3:10-13 What do we learn from what John says here?
3:10-13 What do we learn from what John says here?
Here John characterizes the children of God by their righteousness and love for each other, and the children of the devil by their unrighteousness, and an unloving heart full of murder, hate and indifference.
Adam's first son Cain is the prototype of the hate that is in the world against Christians (cp Gen 4:1-8; He 11:4). Cain killed Abel because he hated Abel's righteousness (1Jn 3:12 ... and wherefore slew he him?
Because his own works were evil and his brother's righteous). The hatred that the world has for righteousness began with Cain and has perpetuated itself ever since. It is a basic principle in human life that wickedness hates righteousness (cp Jn 1:4-5; 3:19-21; 15:18-25).
This explains why the world hates Christians; their righteous life shows up the world's unrighteousness. Thus, as John teaches in essence in 1Jn 3:13, Christians are to expect no better treatment from the world than Abel received from Cain. (See also comments on Jn 15:18-25).