Love of others and obedience to God are central in the remaining verses of 1 John 3. They are presented as proofs of our abiding in Christ.
In verse 11, John recites the second greatest commandment, that we should love each other. Matthew 22:39 He also says “from the beginning.” The commandment to love our neighbors as ourselves goes back to Leviticus 19:18. John also recounts Cain and Abel to demonstrate that Cain should have acted out of love. John makes the argument in verse 12 that love springs out of our righteousness, and hatred springs from evil.
Verses 14 and 15 contain the first “proof.” Our love for others is evidence of our abiding in Christ. Anyone who hates another is abiding in evil.
John helps us understand the definition of love, and specifically, agape, in verse 16. Love is Christ laying down His life for us. This kind of love goes beyond a love for chocolate. Even if we lost our life pursuing chocolate, it would do nothing for the chocolate. On the other hand, a father drowning to save his children who cannot swim in the ocean embodies agape love. The father takes on himself the ultimate price, and the children are able to continue in life, albeit a changed life without their father. In Christ, however, we have both a changed life and Christ.
Verse 17 is very important. It again helps us understand what love is. However, I believe this goes beyond appropriating wealth to help others in need. Even the poor have electrical and plumbing problems, legal and tax woes, and health issues, so this verse, I believe, extends beyond helping someone financially. We should also be ready to help others through our skills and professions. How can we be justified if we only give money but close our heart in the workplace to someone who has a need which our skills or profession can meet?
Verse 18 tracks right along how I believe verse 17 should be applied. Helping someone who has a financial need is certainly contemplated in verse 17, but verse 18 contemplates action and deed. There must be action to our love, and it must move beyond mere words. John is saying that we cannot merely say we love others. Our love must be demonstrated through action. James 2:16, 1 Corinthians 13 We should not have to convince anyone through our words that we love others. They should instead be convinced by our actions.
It follows right along, then, in verses 19-20 that our assurance of salvation comes through or is proved by what we do. We will not embody love or assist others in need if we are not abiding in Christ. It is true that some of the world will act lovingly toward others, and this is where we hear the argument today that “I’m a good person.” I believe what we see in those moments is the Holy Spirit convicting someone as to what they should do. A good example is passing by an elderly person having trouble in a crosswalk. Even a person of the world may stop to help, and John is not saying that no one of the world can be kind. However, our love for others is going to be a way of life for us in Christ, and by that we are assured of our salvation.
Likewise, if our heart (the conscience) does not condemn us, we know that we are in right standing before God. Support for verse 21 can also be found in John 16:8. There, Jesus said that the purpose of the Holy Spirit is to convict the world concerning sin, righteousness, and judgment. Our conscience is in reality the Holy Spirit working in us, pointing out where we have done wrong. If the Holy Spirit has nothing against us, how can we stand condemned before Christ? Thus, the confident heart is one with a clear conscience.
Another proof is answered prayer in verse 22 along with keeping the commandments of Christ. We have confidence before Christ when we obey His commandments and when we have answers to prayer. Once again, there can be coincidences that are not necessarily the result of our prayer, however, John is, I believe, speaking to our practice and our habit. Proverbs 15:29, James 5:16
Verses 23 and 24 are the last proofs in chapter 3 that we are abiding in Christ. Our obedience of God’s commandments is outward evidence that we are abiding in Him and He in us. The commandments of Christ are many, yet John summarizes them all in belief in Christ and loving one another. It is difficult to argue that these two commandments do not encompass what Christ taught. For example, paying our debts and not stealing from others fall under loving our neighbor as yourself, while tithing and fasting are part of belief in Christ. Many of the commandments we have from Christ fall under these two, which is why Jesus said that on the two greatest commandments hang all of the law and the prophets.
Let us be guided first by the principle that we are to love God and believe on Christ before anything else and second by the principle that all of our actions should be filtered through how they please God and how they show love for our neighbor. We do not temper or order our actions to achieve salvation, such as by works, but because we have believed in Christ for our salvation.
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