Catholic Commentary on 1 John 3

"See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!" (1 John 3:1)

Children of God

See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The world does not know us because it did not know him. Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. Everyone who has this hope in him purifies themselves, just as he is pure. Everyone who sins breaks the law; sin is lawlessness. But the one who does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous.

The Catechism cites the declaration that we shall be like him as the confirmation of the theology of theosis: the final state of the blessed is not merely fellowship with God but a likeness to God achieved by the direct vision of God, face to face (CCC 1023). The purity that John commends is the preparation for this vision, the progressive conformity to Christ that makes the face-to-face encounter possible.

Love One Another

We should love one another. Do not be like Cain, who murdered his brother. This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth. This is how we know that we belong to the truth and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence: we love one another, and our hearts condemn us not, for God is greater than our hearts and knows everything.

Living the Word

Brothers and sisters, we are children of God. Not: we are trying to become worthy of that title. Not: we will be children of God if we perform well enough. We are. Now. The love lavished on us is not proportional to our response to it. It is lavished, poured out extravagantly, beyond what could be measured. Receive it today, not as something you will earn, but as what you already are: a child of the Father who lavishes his love.

Prayer

Father, what great love you have lavished on us, that we should be called your children. And that is what we are. Purify us with the hope that we shall one day see Christ as he is and be like him. Let our love be in actions and in truth, not in words alone. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

3
Children of God
1 Behold what manner of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God. And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know Him. 2 Beloved, we are now children of God, and what we will be has not yet been revealed. We know that when Christ appears,* 3:2 Literally when He appears or when it appears we will be like Him, for we will see Him as He is. 3 And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as Christ is pure.† 3:3 Literally just as He is pure
 
4 Everyone who practices sin practices lawlessness as well. Indeed, sin is lawlessness.‡ 3:4 Or is violation of the Law 5 But you know that Christ appeared to take away sins, and in Him there is no sin. 6 No one who remains in Him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has seen Him or known Him.
 
7 Little children,§ 3:7 NA Young children in training let no one deceive you: The one who practices righteousness is righteous, just as Christ is righteous.* 3:7 Literally He is righteous 8 The one who practices sin is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the very start. This is why the Son of God was revealed, to destroy the works of the devil.
 
9 Anyone born of God refuses to practice sin, because God’s seed abides in him; he cannot go on sinning, because he has been born of God. 10 By this the children of God are distinguished from the children of the devil: Anyone who does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is anyone who does not love his brother.
Love One Another
(John 13:31–35; Romans 12:9–13)
 
11 This is the message you have heard from the beginning: We should love one another. 12 Do not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did Cain slay him? Because his own deeds were evil, while those of his brother were righteous. 13 So do not be surprised, brothers, if the world hates you.
 
14 We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love our brothers. The one who does not love remains in death. 15 Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that eternal life does not reside in a murderer.
 
16 By this we know what love is: Jesus laid down His life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. 17 If anyone with earthly possessions sees his brother in need, but withholds his compassion from him, how can the love of God abide in him?
 
18 Little children, let us love not in word and speech, but in action and truth. 19 And by this we will know that we belong to the truth, and will assure our hearts in His presence: 20 Even if our hearts condemn us, God is greater than our hearts, and He knows all things.
 
21 Beloved, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God, 22 and we will receive from Him whatever we ask, because we keep His commandments and do what is pleasing in His sight. 23 And this is His commandment: that we should believe in the name of His Son, Jesus Christ, and we should love one another just as He commanded us. 24 Whoever keeps His commandments remains in God, and God in him. And by this we know that He remains in us: by the Spirit He has given us.

*3:2 3:2 Literally when He appears or when it appears

†3:3 3:3 Literally just as He is pure

‡3:4 3:4 Or is violation of the Law

§3:7 3:7 NA Young children in training

*3:7 3:7 Literally He is righteous

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