Verse 10
The absence of righteous behavior in a life indicates the absence of intimacy with God. Likewise the absence of love for one’s brother Christian shows that the individual who does not love has little fellowship with God. Love is the most important particular manifestation of righteous behavior (John 13:34-35; cf. Matthew 22:37-39). John proceeded to discuss this trait more fully.
"The whole aim of the Gospel is the creation and strengthening of love. [Note: Westcott, p. 109.]
"The NIV rendering here, ’Anyone who does not do what is right is not a child of God,’ is a classic example of theologically motivated translation run amuck. It not only paraphrases the text but misinterprets it at the same time! There is nothing in this text about not being a child of God. How could there be? One must be a child of God before one could hate his brother. An unsaved man has no Christian brother to hate . . ." [Note: Hodges, The Epistles . . ., p. 152.]
The unloving Christian is "not of God" in the sense that God is not animating what he is doing. This believer is not on God’s side; he is doing the devil’s work rather than God’s.
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