First John 3
3:1-3
¶ See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we would be called children of God; and such we are. For this reason the world does not know us, because it did not know Him.
Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is.
And everyone who has this hope fixed on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.
{we are to purify ourself, just as Jesus is pure}
3:4-5
¶ Everyone who practices sin also practices lawlessness; and sin is lawlessness. You know that He appeared in order to take away sins; and in Him there is no sin.
{in Jesus there is no sin} {Turn to Christ Jesus, repent of your sins, ask to be forgiven and then walk in love and truth}
3:6
No one who abides in Him sins; no one who sins has seen Him or knows Him.
{No one who abides in Him sins}
3:7
Little children, make sure no one deceives you; the one who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous;
{the one who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous}
3:8-9
the one who practices sin is of the devil; for the devil has sinned from the beginning. The Son of God appeared for this purpose, to destroy the works of the devil.
No one who is born of God practices sin, because His seed abides in him; and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.
{No one who is born of God practices sin} {he GOD cannot sin, because he is born of God}
3:10
By this the children of God and the children of the devil are obvious: anyone who does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor the one who does not love his brother.
{anyone who does not practice righteousness is not of God}, {nor the one who does not love his brother}
{Practicing righteousness and loving other believers (the brethren) are two different things. We need to practice both.}
3:11-12
¶ For this is the message which you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another; not as Cain, who was of the evil one and slew his brother. And for what reason did he slay him? Because his deeds were evil, and his brothers were righteous.
3:13-14
¶ Do not be surprised, brethren, if the world hates you. We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love abides in death.
{He who does not love abides in death}
3:15
Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer; and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.
{Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer} {no murderer has eternal life abiding in him}
3:16
We know love by this, that He laid down His life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.
{we are to lay down our lives for the brethren. As Christ lay down His life for us}
3:17
But whoever has the world’s goods, and sees his brother in need and closes his heart against him, how does the love of God abide in him?
{if we have worldly goods and seeing a brother in need and do not give to him the love of GOD does not abide in us}
3:18
Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deeds and truth.
{we are to Love in Deeds and in truth not in words}
3:19-22
We will know by this that we are of the truth, and will assure our heart before Him in whatever our heart condemns us; for God is greater than our heart and knows all things.
Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God; and whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do the things that are pleasing in His sight.
{by our deeds we will show what we consider to be truth, (ether the word of GOD or the word of man) if we are obeying the word GOD (obey in the way which the Holy Spirit directs us) we will have confidence before GOD that what ever we ask of Him He will receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do the things that are pleasing in His sight.}
3:23-24
¶ This is His commandment, that we believe in the name of His Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, just as He commanded us.
The one who keeps His commandments abides in Him, and He in him. We know by this that He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us.
Matthew
22:37-40
And He said to him, “YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND.’ This is the great and foremost commandment.” The second is like it, “YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF. On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets.”
{loving the Lord your GOD with all your heart, Soul and Mind and your neighbor as yourself. This is how you obey the commandments of Father GOD. For on these two commandments depend the whole Law.}
Matthew 7:21
Not everyone that says to me, Lord,Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in Heaven.
read Matthew 7:21-27