Today, as we reflect on 1 John 3, verses 11-24 in our daily devotional, we are reminded of the call to love deeply and genuinely, not just in words, but through our actions and honesty. John’s message emphasizes three key themes: our identity as children of God, the need to avoid sin, and the importance of loving others in “deed and in truth.” As believers, we are encouraged to examine our lives: Are we living as God’s children, striving for purity? Are we guarding against sin and actively obeying God’s commandments? And most importantly, are we loving those around us with a sincere, active love? These verses challenge us to go beyond words and demonstrate our love through actions, just as Christ has shown love to us. To see what God says about worldly desires, read the daily devotional on 1 John 2.
1 John 3 Commentary by Allen J. Huth
Today, we are in the twenty-four verses of 1 John 3. We are to love, not just with words, but in deed and in truth. Are you loving people in deed and in truth? Please read or listen to 1 John 3.
What Are the Main Points of 1 John 3?
There are three things to focus on in 1 John 3. First, that beginning section on the children of God, and then more emphasis on sin, and finally love in deed and in truth. We begin with some journal entries.
What Does It Mean to Abide in Christ?
In 1999, I read this chapter and divided it into two parts, verses 1-10 and verses 11-24. I summarized the first part as, “We can be children of God, be like Him, as we try to purify ourselves. As we abide in Him, we do not sin but practice righteousness.” The summary of the last part of the chapter was, “Love should be seen in deed and truth. Do things that are pleasing in His sight and keep His commandments. As we keep His commandments, obedience, He abides in us. God requires obedience; a word we don’t like. Help me be obedient, O Lord.”
How Can We Be Called Children of God?
Going back to the thought about being children of God, in 2003 I wrote, “We can be called children of God and such we are. Wow! I sometimes say that I live like a king’s kid. I live beyond my earthly means because I am a child of the King.” What I mean by that is that I am blessed. And you can be, too, and maybe you are because we are children of God. And just like we are good fathers or good mothers to our children, we like to give them good gifts. He likes to give His children good gifts too. So that is why I sometimes think I live like a king’s kid, because as a child of God, I am.
What Is a Sin According to the Bible?
A second area of focus is on sin. I wrote about this in my journal in 2012, “Sin is lawlessness against God’s laws contained in his Word. Anyone who claims to be a Christian and keeps sinning, breaking God’s laws, is not a Christian, according to verses 6, 8, and 9. Also, those who profess to be Christians need to exemplify love. If we don’t, we are not of God.”
What Is the Meaning of Lawlessness?
Verses 4-9 focus on this idea of sin and lawlessness. Lawlessness is basically disobedience to God’s laws. Verses 6 and 8 are pretty profound, “No one who abides in him keeps on sinning; no one who keeps on sinning has either seen him or know him” (v. 6). “Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning” (v. 8).
What Is the Difference Between Practicing Sin and Sinning?
Is there a difference between sin and the practice of sinning? Certainly, we are all caught up in this thing called sin, yet there is also the practice of sin, when we know we are involved in sinful behavior and we keep doing it anyway. Are you caught up in the practice of sin? Is there a sinful habit in your life you know is wrong, but you keep doing it over and over and over? If so, this passage clearly says, “Stop! Stop the practice of sin.”
Did Jesus Come to Destroy the Devil’s Work?
This passage reminds us the reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil, “No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God’s seed abides in him; and he cannot keep on sinning, because he has been born of God” (v. 9).
How Do I Completely Stop Sinning?
In the first three chapters of 1 John, John sure makes a big deal about sin. It is because God makes a big deal about sin. Today’s passage might cause you to ponder whether you are in a practice or habit of sinning; and if so, can you stop?
What Are Some Ways to Love in Deed and Truth?
As much as John talks about sin, he also talks as much about love. In verse 18, he instructs us, “let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.” In what ways do we love with our talk but not very much with our deeds? When someone says, “Pray for me,” do you? Do you give to your church so they can help those who come to them in need?
Here is a practical application in our own lives. We have family members who have been unemployed for years. They are basically alcoholics, and they have not worked. They came to a place where they could not pay their monthly rent. My heart is often in the place of 2 Thessalonians 3:10, “If anyone is not willing to work, let them not eat.” But this time God asked me to act, so we agreed to pay a portion of their rent. Sometimes we need to love, not just in words, but also in deeds.
But my wife Terry and I also decided beyond just the deed of paying money for their rent, we would try to love them also in truth. We invited them to come and stay with us, sometimes for extended periods of time. We tried to invest ourselves in their lives so they could see our love for one another and our love for them. I hope this passage reminds us today that God requires us not just to love in word or talk, but also in deeds and in truth.
How Do You Show Love in a Godly Way?
Who could you express love to today? Has God put someone in your path that needs your example of love? As we close out chapter 3 of 1 John, ponder these things: we are children of God, and we can be thankful and praise the Lord for His goodness to us; if you are caught up in the practice of sinfulness, ask God for the power to stop it today; and lastly, think about someone who you can love, not just in words, but in deed and in truth.
Prayer
Father, we thank You we can be called the children of God. We also thank You for Your goodness to us. We pray, Lord, if we are caught up in some sin, we can confess it to You today. You can forgive us, and we stop it. And Lord, we thank You for Your love. Will You teach me to love better in deed and in truth? In Your name, we pray it. Amen.
