1 JOHN 2: 7-11 [LIFE, LIGHT & LOVE SERIES]
LOVE THE BRETHREN
[Romans 13:8-10]
"I just love that hat!"
"Man, I really love the old-fashioned kind of baked beans!"
“But, Mom, don’t you realize that Tim and I love each other?"
Words, like coins, can be in circulation for such a long time that they start wearing out. Unfortunately, the word love (or, as it is now sometimes spelled, luv) is losing its value and is being used to cover a multitude of meanings.
It is really difficult to understand how a man can use the same word to express his love for his wife as he uses to tell how he feels about baked beans! When words are used that carelessly they really mean little or nothing at all. Like the dollar, they have been devalued.
As John describes the life that is real, he uses three words repeatedly: life, love, and light. In fact, he devotes three sections of his letter to the subject of Christian love. He explains that love, life, and light belong together.
The Christian way of life or walking in the light involves not only fellowship with God and with the brethren (1:5-7), consciousness and confession of sin (1:8-10), obedience by imitation of Christ (2:1-6). Walking in the light also requires love of the brethren. A Christian who is walking in light (in obedience) is going to love his Christian brother (CIT).
I. THE COMMAND TO LOVE, 7-8.
II. THE CONTRAST WITH LIGHT, 9-11. [ABIDING IN THE LIGHT]
The Christian way of life has always been the way of love. In verse 7 John advises us as to its mandate and origin. “Beloved, I am not writing a new commandment to you, but an old commandment which you have had from the beginning; the old commandment is the word [logas] which you have heard.
John calls his little children beloved [agapçtoi] because he loves them and is instructing them so that they might grow in the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ. His previous instruction was about obedience. His instruction here is about love, the central theme of the Christian life. Love and obedience are inextricably interwoven [2:3-4] because all the commandments of God are summed up in the law of love. In the previous paragraph (1 John 2:3-6), John has been talking about "the commandments" in general, but now he narrows his focus down to one single commandment. The Shema, or the John 3:16 of the Old Testament, is “You shall love the Lord you God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might” (Deut. 6:5) was quoted daily because it was the greatest commandment. The Jews coupled it with Leviticus 19:8 which commands us to “love our neighbors as ourselves.” The two together are the authoritative summary of all God’s commandments (Mk. 12:28ff). Jesus said all the commandments are based on these two. Paul say “the whole law” is fulfilled in “you shall love your neighbor as yourself (Gal. 5:14; Rom. 13:8-10).
The commandment “love one another” is the fulfillment of God’s Law. When you love people, you do not lie about them or steal from them, or covet what is theirs. You have no desire to kill them or tell tales about them. Love for God and love for others motivates a person to obey God’s commandments without even thinking about them! When a person acts out of Christian love he obeys God and serve others.
In 1 John 2:7, love is declared the very beginning of the Christian life [or, of creation]. The commandment to love one another is not a footnote to our Christian experience, as though God had an after thought. No! It is in our hearts from the very beginning of our faith in Jesus Christ. If this were not so, John could not have written, “We know that we have passed out of death into life because we love the brethren” (1 John 3:14). Jesus said that “By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:35). It is an imperative to God that His forever family love each other.
[By nature, an unsaved person may be selfish and even hateful. As much as we love a newborn baby, we must confess that the infant is self-centered and thinks the whole world revolves around his crib. That child is typical of an unsaved person. “We ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lust and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful and hating one another” (Titus 3:3). This un-retouched photo of the unbeliever may not be beautiful, but it is certainly accurate! Some unregenerated person do not display the traits here mentioned, but the works of the flesh (Gal. 5:19-21) are present and prowling in their lives.]
When a sinner trust Christ, he receives a new life and a new nature. The Holy Spirit of God comes to live in him and the love of God begins to be “shed abroad in his heart” by the Spirit (Rom. 5:5). God begins to teach the new believer all about love. As 1 Thessalonians 4:9 says, (For ye yourselves are taught of God (by the Holy Spirit within you) to love one another.” A new believer discovers that he now hates what he used to love, and that he loves what he used to hate!
In verse 8 John explains himself further. “On the other hand, I am writing a new commandment to you, which is true in Him and in you, because the darkness is passing away, and the true light is already shining.”
The old commandment to love is also in a sense new. This is why John says that "love one another" is a new commandment--it is new in emphasis. It is not simply one of many commandments. No, it stands at the top of the list!
So the commandment to love one another is new in emphasis in the New Testament. It is one of the most important commandments Christ gave us (John 13:34). In fact, the phrase "love one another" is repeated at least a dozen times in the New Testament (John 13:34; 15:9, 12, 17; Rom. 13:8; 1 Thes. 4:9; 1 Peter 1:22; 1 John 3:11, 23; 4:7, 11-12; 2 John 5). And there are many other references to brotherly love.
It is important that we understand the meaning of Christian love. It is not a shallow sentimental emotion that Christians try to "work up" so they can get along with each other. It is a matter of the will rather than an emotion of affection for and attraction to certain persons. It is a matter of determining--of making up your mind--that you will allow God’s love to reach others through you, and then of acting toward them in loving ways.
The reason we should and can love one another is because the darkness is passing away. The thought is that light does not yet shine fully in all the world, nor does it even penetrate every area of the believers life, but it is shining, and it one day will win out. God’s love will reign supreme!
When Jesus was born "the Sunrise from on high" came into the world (Lk 1:78). When Jesus the Savior entered this world, it was like the sunrise breaking radiantly over the horizon of human history. The birth of Christ was the beginning of a new day for mankind! As He lived among men, taught them, ministered to them, He spread the light of life and love. "The people who were sitting in darkness saw a great light, And to those who were sitting in the land and shadow of death, Upon them a light dawned" (MT 4:16). In fathomless grace, God allowed His Son to die on the cross to save us from eternal darkness. What a blessed message for the world.
One dark and ominous night during World War II, a US AIRCRAFT CARRIER was plowing through heavy seas in the South Pacific. All lights were out because of enemy submarines. One plane was missing. Somewhere in that pitch-black sky it was circling in a seemingly futile search for the carrier -its only landing place, its only hope of not being swallowed up by the giant ocean. The ship’s captain, knowing the terrible risk involved, gave the order, “Light up the ship.” Soon the plane zoomed onto the deck like a homing pigeon.
At Bethlehem, knowing the risk, God gave the command, “Light up the way home.” Then Jesus was born. A new and radiant light began to shine, pushing back the darkness of the world. The Light of the World began pushing back the spiritual ignorance of sin and despair. Like a ship lit up in an otherwise darkened sea of sinful humanity, Christ came to light the way for people to come to Him and have the light of life (Jn. 8:12).
There is a conflict in this world between the forces of light and the forces of darkness. "The light is shining in the darkness, and the darkness is not able to put it out" (John 1:5). Satan is the Prince of darkness, and he extends his evil kingdom by means of lies and hatred. Christ is the Sun of Righteousness (Mal. 4:2), and He extends His kingdom by means of truth and love.
The kingdoms of Christ and of Satan are in conflict today, but "the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day" (Prov. 4:18). The darkness is passing away little by little because the True Light is shining brighter and brighter in our hearts.
II. THE CONTRAST WITH LIGHT, 9-11.
Another [the 6th and final] test for the authenticity of a Christian is presented in the context of hate in verse 9. “The one who says he is in the light and yet hates his brother is in the darkness until now.”
The contrast between light and darkness is developed to show another false claim. You cannot hate another believer and be a true believer yourself. The thought is that if you hate a Christian you walk in darkness. If you walk in the light and in fellowship with God, you will be in fellowship with others in God’s family and love them. Love and light go together just like hated and darkness go together.
So light and darkness are used to contrast love for the brethren verse hate for a brother. To really appreciate the contrast of light and darkness all you need to do is travel down into the lower depths of a COAL MINE. Away from the main entries at the working face where the coal is clawed from its lodging place, men work in total darkness. The only light that illuminates this space is carried by the miners, fixed to the top of their hard hats. The small lamp, called a bug light, is powered by a battery carried on their belts. Without it, it is impossible to move around without stumbling and falling. Without the light no work is accomplished. There is no such thing as night vision where the eyes get used to the darkness. The blackness is solid and impenetrable without the light.
John had not seen a coal mine, but he had seen the darkness of a man’s heart filled with hatred and bitterness toward another. His description of it is similar to a miner without a light to work by. Nothing can be accomplished but injury and pain. The only remedy is light. For a darkened heart the only remedy is God’s love. We are to carry it wherever we go.
It is easy to talk about Christian love but much more difficult to practice it. This is one reason for the local church, the fellowship of believers. You cannot love the brethren, you cannot have a complete and developing Christian life unless you are in fellowship with a local body of believers. As a matter of fact you don’t truly love God unless you love the brethren also. You cannot deeply love someone with whom you don’t spend much time, [but that is a long way from hate].
For a Christian to say he loves the brethren and hate another believer is for him to lie. It is impossible to be in fellowship with God and out of fellowship with another believer at the same time. Many Christians are in urgent need of being accepted, loved and encouraged and it is our responsibility to do so.
When we practice Christian love our life gets brighter and brighter for we move closer to God. Hatred darkens life. When Christian love flows out of our life we have a greater understanding and perception of spiritual things.
When a believer does not love the brethren, he may say and think he is living in light, but he is actually blinded by the darkness of hatred. No matter what else you do in your Christian life, if you hate other believers you are living a lie.
Does this mean that if you dislike someone you aren’t a Christian? These verses are not talking about disliking a disagreeable Christian brother or sister. There will always be people we will not like as well as others. John’s words focus on the attitude that causes us to ignore or despise others, to treat them as irritants, competitors, or enemies. Christian love is not a feeling but a choice. We can choose to be concerned with people’s well-being and treat them with respect, whether or not we feel affection toward them. If we choose to love others, God will help us express our love.
Verse 10 reveals a marvelous result in the life of a real Christians who lives in the Light of Christ. “The one who loves his brother abides in the light and there is no cause for stumbling in him.”
By contrast, whoever loves his brother lives in the light of the new Age which has dawned in Christ (v. 8). There is nothing in him (in one who loves his brother) to make him stumble. Hatred though is a kind of internal “stumbling block” which can lead to disastrous spiritual falls. But the calamities to which hatred leads are avoided by one who loves his brother. [Walvoord, John & Zuck, Roy. The Bible Knowledge Commentary. Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1983, S. 890.]
So a second tragic result is that a believer walking in hatred and darkness is a cause for stumbling for other believers. It is bad enough when an unloving believer hurts himself; but when he starts to hurt others the situation is far more serious. It is serious to walk in the darkness. It is dangerous to walk in the darkness when stumbling blocks are in the way! An unloving brother stumbles himself, and in addition he causes others to stumble in their faith.
A man who was walking down a dark street one night saw a pinpoint of LIGHT COMING toward him in a faltering way. He thought perhaps the person carrying the light was ill or drunk; but as he drew nearer he could see a man with a flashlight carrying a white cane.
"Why would a blind man be carrying a light?" the man wondered, and then he decided to ask.
The blind man smiled. "I carry my light, not so I can see, but so that others can see me. I cannot help being blind," he said, "but I can help being a stumbling block."
The best way to help other Christians not to stumble is to love them. Love makes us stepping-stones; hatred (or any of its "cousins," such as envy or malice) makes us stumbling blocks. It is important that Christians exercise love in a local church, or else there will always be problems and disunity. When we are falling over each other, instead of lifting each other higher, we are not walking in God’s light. One cannot stay in the light while nourishing a negative, critical, and cynical attitude toward other believers. The two conditions are incompatible.
Verse 11 reveals the true condition of those who hate a true Christian. “But the one who hates his brother is in the darkness and walks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going because the darkness has blinded his eyes.”
Is your spiritual life without direction, wandering aimlessly about without accomplishing anything for God? A third tragic result of hatred is that it impedes a believer’s spiritual growth.
The person mentioned here is blinded because he is walking in darkness (not that the darkness is in him or that he is a lost person). The sin of animosity has dominated him and he can not find his way! He has no spiritual judgment to perceive that he has lost his way and is making no headway in his Christian life. The only atmosphere that is conducive to spiritual growth is the atmosphere of spiritual light--of love. Just as the fruits and flowers need sunshine, so God’s people need love and need to love if we are going to grow.
The tragedy of hatred is always twofold. First, there is the harm it does to the neighbor; second, there is the harm it does to the person who hates. Hatred, according to John, blurs vision and sets into place a basic disorientation and confusion. Love clears the head; hatred confuses the head. There is even a greater danger: we become like that which we do. When we choose the strategy or tactics of darkness we inevitably end up under the control of darkness. [Palmer, Earl. The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Vol 35 : 1, 2 & 3 John / Revelation. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc, 1982, S. 41]
Martin Luther warns us of the danger of a type of hatred which we always tend to justify namely, retribution toward those who first harm us. Luther warns, “See to it that he who hurts you does not cause you to become evil like him … for he is the victor who changes another man to become like himself while he himself remains unchanged.” [Martin Luther, Lectures on Romans (St. Louis: Concordia Press, 1972), p. 466.]
This is the double tragedy of the way of darkness; the person who adopts the methods of evil for whatever reasons, experiences the result of which Luther warned. His life is changed and his roadway is changed; therefore the person or situation which first hurt him wins a twofold victory.
[When we are walking in the light, the "seed of the Word" (Luke 8:11) can take root and bear fruit. And the first cluster the Spirit produces is love!]
Hatred is the mark and badge of walking in darkness. It is a malignant attitude that wishes malice upon the despised brethren. Animosity is the harboring of a bitter spirit against a brother. Instead of promoting his welfare it desires to injure and even ruin him. He or she does not bring this disposition before God, because it does not want it to be exposed for what it truly is.
[A Christian couple came to see a pastor because their MARRIAGE was beginning to fall apart. "We’re both saved," the discouraged husband said, "but we just aren’t happy together. There’s no joy in our home." As the pastor talked with them and they considered together what the Bible has to say, one fact became clear: both the husband and wife were nursing grudges. Each recalled many annoying little things the other had done!
"If you two really loved each other," said the pastor, "you wouldn’t file these hurts away in your hearts. Grudges fester in our hearts like infected sores, and poison the whole system."
Then he read 1 Cor. 13:5, "Love keeps no record of wrong." He explained that when someone hurts us, real or imaginary, our love covers over their sin and helps to heal the wounds they caused. Then he read "Love covers a multitude of sin" (1 Pet. 4:8).
Before the couple left, the pastor counseled them: "Instead of keeping records of the things that hurt, start remembering the things that please. An unforgiving spirit always breeds poison, but a loving spirit that sees and remembers the best always produces health."
A Christian who walks in love is always experiencing some new joy because the "fruit of the Spirit" is love and joy. And when we blend "love" and "joy", we will have "peace"--and words, walking in the light, walking in love, is the secret of Christian growth, which nearly always begins with love.]
Now, all of us must admit that we cannot generate Christian love under our own power. By nature, we are selfish and hateful. It is only as God’s Spirit floods our hearts with love that we, in turn, can love one another. "The love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost who is given unto us" (Rom. 5:5). It is a fruit of the Spirit. The Spirit of God makes the commandment, "Love one another," into a new and exciting day-by-day experience. If we walk in the light, God’s Spirit produces love. If we walk in darkness, our own selfish spirit produces hatred.
CONCLUSION
The Christian life--the spiritual life that is real requires us to love the brethren. The life that is real is an honest life--and it is a life of doing, not merely saying. It is a life of active love to Christ and His brethren.
Our Christian profession must be tested by the presence or absence of this love in action. There are other exciting truths in the rest of John’s letter, but if we fail to obey in this matter of love, the rest of the letter may well be "darkness" to us. Perhaps the best thing we can do, right now, is to search our hearts to see if we hold anything against a brother, or if someone has anything against us. Let’s do that. With every head bowed & every eye closed. God reveal to us any animosity, ill-will or bitterness I-we have toward any brother or sister in Christ. Send your light. Open our eyes & hearts. Help us to extend kindness & forgiveness in long-suffering. Then send light, life, love & victory. For Your life of love is the only way to real life, to spiritual life.
