(1) 2 commands:
1. remain in Jesus v.28
(BKC) In accord with his basic theme about fellowship (1 John 1:3), John once more enjoined the “abiding” life.
2. Everyone who practices righteousness has been fathered by Him v.29,
In 3:1-3, John explains further what does "fathered by God" mean.
We will be like Him v.2
Everyone purifies ourselves (right now) v.3
(NET) The phrase "we will be like him, because we will see him just as he is" [mean]...believers really will become more like God than they are now, as a result of seeing him as he really is.
(NET) they need to prepare themselves by living a purified lifestyle now, just as Jesus lived during his earthly life and ministry (cf. 2:6 again). This serves to rebut the opponents’ claims to moral indifference, that what the Christian does in the present life is of no consequence.
In other words, we will be like our Father when Jesus comes back in the future. Not only this is just a hope, but people with that hope will start to focus on changing their lives now to match that hope.
(2) Actually, these 2 commands are related and can be considered as 1 command:
3:6 Everyone who resides in him does not sin; everyone who sins has neither seen him nor known him.
3:9 Everyone who has been fathered by God does not practice sin, because God’s seed resides in him, and thus he is not able to sin, because he has been fathered by God.
When we have fellowship with God or remain in God we do not sin. Same is true when we are fathered by God we do not sin.
When we have fellowship with God or remain in God we do not sin. Same is true when we are fathered by God we do not sin.
(3) The problem of the opponents
let no one deceive you v.7
Everyone who practices sin actually is lawlessness v.4
(NET) here refers to the author’s opponents.
...The ‘law’ for the author is the law of love, as given by Jesus in the new commandment of John 13:34–35. This is the command to love one’s brother, a major theme of 1 John and the one specific sin in the entire letter which the opponents are charged with (3:17). Since the author has already labeled the opponents “antichrists” in 2:18, it may well be that he sees in their iniquitous behavior of withdrawing from the community and refusing to love the brethren a foreshadowing of the apocalyptic iniquity of the end times (cf. 2 Thess 2:3–8). In Matt 24:11–12 Jesus foretold that false prophets would arise in the end times (cf. 1 John 4:1), that lawlessness...would increase, and that “the love of many will grow cold” (which would certainly fit the author’s portrait of the opponents here).
The first coming of Jesus was to take away sin and to destroy the works of the devil. Therefore, everyone who sins has neither seen him nor known him v.6,8
the one who practices sin is of the devil v.8
(NET) It is best to view the distinction between “everyone who practices sin” in 3:4 and “everyone who resides in him” in 3:6 as absolute and sharply in contrast. The author is here making a clear distinction between the opponents, who as moral indifferentists downplay the significance of sin in the life of the Christian, and the readers, who as true Christians recognize the significance of sin because Jesus came to take it away (3:5) and to destroy it as a work of the devil (3:8).
(4) Summary:
The opponents did not only hold a different view of Jesus, but they also held a very different view about sin. To face their challenge John did not just tell them not to get deceived by the opponents, but also gave them 2 commands clearly. To remain in Jesus or to have fellowship with Him. To focus on purifying our lives now to match the hope that one day we will see Jesus and be like Him.
Unlike our opponents, we dare to face the seriousness of sins. We see very seriously about not loving our fellow brothers.
Reflection:
Do we remain in Jesus and have fellowship with Him? Do we focus on the hope that we will see Jesus one day and therefore we need to purify ourselves? Are we deceived by any false teaching that not loving our brothers and sisters is ok? Do we see the seriousness of that sins? Do we reflect our father who practices righteousness?
Lately, when I ask one of the sisters who has not attended church back to our church. I was shocked by her reply that she feels good about her "freedom" of not seeing people that she does not want to see. Please pray for ourselves and for brothers and sisters who hold the same viewpoint.
Audrey
Questions:
1. What is the repeated word in this passage? 顯現, 兒女/像他 v.2
2. Trace the word 顯現
A. v.28 What is the relationship between what you can do now and the future 顯現?
In v.28 Remain in the person that will also appears, and we will see in the future.
Result:
坦然無懼 we may have confidence
Here joyousness, confidence is the result or the accompaniment of faith Ephesians 3:12 我們因信耶穌，就在他裡面放膽無懼，篤信不疑地來到神面前
慚愧 not shrink away from him in shame
not be disappointed in a hope.
B. 3:2-3
v.2將來如何，還未顯明=it seems likely that an eschatological revelation of the true character of believers is in view here.
但我們知道，主若顯現，我們必要像他，因為必得見他的真體=believers will really become more like God than they now are, and will do this through seeing God as he really is
However, we do not just wait for that. Instead, John told us to prepare for that.
What shall we do now to prepare for that day?
3 凡向他有這指望的，就潔淨自己，像他潔淨一樣。
if they have the future hope of entering the Father’s presence (“seeing him as he is” in 3:2), they need to prepare themselves by living a purified lifestyle now, just as Jesus lived during his earthly life and ministry (cf. 2:6 again). This serves to rebut the opponents’ claims to moral indifference, that what the Christian does in the present life is of no consequence.
Application: In other words, we will be like our Father when Jesus comes back in the future. Not only this is just a hope, but people with that hope will start to focus on changing their lives now to match that hope.
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