The Bible — World English Bible

1 John 3

In brief

1 John 3 begins with the Father's love: we are called children of God and will be like Jesus. John draws consequences from this: hope purifies, Jesus came to take away sin and destroy the works of the devil, and the children of God are recognized by righteousness and love for their brother. He calls us to love in deed and in truth, and to reassure our hearts before God, who is greater than we are.

The chapter in 5 parts

  1. v. 1-3See what love: children of God and the hope that purifies
  2. v. 4-10Jesus came to take away sin: righteousness and the children of God
  3. v. 11-15Loving one another, the opposite of Cain
  4. v. 16-18Laying down our lives: loving in deed and in truth
  5. v. 19-24A reassured heart, prayer and abiding in God

1See how great a love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God! For this cause the world doesn’t know us, because it didn’t know him.

2Beloved, now we are children of God. It is not yet revealed what we will be; but we know that when he is revealed, we will be like him; for we will see him just as he is.

3Everyone who has this hope set on him purifies himself, even as he is pure.

4Everyone who sins also commits lawlessness. Sin is lawlessness.

5You know that he was revealed to take away our sins, and no sin is in him.

6Whoever remains in him doesn’t sin. Whoever sins hasn’t seen him and doesn’t know him.

7Little children, let no one lead you astray. He who does righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous.

8He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. To this end the Son of God was revealed: that he might destroy the works of the devil.

9Whoever is born of God doesn’t commit sin, because his seed remains in him, and he can’t sin, because he is born of God.

10In this the children of God are revealed, and the children of the devil. Whoever doesn’t do righteousness is not of God, neither is he who doesn’t love his brother.

11For this is the message which you heard from the beginning, that we should love one another;

12unlike Cain, who was of the evil one, and killed his brother. Why did he kill him? Because his deeds were evil, and his brother’s righteous.

13Don’t be surprised, my brothers, if the world hates you.

14We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers. He who doesn’t love his brother remains in death.

15Whoever hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life remaining in him.

16By this we know love, because he laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers.

17But whoever has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, then closes his heart of compassion against him, how does God’s love remain in him?

18My little children, let’s not love in word only, or with the tongue only, but in deed and truth.

19And by this we know that we are of the truth, and persuade our hearts before him,

20because if our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and knows all things.

21Beloved, if our hearts don’t condemn us, we have boldness toward God;

22so whatever we ask, we receive from him, because we keep his commandments and do the things that are pleasing in his sight.

23This is his commandment, that we should believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and love one another, even as he commanded.

24He who keeps his commandments remains in him, and he in him. By this we know that he remains in us, by the Spirit which he gave us.

Key verses

Verse 1
See how great a love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God! For this cause the world doesn’t know us, because it didn’t know him.

The chapter opens with a look at the Father's love: being a child of God is a gift received, not a title earned. John adds “and so we are”, as if to stress the reality of this identity.

Verse 2
Beloved, now we are children of God. It is not yet revealed what we will be; but we know that when he is revealed, we will be like him; for we will see him just as he is.

A promise with two moments: we are already children of God, and one day we will be like Jesus. This verse feeds the hope of Christ's return.

Verse 8
He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. To this end the Son of God was revealed: that he might destroy the works of the devil.

Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil. The verse is often quoted to speak of the cross's victory over evil.

Verse 9
Whoever is born of God doesn’t commit sin, because his seed remains in him, and he can’t sin, because he is born of God.

A difficult verse: whoever is born of God does not commit sin. Many read the verb as a habit and not an isolated act, since John writes elsewhere that if we say we have no sin we deceive ourselves. Christian traditions explain it in different ways.

Verse 20
because if our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and knows all things.

An encouragement for a troubled conscience: if our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart and knows all things. It does not say sin is unimportant, but that God also knows our sincerity.

Bible verses to meditate on

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What the sermons say

Predestined to Be Conformed to Christ (Romans 8:29)Pastor Yao connects Romans 8:29 with 1 John 3:1-2: we are children of God now, and we will be like him. He presents the Christian life as the forming of a likeness to Christ rather than as mere effort.Read the summary →At the Cross, Jesus Disarmed the Powers of EvilMélanie Ehrismann cites 1 John 3:8 while reading Colossians 2:13-15: Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil. She presents the cross as a battlefield where Christ disarmed the powers of evil.Read the summary →Walking in Love: The GPS of the Christian LifePatrick Salafranque reads 1 John 3:16-18 alongside John 3:16: God's love is recognized in the giving of Jesus' life. He draws a call to love our own in concrete ways, in marriage, family and church.Read the summary →Obedience: The Tangible Proof That You Love GodThe preacher draws on 1 John 3:18: loving is not a matter of emotion or fine words, but of actions. He takes Abraham as an example of a faith whose actions match what we think of God.Read the summary →The Symptoms of a False DiscipleThis message cites 1 John 3:8-10 to speak of the two fatherhoods, God's and the devil's. It warns against people who think they are children of God without bearing the fruit.Read the summary →

Frequently asked questions about 1 John 3

What does 1 John 3:9, “he can't sin”, mean?

John says that whoever is born of God does not commit sin, because God's seed remains in him. Many Christians understand that he is speaking of a life that does not settle into sin, not of faultless perfection. Other traditions stress the new nature received. Chapter 1 of the same letter reminds us that we need forgiveness.

What is the main message of 1 John 3?

Being a child of God is a gift of the Father's love, and this identity is lived out in righteousness and in love for our brothers and sisters. Jesus came to take away sin and destroy the works of the devil. True love is proved by actions, not only by words.

What does it mean that God is greater than our heart that condemns us?

John is speaking to those whose conscience accuses them. He does not say to ignore sin, but to remember that God is greater than our accusations and knows all things, including our sincerity. This verse encourages us to draw near to God with confidence.

What is the commandment of 1 John 3:23?

John sums it up in two linked things: believing in the name of Jesus Christ and loving one another. Faith in Jesus and love for our brothers and sisters go together: one does not replace the other.

Articles quoting 1 John 3

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World English Bible translation — public domain.