Verse 1. “Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew Him not.” — “O righteous Father, the world hath not known Thee.” “Now have they both seen and hated both Me and My Father.” “I have given them Thy word, and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.” Unknown and hated, they share the portion of the blessed One! To be in favor with God implies enmity from the world; many shrink before its frown or seek its applause. Some have so learned Christ and been taught by Him as the truth is in Jesus, as to say with Paul, “God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world.” The shame it meant for Christ, Paul flings back upon the world which put Him there. For himself henceforth, it is but a crucified rejected thing, he on his side crucified to it, but it is with Christ. The cross on which He died, the only thing on earth in which he gloried — this is overcoming, not loving, the world — nearest of all in the conflict to Him who said, “I have overcome the world.”
In Christ Jesus, he tells us, nothing availed but new creation, as, in this epistle, the life manifested in Christ, now in the saints, is everything. There the starting-point was the cross, and new creation the rule of walk. What had become of the world and its sanctuary, its elements and beggarly principles, and the hand-writing of ordinances? They had all been inseparably united, component parts of the old creation system, and subsisted or fell together. The cross was the condemnation and setting aside of the whole system; the law was weak because of the flesh, the flesh was enmity against God, the ordinances were for this very flesh — the law made nothing perfect. Paul would not have his own righteousness, which was by it. The sanctuary was a worldly one, but the worshipers are now not of the world, but in conflict with the lords of this darkness.
Paul views the world in its relation to the cross, but John sees it in its opposition to the Father. All that is in it “is not of the Father, but is of the world,” and itself “lieth in the wicked one.” We see what the world is as a moral system, it does not know the Father, how then can it know His children? Our blessings and glories proceed not from it; the world hates, but the Father loves us. Now are we His children, Jesus is coming, and then we shall be like Him, see Him as He now is with the Father, in the glory He had with the Father before the world was. He asked the Father for this, not for the glory of the kingdom; we shall be with the Son of Man in that also. But to be like Him as He is with the Father in the day for which we wait is another thought. What a now and then for the saints! How blessed and wonderful these His ways toward us! But such is our spiritual state that they rarely, if ever, reach the heart save through the conscience. The light of these precious revelations brings to view hidden things, which have to be judged in the conscience, and, put away, ere the heart can take up in communion with God the truths and hopes with which He would feed it.
Verse 3. “And every one that hath this hope in Him purifies himself even as He is pure.” What a standard! perfect as the “Life.” The moral glory of the eternal life that was with the Father, shining through and in the midst of this darkness, we have looked upon with the eye of faith; the properly divine and heavenly glory with the Father which eye hath not seen, we wait to see, and to behold it in the Man once humbled. here, and to be ourselves conformed to His image in that day! The grace, bringing salvation, that was manifested at His first appearing, is a spring of holiness to those led by the Spirit, as is also the grace of the glory that awaits us at His second appearing. In the interval between the two, another motive power is ministered to our souls: in looking on the glory of the Lord with unveiled face, we are changed now into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Lord the Spirit — but this is inwardly and morally — when He appears, then we shall be like Him, because of seeing Him as He is. What a now and then we have here!
The grace of God has appeared; what it brought for all we have at least tasted in the knowledge of the goodness of God. What the appearing of the glory of our Savior Jesus Christ will bring, has not yet been manifested, in the hope of it we purify ourselves. He gave Himself for us, that He might purify unto Himself the objects of His love (Eph. 5:25-2725Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; 26That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, 27That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish. (Ephesians 5:25‑27)).
I have just spoken of the spring of holiness realized in contemplating the glory of the Lord with unveiled face, now, while He is with the Father, in the interval between the two appearings. If we speak of the effects of these motives which the Spirit of glory ministers to us, we should not omit that which is amongst the greatest and sweetest of all, the dawning of the day, and rising of the Morning Star in the hearts which wait for Him, This is the hope of love, as the appearing in glory is the hope of righteousness. The truth of Christian responsibility is taught in connection with the appearing — public manifestation — not with the doctrine of the Morning Star; that is, His coming in special reference to His own peculiar treasure, for which He gave Himself, that He might sanctify it, having purified it by the washing of water by the word, that He might present it to Himself a glorious church. Holy, glorious, blameless! Such are His thoughts about the church, His bride. To present it to Himself, and then in the Father’s house, was no matter of display and kingdom glory. All that belongs to the day, the rising of the Sun of righteousness. He will indeed have the nations for His inheritance, but He had bought the world itself (the field), for the treasure He found in it. Was she not dearer to Him than all beside? For her He sold all that He had, left the glory, bought the world, gave Himself, sent the Spirit. And for her descends Himself from heaven that He may present her to Himself; though there be others not properly of the bride (the church united to Him by the Holy Ghost), caught up at the same time (1 Thess. 4)
The glorious inheritance is connected with service here, but in that which is immediately before us, the hope of meeting Him in the air, there is nothing to modify the heart’s pure delight. The dawn of day and light of the Morning Star are already in the hearts that are waiting for Him, and never did divine announcement on earth meet with such prompt response as that awakened by these words, “I am the bright and morning star.” The whole heart, the Spirit leading, tells itself out in one sweet word, “Come.” “Come” — from the lips and hearts of men — not that the mountains might flow down, the nations tremble, at His presence, the everlasting doors lift up their heads that the King of glory might come in; not to remove the evil, or bring in the good; but that in His coming the heart might have Himself for its infinite unspeakable gain, fully known and realized in yonder bright regions of joy.
Verse 4. “Every one that practices sin practices lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness.” Here we have a divinely given definition of sin, namely, insubjection to law, a deeper thing than transgression of the law. Insubjection to law is the principle of sin, as enmity against God is the principle of the mind of the flesh, which “is not subject to the law of God,” nor can be. Neither can they who are in the state characterized as flesh please God. But He was manifested to take away our sins, has He not done it? “Who His own self bore our sins in His own body on the tree.” Sin and sins have been dealt with judicially on the cross. Sin in the flesh was there condemned, and we are dead, in His death, unto sin (Rom. 6). “How shall we live any longer therein?” This is faith’s way of looking at it — being God’s way of viewing His saints in grace, the work of Christ for sin being accomplished. But there is another thought here; in Him there is no sin, and He has become our life, and that life does not sin. In 1 John 2:2929If ye know that he is righteous, ye know that every one that doeth righteousness is born of him. (1 John 2:29), the principle laid down is that the practice is according to the nature, the divine nature in us considered abstractedly. “If ye know that He is righteous, ye know that every one that doeth righteousness is born of Him.” It is put negatively in 1 John 3:99Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God. (1 John 3:9), cannot sin, because he is begotten of God.
Verse 6. “Whosoever abideth in Him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen Him, neither known Him.” The first part is very clear, and whoever sins has not the life, does not know Him.
Verse 7. Every one who practices righteousness is righteous as He is righteous. It is the same life. (See 1 John 2:2929If ye know that he is righteous, ye know that every one that doeth righteousness is born of him. (1 John 2:29)). There, he who practices righteousness is begotten of God. In verse 10, whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother — for righteousness and love are qualities of the divine nature.
Verse 8. He that practices sin is of the devil — he also practices lawlessness (see vs. 4), but Christ was manifested to take away our sins and undo the works of the devil, who sinned from the beginning. In John 8 the Lord tells them that they were of their father the devil, and that he was a murderer from the beginning, a sinner (murderer and liar) from the beginning. Such is the devil! Thus murder and falsehood characterize the devil and his children from the beginning. To apply the words of 1 John 2:88Again, a new commandment I write unto you, which thing is true in him and in you: because the darkness is past, and the true light now shineth. (1 John 2:8), the thing was true in him and in them — as the nature that cannot sin is in Christ and those that are His. Now the children of God and the children of the devil are manifest; love and righteousness characterize the former, hatred (murder) and unrighteousness the latter. The message which we heard from the beginning was that we should love one another. Cain was of his father the devil, and murdered his brother — certainly had not eternal life dwelling in him.
Verse 13. Do not wonder if the world hates you. In the first verse we are told that the world does not know us, because it knew Him. not. “We have heard,” they said, “out of the law that Christ abideth for ever, and how sayest thou, the Son of Man must be lifted up? Who is this Son of Man?” A Messiah who does not abide, the Son of Man lifted up, was on their side the rejection of the hope of Israel, on God’s side it meant the judgment of the nation, and the setting aside for a time of Jewish hopes, which, like the promises, could only be realized in Christ. That His sufferings must precede His glories was too humbling a doctrine for the proud heart of man, so they hid their faces from and refused to, know Him. It was of no use then to explain the glorious titles — “Messiah,” and “Son of Man.” They were of the darkness, and as darkness is to light, such was their relation morally to Him. He called on them to believe in the light, that they might become sons of light, something far more important than Jewish or earthly hopes connected with the Messiah. They heard indeed, but understood not, saw, but perceived not, they hid their faces from Him, and He departed, and did hide Himself from them. The light shineth in darkness, and the darkness comprehended it not. It is also written, “They hated Me without a cause.” What a privilege to be allowed to share His sufferings; hated and unknown during the little while. “Ye are they who have continued with Me in My temptations,” the Lord says to His disciples, “and I appoint unto you a kingdom.” We may enter into the spirit of these things now. Soon all will be changed, the despisers will wonder and perish, the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father.
Verse 15. Every one that hates his brother is a murderer. The thought of the heart constitutes such an one a murderer before Him who judges the thoughts and intents of the heart. These three things characterize a person who, does not love his brother.
1. “He is not of God, for God is love.”
2. “He abides in death,” the death of nature.
3. “Eternal life does not abide in him,” he is an unconverted person. (See vss. 10, 14, 15).
Cain neither practiced righteousness, nor loved his brother, but took the place of a worshiper, a false one. Of the preciousness of the blood and the sweet savor of the fat, what they mean before God and for man, he was equally ignorant. When he found that his offering was rejected, his countenance fell, he was angry with God, and murdered his brother.
Verse 16. “Hereby we have known love, because He laid down His life for us.” We have seen that hatred [murder] is of the devil, who sinned from the beginning; here we are taught that we know love by this, that He laid down His life for us. The contrast could not be more complete, hatred and love, each traced up to its source.
Verses 19, 20. If our hearts condemn us, the Searcher of hearts knows, better even than we do, that there is something hindering which we may not have found out. What to do in such case every true person will know. “Search me, O God, and know my heart, try me, and know my thoughts: and see if there be any way of pain in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” But if our hearts should not condemn us, who can convey to another the precious results, freedom or boldness with God, the heart unlocked, the tongue loosed; though shut up on every side it may be with men, rejected, misjudged, the sorrows we suffer at the hand of man are quickly forgotten in the joy of communion with Himself. In spirit at home with Him — ah! who can harm us in that blest place? dwelling in the secret, place of the Most High, we abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
This word, “boldness,” in what blessed connection it is ever found! When speaking of the all-various wisdom of God, according to eternal purpose which He purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord, which was to be made known to the angels through the church, the apostle adds, “in whom [Christ] we have boldness and access”; we draw near to the God of this glorious all-various wisdom, according to the boldness we have in Christ. We enter into the holy of holies boldly, through the blood of Jesus, there to worship and adore; and when pressed by the trials of the wilderness, we approach with boldness to the throne of grace. Moreover, it is not only in wilderness trials that this boldness of approach is realized, for this is the boldness we have towards God, that if we ask anything according to His will, He heareth us. “It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man.” “It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in princes.” If it be a question of responsibility, as in the wilderness, we are to hold fast the boldness and the boast of hope firm to the end.
Verse 24 commences a new subject here; the tests from application of the principles of the divine nature, as seen in Christ, end at verse 23. “And he that keepeth His commandments dwelleth in. Him, and He in him. And hereby we know that He abideth in us, by the Spirit which He hath given us.” Our abiding in Him is dependent on the obedience (quality of the divine life) which keeps His commandments, and which is inseparable from the boldness which we have towards Him. He abides in us through the nature communicated, and we know it by the Holy Ghost whom He has given to us.