3:101 John 3:10

In this the two families are made known by conduct, those who practice right doing and love their brother belong to God, and those who fail in right doing and in love for their brother do not belong to God but to the devil.RH Jun 30, 1910+2 The showing is by life and character and fruit in words and deeds, not by profession or nominal faith or claims of holiness and love.RH Jun 30, 1910+2 Doing righteousness means truly doing it and keeping God's law and commandments with the whole heart, not setting up a lower human standard.Lt 69, 1897, par. 12–14+3 Loving the brother means not in word only but in deed and in truth, in compassionate help and giving to one in need rather than shutting up pity.RH Apr 3, 1900+2 The line between the two sides is broad and clear and cannot be mixed, and every church member must apply it personally to know on whose side he stands.Ms 31, 1903, par. 9+3

In this the two families are made manifest by conduct, for doing righteousness and loving the brother mark the children of God, while not doing righteousness and not loving the brother show that a person is not of God but of the devil.RH Jun 30, 1910+4 Good fruit in words and deeds, shaped by ennobling principles, proves genuine knowledge of Christ and communion with God, and its absence exposes profession as false.RH Jun 30, 1910+1 Love is not words or claims of faith only but compassionate action and willingness to help one in need, including giving of this world's goods and not shutting up compassion.RH Apr 3, 1900 Knowing God is union with Him in heart and mind through lived experience and reverent communion that comes only by sincere obedience, and a life without that communion is controlled by the enemy whatever its profession.Ms 120, 1903, par. 11–14 The same test is illustrated by Cain, whose evil works led him to slay his righteous brother, while love among believers evidences passing from death unto life and God dwelling in them by His Spirit.RH Apr 3, 1900+2

The manifestation is by life, character, conduct and fruit, not by profession, nominal faith, theory of truth, legal religion, or claims of perfect love, holiness, peace and submission.RH Jun 30, 1910+4 Doing, not professing, is the proof, and profession of being a child of God while continuing in known sin and yielding to temptation has no virtue and is valueless unless abiding in Christ.Lt 101, 1893, par. 3–5 A cheap Christian character that professes to represent Christ without righteousness works more harm than that of a worldling, because it misleads others by the name it assumes.Lt 2, 1895, par. 1–4 Truth believed must be in the heart sanctifying life and character, purifying the double-minded heart that tries to serve God and mammon and bears the mold of the world, and producing love not in word and tongue only but in deed and in truth.Lt 101, 1893, par. 3–5 Faith is not a mere name but receives God's gifts and shares grace with others, receiving of His fulness grace for grace, appropriating the richest gifts and pleading for the gift to give to others as proof that God dwells in them by His Spirit.SPBC 152.2–3+1

A broad, clear, decided line is drawn between the two masters, and the two cannot mix any more than oil and water.Ms 85, 1893, par. 45–49+2 What is not of God is of the devil, as seen in the papal claim to authority which was concluded to be not from God.ST Jul 19, 1883 That distinction must remain visible and not become blurred, yet when professed watchmen mingle with the enemy and try to please him they break it down.5T 14.1+1 The children of God possess and show the religion of love, pressing together with hearts burning with love, catching every true ray of light and letting it shine before men, while bigotry, Pharisaical coldness, disparaging message and messengers, and judging one another mark the other side.Lt 61, 1893, par. 24–25 The line turns on the law of God, which Satan has worked since heaven to change, and the division develops into two great parties, worshipers of the beast and his image and worshipers of the true and living God, so that soon the difference between him who serves God and him who serves Him not will be plainly discerned, the tares sown among the wheat while men slept being revealed.Lt 61, 1893, par. 24–25+1

The verse is addressed to all church members for personal application, including all who claim to know God and keep His commandments but do not show it by good works, and they will receive according to their deeds.Lt 35, 1898, par. 19 Its teaching decides present and future happiness, opening before youth, students and workers the possibility of walking uprightly in a crooked generation.Ms 31, 1903, par. 9 It presses everyone to know on whose side he is standing, the side of the adversary or the side of Christ, with standing on Christ's side meaning keeping the Father's commandments as Christ kept them, a decision to be settled before baptism.Lt 11, 1900, par. 27 Whether one is a child of God or of Satan lies wholly with oneself and no one can choose for him, and to be a child of God he must be born again and converted, casting off Satan, accepting Christ, giving himself wholly without reserve, and letting the Holy Spirit purify his entire nature from moral defilement.Ms 13, 1897, par. 7–9 The verse is given for close personal reading of the whole chapter under the Holy Spirit, calling for the Spirit to come and abide in the heart, for Satan to be expelled from the soul temple, and for the door to be opened to Jesus.Lt 30, 1895, par. 14–16

Doing righteousness is actually doing what is right and not merely professing to do it, for doing and not professing is the proof by which the children of God are recognized in distinction from the children of the devil.Lt 69, 1897, par. 12–14+2 Profession of being a child of God while continuing in known sin and yielding to temptation has no virtue and is valueless, and saying I am a child of God proves nothing unless followed by true practical godliness in doing the will of God.Lt 101, 1893, par. 3–5+1 An idle or merely professed faith that puts nothing of Christ's character into practice does not meet the test, for the truth believed must be in the heart sanctifying the life and character.Lt 69, 1897, par. 12–14+1 That sanctifying requires purifying the double-minded heart that tries to serve God and mammon and bears the mold of the world, and abiding in Christ with an abiding principle in the soul through faith that enables overcoming temptation and not committing sin.Lt 13, 1893, par. 42–44+1

Doing righteousness means keeping the law and commandments of God as He commanded them, keeping His testimonies and precepts diligently with the whole heart and having respect to all the commandments.Lt 80, 1898, par. 16–18+1 It is not measured by a lower finite standard that men set up when they measure themselves among themselves, for Satan's determined purpose is to tear down God's standard and erect that lower measure to lower and confuse ideas of what constitutes righteousness.ST Jan 9, 1896 Those who pour bitterness against the law while claiming to be perfect and sanctified followers transgressing the law are manifest as children of the devil and not of God, while the truly obedient and sanctified heart walks in the law, delights in and loves the commandments, and is not ashamed.ST Jan 9, 1896 Obedience so testifies whether those who profess to love God really love Him, and standing on Christ's side by keeping the Father's commandments as Christ kept them is a decision to be settled before baptism.Lt 11, 1900, par. 27+1

Knowing God is being united with Him in heart and mind through lived experience and reverent communion, which comes only through sincere obedience.Ms 120, 1903, par. 11–14 A life without this communion is controlled by the enemy whatever its profession, and retaining coarse traits of character and revealing human defects in words and disposition proves a person is not feeding on Christ and abiding in Him.Ms 120, 1903, par. 11–14+1 The reality of knowing Christ is shown by good fruit in words and deeds, shaped by noble and ennobling principles, and a life without such fruit makes its claim to know Christ false.RH Jun 30, 1910+1 Profession means nothing unless Christ is revealed in actions and works of righteousness, and those born of God reveal a new life through good works and the fruits of righteousness showing that they truly represent Christ.Ms 108, 1898, par. 7–10+1

Becoming manifest as children of God is not a mere nominal faith, a theory of truth, or a legal religion, but receiving Christ and believing to a purpose so as to be given power to become sons of God.SPBC 152.2–3 Faith is not merely a name but receives God's gifts and bears fruit in a life that shares grace with others, appropriating the richest gifts, pleading for the gift to give to others, and receiving of His fulness grace for grace.SPBC 152.2–3+1 This comes through wise and unconditional surrender to God, seeking Him in prayer apart from human beings and shut away from outward activity, considering duty in the light of the Word, seeking after God and being kept from evil while remaining in the world.Lt 80, 1898, par. 16–18+1 The life so manifested is full of goodness, love and truth with conversation of heaven from whence the Saviour is looked for, and the law and gospel bound together in a perfect whole gives light and understanding to the simple who are contrite in heart.SPBC 152.2–3+2

Doing righteousness and loving the brother open before youth, students and workers the wonderful possibility of becoming sons and daughters of God and walking uprightly in a crooked and perverse generation.Ms 31, 1903, par. 9 It means learning meekness and lowliness from Christ so His yoke is easy and His burden light, faithfully performing service to God as a pleasure and not a task, and living every moment under the Saviour's keeping power as a witness to the power of grace.Ms 31, 1903, par. 9 It means placing in the censer only the sacred fire of God's own kindling and never common fire, never speaking one harsh, passionate, rash word that could ruin a soul and stir the worst passions to resistance but speaking as Christ spoke with courteous respectful influence.Ms 31, 1903, par. 9 It means keeping hereditary and cultivated tendencies under control while the character is daily refined, sanctified and purified, and the teaching given on this decides present and future happiness.Ms 31, 1903, par. 9

Loving the brother is not loving in word or in tongue only, but in deed and in truth, shown in compassionate action and willingness to help one in need rather than in mere words or claims of faith.RH Apr 3, 1900+4 It does not shut up compassion but gives of this world's goods to a needy brother when seeing him in need.Lt 80, 1898, par. 16–18+1 That practical love flows from God's love shown in Christ.RH Apr 3, 1900 Bitterness and malice toward fellow believers, failing to love even in words and actions including love for enemies, reveals belonging not to Christ but to the wicked one, and grace is needed to remove bitterness and let Christ's love rule the heart.ST Jan 4, 1883

Love to God and love to the brethren are closely linked together, expressing the two great precepts of love to God with all the heart and love to neighbor as self, upon which hang all the law and the prophets.Ms 88, 1893, par. 35–37 The love of God becomes precious as expressed in life and character in the treatment of fellow men.Ms 88, 1893, par. 35–37 Obedience to God's commandments testifies whether those who profess to love God really love Him and whether they are indeed children of God.Lt 141a, 1896, par. 3–5

Loving the brethren proves having passed from death unto life, and is evidence of God dwelling in them.RH Apr 3, 1900+2 To love the brother is to abide in the light with no occasion of stumbling, to have fellowship one with another under the cleansing of the blood of Jesus Christ, and to have God dwell in them by His Spirit.RH Apr 3, 1900+1 Love for the brother is the mark of the children of God and the basis of Christian brotherhood.Ms 13, 1886, par. 1 He that loves not his brother abides in death, and whoever hates his brother is a murderer with no eternal life abiding in him.Ms 31, 1903, par. 4–5+2

The children of God possess and show the religion of love, pressing together and loving one another with hearts burning with God's love, catching every true ray of light from heaven and letting it shine before men.Lt 61, 1893, par. 24–25 Those connected with God display Christlike meekness, kindness, mercy, benevolence and love, producing harmony, peace, love and unity rather than variance, with patience, meekness, forbearance, humility and courtesy.Lt 22a, 1879, par. 12+2 By contrast, bigotry, Pharisaical coldness, disparaging the message and messengers, judging one another, scolding a brother or sister even once, prejudice and despising one Christ purchased, strife, envy, jealousy and continual discord mark the other side as the unholy fruit of a heart not in harmony with Christ.STBk 160.1+4

That love is perceived in Christ laying down His life, and in God laying down His life, and it requires laying down life for the brethren.Lt 80, 1898, par. 16–18+1 It is joined with believing on the name of Jesus Christ and keeping His commandments.Ms 108, 1899, par. 22–25 By this is known being of the truth, the heart is assured before Him, and confidence toward God is gained to receive whatever is asked.Lt 80, 1898, par. 16–18+1

Loving one another is the message heard from the beginning, set in direct contrast to Cain who was of the wicked one and slew his brother because his own works were evil and his brother's righteous.Ms 31, 1903, par. 4–5+4 Doing what is right and loving the brother mark the children of God, while failing to do righteousness and failing to love the brother show that a person is not of God but is made manifest as of the devil.Ms 31, 1903, par. 4–5+3 Love for the brethren proves having passed from death unto life, abiding in the light with no occasion of stumbling and having fellowship under the cleansing blood, while he who loves not his brother abides in death and he who hates his brother is a murderer with no eternal life abiding in him.Ms 31, 1903, par. 4–5+3 That love is perceived in Christ laying down His life and requires laying down life for the brethren, loving not in word or tongue only but in deed and in truth by giving of this world's goods and not shutting up compassion toward a brother in need, joined with believing on the name of Jesus Christ and keeping His commandments, by which the heart is assured before Him and gains confidence toward God to receive whatever is asked.Lt 80, 1898, par. 16–18+1 Retaining coarse traits and revealing human defects in words and disposition proves one is not feeding on Christ and abiding in Him, for profession means nothing unless Christ is revealed in actions and works of righteousness as the visible evidence of true conversion, and the world's hatred of believers is no reason for surprise.Lt 72, 1906, par. 13–17+1

Cain disobeyed by refusing to bring the required lamb without blemish pointing to Christ, so his offering was worthless, while Abel's offering in faith was respected and consumed.Ms 78, 1901, par. 3–11 Cain grew angry and jealous that his younger brother was accepted while he was rejected, argued about his offering, refused to see his disobedience, and rose up and slew Abel, so jealousy caused the first death in the world.Ms 78, 1901, par. 3–11 Failure to love one's brother in this same way proves one is not of God and reveals whether a person is a child of God or a child of the devil.Ms 78, 1901, par. 3–11

The surrounding teaching is that the Son of God was manifested to destroy the works of the devil who sins from the beginning, revealing wonderful love shown in behalf of the sinful race as instruction to be received and profited by.Ms 31, 1903, par. 4–5 Whoever is born of God does not commit sin because His seed remains in him through an abiding principle in the soul by faith in Jesus Christ that enables overcoming temptation.Ms 31, 1903, par. 4–5+1 Doing righteousness means actually doing it and not merely professing it, being sanctified through the truth in life and character, purifying the self as He is pure, and ceasing from sin which is transgression of the law and of the devil.Lt 13, 1893, par. 42–44+1 The verse is given for close personal reading of the whole chapter to be applied to the individual case by the Holy Spirit, calling for the Holy Spirit to come into the heart and abide there, for Satan to be expelled from the soul temple, and for the door of the heart to be opened to Jesus to receive the richest blessing.Lt 30, 1895, par. 14–16

The chapter presents God's great gift to the world and great love in giving Christ to die for sinners, a love people reject when they turn from Christ to worldly pursuits and neglect Scripture and preparation for eternity.Ms 90, 1904, par. 4–6+2 1 John 3:9-24 presents the law and the gospel bound together in a perfect whole as part of the testimony that must go throughout the length and breadth of the world.SPBC 152.2–3+1 It gives light and understanding to the simple who are contrite in heart and will be impressed upon every heart opened to receive it.SPBC 152.2–3 Being manifest as children of God is not mere nominal faith, theory of truth, or legal religion, but receiving Christ to a purpose so as to be given power to become sons of God, appropriating the richest gifts of God, receiving of His fulness grace for grace, and sharing grace with others, with loving one another as proof that God dwells in them by His Spirit, calling people to distinguish between those who belong to God and those who do not.SPBC 152.2–3+3

In this the two families are made manifest as servants of different masters who cannot join hands in fellowship and unity any more than oil and water can mix.Ms 85, 1893, par. 45–49 Believers must keep an individuality that cannot be submerged in any living human being, each belonging to Christ by purchase, standing in God's strength, light, comfort and joy rather than weak human strength, looking to God and obeying the convictions of conscience.Ms 85, 1893, par. 45–49 When truth comes in pure light, including the Sabbath, they must walk in it even against family opposition and worldly customs, accepting resulting disharmony and enduring the cross for Christ's sake with special help from God.Ms 85, 1893, par. 45–49

Those who profess Christ yet live in close fellowship with the world, one with it in spirit, aims and principles of working, swayed by its voice and dependent on its favors, praise and flattery for strength and success, are alienated from Christ, full of self-confidence, vaunting, vanity and spiritual shortsightedness.Ms 39, 1891, par. 12–13 They are manifest as children of the wicked one, children of disobedience and enemies of God, in contrast to the child of God who is an heir of the kingdom.Ms 39, 1891, par. 12–13 Lacking the fear and love of God interwoven in experience, they have no true discernment to distinguish between him who serves God as a doer of His Word and him who serves the world.Ms 39, 1891, par. 12–13

The test that manifests every character is doing righteousness and loving the brother, where doing righteousness means keeping the law of God as He commanded it and not measuring by a lower finite standard set up when men measure themselves among themselves.ST Jan 9, 1896 Satan's determined purpose is to tear down God's standard, erect that lower measure, and lower and confuse ideas of what constitutes righteousness.ST Jan 9, 1896 Those who pour bitterness against the law, follow him who first brought sin into the world, and claim to be perfect and sanctified followers of Christ while transgressing the law are sinners in God's sight and are manifest as children of the devil and not of God, whereas the truly obedient and sanctified heart walks in the law, keeps the testimonies and precepts diligently with the whole heart, delights in and loves the commandments, and is not ashamed when having respect to all the commandments.ST Jan 9, 1896

A broad, clear line of distinction is being drawn between the children of obedience and the children of disobedience, the loyal and true and the disloyal and untrue, and that distinction turns on the law of God which Satan has worked perseveringly since heaven to change.1MR 45.3 By persuading the world and a large part of the professed Christian church that the law was faulty and needed revising, he seeks on earth what he could not gain in heaven, for to change the law in one jot or tittle would give him his object, and his delusive snare is laid to take captive the church and the world.1MR 45.3 Not all will be taken, and the division develops into two great parties, worshipers of the beast and his image and worshipers of the true and living God.1MR 45.3 The children of God possess and show the religion of love, pressing together and loving one another with hearts burning with divine love, catching every true ray of light from heaven and letting it shine before men, while bigotry, Pharisaical coldness, disparaging the message and messengers, and judging one another mark the other side, and as the tares were sown among the wheat while men slept, the time is soon to come when the difference between him who serves God and him who serves Him not will be plainly discerned.Lt 61, 1893, par. 24–25+1

What is not of God is of the devil, and by that rule the papal claim to authority is exposed as not from God.ST Jul 19, 1883 The children of God and the children of the devil are made manifest by the life, not by profession, so that claims of perfect love, holiness of heart, perfect peace and submission to the will of God do not make one a child of God when the heart is full of corruption.LS 265.2–267.1 One who professes piety and zeal while living in adultery, deception, false oath, fraud and theft is in perfect darkness and not of God, under a frown even under a garb of sanctification, for doing unrighteousness exposes the hypocrite until hidden sins are brought to light, openly confessed before God and men, and restored where wrong was done.LS 265.2–267.1

Hatred and disunion between brothers dishonor God and bring reproach upon His cause, for failing to do what is right and failing to love a brother shows a person is not of God.3T 59.2–3+1 Those who serve God must be reconciled and must cultivate Christian character before that reproach can be removed.3T 59.2–3+1 Truly converted believers must not display division instead of unity, because the truth sanctifies its recipients to represent grace to the world, to angels, and to humanity.4MR 297.1

A life pleasing to God bears witness that a person is a child of God rather than a child of the wicked one, and daily life proves on which side one stands.21MR 307.4+2 That witness is given through daily consecration to God and opening the heart to Jesus with childlike simplicity.Lt 7a, 1886, par. 6 It refuses to listen to evil speaking and thereby restrains evil in self and others, brings gratitude into life and words and works with no complaining word or thought, and keeps the heart tuned to praise and full of thankfulness and talk of His love.Lt 7a, 1886, par. 6 The heart thus softened and subdued by grace becomes full of sweetness and peace and fragrance, and is patient, kind, tenderhearted, pitiful and courteous even toward the disagreeable, without esteeming self too highly and with true esteem for others, so that a life of service holds no danger.Lt 7a, 1886, par. 6 That same witness practices the love and tenderness of Christ toward one another instead of mere formality, neither despising God-given ability nor overestimating self and trusting human ability, putting every talent to use with unfaltering purpose in brave, calm, peaceful, trusting confidence in God's Word, and struggling to do God's will and grow into the likeness of Christ, a loyalty heaven recognizes.12MR 217.2–3

Those who retain prejudice and despise someone Christ has purchased with His blood display the evil spirit and the traits of the wicked one, for character and conduct make known whose children people are.STBk 160.1 A soul transformed by Christ will not despise anyone He has redeemed.STBk 160.1 People are recognized as God's children by doing good and living with kindness and love, and those who do not live this way are not God's children.COS 70.6 A loving heart is worth more than worldly riches, and those who live to do good will dwell with Christ in His kingdom.COS 70.6

Doing righteousness and loving the brother belong together as the proof of abiding in Christ, purifying the self as He is pure, and ceasing from sin which is transgression of the law and of the devil.Lt 30, 1895, par. 14–16 Standing on Christ's side means doing righteousness by keeping the Father's commandments as Christ kept them, and that decision is to be settled before baptism as each person is pressed to know whether standing with the adversary or with Christ.Lt 30, 1895, par. 14–16+1 The whole chapter is to be closely and personally read with application to the individual case by the Holy Spirit, calling for the Holy Spirit to come into the heart and abide there, for Satan to be expelled from the soul temple, and for the door of the heart to be opened to Jesus to receive the richest blessing.Lt 30, 1895, par. 14–16

The children of God are made manifest by working the works of God, standing firm for truth and righteousness with a genuine religious experience that does not shut the Holy Spirit away from the life.Lt 8, 1903, par. 3–5+1 He who shuts the Holy Spirit away and is loath to fulfill the requirements of God's Word is not of God but vacillates, sometimes serving the Lord and sometimes serving the wicked one.Lt 8, 1903, par. 3–5+1 Therefore those who do God's work, including His work of healing, must be carefully chosen and tried, keeping only humble men and women who bear the test in righteousness and not keeping unconsecrated workers who cannot bear it.Lt 8, 1903, par. 3–5+1 Their intangible influence for evil would otherwise bring the leaven of evil with trouble, heartache, and unmanageable difficulties.Lt 8, 1903, par. 3–5

The line between the children of God and the servants of Satan is decided and has not become blurred.Lt 19a, 1892, par. 11–13 God's children are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people who show forth His praises after being called out of darkness into light, and they must arise to that high position or they cannot be saved because God's requirements are not otherwise met.Lt 19a, 1892, par. 11–13 Meeting His requirements means being doers of the Word, receiving heaven's blessings, presenting the body a living, holy, acceptable sacrifice, and abiding in Christ so as not to fulfill the lusts of the flesh.Lt 19a, 1892, par. 11–13 Those whom heaven is ashamed to call brethren, with base minds and offensive characters, having only the form of godliness and spending probation gratifying fleshly lusts, present polluted offerings that God will in no case accept and are in no sense laborers together with God, for everything they touch is defiled by impurity.Lt 19a, 1892, par. 11–13