Series: Things That Accompany Salvation
Hebrews 6:9 But, beloved, we are persuaded better things of you, and things that accompany salvation, though we thus speak.
Message 8: Sixteen Signs of a True Believer (Part IV)
(2 Cor. 13:5; 1 Jn. 3:10-19)
2 Corinthians 13:5 Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?
• “Examine” - peirazo = to test, to scrutinize.
• We are to examine our faith.
• But with what are we to test it?
• We are to examine ourselves by the revealed word of God.
• 28 times in 23 verses John tells us that we can “KNOW” that we are saved!
• We cannot afford to ignore what John, under inspiration of the Holy Spirit, is telling us!
• There is the danger that we may be “reprobates.”
“reprobate” - to be tested by God and rejected as unapproved, found to be worthless and cast away.
ILLUS: These are the gauges on the dash of your life!
NOTE: These tests are not for you to judge your fellow church member’s salvation. They are to be applied by each person to himself!
REVIEW
Thus far, we have considered:
1. The Companionship Test: Do I demonstrate that I love the fellowship of the Father, the Son and the Saints?
2. The Comfort Test: Am I sensitive to sin?
3. The Cleansing Test: Have I experienced and accepted the forgiveness of God?
4. The Commandments Test: Am I keeping God’s commandments?
5. The Conformity Test: Does my life conform to the will of God?
6. The Conduct Test: Am I doing rightousness?
7. The Coming Test: Am I showing that I am looking forward to the coming of Christ by living in such a way that I would not be embarrassed by His coming? “He that hath this hope ... purifieth himself.”
8. The Conquering Test: Am I winning the battle over habitual sin?
9. Today we look at the Charity Test: Let’s look into the Word.
Today’s Message
Sign # 9: The Charity Test
(1 John 3:10-19)
INTRODUCTION:
• John spends more time talking about this topic than many other topics to which some would give a higher priority.
• John pulls no punches.
• He must deal with this in great detail because of the Gnosticism that was taking root in his day.
• These Gnostics not only had an erroneous view of God, they had a clear hatred for true believers that would not follow their teaching.
HUMOR: A charismatic: someone who loves to hate people that don’t love.
• As we will see, the Charity Test is this: If you don’t love your brother, you are not saved!
• That is blunt, it may go against your feelings, but it is a fact of Scripture.
In our text John tells us that there is ...
I. A Disqualification (10-11)
A. Because Love is Manifested (10)
1 John 3:10 In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother.
• John tells us that two things reveal much about us.
• Those things are our conduct and our charity.
• A genuine Christian life and a genuine love for our Christian brethren.
• I have watched many in Christian circles for many years.
• I have seen some that seemed to be doing ok on their conduct (and didn’t mind telling you so), but their love for the brethren was questionable.
• Some of these have fallen by the wayside.
• Others may love and serve everyone, but never read their Bible, no devotions, one service per week is enough for them, no tithing.
• Just as a train cannot run on one rail, so the Christian cannot choose one or the other of these and neglect the other!
• Genuine righteousness and genuine love! That is the mark.
• If these are absent, John tells us that we are disqualified from knowing for sure that we are saved.
B. Because Love is Mandated (11; Jn. 13:35)
11 For this is the message that ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another.
John 13:35 By this shall all [men] know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.
• Love is ordered.
• It is not an option.
ILLUS: When you buy an electronic device, often there are extra parts. Sometimes I go to sell the device years later, and when I pack things up, I see the extra parts. And then I realize that I have never used them. To some, love of the brethren is considered to be an optional, perhaps unneeded accessory. John says no! Without love, you have nothing.
• John is not saying that one can be saved through loving the brethren.
• He is saying that an evidence of true salvation is a love for the brethren.
• Where that is lacking, so may be lacking true salvation in the heart.
II. A Distinction (12-15)
A. Seen in a Picture of Cain (12)
12 Not as Cain, who was of that wicked one, and slew his brother. And wherefore slew he him? Because his own works were evil, and his brother's righteous.
Notice ...
1. The Affiliation of Cain
12 Not as Cain, who was of that wicked one
• He is not of the godly seed.
• He is clearly stated to be of the “wicked one.”
2. The Actions of Cain
and slew his brother.
• He murdered his brother.
• We often think of going back to the good ole’ days.
• Here we are at the dawn of human history, and there is murder!
• One’s affiliation cannot long be hidden.
• It will come to the surface.
• Cain may have been shocked at his actions, but his actions were done, and they sprang from his affiliation.
ILLUS: You may say, I’m not ready to be a believer, but I will always be a good person. Don’t count on it. Your father (the Devil) may have other plans for you!
3. The Attitude of Cain
And wherefore slew he him? Because his own works were evil, and his brother's righteous.
• One day Abel brought an offering and said, “God, here is what you asked for.”
• One day Cain brought an offering and said, “God, here is what you get.”
• Cain becomes so angry.
• Why? Because the actions of a godly person embarrass the ungodly person!
B. Seen in a Present Caution (13)
13 Marvel not, my brethren, if the world hate you.
• It is almost unexplainable the hatred that Christians must endure today.
• What none would say of Jews or Arabs, they openly hurl against Christians.
• John says that this should not surprise us.
• We should expect no better treatment from the world than Abel received from Cain!
ILLUS: Why is evolution pushed so hard? Because if we admit a Creator, then we are obligated to obey and serve Him. This the world cannot endure!
C. Seen in a Passing Completed (14A; 5:24)
14 We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren.
• Love for the brethren reveals that there has been an eternal change in our heart!
John 5:24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.
D. Seen in a Pronounced Conclusion (14B-15; Heb. 12:14-15)
14B He that loveth not his brother abideth in death.
• The heart cannot remain a vacuum.
• When love is missing, hate fills in the space.
15 Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him.
• One may say, I’m a good person, I just can’t get along with those church people.
• John, inspired by God says, you are dead in sins and you are a murderer!
• You cannot be a good person and not love Christian people!
ILLUS: Give the story of Fr*****n C*s* in Greenville without giving the name!
• Jesus said that to be angry with your brother without a cause is in danger of judgement.
• He went on to say that if you call your brother “Raca” (an Arabic word meaning “worthless”) that you are in danger of Hell fire.
• Some sitting here this morning right now may not believe what I’m telling you, but those words came from the lips of the Son of God!
• That is God’s conclusion!
• You see, faith is an inward reality of the heart.
• No man may ever see you kill a person.
• God sees when you want to do it, and He says you are already a murderer.
• How much better to follow the counsel given in Hebrews 12:
Hebrews 12:14-15 Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord: 15 Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled;
III. A Demonstration (16-19)
A. The Examples of Love (16-17)
1. The Example of Christ (16)
16 Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.
• Jesus demonstrated His love!
• Jesus shows us that real loves involves sacrifice.
• The natural result is that we should demonstrate our love to others.
• If you will not sacrifice for the body of Christ, then you value your life way to much.
• How much must the Father have loved the Son – Jesus Christ!
• Yet He gave His only son!
2. The Example of Compassion (17; James 2:14-20)
17 But whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion [splanchna - lit., turns of his deepest feelings of sympathy] from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?
• There are three steps to proving that you are lost, on your way to Hell, and not a real believer:
1) Be blessed with more than you need.
2) See someone else in need.
3) Refuse to help!
ILLUS: Lady in Matamoros at the private resort: “What poor people?”
• Our genuine faith is revealed in a genuine love that results in genuine charity!
James 2:14-20 What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, 16 And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit? 17 Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. 18 Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works. 19 Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble. 20 But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?
• I fear that we fundamental, independent Baptists may have to give an account one day.
• I know that the Episcopalians and Methodists have long since quit preaching the gospel and turned to a social gospel.
• But I’m afraid that we have, in our knee-jerk reaction away from the social gospel, forgotten Christian charity altogether!
• Am I in my giving of my time, my money, my talent helping those in need.
B. The Exhortation to Love (18; 1 Peter 1:22)
18 My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.
• John has made some hard statements.
• But listen to his tenderness.
• It is not always the sweet talker that loves you.
• True love often must use harsh words.
• But behind the words, the love is unmistakable.
• We are to love in deed (going) and in truth (genuine).
1Pe 1:22 Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently:
ILLUS: Anne Perry: “A smile that did not reach the eyes.” There is also a love that does not reach the heart.
C. The Encouragement to Love (19)
19 And hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before him.
• There is some debate over whether verse 19 here goes with what has preceded or what is to follow.
• It matters very little, since we will be preaching both portions in this series.
• Loving your brethren is a major bench mark to knowing that you are saved!
• But some may never be satisfied with what you do?
• Some may feel that because they missed one opportunity that they are lost!
• No! Here we have great encouragement from God.
• God knows our heart! God knows our motive!
Do I love the brethren? (3:14)
APPLICATION:
• In a letter of 105 verses, John spends at least 23 telling us to love the brethren!
• That is nearly a quarter of the book.
• There are more verses on loving the brethren than there are in 3 of the chapters.
Ch. 1 10 verses
Ch. 2 29
Ch. 3 24
Ch. 4 21
Ch. 5 21
And 23 verses on loving your brother in Christ!
• Listen to a quick reading of these verses. Please follow in your Bible
1 John 2:9-11 He that saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother, is in darkness even until now. [10] He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is none occasion of stumbling in him. [11] But he that hateth his brother is in darkness, and walketh in darkness, and knoweth not whither he goeth, because that darkness hath blinded his eyes.
1 John 3:10-18 The passage we have just studied.
1 John 3:23 And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment.
1 John 4:7-12 Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. [8] He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. [9] In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. [10] Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. [11] Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another. [12] No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us.
1 John 4:19-21 We love him, because he first loved us. [20] If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen? [21] And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also.
1 John 5:2 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments.
• What is the practical application?
• I would say that it would be impossible to love your brother or sister while avoiding them or maintaining bitterness against them.
• It would be impossible to love your brother or sister while backbiting them or gossiping about them.
• It is impossible to love your brother if you can just walk away over some difference and never communicate your concern to them.
• It would be impossible to claim a love for your brother or sister while ignoring their need.
• It would be impossible to claim a love for your brother or sister if you ridicule them, or belittle them, or level a tirade of harmful words against them and then never ask for forgiveness.
• It would be impossible to claim to love your brother or sister if you are actively working against them.
Our world is filled with people who devour one another. There are people who have heard harsh words all their life. “You’ll never amount to anything. You’re a loser. Why don’t you just go off and die. May God help us if, when they come to this house, though the words may be different, the attitude is the same. Someone may need you to stand beside them and say, “This is my Friend.”
CONCLUSION:
• In conclusion, let us review the nine tests that John has presented thus far:
1. The Companionship Test: Do I demonstrate that I love the fellowship of the Father, the Son and the Saints?
2. The Comfort Test: Am I sensitive to sin?
3. The Cleansing Test: Have I experienced and accepted the forgiveness of God?
4. The Commandments Test: Am I keeping God’s commandments?
5. The Conformity Test: Does my life conform to the will of God?
6. The Conduct Test: Am I doing rightousness?
7. The Coming Test: Am I showing that I am looking forward to the coming of Christ by living in such a way that I would not be embarrassed by His coming? “He that hath this hope ... purifieth himself.”
8. The Conquering Test: Am I winning the battle over habitual sin?
9. The Charity Test: Am I loving my brothers and sisters in Christ, and demonstrating that love?
OPTION: On the student handout, there is a picture of the good Samaritan helping the wounded man into the inn. The priest that passed by may have had perfect theology, the Levite may have done perfect ministry. The hero, is the one with perfect compassion!
