| Chapter 3
Chapter Outline
The apostle admires the love of God in making believers his children.(1, 2)
The purifying influence of the hope of seeing Christ, and the danger of pretending to this, and living in sin.(3–10)
Love to the brethren is the character of real Christians.(11–15)
That love described by its actings.(16–21)
The advantage of faith, love, and obedience.(22–24)
Verses 1, 2
Little does the world know of the happiness of the real followers of Christ. Little does the world think that these poor, humble, despised ones, are favourites of God, and will dwell in heaven. Let the followers of Christ be content with hard fare here, since they are in a land of strangers, where their Lord was so badly treated before them. The sons of God must walk by faith, and live by hope. They may well wait in faith, hope, and earnest desire, for the revelation of the Lord Jesus. The sons of God will be known, and be made manifest by likeness to their Head. They shall be transformed into the same image, by their view of him.
Verses 3–10
The sons of God know that their Lord is of purer eyes than to allow any thing unholy and impure to dwell with him. It is the hope of hypocrites, not of the sons of God, that makes allowance for gratifying impure desires and lusts. May we be followers of him as his dear children, thus show our sense of his unspeakable mercy, and express that obedient, grateful, humble mind which becomes us. Sin is the rejecting the Divine law. In him, that is, in Christ, was no sin. All the sinless weaknesses that were consequences of the fall, he took; that is, all those infirmities of mind or body which subject man to suffering, and expose him to temptation. But our moral infirmities, our proneness to sin, he had not. He that abides in Christ, continues not in the practice of sin. Renouncing sin is the great proof of spiritual union with, continuance in, and saving knowledge of the Lord Christ. Beware of self-deceit. He that doeth righteousness is righteous, and to be a follower of Christ, shows an interest by faith in his obedience and sufferings. But a man cannot act like the devil, and at the same time be a disciple of Christ Jesus. Let us not serve or indulge what the Son of God came to destroy. To be born of God is to be inwardly renewed by the power of the Spirit of God. Renewing grace is an abiding principle. Religion is not an art, a matter of dexterity and skill, but a new nature. And the regenerate person cannot sin as he did before he was born of God, and as others do who are not born again. There is that light in his mind, which shows him the evil and malignity of sin. There is that bias upon his heart, which disposes him to loathe and hate sin. There is the spiritual principle that opposes sinful acts. And there is repentance for sin, if committed. It goes against him to sin with forethought. The children of God and the children of the devil have their distinct characters. The seed of the serpent are known by neglect of religion, and by their hating real Christians. He only is righteous before God, as a justified believer, who is taught and disposed to righteousness by the Holy Spirit. In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil. May all professors of the gospel lay these truths to heart, and try themselves by them.
Verses 11–15
We should love the Lord Jesus, value his love, and therefore love all our brethren in Christ. This love is the special fruit of our faith, and a certain sign of our being born again. But none who rightly know the heart of man, can wonder at the contempt and enmity of ungodly people against the children of God. We know that we are passed from death to life: we may know it by the evidences of our faith in Christ, of which love to our brethren is one. It is not zeal for a party in the common religion, or affection for those who are of the same name and sentiments with ourselves. The life of grace in the heart of a regenerate person, is the beginning and first principle of a life of glory, whereof they must be destitute who hate their brother in their hearts.
Verses 16–21
Here is the condescension, the miracle, the mystery of Divine love, that God would redeem the church with his own blood. Surely we should love those whom God has loved, and so loved. The Holy Spirit, grieved at selfishness, will leave the selfish heart without comfort, and full of darkness and terror. By what can it be known that a man has a true sense of the love of Christ for perishing sinners, or that the love of God has been planted in his heart by the Holy Spirit, if the love of the world and its good overcomes the feelings of compassion to a perishing brother? Every instance of this selfishness must weaken the evidences of a man's conversion; when habitual and allowed, it must decide against him. If conscience condemn us in known sin, or the neglect of known duty, God does so too. Let conscience therefore be well-informed, be heard, and diligently attended to.
Verses 22–24
When believers had confidence towards God, through the Spirit of adoption, and by faith in the great High Priest, they might ask what they would of their reconciled Father. They would receive it, if good for them. And as good-will to men was proclaimed from heaven, so good-will to men, particularly to the brethren, must be in the hearts of those who go to God and heaven. He who thus follows Christ, dwells in Him as his ark, refuge, and rest, and in the Father through him. This union between Christ and the souls of believers, is by the Spirit he has given them. A man may believe that God is gracious before he knows it; yet when faith has laid hold on the promises, it sets reason to work. This Spirit of God works a change; in all true Christians it changes from the power of Satan to the power of God. Consider, believer, how it changes thy heart. Dost not thou long for peace with God? Wouldst thou not forego all the world for it? No profit, pleasure, or preferment shall hinder thee from following Christ. This salvation is built upon Divine testimony, even the Spirit of God.
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--【譯】何葉-【校】湑然-【編】何葉 2012年7月24日 (二) 21:36 (CST)
第三章
章節大綱
第1-2節，約翰讚美神使信徒得稱為神的兒女這份偉大的慈愛。
第3-10節，盼望得見基督的就當潔淨自己，而假冒偽善、依然住在罪里的，是危險的。
第11-15節，真基督徒的特徵就是愛弟兄。
第16-21節，要用切實的行為展現出愛。
第22-24節，論信心，真愛並順服的好處。
第1-2節
世人鮮知真正跟隨基督的人其喜其樂。世人鮮知所謂的貧窮、謙卑並低微的人是神的寵兒，並且將會住進天堂。既然身處陌生人的國土，主從前就在這裏遭惡待，那麼基督的跟隨者們就該坦然迎受在此的一切艱難。神的兒女們務要憑信而行，按盼而居，很好地在信心、盼望並真切的渴求里等候主耶穌的再來。神的兒女必將為人所識，並展現出與主耶穌基督相似的形象。他們必要像主，因為必得見主的真體。
第3-10節
神的兒女知道他們的主有着至純的雙眼，容不得半點不潔不淨的與祂同住。假冒偽善之人所希望的是容許奢逸骯髒的念想和情慾，而這斷不為神的兒女所期。願我們像神的愛子愛女一樣跟隨着祂，體現出我們領受了祂那無以言說的憐憫，彰顯出我們已具有的順服、感恩、並謙卑的心。罪是抵擋神的律法的。在神裏面（也就是在基督裏面）是沒有罪的。所有無罪的軟弱——那些墮落的產物，主都擔當了，也就是說，所有那些精神或肉體的不堅定，折磨得人身心皆苦，將人裸露在誘惑中的一切，主都擔當了。然而，主卻絲毫沒有我們在道義上的不堅定，更絕不像我們會輕易犯罪。住在基督里的就不會繼續行惡犯罪。宣佈棄絕罪便是靈的偉大證據，證明了與主基督相交、堅持在主基督里、並存有對主基督的認識。務要警防自欺啊！只有行義的才是義人，是隨從基督的人，透過在順服與遭難中的信心彰顯出好處。人不能行事如魔鬼卻同時又是基督耶穌的門徒吧？我們切莫為神兒子前來要摧毀之物服務或縱情！從神而生就是由神的靈的權柄更新了內里。新生的美善是一份長久的道義。信仰不是一門藝術，無關於機敏和技巧，乃是全新的性情。重生的人不能再像從神而生之前那樣行事，也不能像那些沒有重生的人那樣犯罪。在他腦里有了光，給他揭示罪的敗壞和惡毒；在他心中有了權衡，願意恨惡罪；在他的靈里有了準則，堅決抵擋罪行。即便還是犯了罪，也是可以悔改的。他再不會照先前的觀念犯罪了。神的兒女與魔鬼的兒女，二者的特徵截然不同。從漠視信仰並憎恨真基督徒這些特點就可以辨知蛇的種子。只有在神面前算得上公義的信徒，才得稱為義的信徒，是為聖靈所管教並改造了的。於是乎，是屬神的兒女還是屬魔鬼的兒女就昭然若揭了。願福音的所有教師將這些真理放在心頭，並以此試驗自己是不是出於神的。
第11-15節
我們該愛主耶穌，珍視祂的愛，並因此愛全部基督里的弟兄。這愛是我們信心特別的果，是我們重生的明確標記。不聖潔的人輕慢並敵視神的兒女，明明白白知悉人心的人，沒有會對此感到疑惑的。我們知道我們已經出死入生了：我們可以憑在基督里的信心之據明白，愛我們弟兄的就是一體的。這並非對普通宗教里一次聚會的熱忱，也不是對跟我們自己同家族同觀點人的喜愛。在重生之人心裏，美善的生命是榮耀的生命最起初最首要的準則，在他們中間必然沒有心裏恨弟兄的。
第16-21節
神竟然用自己的寶血贖罪教會，這是屈尊、是神跡、是神愛的奧秘。我們無可置疑地該愛那些神所愛之人，而且也該如此被愛。為利己主義憂傷的聖靈，將會離棄沒有慰藉、藏滿暗昧和歹毒的私心。基督竟愛該死的罪人，如何能得知一個人真的對此領悟了呢？或者，如果對塵世及其利益的愛戀超越了憐憫饑寒交迫的弟兄的感情，如何能得知神的愛已經由聖靈種植進了他的內心呢？如此自私自利的例子必然會削弱人洗心革面的證據；自私自利一旦成為習慣被放縱，那麼必然對人造成轄制。如果我們的良心譴責我們的罪過或譴責我們不守本分，神也必這樣譴責。因此，我們的良心務要廣有識見、側耳傾聽，並孜孜以求。
第22-24節
藉着靈的收養，因着信靠偉大的神，信徒若在神面前坦然無懼，便可以向和好的父尋求一切可以尋求的。若所求的是對他們有益的，他們就能得到。誠如對人的善意是從天上宣告而下，所以對人的好意，尤其是對弟兄的好意，就必須存在於那些去到神和天國的人心裏。凡這樣跟隨基督的，就住在基督里，宛如自己的搖籃、庇護和倚靠，並藉着主也住進了父裏面。這種基督與信徒之間靈魂的相交，是藉着祂賜給他們的靈實現的。人能夠相信在他認識神之前神就是和藹可親的。當信心在應許上鋪墊了持守，也就設立着生效的理由。神的靈產生着一個改變，將所有真基督徒從撒旦的權勢下改投到神的權柄中。信徒啊，請想想吧，它是怎樣改變你內心的呢？難道你不渴望與神同在的平安嗎？難道你不願為了這份平安而放棄整個世界嗎？任何利益、快感或偏愛都無法阻撓你對基督的跟隨。這份救恩乃根基於神賜下的確據，甚至神的靈之上啊！
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