10 In this are manifest the children of God and the children of the devil. Whoever does not practise righteousness is not of God, and he who does not love his brother.
Beloved, do not imitate what is evil, but what is good. He that does good is of God. He that does evil has not seen God.
*We* are of God; he that knows God hears us; he who is not of God does not hear us. From this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error.
and every spirit which does not confess Jesus Christ come in flesh is not of God: and this is that [power] of the antichrist, [of] which ye have heard that it comes, and now it is already in the world. *Ye* are of God, children, and have overcome them, because greater is he that [is] in you than he that [is] in the world.
Ye are of the devil, as [your] father, and ye desire to do the lusts of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and has not stood in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks falsehood, he speaks of what is his own; for he is a liar and its father:
But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing in return, and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be sons of [the] Highest; for *he* is good to the unthankful and wicked.
and the field is the world; and the good seed, these are the sons of the kingdom, but the darnel are the sons of the evil [one];
Children, let no man lead you astray; he that practises righteousness is righteous, even as *he* is righteous. He that practises sin is of the devil; for from [the] beginning the devil sins. To this end the Son of God has been manifested, that he might undo the works of the devil.
If ye know that he is righteous, know that every one who practises righteousness is begotten of him.
Be ye therefore imitators of God, as beloved children,
The Spirit itself bears witness with our spirit, that we are children of God. And if children, heirs also: heirs of God, and Christ's joint heirs; if indeed we suffer with [him], that we may also be glorified with [him].
He that is of God hears the words of God: therefore ye hear [them] not, because ye are not of God.
*We* know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love [his] brother abides in death. Every one that hates his brother is a murderer, and ye know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on 1 John 3
Commentary on 1 John 3 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 3
The apostle here magnifies the love of God in our adoption (v. 1, 2). He thereupon argues for holiness (v. 3), and against sin (v. 4-19). He presses brotherly love (v. 11-18). How to assure our hearts before God (v. 19-22). The precept of faith (v. 23). And the good of obedience (v. 24).
1Jo 3:1-3
The apostle, having shown the dignity of Christ's faithful followers, that they are born of him and thereby nearly allied to God, now here,
1Jo 3:4-10
The apostle, having alleged the believer's obligation to purity from his hope of heaven, and of communion with Christ in glory at the day of his appearance, now proceeds to fill his own mouth and the believer's mind with multiplied arguments against sin, and all communion with the impure unfruitful works of darkness. And so he reasons and argues,
1Jo 3:11-13
The apostle, having intimated that one mark of the devil's children is hatred of the brethren, takes occasion thence,
1Jo 3:14-19
The beloved apostle can scarcely touch upon the mention of sacred love, but he must enlarge upon the enforcement of it, as here he does by divers arguments and incentives thereto; as,
1Jo 3:20-22
The apostle, having intimated that there may be, even among us, such a privilege as an assurance or sound persuasion of heart towards God, proceeds here,
1Jo 3:23-24
The apostle, having mentioned keeping the commandments, and pleasing God, as the qualification of effectual petitioners in and with Heaven, here suitably proceeds,