1 John 3:8 – “He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil.”
Today’s New Testament One Year Bible reading is full of great teaching. It begins by telling us one of the reasons Jesus came to earth. He came to destroy the works of the devil. This purpose is to be continued through the church today and through those who are called by His name. So go ahead, be destructive today. It’s time that his “works” take a hit.
The chapter goes on to give practical teaching on how to live in this life. There are four statements that John gives that provide a framework for the teaching. Each of the statements begins with “This is how we know” (these statements are in the New International Version). Let’s take a look at each of them.
1. “This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are.” – v.10. The verse continues by saying, “Anyone who does not do what is right is not a child of God; nor is anyone who does not love his brother.” WOW! We can know who the children of God are by their behavior and their relationships. John teaches throughout his epistle how to not be deceived and how to be discerning. There would be people who have a good confession. They may say they are Christians but the proof is in their behavior and in how they treat other people. Good stuff, huh?
2. “This is how we know what love is.” – v. 16. The verse continues, “Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.” Love is embodied in selfless acts and self-sacrifice.
3. “This then is how we know that we belong to the truth.” – v.19. This statement is preceded with, “Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.” The old axiom is true, “Actions speak louder than words.” Truth is not only spoken but it becomes powerful when demonstrated. We must be people who go beyond good intentions and our love must become flesh.
4. “This is how we know that he lives in us.” – v.24. This is simply followed by, “We know it by the Spirit He gave us.” The Spirit He gave us will be active within us. We will feel promptings and restraints. We will desire to do good and to love others. We will do things we normally wouldn’t do on our own and we know it must be God at work through us.
It’s good to know these things, especially in a world of uncertainty. When you walk in this knowledge and understand the greatness of God (v.20) you can have faith and confidence when you pray…and that is vital to our prayers being answered.