but because his works were better in themselves, and more respected by God, than his own abominable actions. 13. Never therefore marvel at it, as a new and strange thing, if wicked men, those children of the devil, should hate you, as Cain did Abel, there being an established enmity between the seed of the woman and of the old serpent. 14, 15. And never let us be uneasy under the hatred of the world, since God loveth us; and since our sincere and cordial love to all that bear his image is a manifest proof that we are translated from a state of condemnation to a state of justification and adoption to eternal life, and are quickened from a death in sin to a life of righteousness and holiness; whereas they who do not love the saints, as beloved by and belonging to Christ, and bearing his image, are still in a state of condemnation and spiritual death. Nay, he that, instead of cultivating this Christian temper towards his brother, indulges wrath, malice, envy, and revenge, is, in God's reckoning, a murderer; and such a one the Word of God represents as having no principle of spiritual life abiding in him, or any title to or meetness for eternal life.—16. Since, then, the eternal Son of God freely and cheerfully gave himself an offering and sacrifice to God, to make atonement for our sins and secure our eternal salvation, we have a marvellous evidence of the truth and greatness of his love towards us, with which we ought to be so deeply affected and influenced as to stand ready to expose our very lives for encouraging the faith and hope of his ransomed people, and for the preservation of such as are eminently serviceable in the church. 17. But if, instead of copying Christ's example, we can see our Christian brethren in necessitous circumstances, yet harden our hearts against them, and decline relieving them when God has put it in our power, how can we pretend to have the faith of God's love to us, or any interest in or real love to God abiding in us? 18. Let us not, my brethren, content ourselves with even the strongest expressions of compassion and kindness to our fellow-Christians and neighbours, but let us demonstrate our love in proper acts of beneficence and service, and in offices of substantial friendship, according to our professions: 19. And by the prevalence of this excellent temper and conduct we have sure evidence that God has regenerated us by his Word of truth, and brought us to understand, believe, and live under the government of the true principles of the gospel as sincere Christians, and shall be emboldened to appeal to him for our integrity, whatever censures the world may pass upon us, which will comfortably free us from the stinging reproaches of a self-condemning conscience. 20. For if our conscience, which is the deputy and candle of the Lord, witness against, accuse, and condemn us of allowed hypocrisy in our professions of love, or of adherence to the truths of the gospel, what an awful sentence may we expect from God, who is infinitely more great and just, and better acquainted with our whole conduct! 21. But if our conscience, upon due deliberation, under the enlightening and witnessing of the Holy Ghost, according to the truths of the gospel, acquit us from all charges of reigning or allowed guile, we may, in proportion to our consciousness of this, have humble boldness in our claim of God as our God and Father, in our professions of love to him and his people, and in appeals to him concerning our integrity, and a holy freedom, courage, and liberty of soul in our fiducial pleadings with him. 22. And our unfeigned respect to all his commandments, and endeavours always to do what is acceptable in his sight by Jesus Christ, are an evidence that we have such interest in his favour as that we shall receive, in due time, whatever blessings we sincerely and humbly pray for, according to his will, with faith in Christ, and for right ends.—23. And this is the great commandment of God which is fundamental to and comprehensive of all the rest, that we should heartily receive and rest upon Christ alone for salvation, as he is offered unto us in the gospel; and, influenced by this faith, should love all his people as his members, in obedience to his commandments. 24. All they therefore who conscientiously keep his commandments, from a principle of faith working by love, manifest that they live in a state of vital union to and gracious fellowship with Christ and his Father, and have these divine persons dwelling in them by faith; and we who stand in this near and happy relation to Christ and his Father are assured that he lives with abiding influence in us, by the light, energy, and witness of his Holy Spirit, which he has freely given us, to produce, excite, and assist in the exercise of faith, love, and every other grace, in our souls.

Ver. 9. Doth not commit sin—cannot sin. 'Cannot be guilty of deliberate and habitual vice' (Pyle). 'Is no longer a wilful and habitual worker of iniquity—can no more love and live in sin, or sin with deliberation and full consent of his will' (Brown). 'A strong disinclination to sin' (Doddridge). In presence of these high authorities, the following view is suggested with great diffidence, but a conviction of its truth requires that it be stated: When the apostle affirms of the child of God that 'he cannot sin,' this disposition depends upon his new birth and the abiding seed of truth, Ja. 1. 18; 1 Pe. 1. 23—whence it is evident that it is the transformed and renewed man, Ro. 12. 2, the 'law of the mind,' Ro. 7. 2, 'the divine nature,' 2 Pe. 1. 4, the principle of love, Ro. 13. 10, that 'sinneth not,' and 'cannot sin;' while yet in the same man the 'law of the members' is still striving for the mastery, and compelling him to a perpetual warfare; and 'the deeds of the body' are, in the same man, still to be 'mortified,' 'through the spirit,' that 'the new man' may live unto God, Ro. 7. 18-25; 8. 1-13. See Brown's note, ch. 5. 4. C.

Ver. 15. Is a murderer in principle, even as a seed is really a plant though yet undeveloped. C.

Ver. 22. We keep his commandments—in consent of the understanding, Ro. 7. 16; in purpose of the will, Ro. 7. 15, 18, 19, 21; and in delight of the inner man of the heart, Ro. 7. 22; and fully and perfectly by believing in Christ our living Head, ver. 23, 24, 'who is made unto us righteousness,' 1 Co. 1. 30; and in whom believers 'are righteous, even as he is righteous,' ver. 7. C.

Reflections.—Astonishing is the love of God in awakening sinful men by the operation of the Holy Spirit. And notwithstanding their mean or contemptible appearance on earth, great shall be their glory and happiness in the last judgment and the eternal state. Evangelical hopes of everlasting happiness powerfully influence to the study of holiness in heart and life, and an inward principle of grace, under the influence of the Holy Ghost, graciously leads to hate and oppose everything sinful—as a rebellion against God, a counteracting of Christ's mediation, and an imitation of and obedience to Satan.—Faith as working by love, and love as influencing to an obedience to all God's commandments, are the principal characteristics of a Christian. And it is not high professions, but true and practical love to our fellow-Christians, and the conscientious regard to all the laws of God, that will evidence us true believers, children of God, and temples of Christ, his Father, and Spirit. But nothing can more effectually prove us the devil's children and servants than neglect of or murderous hatred against our fellow-Christians or neighbours.—There is need, then, of a thorough self-examination on these points. And if we cannot abide the trial of our own consciences, how shall we abide the judgment of a heart-searching God!