The group of churches that John writes to in this trio of epistles had recently experienced a split because of doctrinal controversy. We do not know the exact content of the error that these false teachers were spreading, but it is apparent from John’s writing that their teaching somehow denied the truth of the incarnation—that Jesus was both fully man and fully God. They deceived many people with this teaching and eventually convinced a group to leave with them. John references this group that left in 1 John 2:19, “They went out from us, but they were not of us.”The apostle John was divinely inspired to write these general epistles in order to address this
situation with the loving concern of a shepherd for his sheep. He desired both to clearly point out the error of these false teachers and to encourage the believers who remained in these churches.

Often when a group of people leave a church, the members who remain will begin to doubt their own doctrine or even their own salvation, and begin to wonder, “What if those who left are actually correct?” John seeks to reassure the discouraged remnant that was left after this controversy by pointing out to them the three clear marks of a true child of God. The truth of these marks is to be used in two ways, both to reassure the true child of God of his salvation and to help identify those who are not walking as children of God and may even be false teachers. As most readers are
probably members of a church that was recently affected by doctrinal controversy, it is beneficial for all of us to examine our own lives for these three marks.

The first mark of a true Christian that John gives is right doctrine. He speaks harsh words against the false teachers who denied the truth of Christ’s incarnation: “And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist” (1 John 4:3). Do you believe in God as he is revealed in the holy Scriptures, or a different version of God that more closely aligns with your own personal opinions?

The second mark of a true Christian that John gives is love for others. He reminds us that our
love for our neighbor is evidence of a true love for God with this simple statement: “If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar” (1 John 4:20). Do you love your brothers and sisters in Christ? Not just the ones who are easy to love or the ones who agree with you, but all of them?

The third mark of a true Christian that John gives is obedience to God’s commands: “And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments” (1 John 2:3). Do you strive daily to live your life in a way that is obedient to God’s commands in Scripture? Or do you get caught up in the way that the world is telling you to live your life?

The threads of these three marks of a true Christian are woven throughout the books of 1, 2, and 3 John, as are many examples of direct contrasts between the lives of those who are God’s children and those who are the children of this world. Although there are some “gray areas” in matters of Christian liberty, the basic aspects of the Christian life are black and white. Those who truly love God will be characterized by confession of sin, obedience to God’s commands, love, truth, and fellowship with God and his people. In contrast, those who do not love God will be
characterized by self-deception, disobedience to God’s commands, hatred, lies, and fellowship with others who walk in darkness.

The bold words of this epistle are not meant to push us into the ditches of legalism or despair, but rather to encourage us to abide in Christ. “And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us” (1 John 3:24). We cannot “walk in the light” (1:7) apart from the power of the Holy Spirit in us.

And while our faith, love, and obedience will always be imperfect on this side of heaven, every tiny step that we take on the right path is evidence of the work of the Spirit in us and gives us confidence that we are true children of God who will live with him forever in glory.