The Word: 1 John 3:11-24

“For this is the message which you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another; not as Cain, who was of the evil one and slew his brother. And for what reason did he slay him? Because his deeds were evil, and his brother’s were righteous. Do not be surprised, brethren, if the world hates you. We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love abides in death. Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer; and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in Him.

We know love by this, that He laid down His life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. But whoever has the world’s goods, and sees his brother in need and closes his heart against him, how does the love of God abide in Him? Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and in truth. We will know by this that we are of the truth, and will assure our heart before Him in whatever our heart condemns us; for God is greater than our hearts and knows all things.

Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God; and whatever we ask we received from Him, because we keep His commandments and do the things that are pleasing in His sight. This is His commandment, that we believe in the name of His Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, just as He commanded us. The one who keeps His commandment abides in Him, and He in him. We know by this that He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us.“

This passage picks up the point at the end of 3:10: “nor the who does not love his brother.” In this previous passage, John detailed the differences between those who are children of God, and those who are children of the Devil (see blog). In 3:11, he will continue the discussion of brotherly love and diverge from the “children of God vs. children of the Devil” dynamic, although remains of that discussion are certainly present in this passage. Before getting into the details, an important point should be brought to the forefront. Since John’s letter is primarily concerned with fellowship (with God and then fellow believers), the command to love “brothers” or “one another” is directed primarily towards love for other Christians. This point is significant because often these commands are blended with the commands to love neighbor and enemies which is not the focus of the passage or the command. Absolutely, Christians are called to love their neighbors, and even enemies, but their primary command to love falls first towards their fellow Christians.

Getting into the passage, John says, “For this is the message you have heard from the beginning[.]” This phrase is often used as a reference to the gospel, but more loosely it refers to the words or message of Jesus during His ministry on earth, which marks “the beginning” of the gospel, or new covenant ministry. John repeats a command that is already familiar in this letter and also in Jesus’ own teaching to His disciples (i.e. John 13:34-35): “that we should love one another” (3:11b). This point is basic to Christianity, and John rightly understands this point and will even highlight later in this letter: “If someone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for the one who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen” (1 John 4:20). This statement is true because of John’s proper understanding of fellowship: God indwells all believers, and so believers will love each other due to the fact that they recognize God’s presence in each other; those who hate believers ultimately hate the God who is in them also.

Continuing on, John illustrates his point with an Old Testament example: “not as Cain, who was of the evil one and slew his brother.” This story comes from Genesis 4, where Cain’s jealousy over God’s acceptance of Abel’s sacrifice produces a hatred for his brother which leads to murder. As John recounts the story here, he explains, “And for what reason did he slay him? Because his deeds were evil, and his brother’s were righteous” (3:12b). Here, the conflict between the children of God and the children of the devil is brought into play from the previous passage, but with new terms: the righteous vs. the wicked (evil). John is saying that Cain’s killing of Abel is the earliest form of this battle between God’s people and the devil’s people. Abel sought to please God which put him into the category of the righteous, whereas Cain gave himself over to sin and fell into wickedness.

Honestly, this illustration seems odd at this point, especially in a command to love brothers. Why would John use this story to make his point? In the context of the letter, we must remember that one of the issues being faced is those who were once in the fellowship of the church and claiming to be Christians have since turned away and abandoned the truth of Christ and fellowship with His people (2:18-24). As other experiences in the New Testament confirm, some of these apostates likely even betrayed the Christians they knew over to the authorities which would lead to persecution, and even death. In this context, the apostates act as Cains who seek to slay the genuine believers (the Abels). John is implicitly making the point that genuine believers do not do this to one another.

Yet, along with this point, he goes on to make this explicit application: “Do not be surprised, brethren, if the world hates you “(3:13). Why should believers not be surprised? First, John’s reference to what they heard “from the beginning” likely means they are already aware of Christ’s exhortation in John 15:18ff. So, in that sense, they were not to be surprised because what they had likely been taught prepared them to expect such hatred. Yet, in this context, the main reason they are not to be surprised is because of the application of Cain’s hatred for Abel. Again, Cain illustrates the children of the devil, those who are wicked, and those of the world; Abel represents the children of God, those who are righteous, and those who are of the Father in heaven (cf. 2:15-17). In short, because Cain hated Abel, believers should not be surprised when the world hates them; the wicked have always hated the righteous essentially since the beginning.

John goes on to say, “We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brethren” (3:14a). The theme of assurance continues in this letter with the expression of certainty (“We know”). The idea of passing from death into life describes the reality of salvation as dead sinners are given new, eternal life through their fellowship with Christ by faith (1 John 1:1-4). Here, John is saying that believers can be certain of their salvation because of their love for other Christians. This is true because as John has demonstrated in the previous verses, if they still belonged to “the world” and were like Cain and the wicked, they would hate Christians. However, their love for other believers demonstrates that the work of salvation has taken place in them. The proper order of salvation and works is maintained in the proper order of cause and effect. John says that believers can know salvation has happened (the cause) because of the love for Christians salvation produces (the effect).

Likewise, the lack of the effect brings the cause into question: “He who does not love abides in death” (3:14b). Those who hate Christians are shown to still be in the category of death – without salvation. Then, verse 15 brings all that John has been saying together: “Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer; and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.” This verse connects the command to love, the illustration of Cain and Abel, and the applications that follow into one clear picture. Those who does not love (in this context, their brothers – fellow Christians) is a murderer like Cain and show themselves to be out of fellowship with God without eternal life. This whole discussion demonstrates how serious love for fellow Christians; John demonstrates that such love is an essential element of salvation without which no one should be assured.

Now, in verse 16 John will make his case for this brotherly love from the Gospel – Christ Himself. He sets forth Jesus as the measure by which Christians are to understand their love for each other: “We know love by this, that He laid down His life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.” The ultimate test of Christian love is self-sacrifice. Jesus Himself said, “Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13). Jesus Himself certainly did that for His disciples on the cross, His disciple then and still now. Now, we are commanded to do the same for one another. Instead of being like apostates who stab Christians in the back and leave them for dead, genuine Christians should strive to give their lives for one another, literally if the situation arises!

Yet, as John continues, the application of Christ’s love does not stop merely at dying for one another. In a sense, as extreme as dying for someone else sounds, it’s easy to say since many people may not actually face such a situation. So, John applies this position to a circumstance that is more personal: “But whoever has the world’s goods, and sees his brother in need and closes his heart against him, how does the love of God abide in him?” (3:17) John says that those who have been blessed by God to have means in this life and see a fellow Christian in need and refuse to help essentially leave that person for dead. Hatred is not just murdering someone; hatred also entails refusing to help when God has provided the means to help and has called us to do so. Love is not simply being willing to die, but is also refusing to leave our brothers for dead when they are in need. Even this kind of “hate,” this kind of lack of love, John says, proves that such a person does not know God nor understand the heart of God. The question: “How does the love of God abide in him?” Is rhetorical – The answer is “It doesn’t.”

Therefore, John concludes his point by commanding, “Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and in truth” (3:18). Love is ultimately not just about words or sentimental thoughts, but action (“in deed”). In addition, love is not a subjective concept but has an objective standard (“in truth”). By this kind of love, the love displayed in Christ Himself (3:16), believers can have assurance that they “are of the truth, and will assure our heart before Him in whatever our heart condemns us” (3:19-20a). The concept of “condemnation” is newly introduced here, and John does not get specific with what this condemnation is, but in the context of the letter reveals that his point is tied to his consistent theme assurance. The condemnation, then, is the believer’s tendency to wrestle with assurance, likely because they do find themselves falling short of God’s commands. As John noted in 1:8-10, the mark of the true believer is not sinlessness, but rather ongoing confession and repentance of sin.

So, John is assuring believers that their Christ-like love for each other, which is a fruit that only the Spirit can produce and the result of fellowship with God, is a foundation for assurance despite times of sin, doubts, self-condemnation, etc. There are times where we are discouraged, unassured, or doubting within ourselves (“our hearts”), but these accusations our hearts produce do not provide the definitive judgment. John says, “for God is greater than our heart and knows all things” (3:20b). Our salvation is not based on the whims of our hearts, but on the will of God. John reminds believers that even in our weakest moments as believers, God knows what is true about us. The truth that “God…know all things,” is a word of comfort that God knows what is true of us (i.e. that we are His children) despite our lack of assurance at times. In other words, whether someone is a child of God is not based on whether they feel like they are, but rather on the apparent work of the Spirit of God in that person’s life which prove them to be born of God despite their feelings at any given moment!

Continuing on, John encourages: “Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God” (3:21). On the flip side of the self-condemnation believers face at times, there is the reality of confidence. Those who are not overtaken by bouts of self-condemnation and doubt will be able to walk confidently in their faith, assured that they are God’s child and pleasing to Him. The result of such confident faith is “whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do the things that are pleasing to Him” (3:22). The Bible elsewhere says, “But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But he must ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind” (James 1:5-6). In both passages, the point is that doubt, or self-condemnation, hinders our fellowship with God and restrains us from trusting His goodness toward us.

Thus, John (and James) encourages us to seek confidence in God so that our fellowship and prayers not be hindered with God. He describes how when God looks at us as His children, He sees us as obedient children who are pleasing to Him. Like a father with his child, God looks down on us and smiles because we are His, and He has great love for us, and in His love desires to give us all that we need! In terms of obedience and keeping God’s commands as His children, John repeats the point he has made many times in the letter. God’s command is two-fold: “that we believe in the name of His Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, just as He commanded us” (3:23). This is basic Christianity, Christianity 101.

From this, John declares, “The one who keeps His commandments abides in Him, and He in him. We know by this that He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us” (3:24). Again, John two-fold foundation of assurance is clear as it is elsewhere in the letter. On one hand, assurance comes from our obedience as God’s children, living as He has called us to live. On the other hand, even this obedience is rooted in a deeper reality: The person and work of the Spirit of God who is present in us! The Spirit’s work in us which produces the fruit of obedience is what grounds our confidence and assurance before God in the face of the world, and even our own hearts.

The Confrontation

1) Love one another like Christ. The most obvious application from this text is the point that John has been making throughout this letter: Love one another. Each point made in this section hinges on this command, with a couple concepts added. Here, John reveals that our love for each other as believers should follow the example of Christ’s love for us; the example of being willing to do and give whatever necessary for the good of another. This act of love is precisely what Christ demonstrated for His people on the cross; we show our understanding of His love primarily by showing the same love to one another!

Additionally, this passage reminds us of the reality that no one can be a Christian and hate other Christians. Remember that all who are in fellowship with God are also in fellowship with each other (1 John 1:1-4), and the recognition of this co-fellowship creates brotherly-love among Christians. At best, those who lack brotherly love for fellow Christians are immature in their faith and do not understand the reality and significance of the fellowship they share; yet, as John reveals, they may also not demonstrate this love because they do not have fellowship with God, and thus do not truly have it with His people.

2) Even Christians wrestle with doubts over assurance. As John has made clear in 1 John 1:8-10, even Christians sin and must walk in confession and repentance for sin. Sometimes, Christians can find themselves struggling greatly with their sins, whether guilt and shame over past sins that are no longer occurring but the ache still lingers, or current sins that may be rearing their wicked heads, or even with falling short in what Jesus has commanded. Whatever the case, genuine Christians may find themselves asking, “Am I genuinely saved? Am I really a Christian?” In these times, we must examine ourselves and ask, “Is there genuine evidence of the Spirit’s work/fruit in my life?” In this passage, John says that the reality of brotherly love for other Christians in our lives is a source of assurance of fellowship with God and salvation. After all, this kind of love can only be the result of fellowship with God, and the new life the Spirit gives. Those who are of the world cannot express this kind of love, since they “hate” Christians. So, if this love is evident in you, along with any other fruit of the Spirit, then let that be the boast of your assurance! These works are not of yourself, but are the work of God unto salvation within you!

3) A confident faith is possible and should be desired. In the previous application, the reality of doubt among Christians was addressed. However, in this application, we must also remember that doubting is not meant to be the constant state of the believer and that as we mature in our faith and obedience to God, our confidence before Him should grow stronger as well. Certainly Christians can walk through difficult valleys in their faith, but those valleys should not be misunderstood to be the normal experience of our fellowship with God. Like the Apostle Paul, even in the hardest times we can know true joy (see Philippians). Even when our circumstances are not the greatest, we can still have an internal confidence that grounds us through the storms. This confidence is something that must be cultivated as we walk with Christ, and should be something we strive for as Christians!