If we are children of God certain traits or features will be displayed; for if we are born again, and have thus received a new nature and eternal life in Christ, this new nature—for such is the apostle John’s argument—will exhibit itself in a distinct way. In other words, inasmuch as Christ Himself is the eternal life, the life we possess through believing in Him will flow out in the same channels as it did through Him in His sojourn amongst men. A divine nature must always express itself in the same way under the same circumstances, and reveal its likeness, its moral similarity, to Him from whom our new nature has been derived. Hence the apostle throughout his first epistle indicates certain distinguishing marks of God’s children.
Before, however, entering upon these, it should be carefully pointed out that these traits are not given to enable us to discover if we are children. To use the Scriptures in this way would be to mistake the whole object of the Spirit of God, to fill our souls with uncertainty, and to bring ourselves into bondage to a hard and exacting legalism which would soon wither up all the freshness and energy of the Christian life. Such has been the mistake in all ages of formal theology. The consequence is that souls are led to occupation with themselves, their spiritual state and condition, to a continual search after the fruits of the Spirit within themselves, instead of being taken up with Christ, and tracing out and meditating upon His beauties and His perfections—the one essential condition of spiritual growth — and thus to constitute themselves their own judges. There are thousands of God’s children who, thus set off on the wrong track, are kept in doubt and uncertainty all the days of their lives, instead of rejoicing in their privileges and in the enjoyment of the Father’s love, and who even regard fear and doubt to be the signs of meekness and humility. But this is not the way of the Spirit of God. These traits of which we speak are not given for the purpose of self-examination to aid in the discovery whether we are truly regenerate, but they are described that we might know the character and action of that divine nature of which we by grace have been made partakers. Our relationship is regarded as a settled thing, and being settled the Holy Spirit can now lead us out into the knowledge of the manner of life of the children of God.
In proof of this, attention may be directed to this simple word, “Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ, is born of God” (1 John 5:11Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him. (1 John 5:1)). The fact of the new birth is made dependent, not upon whether this or that fruit of the Spirit can be detected in us; but solely and entirely upon this one thing—whether we believe that Jesus is the Christ. How blessedly simple! On the day of Pentecost, Peter proclaimed that God had made that same Jesus, whom the Jews had crucified, both Lord and Christ. The Jesus who was once here on earth is now declared, on divine testimony, to be the Christ of God. He was ever that while on earth, but He is now presented in this character in a new way, as the rejected of man, and as risen out of death, and seated at the right hand of God. Jesus is the Christ, and whoever bows to this testimony, and receives it in his heart as true, is born of God. Instead, therefore, of looking within for proofs of the new birth the attention should be directed to this one simple question, Do I believe that Jesus is the Christ? (See chapter 2 for the further explanation of the means of becoming God’s children.)
The first feature to be adduced is found in chapter 3—“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” (vs. 9; also 1 John 5:1818We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not; but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not. (1 John 5:18)). The difficulty in this statement disappears when the manner of the apostle is observed. He states the truth, as is often observed, in an abstract, and therefore absolute, way; that is, he confines his attention, to the exclusion of all else, to the one thing before his mind. Thus in this scripture he speaks only of what is characteristic of the new nature, which is born of God, without considering the fact that the children of God possess also the old nature, which is so utterly evil that the apostle Paul expresses its character by the term, “the body of sin” (Rom. 6:66Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. (Romans 6:6)). Every believer has these two natures, and John speaks only of that which is divine, and therefore since the old is regarded as done with forever judicially in the cross of Christ, though this be not his subject, he says, “Whosoever is born of God sinneth not.” It is the new nature, and not the old, that marks out our existence before God; and thus in this absolute way he writes, “We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not; but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not” (1 John 5:1818We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not; but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not. (1 John 5:18)). It does not mean therefore that the child of God never falls into sin (for who, alas! could assever that he never sins?), but simply that the character of the new nature is, that it sinneth not. For how indeed could that which is born of God sin? Thus the angel said to Mary, “The Holy Spirit shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God” (Luke 1:3535And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God. (Luke 1:35)). So absolutely—as to the nature derived in the new birth—whosoever is born of God doth not sin.
Nor must it be forgotten that while as a matter of fact we possess also the old nature, and that there is none that sinneth not, there is at the same time, as stated in a former chapter, no necessity for the believer to sin. “My little children,” says John, “these things write I unto you, that ye sin not” (1 John 2:11My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: (1 John 2:1)). For though we carry about with us the old nature, it is our privilege to reckon ourselves “to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Rom. 6:1111Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. (Romans 6:11)). Hence the exhortation of Peter, “Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin; that he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God” (1 Peter 4:1-21Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin; 2That he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God. (1 Peter 4:1‑2)). John’s statement therefore must be in no way qualified, and when through carelessness and want of dependence, being out of the presence of God, we dishonor the name of Christ by falling into sin, we should unsparingly judge ourselves, accepting no lower standard, whatever we are practically, than this, “Whosoever is born of God sinneth not.” Such is the character of the child of God: he may belie it by falling into sin; but sad and humbling as this would be, he does not, on this account, cease to be a child of God. On the other hand, the apostle, while reminding us that there is no necessity for our sinning, points out the gracious provision which God has made for the sins of His children. He says, “If any man sin, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: and He is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the whole world.” Cleansed by the precious blood of Christ, we are cleansed forever from guilt before God; but He has provided a means, through the Advocacy of Christ, of washing our feet from all the defilements we may contract in our walk through this world. First, if we sin, Christ prays to the Father for us; then, in answer to His intercession, the Holy Spirit, sooner or later, applies the Word to our consciences, and this leads to self-judgment and confession; and lastly, on the confession of our sins, God is “faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:99If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9)).
Another mark of God’s children is, that they do, or practice, righteousness. “If ye know,” John writes, “that He is righteous, ye know that every one that doeth” (practiseth) “righteousness is born of Him” (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); see also 1 John 3:7,107Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous. (1 John 3:7)
10In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother. (1 John 3:10)). The child will be like Him of whom he is born. Having the same nature, it will bear the same fruits. But great care must be taken to apprehend what is meant by righteousness. As the apostle Paul teaches, every believer is made God’s righteousness in Christ (2 Cor. 5:2121For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. (2 Corinthians 5:21)); and hence in Christ answers fully all God’s claims according to God’s own holy standard. This gives him a perfect standing before God, so perfect that God can rest in the believer in entire complacency. John in this scripture does not speak of our standing, but of our life down here—the display of the eternal life we have in Christ—and thus the righteousness he speaks of is practical. It follows, moreover, that while it is practical it is righteousness according to God’s thoughts, and not according to ours. Nay, it is expressly connected with Himself—with Himself as displayed in Christ. For it is, “If ye know that He is righteous, ye know every one that practices righteousness”— it shows therefore the same character; the righteousness of the believer, in this sense, being of the same kind and sort as was exhibited in Christ in His walk—“is born of Him.” It is not thus what man calls righteousness, but that which, by the character of its display, plainly speaks of a new nature as its source, and is produced alone by the Holy Spirit.
Let us then ask more particularly wherein this righteousness consists. When our blessed Lord, in His lowly grace, presented Himself to John for baptism, the Baptist forbad Him, saying, “I have need to be baptized of Thee, and comest Thou to Me? And Jesus answering, said unto him, Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfill all righteousness” (Matt. 3:13-1513Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him. 14But John forbad him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me? 15And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he suffered him. (Matthew 3:13‑15)). This answer of our blessed Lord gives us exactly what we seek. Having all His delight in the saints in the earth, and the excellent, He identified Himself with them as God’s chosen ones from amongst His ancient people; and having come to do God’s will, He was with them now subject to every word of God. When therefore the Baptist went forth on his mission, and cried, “Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand,” preaching the baptism of repentance, that word became binding on the heart and conscience of every godly Israelite; and inasmuch as Jesus had now taken His place amongst His people, it was binding also on Him, not that He needed to be baptized (far be the thought!), but because in His own love and grace He took this position to glorify God, and to bless His people. He thus teaches us that obedience is the way of righteousness. And there is no other way of practical righteousness; not obedience in order to be saved, but obedience as being the expression of the new life we have received through the new birth in the power of the Spirit. (See chap. 5:2- 3; 2 John 66And this is love, that we walk after his commandments. This is the commandment, That, as ye have heard from the beginning, ye should walk in it. (2 John 6).) What indeed are the commandments which are given to us? They are but the display of the nature of God, just, for example, as all the precepts of the epistles are but the expression of features in the life of our blessed Lord. If therefore we have a new nature, and Christ Himself as our life, all the activities of this nature and life must flow out in divine channels, and the commandments and precepts of the New Testament are these divine channels. This cannot be too much urged; for though it be true that God saves us absolutely on the ground of His own grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, He does look for practical righteousness in the walk and ways of His children. For this end He has given us His word, to be “a lamp unto our feet, and a light unto our path,” and when we are guided by it, in subjection to it, when our lives are ordered by it, righteousness will never be wanting. We read in Revelation 19 that it was granted to the Lamb’s wife “that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white,” and this fine linen, we are told, is the “righteousness of saints” (vs. 8). This is the full display, in all its totality and completeness, of the righteousness of every individual child of God which was wrought out in this scene in obedience to the Word. Wherever there are the new nature and divine life in the soul, there will be practical righteousness, but the measure of it will be determined by our obedience to the word of God.
Loving our brethren is also a trait of the children of God. “In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness, is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother. For this is the message that ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another.... We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren” (1 John 3:10-1410In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother. 11For this is the message that ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another. 12Not as Cain, who was of that wicked one, and slew his brother. And wherefore slew he him? Because his own works were evil, and his brother's righteous. 13Marvel not, my brethren, if the world hate you. 14We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death. (1 John 3:10‑14)). And again, “Every one that loveth Him that begat, loveth him also that is begotten of Him” (1 John 5:11Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him. (1 John 5:1)). Once more, “Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth, is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not, knoweth not God; for God is love” (1 John 4:7- 87Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. 8He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. (1 John 4:7‑8)). In this last sentence the divine secret is contained—“God is love.” This is His essential nature, His holiness being expressed by that other word, “God is light.” If therefore we possess this nature through being born of Him, love must characterize us, and will have for its objects all the objects of the heart of God. It must again be observed that love is not in this aspect pointed out as a responsibility. Love cannot be produced in this way. No; it is shown as a necessity of the divine nature, and therefore a necessity for the child of God. We must love if we are God’s children, because it is the character of the new nature we have thus received.
And be it again observed that not a single child of God, wherever he may be found, whatever his associations, or whatever his spiritual condition, can be excepted. All who are begotten of God must be the objects of our divine affections. There can be no limitation of the circle. God includes the whole of His family, and so must we. This plainly asserted, the question as to the manner of the love cannot be evaded. It is this question which has ever been the occasion of much bitter controversy in the Church of God. Some have contended, because of this truth, that love must be shown to every child of God, while others have felt constrained to separate themselves from, and to have no intercourse with, many of God’s people, because of their associations and walk. It is important therefore that the truth of this question should be clearly ascertained. This may readily be done by a reference to the Word itself. Now the moment the apostle has written that “every one that loveth Him that begat, loveth him also that is begotten of Him,” he adds, “By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep His commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments.” It is clear from this scripture, in combination with the preceding verse, first, that not one of the children of God must be excepted from our love; but, secondly, that our love, divine love, love in the spirit, must only be expressed in the way of obedience.
This may be illustrated from other scriptures. The apostle Paul writes, “Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel” (complaint) “against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye” (Col. 3:1313Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. (Colossians 3:13)). The Lord says, “Take heed to yourselves: If thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him; and if he repent, forgive him. And if he trespass against thee seven times in a day, and seven times in a day turn again to thee, saying, I repent; thou shalt forgive him” (Luke 17:3-43Take heed to yourselves: If thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him; and if he repent, forgive him. 4And if he trespass against thee seven times in a day, and seven times in a day turn again to thee, saying, I repent; thou shalt forgive him. (Luke 17:3‑4)). From the first of these passages we learn that we must always cherish a spirit of forgiveness, that whenever we have a complaint against anyone we must in our hearts hold him as forgiven; and from the second we gather when the forgiveness is to be expressed; namely, on the confession of the sin on the part of the one against whom our complaint lies. So with respect to love. Nothing will justify our ceasing to love our brethren; but the love can only be exhibited in the channel of obedience to the word of God. If therefore a saint of God is living in manifest disobedience, I dare not associate myself with him in his disobedience, or I should falsify the whole principle of love as here laid down for our guidance and instruction.
The truth is, that in this, as in all other things, we are to be the representatives of God. Now God Himself does not, as before seen, manifest His love to those associated with evil (2 Cor. 6), or to those who love the world (1 John 2); and our Lord says, “If a man love Me, he will keep My word” (not words): “and My Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him” (John 14:2323Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. (John 14:23)); that is, the expression of the Father’s love, and the Father and the Son making their abode with the soul, are made dependent upon the believer’s walk. We are to act in like manner. Not that we are to constitute ourselves judges of our brethren. By no means. But individually we have to maintain a good conscience before God, and thus we cannot link ourselves with that which would cause us to act in disregard of the word of God, or bring us into association with disobedience. We must nevertheless cherish hearts as large as that of God Himself; but the outflow of our affection must be regulated by His will as laid down in His word. And when the ways or the associations of a believer are of that character that we cannot join hands with him, our love will ever find an outlet in prayer for him, and it may be, if the opportunity be vouchsafed, in tender entreaty or solemn admonition. Let no one suppose that we advocate the narrowing of the heart; for we insist to the full that if we love Him that begat, we must love him that is begotten of Him; but together with this we plead that true divine love can only be shown in divine ways. It belongs to the new nature we have received to love; but it must always be insisted that divine love is a holy love, and can therefore only flow out in divine channels.
Love indeed is a necessity of the new nature. Hence John says, “We know we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren.” Then he solemnly adds, “He that loveth not his brother abideth in death,” and, “Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him” (vss. 14-15). Thereon he lays down the standard for love, and that standard is the death of Christ. “Hereby perceive we love, because He laid down His life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren” (vs. 16). He thus brings us face to face with the immeasurable love of Christ, of Him who loved us and gave Himself for us, who gave us “all that love could give,” and as we contemplate this surpassing-knowledge love, he reminds us that nothing short of this is the measure of our responsibility to our brethren. Well might the apostle Paul say, “Owe no man anything, but to love one another,” because love, as thus interpreted, is a debt ever owing and never paid. A debt? We speak after the manner of men; for it is the nature of divine love always to expend itself on its object, and to recognize no bounds or limits in its extent. It delights to serve, and therefore yokes itself to the needs of all the brethren. The apostle indeed follows up his statement of the standard with an illustration; for he warns us that if any one has this world’s good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, that the question may arise whether in such an one the love of God can dwell. No, love is not a sentiment, But a reality, expressed in deed and in truth. In this connection we may well recall the Lord’s own words—“By this shall all men know that ye are My disciples, if ye have love one to another. This is My commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you” (John 13:35; 15:235By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another. (John 13:35)
2Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit. (John 15:2)).
We may call attention to yet another mark of God’s children. “Whatsoever is born of God,” the apostle says, “overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?” The Father and the world are ever in opposition. All that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, is of the world. Born of God, and having the same nature therefore, how could we love that which is in antagonism to the Father? And that antagonism has been demonstrated, and demonstrated in a way which stamps forever its utter enmity and hostility to God; namely, by the rejection and crucifixion of God’s beloved Son. James therefore writes “that friendship with the world is enmity with God.” The two can never be reconciled. But there has been One in this scene who could say, for the comfort of His own, “Be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.” Hence we read indeed here, “This is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith,” for this faith declares that Jesus, whom the world refused, is the Son of God.
Herein lies the secret of victory over the world. For how could the world allure a soul who was living in the power of the faith that Jesus is the Son of God? Nay, with this belief fortifying our hearts, the cross forms an insuperable barrier between the world and ourselves. We have then God’s own thoughts about it, and He charges it with the murder of His beloved Son. As He said to Cain, “Where is Abel thy brother?” so He today asks the world, “Where is My only-begotten Son?” The guilty Jews cried before Pilate, “His blood be on us, and on our children,” and His blood, in this sense, is on the world, and as such is the foundation on which by-and-by judgment without mercy will descend upon it Believers, having a divine nature, holding that Jesus is the Son of God, are waiting for Him from heaven; and while they wait they show that they are not of the world, even as He was not of the world. They overcome it by their faith — faith in Christ, in what He is in Himself, and in what He has done.
It may be quite true that many a believer fails practically to overcome the world. But this is outside of John’s subject. What he shows is, that it belongs to those who are born of God, who believe that Jesus is the Christ, and the Son of God, to overcome it. If they fail therefore, it is because they are not living in the activity of the new nature, or in the exercise of faith through the power of the Holy Spirit. For if, as already explained, we are children of God, and are dominated by the truth that Jesus—the rejected Jesus—is the Son of God, we must be victors over the world. Practically our victory over it will be displayed just in proportion as we take the ground of the apostle, when he says, “God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world.” The cross reveals the character of the world, and the fact that the One they crucified upon it is the Son of God constitutes their utter condemnation. It was thus that the Lord Himself said, in the anticipation of His death, “Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out” (John 12:3131Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out. (John 12:31)). On this is grounded the absolute statement of our scripture—“Whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world.”
“Master, we would no longer be
At home in that which hateth Thee,
But patient in Thy footsteps go,
Thy sorrow as Thy joy to know;
We would—and, oh! confirm the power—
With meekness meet the darkest hour,
By shame, contempt, however tried,
For Thou wast scorned and crucified.”