1
See how great a love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. For this reason the world does not know us, because it did not know Him.

2
Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be; but we know that when Christ is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.

3
And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.

4
Everyone who commits sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness.

5
And you know that He was revealed to take away our sins, and in Him there is no sin.

6
Whoever abides in Him does not sin. Whoever sins has neither seen Him nor known Him.

7
Little children, let no one deceive you. He who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous.

8
He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was revealed, that He might destroy the works of the devil.

9
Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God.

10
In this the children of God and the children of the devil are manifest: Whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is he who does not love his brother.

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

12
not as Cain, who was of the wicked one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his works were evil and his brother’s righteous.

13
Do not marvel, my brethren, if the world hates you.

14
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.

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

16
By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.

17
But whoever has this world’s goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him?

18
My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth.

19
And by this we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before Him.

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

21
Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence toward God.

22
And whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight.

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And this is His commandment: that we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ and love one another, as He gave us commandment.

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Now he who keeps His commandments abides in Him, and He in him. And by this we know that He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us.

📖 1 John 3 – Living as Children of God

🧾 Summary of the Passage

John explains that those who believe in Christ are children of God. Therefore, they no longer live in sin, but in love and truth. The mark of one who is born of God is loving fellow believers and turning away from evil.

📘 Explanation of the Passage

Section	Verses	Brief Content
True children of God	1–3	We are children of God! The world does not know us because it does not know God. Whoever has this hope will purify himself.
Whoever is born of God does not keep on sinning	4–10	Sin comes from the evil one. The one born of God does not live in sin because God’s seed remains in him.
Love as the mark of God’s children	11–18	We must love one another, unlike Cain. Love is not only words, but real action, including giving to those in need.
Confidence before God	19–24	Our hearts are at peace because we keep His commandments and believe in the name of Jesus. Whoever abides in love abides in God.

🔥 Key Points

Identity: We are children of God
The world does not know us because it does not know the Father (v. 1).
Hope for sanctification
Whoever hopes in Christ will seek to live a holy life (v. 3).
Sin cannot be the lifestyle of a believer
Sin is a violation of God’s law. The one born of God does not keep on sinning (vv. 4–9).
The mark of God’s child = living in love, not hatred
As Jesus loves, we too must show love in action (vv. 10–18).
When the heart condemns, the Lord is greater than our heart
Confidence in God remains firm even when the heart sometimes feels unworthy (vv. 19–20).

📖 Key Verses

“See how great a love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are!”
— 1 John 3:1

“My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth.”
— 1 John 3:18

💡 Spiritual Meaning

Being a child of God is not merely a spiritual status—it is an identity that calls for real life change. A child of God cannot keep living in sin or hatred. Real love, not empty words, is the evidence of new birth.