Skip to content
Scripture Mapping

1 John 3

World English Bible

WEB

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.

World English Bible, 2020 stable text edition. Public domain; “World English Bible” is a trademark of eBible.org. eBible.org

Overview

1 John Chapter 3 emphasizes the profound love that God has for His children, declaring that we are called the children of God. This chapter begins with a powerful reminder of our identity in Christ, stating, "See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God" (#1John3:1). This identity is not just a title; it carries the promise of transformation, as we are assured that when Christ appears, we shall be like Him, for we will see Him as He is. This hope encourages believers to purify themselves, reflecting the holiness of God in their lives. The chapter highlights the importance of living righteously, contrasting the children of God with the children of the devil, emphasizing that those who practice sin are not of God (#1John3:8).

The chapter further discusses the nature of love, stating that love is not merely a feeling but an action demonstrated through sacrifice. The ultimate example of this is Jesus Christ, who laid down His life for us (#1John3:16). As followers of Christ, we are called to love one another in the same way, showing that true love is evidenced by our willingness to help those in need. The chapter concludes with a reassurance that our hearts can be confident before God, knowing that if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence in approaching Him (#1John3:21). This chapter beautifully encapsulates the essence of Christian living—rooted in love, righteousness, and the assurance of our identity as children of God.

Study

14 dimensions

Referenced by

  1. Genesis 44:33v16Judah offers himself as a substitute for Benjamin in Genesis 44:33, which is a precursor to the concept of sacrificial love and substitutionary atonement found in 1 John 3:16, where Christ laid down His life for us.
  2. Deuteronomy 15:7-8v17Deuteronomy 15:7-8 commands generosity towards the poor, which is mirrored in 1 John 3:17, emphasizing the importance of helping those in need as a demonstration of God's love.
  3. Psalms 17:15v2Psalm 17:15 expresses a hope of seeing God's face in righteousness, which aligns with 1 John 3:2's promise that believers will see God as He is when He appears.
  4. Matthew 5:22v15Matthew 5:22 warns against anger leading to judgment, which is echoed in 1 John 3:15, where hatred is equated with murder, emphasizing the seriousness of inner attitudes.
  5. John 13:34v23John 13:34 introduces the new commandment to love one another, which is reiterated in 1 John 3:23 as a central tenet of Christian faith.
  6. John 15:12v23John 15:12 commands believers to love one another as Jesus loved them, which is reiterated in 1 John 3:23 as a commandment to believe in Jesus and love one another.
  7. 1 Corinthians 13:9-10v21 Corinthians 13:9-10 speaks of partial knowledge that will be made complete, which is echoed in 1 John 3:2, where believers are promised full understanding when Christ appears.
  8. 2 Corinthians 7:1v32 Corinthians 7:1 encourages believers to purify themselves from all defilement, which aligns with 1 John 3:3 where believers are called to purify themselves as they hope in Christ.

Topics in this chapter

Related chapters

Your study

Take it with you

This chapter’s study as a Markdown file. The analysis was written for a notebook originally, so the hashtags arrive as hashtags and the passages as links.

Download the analysisDownload it with your notes and highlights