1 John 3:7 (ASV)

Passage

[My] little children, let no man lead you astray: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous:

Nearby Context

1 John 3:5 And ye know that he was manifested to take away sins; and in him is no sin.

1 John 3:6 Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither knoweth him.

1 John 3:7 [My] little children, let no man lead you astray: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous:

1 John 3:8 he that doeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. To this end was the Son of God manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.

1 John 3:9 Whosoever is begotten of God doeth no sin, because his seed abideth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is begotten of God.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "little", "children", "lead", "astray", "doeth", "righteousness", and "even". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "little" and "children", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 6's "Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not whosoever..." into verse 8's "he that doeth sin is of the...", so "little" and "children" belong inside that flow. In 1 John context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "little" and "children" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.