1 See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him. 2 Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. 3 And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure.
4 Everyone who makes a practice of sinning also practices lawlessness; sin is lawlessness. 5 You know that he appeared in order to take away sins, and in him there is no sin. 6 No one who abides in him keeps on sinning; no one who keeps on sinning has either seen him or known him. 7 Little children, let no one deceive you. Whoever practices righteousness is righteous, as he is righteous. 8 Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil. 9 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. 10 By this it is evident who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother.
Comment: The blue bit above – There are four main words in Greek for ‘love’. Agape (the word used here), eros/ erotic/sexual love, philia – which is brotherly or friendship love and storge, familial love. God created all these varieties of ‘LOVE’ but when we say that God is LOVE it is agape love, which is selfless, unconditional, and divine love, a choice of the will to seek the well-being of others. And the world does not have this sort of love because they have not responded to God’s love as expressed in Jn 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”
The yellow bit from above is about us knowing what children are going to be ultimately like! But we are given the assurance that when the end comes we all be like our Elder Brother Jesus. We know that He was/is sinless/pure so we His children by Grace, His siblings should use Him as our template of behaviour! My wife and I have 4 Caucasian sons and 2 adopted Ethiopian sons. The white ones were often described as ‘peas in a pod’ – they all love Jesus but certainly they are not ‘peas in a pod’. The two most like each other have different skin colours!
The red bit is more extensive and is basically about SIN. A subject which the masses like to practice but avoid discussing. How do you define ‘a practice of sinning’? No one is perfect apart from the fact that Jesus was! Sin involves a lack of desire and commitment to becoming righteous; It involves a failure of commitment to repentance not just sorrow; It involves self-excusing; It involves lack of honesty. Thank God that He wants the best for those who turn to Him, and thank God that He has given, to all who truly believe, the Holy Spirit to abide within us and be our Helper! The Greek word here translated ‘seed’ is ‘sperma’ not ‘sporos‘ from which we get spore and is used for fruit seeds and grain! We are God’s children, born anew or born again! This passage says that the believer ‘has been born of God‘!
The green bit is self-explanatory, providing we understand that God defines ‘righteous’ and not us!
The brown bit only allows for one of two spiritual fathers – God or the devil! And the mark of God’s children is more than moral goodness but God-defined ‘righteousness’. Righteousness is an intrinsic part of God’s perfect character, seen in His justice, faithfulness, and impartiality. ‘Righteousness’ is a glorious word of which the definition is built up as multiple passages of scripture light up its full magnificent reality!
Isaiah 1: 16&17 – Wash yourselves; make yourselves clean; remove the evil of your deeds from before my eyes; cease to do evil, learn to do good; seek justice,
correct oppression; bring justice to the fatherless, plead the widow’s cause.
Prayer: Lord I do believe. Please help me to overcome any tendency to disbelief.
As I read it! 