你们看,父所赐给我们的是何等的爱,为要使我们被称为“神的儿女”,而我们就是神的儿女[a]。世人之所以不认识我们,是因为不认识父[b] 各位蒙爱的人哪,现在我们是神的儿女,将来会怎样,尚未显明。[c]我们已经知道的是:基督[d]显现的时候,我们就会像他,因为我们将看见他的本相。 每一个对基督[e]怀有这盼望的,都会使自己纯洁,正如基督[f]是纯洁的。

凡是犯罪的,也是行恶[g]的;罪就是恶[h] 你们知道,基督[i]曾经显现,是为了除去罪孽[j];在他里面并没有罪。 凡是住在基督[k]里面的,就不继续犯罪;凡是继续犯罪的,就未曾看到他,也未曾认识他。

孩子们哪,不要让任何人迷惑你们。行义的人是公义的,正如基督[l]是公义的。 继续犯罪的人属于魔鬼,因为魔鬼从起初就一直犯罪。为此,神的儿子显现了,是为了废除魔鬼的作为。 凡是由神所生的,不继续犯罪,因为神的种子住在他里面;他也不能继续犯罪,因为他是由神所生的。 10 从这一点,谁是神的儿女,谁是魔鬼的儿女就清清楚楚了。

爱的命令

凡是不行公义的,就不属于神;不爱自己弟兄的,也不属于神。 11 因为你们从起初所听见的信息是这样的:我们要彼此相爱。 12 不要像该隐,他属于那恶者,杀了自己的弟弟[m]。他为什么杀弟弟呢?因为他自己的行为是恶的,而他弟弟的行为是义的。 13 弟兄们,如果世界恨你们,不要感到惊奇。 14 我们知道,因为我们爱弟兄,我们就已经出死入生了;那不爱弟兄的,就住在死亡中。 15 凡是恨自己弟兄的,就是杀人的,而你们知道:凡是杀人的,就没有永恒的生命住在他里面。

彼此相爱

16 我们从这一点就知道了爱:基督[n]为我们舍弃了自己的生命,我们也应该为弟兄舍弃生命。 17 但如果有人拥有世界的财产,看见自己的弟兄有需要,却封闭情感,那么,属神的爱怎么能住在他里面呢?

18 孩子们哪,让我们不在语言或口头上相爱,而在行为和真理中相爱, 19 从这一点我们就会知道我们属于真理。 20 就算我们的心责备自己,我们在神面前也可以安心,因为神比我们的心更大,并且他知道一切。

21 各位蒙爱的人哪,如果我们的心不责备我们,我们在神面前就可以坦然无惧, 22 这样,凡是我们所求的,就会从他得着;因为我们遵守他的命令,行他看为可喜悦的事。 23 而神的命令是这样的:我们要信他儿子耶稣基督的名,并且照着他所赐给我们的命令彼此相爱。 24 遵守神[o]命令的,就住在神[p]里面,神[q]也住在他里面;而且我们从这一点就知道神[r]住在我们里面,是藉着他所赐给我们的圣灵。

Footnotes

  1. 约翰一书 3:1 有古抄本没有“而我们就是神的儿女”。
  2. 约翰一书 3:1 父——原文直译“他”。
  3. 约翰一书 3:2 有古抄本附“但”。
  4. 约翰一书 3:2 基督——原文直译“他”。
  5. 约翰一书 3:3 基督——原文直译“他”。
  6. 约翰一书 3:3 基督——原文直译“那一位”。
  7. 约翰一书 3:4 恶——原文直译“不法”。
  8. 约翰一书 3:4 恶——原文直译“不法”。
  9. 约翰一书 3:5 基督——原文直译“那一位”。
  10. 约翰一书 3:5 罪孽——有古抄本作“我们的罪孽”。
  11. 约翰一书 3:6 基督——原文直译“他”。
  12. 约翰一书 3:7 基督——原文直译“那一位”。
  13. 约翰一书 3:12 弟弟——原文直译“兄弟”。
  14. 约翰一书 3:16 基督——原文直译“那一位”。
  15. 约翰一书 3:24 神——原文直译“他”。
  16. 约翰一书 3:24 神——原文直译“他”。
  17. 约翰一书 3:24 神——原文直译“他”。
  18. 约翰一书 3:24 神——原文直译“他”。

上帝的儿女

你们看,父上帝何等爱我们,称我们为祂的儿女!我们也实在是祂的儿女,世人之所以不认识我们,是因为他们不认识父上帝。 亲爱的弟兄姊妹,我们现在是上帝的儿女,将来如何还未显明。但我们知道,当主显现的时候,我们必会像祂,因为我们必见到祂的本体。 凡心存这种盼望的人都会自洁,因为主是圣洁的。

犯罪的人都违背上帝的律法,违背上帝的律法就是罪。 你们知道,耶稣降世是为了除掉人的罪,祂自己并没有罪。 住在祂里面的人不会一直犯罪;一直犯罪的人既没见过祂也不认识祂。

孩子们,不要受人迷惑,要知道行义的才是义人,正如主是公义的。 一直犯罪的人是属魔鬼的,因为魔鬼从起初便犯罪,但上帝儿子的显现是为了摧毁魔鬼的工作。 从上帝生的人不会继续犯罪,因为他里面有上帝的生命[a]。他不能犯罪,因为他是从上帝生的。 10 这样,就可以看出谁是上帝的儿女,谁是魔鬼的儿女。凡不按公义行事、不爱弟兄姊妹的,都不是上帝的儿女。

彼此相爱

11 我们应当彼此相爱,这是你们起初听见的信息。 12 不要步该隐的后尘。他属于那恶者,杀害了自己的弟弟。他为什么要杀害自己的弟弟呢?因为他的行为邪恶,而他弟弟秉行公义。

13 弟兄姊妹,世人若恨你们,不要惊奇。 14 我们因爱弟兄姊妹,便知道自己已经出死入生了。不爱弟兄姊妹的,仍然陷在死亡中。 15 恨弟兄姊妹的就是杀人的,你们知道杀人的没有永生。 16 主耶稣为我们舍命,我们由此便知道什么是爱,我们也应当为弟兄姊妹舍命。 17 如果一个丰衣足食的人看见贫穷的弟兄姊妹,却毫无怜悯之心,怎能说他爱上帝呢? 18 所以,孩子们啊,不要单在口头上说爱人,总要以真诚的行动表现出来。

19-20 这样,我们必知道自己属于真理,即使我们心中自责,也可以在上帝面前心安,因为上帝比我们的心大,祂知道一切。

21 亲爱的弟兄姊妹,我们若能凡事问心无愧,就可以在上帝面前坦然无惧。 22 这样,我们无论向上帝祈求什么,都必得到,因为我们遵守祂的命令,做祂喜悦的事。 23 其实上帝的命令是:我们要信祂儿子耶稣基督的名,遵照祂的命令彼此相爱。 24 遵行上帝命令的人就住在上帝里面,上帝也住在他里面。我们借着上帝赐给我们的圣灵知道:祂住在我们里面。

Footnotes

  1. 3:9 上帝的生命”希腊文是“上帝的种子”。

Consider the kind of extravagant love the Father has lavished on us—He calls us children of God! It’s true; we are His beloved children. And in the same way the world didn’t recognize Him, the world does not recognize us either.

When we feel like we are not good enough to be loved by God, we should remember that God’s love is greater than our doubts. We must silence the sounds of condemnation so we can hear the voice of God’s loving assurance and remember that He has selected us to be part of His family.

My loved ones, we have been adopted into God’s family; and we are officially His children now. The full picture of our destiny is not yet clear, but we know this much: when Jesus appears, we will be like Him because we will see Him just as He is. All those who focus their hopes on Him and His coming seek to purify themselves just as He is pure.

Everyone who lives a life of habitual sin is living in moral anarchy. That’s what sin is. You realize that He came to eradicate sins, that there is not the slightest bit of sin in Him. The ones who live in an intimate relationship with Him do not persist in sin, but anyone who persists in sin has not seen and does not know the real Jesus.

Children, don’t let anyone pull one over on you. The one doing the right thing is just imitating Jesus, the Righteous One.

If you are wondering if your faith is authentic, take a look at your life. Are you doing what is right?

The one persisting in sin belongs to the diabolical one, who has been all about sin from the beginning. That is why the Son of God came into our world: to destroy the plague of destruction inflicted on the world by the diabolical one.

Everyone who has been born into God’s family avoids sin as a lifestyle because the genes of God’s children come from God Himself. Therefore, a child of God can’t live a life of persistent sin. 10 So it is not hard to figure out who are the children of God and who are the children of the diabolical one: those who lack right standing and those who don’t show love for one another do not belong to God.

11 The central truth—the one you have heard since the beginning of your faith—is that we must love one another. 12 Please do not act like Cain, who was of the evil one. He brutally murdered his own brother.[a] Why would he do something so despicable? Because his life was devoted to evil and selfishness, and his brother chose to do what is right.

13 Brothers and sisters, don’t be shocked if the corrupt world despises you. 14 We know that we have crossed over from death to real life because we are devoted to true love for our brothers and sisters. Anyone who does not love lives among corpses.

Do you ever wonder if you are just silently sleeping through days, months, and years? There is one indicator of real life: true love for others.

15 Everyone who hates other members of God’s family is a murderer. Does a murderer possess the beautiful life that never ends? No. 16 We know what true love looks like because of Jesus. He gave His life for us, and He calls us to give our lives for our brothers and sisters.

17 If a person owns the kinds of things we need to make it in the world but refuses to share with those in need, is it even possible that God’s love lives in him? 18 My little children, don’t just talk about love as an idea or a theory. Make it your true way of life, and live in the pattern of gracious love.

19-20 There is a sure way for us to know that we belong to the truth. Even though our inner thoughts may condemn us with storms of guilt and constant reminders of our failures, we can know in our hearts that in His presence God Himself is greater than any accusation. He knows all things. 21 My loved ones, if our hearts cannot condemn us, then we can stand with confidence before God. 22 Whatever we may ask, we receive it from Him because we follow His commands and take the path that pleases Him. 23 His command is clear: believe in the name of His Son, Jesus the Anointed, and love one another as He commanded. 24 The one who follows His teaching and walks this path lives in an intimate relationship with God. How do we know that He lives in us? By the gift of His Spirit.

Footnotes

  1. 3:12 Genesis 4:8