John Wesley

If you know that He is righteous, you also know that everyone who practices righteousness has been born of Him.

“Everyone - And none else. Who practiceth righteousness - From a believing, loving heart. Is born of him - For all his children are like himself.”

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!

“That we should be called - That is, should be, the children of God. Therefore the world knoweth us not - They know not what to make of us. We are a mystery to them.”

Beloved, we are now children of God, and what we will be has not yet been revealed.

“What we shall be - It is something ineffable, which will raise the children of God to be, in a manner, as God himself.”

But you know that Christ appeared to take away sins, and in Him there is no sin.

“Was manifested - That he came into the world for this very purpose. To take away our sins - To destroy them all, root and branch, and leave none remaining.”

No one who remains in Him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has seen Him or known Him.

“Whosoever abideth in communion with him, by loving faith, sinneth not - While he so abideth. Whosoever sinneth certainly seeth him not - The loving eye of his soul is not then fixed upon God; neither doth he then experimentally know him - Whatever he…”

Little children, let no one deceive you: The one who practices righteousness is righteous, just as Christ is righteous.

“Let no one deceive you - Let none persuade you that any man is righteous but he that uniformly practices righteousness; he alone is righteous, after the example of his Lord.”

The one who practices sin is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the very start.

“He that committeth sin is a child of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning - That is, was the first sinner in the universe, and has continued to sin ever since.”

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.

“Whosoever is born of God - By living faith, whereby God is continually breathing spiritual life into his soul, and his soul is continually breathing out love and prayer to God, doth not commit sin.”

Do not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did Cain slay him?

“Who was of the wicked one - Who showed he was a child of the devil by killing his brother. And wherefore slew he him - For any fault? No, but just the reverse; for his goodness.”

Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that eternal life does not reside in a murderer.

“And no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him - But every loving believer hath. For love is the beginning of eternal life. It is the same, in substance, with glory.”

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.

“The word God is not in the original. It was omitted by the apostle just as the particular name is omitted by Mary, when she says to the gardener, "Sir, if thou hast born him hence;" and by the church, when she says, "Let him…”

And by this we will know that we belong to the truth, and will assure our hearts in His presence:

“And hereby we know - We have a further proof by this real, operative love. That we are of the truth - That we have true faith, that we are true children of God.”

Even if our hearts condemn us, God is greater than our hearts, and He knows all things.

“For if we have not this testimony, if in anything our heart, our own conscience, condemn us, much more does God, who is greater than our heart - An infinitely holier and a more impartial Judge.”

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.

“And this is his commandment - All his commandments in one word. That we should believe and love - in the manner and degree which he hath taught. This is the greatest and most important command that ever issued from the throne of glory.”

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.

“And he that keepeth his commandments - That thus believes and loves. Abideth in him, and God in him: and hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us - Which witnesses with our spirits that we are…”

Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God. For many false prophets have gone out into the world.

“Believe not every spirit - Whereby any teacher is actuated. But try the spirits - By the rule which follows. We are to try all spirits by the written word: "To the law and to the testimony!"”

By this you will know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God,

“Every spirit - Or teacher. Which confesseth - Both with heart and voice. Jesus Christ, who is come in the flesh, is of God - This his coming presupposes, contains, and draws after it, the whole doctrine of Christ.”

They are of the world. That is why they speak from the world’s perspective, and the world listens to them.

“They - Those false prophets. Are of the world - Of the number of those that know not God. Therefore speak they of the world - From the same principle, wisdom, spirit; and, of consequence, the world heareth them - With approbation.”

Beloved, let us love one another, because love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.

“Let us love one another - From the doctrine he has just been defending he draws this exhortation. It is by the Spirit that the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts.”

Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.

“God is often styled holy, righteous, wise; but not holiness, righteousness, or wisdom in the abstract, as he is said to be love; intimating that this is his darling, his reigning attribute, the attribute that sheds an amiable glory on all his other perfections.”

And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent His Son to be the Savior of the world.

“And in consequence of this we have seen and testify that the Father sent the Son - These are the foundation and the criteria of our abiding in God and God in us, the communion of the Spirit, and the confession of the Son.”

In this way, love has been perfected among us, so that we may have confidence on the day of judgment; for in this world we are just like Him.

“Hereby - That is, by this communion with God. Is our love made perfect; that we may - That is, so that we shall have boldness in the day of judgment - When all the stout-hearted shall tremble.”

There is no fear in love, but perfect love drives out fear, because fear involves punishment. The one who fears has not been perfected in love.

“There is no fear in love - No slavish fear can be where love reigns. But perfect, adult love casteth out slavish fear: because such fear hath torment - And so is inconsistent with the happiness of love.”

We love because He first loved us.

“We love him, because he first loved us - This is the sum of all religion, the genuine model of Christianity. None can say more: why should any one say less, or less intelligibly?”

And we have this commandment from Him: Whoever loves God must love his brother as well.

“And this commandment have we from him - Both God and his opinions or mode of worship be, purely because he is the child, and bears the image, of God. Bigotry is properly the want of this pure and universal love.”