1 John 3

1 John 3:1

Therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.

The world indeed takes no knowledge of this privilege of ours; neither doth regard or affect us: how should it, when it doth neither know nor love that God whose children we are?

1 John 3:2

Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.

Beloved, even now we have this great honour put upon us, that we are the Sons of God: which is a very happy and wonderful prerogative: but how blessed and glorious we shall be hereafter, we are not capable to conceive: only this we know, which is enough for us, that, when that blessed God and Saviour of ours shall appear, we shall be like him in glory; for we shall then enjoy the perfect and beatifical vision of him, and shall be therein transformed into his likeness.

1 John 3:3

And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.

And every one, that hopes assuredly for this so glorious a condition, cannot but do his utmost endeavour to prepare himself for that happiness, by purging himself from all his sins and corruptions, that he may be, in imitation of that his Saviour, holy and pure.

1 John 3:6

Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not; whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him.

There is a perfect opposition betwixt Christ and sin; and so far as the kingdom of Christ is erected in the heart of any man, so far is he exempted from sin: whosoever, therefore, is a true member of the mystical body of Christ, sinneth not with the whole sway of his will; neither, howsoever he may be transported with infirmity, makes a trade of sinning; and whosoever thus sinneth, hath no interest at all in Christ, neither hath truly believed in him.

1 John 3:7

He that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous.

He, that giveth himself up to God, to work righteousness, and to be conscionably obedient to the will of God in all things, that man is truly righteous in the account of God; even as truly, though not in the same measure as Christ himself (whose righteousness is imputed unto him) is righteous.

1 John 3:8

He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning.

He, that gives himself over to the commission of sin, and makes it his willing practice, that man is not of God, but of the Devil; for it is and hath been the trade of that Wicked Spirit, even from the beginning, ever since his fall, to sin against God, and to draw others into sin and condemnation with him.

1 John 3:9

Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him; and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.

Whosoever is truly regenerate doth not yield himself over to be a vassal of sin, neither doth make a trade of a known evil; for the Spirit of God, whereby he was renewed, is still and ever in him, which cannot but restrain him from a willing abdication of himself to live in notoriously wicked courses.

1 John 3:14

We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren.

It is a very sure and irrefragable proof unto us, that we are truly the children of God; and have already as true a right to heaven, as if we were actually possessed of it, and had already passed from death to that spiritual and eternal life; that we do find in our hearts a true and unfeigned love to our Christian brethren.

1 John 3:20

For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things.

For if our own conscience do accuse and condemn us, much more shall God do so; who is the Lord of the Conscience, from whom none of our secret thoughts or inclinations can be hid.