John Calvin Commentary 1 John 3:1

"Behold what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called children of God; and [such] we are. For this cause the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not." — 1 John 3:1 (ASV)

Behold, the second argument is from the dignity and excellence of our calling. For it was not common honor, he says, that the heavenly Father bestowed on us when he adopted us as his children. This being so great a favor, the desire for purity ought to be kindled in us, so as to be conformed to his image. Indeed, it cannot be otherwise than that anyone who acknowledges himself to be one of God’s children should purify himself.

And to make this exhortation more forceful, he amplifies the favor of God. For when he says that love has been bestowed, he means that it is from mere bounty and benevolence that God makes us his children. For from where does such dignity come to us, except from the love of God? Love, then, is declared here to be gratuitous. There is, indeed, an awkwardness in the language, but the Apostle preferred speaking this way rather than fail to express what was necessary to be known. In short, he means that the more abundantly God’s goodness has been manifested towards us, the greater are our obligations to him, according to the teaching of Paul, when he implored the Romans by the mercies of God to present themselves as pure sacrifices to him (Romans 12:1). We are at the same time taught, as I have said, that the adoption of all the godly is gratuitous and does not depend on any regard to works.

What the sophists say—that God foresees those who are worthy to be adopted—is plainly refuted by these words, for in this way the gift would not be gratuitous. It is especially important for us to understand this doctrine. For since the only cause of our salvation is adoption, and since the Apostle testifies that this flows from the mere love of God alone, there is nothing left to our worthiness or to the merits of works. For why are we sons? Simply because God began to love us freely when we deserved hatred rather than love. And as the Spirit is a pledge of our adoption, it therefore follows that if there is any good in us, it ought not to be set up in opposition to the grace of God but, on the contrary, should be ascribed to him.

When he says that we are called, or named, the expression is not without its meaning; for it is God who with his own mouth declares us to be sons, as he gave a name to Abraham according to what he was.

Therefore the world. It is a trial that severely assaults our faith: that we are not much regarded as God’s children, or that no mark of such great excellence appears in us, but rather, on the contrary, that almost the whole world treats us with ridicule and contempt. Hence, it can hardly be inferred from our present state that God is a Father to us, for the devil so contrives all things as to obscure this benefit.

He counters this cause of offense by saying that we are not yet acknowledged for who we are, because the world does not know God: a remarkable example of this very thing is found in Isaac and Jacob, for though both were chosen by God, yet Ishmael persecuted the former with laughter and taunts, and Esau, the latter with threats and the sword.

Therefore, however much we may be oppressed by the world, our salvation still remains safe and secure.