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DECEMBER 5
1 John 3:1–24
Behold what manner of love the Father
3 has bestowed on us, that we should be
called children of God! Therefore the world 3:16 By this we know love. With this phrase,
does not know us, because it did not know John introduces the standard of love that is
Him. Beloved, now we are children of God; reflected in genuine Christianity. It becomes
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and it has not yet been revealed what we shall the measuring stick for every expression of
love (see v. 18). John presents this characteris-
be, but we know that when He is revealed, we tic of Satan’s children in terms of their lack of
shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He love. Satan’s children are marked by indiffer-
is. And everyone who has this hope in Him ence toward others’ needs. He laid down His
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purifies himself, just as He is pure.
life for us. This expression is unique to John
(John 10:11,15,17,18; 13:37,38; 15:13) and
speaks of divesting oneself of something.
Christian love is self-sacrificing and giving.
Christ’s giving up His life for believers epito-
3:3 purifies himself,just as He is pure. This is mized the true nature of Christian love (John
the key verse to 2:28–3:3. Living in the reality 15:12,13; Phil. 2:5–8; 1 Pet. 2:19–23). we also
of Christ’s return makes a difference in a ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.
Christian’s behavior. Since Christians someday God calls Christians to that same standard of
will be like Him, a desire should grow within love for one another as He had for us.
the Christian to become like Him now. That
was Paul’s passion, expressed in Philippians
3:12–14.That calls for a purifying of sin,in which
we play a part (2 Cor.7:1;1 Tim.5:22;1 Pet.1:22). from death to life, because we love the
brethren. He who does not love his brother
abides in death. Whoever hates his brother is
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Whoever commits sin also commits law- a murderer, and you know that no murderer
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lessness, and sin is lawlessness. And you has eternal life abiding in him.
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know that He was manifested to take away our 16 By this we know love, because He laid
sins, and in Him there is no sin. Whoever down His life for us. And we also ought to lay
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abides in Him does not sin. Whoever sins has down our lives for the brethren. But whoever
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neither seen Him nor known Him. has this world’s goods, and sees his brother in
7 Little children, let no one deceive you. He need, and shuts up his heart from him, how
who practices righteousness is righteous, just does the love of God abide in him?
as He is righteous. He who sins is of the devil, 18 My little children, let us not love in word or
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for the devil has sinned from the beginning. in tongue, but in deed and in truth. And by
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For this purpose the Son of God was manifest- this we know that we are of the truth, and shall
ed, that He might destroy the works of the assure our hearts before Him. For if our heart
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devil. Whoever has been born of God does condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and
not sin, for His seed remains in him; and he knows all things. Beloved, if our heart does
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cannot sin, because he has been born of God. not condemn us, we have confidence toward
In this the children of God and the chil- 22
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dren of the devil are manifest: Whoever does God. And whatever we ask we receive from
not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is Him, because we keep His commandments
he who does not love his brother. For this is and do those things that are pleasing in His
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the message that you heard from the begin- sight. And this is His commandment: that we
ning, that we should love one another, not as should believe on the name of His Son Jesus
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Cain who was of the wicked one and murdered Christ and love one another, as He gave us
his brother. And why did he murder him? commandment.
Because his works were evil and his brother’s 24 Now he who keeps His commandments
righteous. abides in Him, and He in him. And by this we
13 Do not marvel, my brethren, if the world know that He abides in us, by the Spirit whom
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hates you. We know that we have passed He has given us.
DAY 5:What 4 reasons does John give for why believers cannot habitually practice sin
(1 John 3:4–10)?
This passage begins with the phrase “Whoever commits sin”(v.4).“Commits”translates a Greek
verb that conveys the idea of habitual practice.Although genuine Christians have a sin nature (1:8)
and do behave sinfully, their confession of sin (1:9; 2:1) and acceptance of forgiveness prevent sin
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