1 John 3:7-10 - Joseph Benson’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

Little, or beloved children, let no man deceive you In this important matter, by vain words, however serious and plausible they may seem to be. For a being, himself immutably holy, can never dispense with the want of holiness in his intelligent creatures. The apostle's words imply, that some pretenders to inspiration had endeavoured to deceive the brethren, by teaching what the apostle here condemns. And as it is a solemn address of the apostle to the disciples, it shows the importance of the matter which it introduces. He that uniformly doeth, or practiseth, righteousness, in all the known branches of it, is righteous, even as, or because, he, Christ, is righteous He is righteous after Christ's example. The apostle speaks of that practical righteousness which is consequent on justification and regeneration, when, being created anew in Christ Jesus, (Ephesians 2:10,) we have both inclination and power to maintain an unblameable conduct, and all good works. He that committeth sin That knowingly transgresses God's law, is a child, not of God, but of the devil; for the devil sinneth That is, hath sinned; from the beginning Was the first sinner in the universe, and has continued to sin ever since. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested In our flesh, lived, and died, and rose again for us; that he might destroy the works of the devil Namely, all error, sin, and misery. And will he not perform this for, and in, all that trust in him? The word; λυση, rendered destroy, properly means to dissolve, or demolish, and implies the demolition of that horrible fabric of sin and misery which Satan, with such art, industry, and malice, hath reared in this our world. Whosoever is born of God Is truly regenerated by divine grace, through living faith, and received into the number of God's children; doth not Knowingly and voluntarily; commit sin; for his seed The incorruptible seed of the word of God, (1 Peter 1:23; James 1:18,) accompanied with his Spirit, (John 3:6,) or a divine principle of living, loving, and obedient faith; remaineth in him Implanted in his inmost soul; and he cannot sin It would be contrary to the nature of that divine principle which is implanted in him, that he should sin; that principle having not only manifested to him the infinite evil and destructive consequences of sin, but produced in him a fixed hatred to it, and given him power over it; because he is born of God Is inwardly and universally changed. In this Or by this mark; the children of God are manifest, &c. It manifestly appears, to all who have understanding to judge in spiritual matters, who are the children of God and who are not, namely, by their committing or not committing known sin. Whosoever doeth not righteousness Does not live a holy and righteous life; is not of God Is not one of his true children; neither he that loveth not his brother With such a love as the apostle proceeds to describe and insist upon. Here the apostle passes from the general proposition respecting universal holiness, to a particular branch of it, namely, brotherly love.