Passed from death to life / 1 John Bible Study (Part 8) / Chapter 3

“Whoever is born of God doesn’t commit sin, for the seed of Christ remains in him.” Something happens when we believe. We have a new nature, the nature of Christ. “Whoever is born again – into God’s family – does not commit sin, because this new life, this seed of Jesus now lives in him – and we cannot sin, because we are born of God. V10, “In this the children of God are made manifest – revealed – and so are the children of the devil...” You can see the clear difference: those who are born of God and walk in the Spirit cannot sin, and those that are born of the devil are going to sin! 

V10ff, “Whosever does not do what is right is not of God, neither he that does not love his brother. For this is the message we heard from the beginning, that we should love one another.” Love is of God! But Cain was ‘of the wicked one’, he had the evil of Satan in him and slew his brother. Why? Because Cain recognised that his own works were not accepted by God, but his brother’s were! Cain typifies the sinner, and Able typifies the believer who obeys God and is of Him.

Cain hated Abel. So John writes, V13, “Don’t be surprised my brothers if the world hates you!” It will!

But, v14ff, “We know we have passed from death the life because we love the brethren. Whoever does not love his brother, abides in death. He who hates his brother – this is very strong – is a murderer like Cain, and no murderer has eternal life in him. This is how we know the Love of God, because He laid down His Life for us!” God in Christ laid down His Life for us. God, who is Life, could not physically die, but as Jesus said, “I am in the Father and the Father is in Me.” So when Jesus died, it was in fact as God in the flesh, dying on our behalf. Jesus and the Father are One. John continues, v16, “We ought to lay down our lives for the brethren."