1 John 3:4-10
Summary for 1John 3:4-10: 3:4-10 a This section discusses what it means to live a pure life (3:3 b). Being born into God’s family demands purification; a life of sin—a continual lack of purity—is evidence that someone is not really God’s child. Sin is incompatible with the new nature derived from the new birth. John wants believers to do what is right and thus demonstrate that they are joined to Christ and his righteousness. Those who are children of God do not make a practice of sinning, but this differs from the sort of “sinlessness” that the false teachers claimed (see 1:5-10 c and corresponding study notes).3:6 d continues to live in him (Greek menō): This indicates “abiding” and “remaining” (John 15:1-8 e) in contrast to departing into falsehood. To the extent that we live in continual, dependent fellowship with Christ and in faithfulness to the apostles’ teachings, we will not sin.
• keeps on sinning: This verb denotes sin as an ongoing, repeated action. John was not saying that anyone who sins once does not know God (i.e., has no relationship with God). But if we persist in sin, we demonstrate a lack of relationship with God.
3:8 f destroy: This does not mean “to annihilate” but “to break down” (see Eph 2:14 g), “to undo,” or “to render ineffective.” Christ did not obliterate Satan; he came to undo the works of the devil by freeing people from sin and its awful consequences.
Summary for 1John 3:9-10: 3:9-10 h To live righteously means to live in a right relationship with God. (This is in contrast to the false teachers, who held that life in the spirit could not be contaminated by any behavior in a physical body.) This does not mean that we live perfect lives (1:8 i), but that we keep ourselves in a good relationship with God (1:9 j).
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