1 JOHN 3: 11-18 [LIFE, LIGHT & LOVE SERIES]
LIVING IN LOVE OR DEATH
[Matthew 22: 35-40 / John 15:12-14 / Luke 10:25-27]
In his book Prayer: Finding the Heart's True Home, Richard Foster tells of an OLD SAGE who asked his disciples, "How can we know when the darkness is leaving and the dawn is coming?" "When we can see a tree in the distance and know that it is an elm and not a juniper," one student responded. Another replied, “When we can see an animal & know it is a fox & not a wolf.”
"No," said the teacher.
Puzzled, the students asked for the answer. The sage replied quietly, "We know the darkness is leaving and the dawn is coming when we can see another person and know that it is our brother or sister; otherwise no matter what time it is, your still dark.”
We are taught here in John that we know that we have passed out of death into life because we love the brethren. Love of the brethren is a proof of sonship. Are there Christians whom you dislike intensely? Are there Christian brethren that you hold in contempt for one reason or another? What about Christians of another race? If love is the mark of a believer, do people recognize that you belong to Christ? People with a heart for God have a heart for people (CIT).
I. LOVE ONE ANOTHER, 11.
II. MURDER AND HATRED, 12-15.
III. LOVE OR INDIFFERENCE, 16-18.
Having taught that the children of God are characterized by righteousness and freedom from sin Christians are now described as people who love each other. Although love is characteristic of the Christian’s new nature it is nevertheless urged upon the brethren that we love one another. The second half of verse10 implies that the height of righteousness is revealed in loving our Christian brother. “By this the children of God and the children of the devil are obvious: anyone who does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor the one who does not love his brother.” Verse 11 declares that love is the primary or beginning message of Christianity. “For this is the message which you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another.”
“The message” [repetition of the summation phrase (1:5) in the book’s introduction] denotes the heart and substance of the Christian’s basic and indispensable duty. This message had been heard from the beginning of their Christian experience. The message is “that we should love one another.” There is no new message. We are to love one another. The message that begins with our Christian experience continues through out our Christian pilgrimage. This command to love originates in Jesus Himself [Jn. 13:34f; 15:12] and thus is a foundational teaching of Christianity.
“Love” is agapao, which refers to divine love, which is self-sacrificial love. This love is produced in the heart of the yielded saint by the Holy Spirit. The infection of bad doctrine was robbing these Christians of this love. They were going adrift from their love relationship with Jesus Christ that provided them with the empowering to lived in and live out the love of God.
The gospel is based upon three loves: God's love for us, our love for Him, and in Him our love for others. It can be explained as God's love coming to us in Christ Jesus, then this love ascending to Him through our faith in Christ and then this love extending out to the brethren in Christ and then to all men. As you follow these directions of love, you form the cross. God's greatest expression of His love for us is seen at Calvary. Because God so loved us, we are commanded to love one another.
II. MURDER AND HATRED, 12-15.
Before telling us precisely what love is, we are first told what it is not in verse 12. “Not as Cain, who was of the evil one, and slew his brother. And for what reason did he slay him? Because his deeds were evil, and his brother's were righteous.”
Cain killing his brother Abel is the classic example of where the loss of brotherly love can lead. The first murder was when Cain killed his brother Abel (Gen. 4:1-8). In slaying his brother, Cain proved that he was of the evil one. The devil has been a murderer from the beginning (John 8:44). His origin and orientation is rebellion, lies, hate and murder.
It is indicated in verse 12 that people who are morally upright expose and shame those who aren't. Because Cain's works were evil and unacceptable to God and those of Abel were righteous and acceptable to God, Cain became jealous. This resentment festered until it became hatred and then ended in murder. Murder is in the heart before it is in the hand. It came out of his character and attitude. Therefore Scripture warns against having the wrong attitude toward others (Mt. 5: 21-24). Hatred has no place in the Christian's heart, neither toward another Christian or any other person. The only thing a Christian should hate is sin.
Our love for each other is needed and necessary for as verse 13 states, the world hates the righteous. “Do not marvel, brethren, if the world hates you,”
People who are morally upright and live in the light of God's love expose the evil of this world. The unrighteous then become painfully aware that their deeds and life are unacceptable, but most will not come to Jesus and repent and be changed. Instead they try to bring down those living in righteousness. Don’t be shocked or worried if the world despises you because your life makes them painfully aware of their immoral way of living. They hate what is good instead of fleeing from evil. Satan controls people through their raging anger, causing them to murder reputations and speak lies. How horrible to live on the same level as Satan.
A hunter took refuge IN A CAVE during a rainstorm. After he had dried out a bit, he decided to investigate his temporary home and turned on his flashlight. Imagine his surprise when he discovered he was sharing the cave with an assortment of spiders, lizards, and snakes! His exit was a fast one.
The unsaved world only sees how it is living when a Christian shines the light of Christ upon their hateful attitudes and the lies fostered by that old serpent Satan and his demonic hordes. But since they live in darkness, they try to cover up their uncomfortableness of their true nature with open rebellion or religious rites and exercises. People who refuse to come to the light but continue living under Satan's influence will eventually be cast into outer darkness with their leader to be separated from God and His people forever.
Verse 14 gives us a way to test the reality of our Christianity. “We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love, abides in death.”
“Love” means life and refusal to love means death. The dark world full of devilish hate may think and do what it pleases about us, but we are different. What makes us different is the “certain knowledge that we have left the culture of death” for the sphere of life. This knowledge is part of a believer’s awaken consciousness (oidaman).
Yes, bless God, “we have passed out of death into life” (Jn. 5:24). The Greek perfect tense indicates a permanent abiding result because of a past action. When we accepted Jesus as our Lord and Savior we have passed into a new abode, and we live and abide there. The definitive sign, the proof, that we have made this eternal passage, from death into life, is love for the brethren. The natural state of man is selfishness. To love others is the proof that the natural, the old state, has been abandoned. If we have the state or position of life we will have the activity or disposition of love.
If love is not present, then you remain in your original state, abode or condition, which is death. He who does not love is still within the realm of the death culture. [Those that love can experience hatred and persecution from those still in death.]
Verse 15 testifies that hatred of some other believer is the moral equivalent of murder. “Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer; and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.”
Hatred of a brother is tantamount to murder. Hatred is the wish that the other person was no longer here. The presence of murderous hatred is an indication that one does not belong to the family of God. You may be thinking, yes I have hated but I have never murdered anyone. John is echoing Jesus' words that whoever hates another person is a murderer at heart (Mt. 5:21-22). Christianity begins in the heart, outward compliance alone is not sufficient.
A visitor at THE ZOO was chatting with the keeper of the lion house. "I have a cat at home," said the visitor, "and your lions act just like my cat. Look at them sleeping so peacefully! It seems a shame that you have to put those beautiful creatures behind bars."
“My friend," the keeper laughed, "these may look like your cat, but their disposition is radically different. There's murder in their hearts. You'd better be glad the bars are there."
The only reason some people have never actually murdered anyone is because of the "bars" that have been put up: the fear of arrest, the penalties of the law, and the possibility of death or retribution. The question of guilt is not so much what did you do but what did you want to do.
[Bitterness against someone who has wronged you is an evil cancer within you that can destroy you. Don't let a bitter root (Heb. 12:15) grow in you or your church.
Hatred that is continually nurtured yields A BITTER FRUIT. One of the worst cases of hatred I have ever heard of is found in a will written in 1935 by a Mr. Donahue. It said, "Unto my two daughters, Frances Marie and Denise Victoria, by reason of their unfilial attitude toward a doting father, ... I leave the sum of $1.00 to each and a father's curse. May their lives be fraught with misery, unhappiness, and poignant sorrow. May their deaths be soon and of a lingering malignant and torturous nature." The last line of the will is so vicious I shudder to quote it. It reads, "May their souls rest in hell and suffer the torments of the condemned for eternity."
Such utter contempt didn't develop in a day. It had to grow over a long period of time. We should never allow our minds to become fertile soil for the seeds of hatred. We would do ourselves a world of good by heeding Ephesians 4:26. “Do not let the sun go down on your anger.” And James gave wise counsel when he told us to "be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God" (1:19-20).
Let's not forget that "whoever hates his brother is a murderer.” How important it is, therefore, never to nurture hatred's bitter fruit!]
III. LOVE OR INDIFFERENCE, 16-18.
Contrasted against the backdrop of vindictive hatred verse 16 reveals the nature of God’s love. “We know love by this, that He laid down His life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.”
The test of Christian love is not simply failure to do evil to others. Love also involves doing them good. Christian love is both positive and negative. "Cease to do evil; learn to do well" (Isa. 1:16-17). Notice that John defines love as the laying down of one’s life for others (Jn. 15:13). Love is a readiness to do good for other people. Love is a preparedness to give up one’s life or part of one’s life so that others may live. Love means saying no to one’s own life so that another may live. [Marshall, I. Howard. The Epistles of John. Eerdmans. 1978. Grand Rapids. p. 193.]
In other words the love of Christ goes far BEYOND FEELINGS and much deeper than words. Feelings will often play a part in love, but they are never the whole picture.
We were not saved by God's feelings. We were rescued by the sacrificial, blood-soaked struggle of God's love in action. For the love of Jesus is displayed in the vulnerability, humility, and obedience at the cross. It is not a passive love. At Calvary, Jesus runs headlong into the war, engaging intensely with all, that stands in His path, no, in our path. Words like grace and mercy can sound so warm and carefree in certain contexts-but there is nothing soft or fluffy about them in at the cross. There is blood on the battlefield and a tremendously painful cost in His act of submission and obedience. The love of Jesus is not just tender affection or heart-warming sympathy. It is not always the softened, warm fuzzy picture we might see on Christmas cards. This is a bold and brave love, journeying into the thick of the fight to rescue the objects of its affection. During the deep surrender of the cross, Jesus fights the good fight, determinedly devoted to His Father and loving all of mankind with every painful, labored breath. [Matt Redman in Mirror Ball]
Real love is not just a feeling, it is an action. It produces selfless sacrificial service. Christ did not simply talk about love, He proved it. God’s love is full of blood, sweat, cries of anguish, and tears. He suffered for you, He fights for you. He fights with you. He willingly laid down His life (Jn. 15:13). Self-preservation is a law of physical life, self-sacrifice is the way of spiritual life.
The greatest act of love is giving one's life for others. It is seen in serving others with no thought of receiving anything in return. It is easy to talk about loving the brethren and neglect to help a single believer. Christian love is personal and active.
God’s love produces self-sacrifice. Christ gave His life as a sacrifice on the cross to save others. I wonder how many people Christians influence each week at home, work, school, and in social situations? Do we model Christ’s love before them? Are we willing to lay down our lives for them? Are we prepared to meet the greatest need(s) of others in spite of the cost in self-sacrifice?
[Jesus illustrated loves sacrificial concern in the story of the Good Samaritan (Lk 10:25-27). A lawyer wanted to talk in the abstract. "Who is my neighbor?" Jesus focused in on one man in need. "Let us do good to all men, especially to those who are of the household of faith" (Gal. 6:10).]
[How might focusing more on the actions rather than the feelings of love change the way I think about love?]
Verses 17 & 18 show us how we can lay down our lives for others. It is done by helping those who are in need. Verse 17 calls Christians to generous material acts of kindness to a brother or sister in need. “But whoever has the world's goods, and beholds his brother in need and closes his heart against him, how does the love of God abide in him?”
The word translated behold or sees is theoreo from which the word "theater" is derived. It denotes a sustained look which is depicted by one looking at a drama on stage. In the stage of life we need to look and see our brother who is in real need and not slam the door of our heart or compassion against him.
Several children were playing in the yard when, suddenly, a PIERCING SCREAM rends the air. The casualty comes running into the house, crying as though mortally wounded. An older brother follows his wailing sister in and, conditioned by previous experience, protests, "I didn't do anything."
No doubt, those words have been employed by countless generations of children as a defense against parental discipline. But, in the mouth of a mature Christian, "I didn't do anything," can be an admission of guilt. For, when one has the ability to help brothers and sisters in Christ, not to do anything - is to do wrong.
A member of a church I pastored lost his job when the plant where he worked shut down. Soon afterward, he was hospitalized. Expenses mounted as income dwindled. Another member of the church came with a check in hand and said, "The Lord has blessed our family with a steady income. We feel that He wants us to share our blessing with you." The money was useful; but the expression of love in their need was overwhelming.
Verse 18 is a fitting though to concluded our lesson on love. “Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth.”
Christian love means loving in deed and truth. To “love in word” means to simply talk about a need. To love in deed means to do something about meeting it. To love in truth means to genuinely love a person with the heart and not just the tongue. Genuine love is practical, visible and active. It comes with concrete actions.
"I'm not A TALENTED GUY," says John Herman. "I don't sing, I don't preach, I don't teach. I guess I'm just here to help people."
For Kirk Porter, that's enough. For the past 25 years, through the Big Brother program, John has been faithfully helping Kirk make it through life. Kirk, who is now in his early thirties but has the mental capacity of an 11-year-old, calls John "the best dad in the whole world." The countless hours they have spent together have forged a bond of friendship that supports Kirk as he battles a brain tumor.
John Herman is wrong. He is a talented guy. He has the talent of helping the helpless--which is a sign of true religion (Jas. 1:27). He is giving the kind of love that Jesus calls us to give (1 Jn. 3:17). He has the talent to give of himself, to share his life, and to make life easier for someone who has nothing but love to give in return.
The talent to care is the most underrated talent God gives. Caring, loving and nurturing have value that transcends the high-profile talents that put people in the spotlight.
As Kirk faces life in hospice care, awaiting the inevitable results of his disease, he says with confidence, "I'm not scared now. I have Jesus on my side." He has John Herman too. That's an unbeatable combination.
A slap on the back and a God bless you will not fill hungry stomachs or put clothes on cold bodies. If you have the ability to help a needy Christian brother, you should do so.
A book on the care of family members stricken by Alzheimer's disease is well named--THE 36-HOUR DAY. Days can seem long for those caring for Alzheimer's victims.
"The thing that gets to you," said my brother while caring for our father in an advanced stage of Alzheimer's, "is always being on duty--24 hours a day, 7 days a week, with no time off for good behavior."
My brother and sister-in-law can identify with another lady caring for her mother who was asked if she could turn to her church family for help she replied: "A number of people assure me of their prayers. Occasionally someone says, 'Let me know if I can do anything.' What really makes a difference is the friend who shows up on Saturday to stay with Mom and gives me the day off."
According to John, love is a verb, not a noun. It loses much of its meaning when reduced to sentimentality that is similar to eating cotton-candy.
A young woman backpacking in Colorado encountered another WOMAN HOBBLING down a mountain trail. On one foot she wore an improvised shoe made of green twigs wrapped with a strip of cloth. “Lost one boot crossing a stream," she explained. "Hope I can get down the mountain before dark."
The other hiker reached into her pack & took out a sport sandal. “Wear this," she said. "You can mail it to me when you get home."
The woman gracefully accepted the sandal & set off down the trail. A few days later the sandal arrived in the mail with a note saying: "I passed several people who noticed my predicament, but you're the only one who offered any help. It made all the difference. Thanks for sharing your sandal with me."
The Bible says love can be seen and touched-it's tangible. It may be as big as the Good Samaritan's care for an injured man (Lk. 10:30-37) or as small as a cup of cold water given in Jesus' name (Mt. 10:42). Real love takes action. The Bible says, "Let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth.” You may give without loving, but you can't love without giving. On the trail of life today, when we meet a hobbler, let's offer a sandal in love. [DCM. Our Daily Bread]
In CLOSING You may intellectually understand that Jesus loves you, but you will not know His love until you experience the benefits of it. Jesus laid down His life on an old rugged cross so that you might have life, life everlasting. If you will come forward right now, right here, you can experience the benefit, the salvation, that the love of Jesus is offering you. Will you come and know love? You and meet the One who loves you better, deeper, greater, higher than any one else does. He and He alone died for your sin that you might receive forgiveness and come to know Him. If the Spirit is tugging at your heart, you come.
Do you already know love? Do you already know Jesus? Do you already have a personal relationship with Him who loves you so? Have you already placed you faith in Him as your Lord and Savior? Do yo have a living faith? A living faith is a working faith. A faithful Christian is love in action. Do you have love for the brethren? Are you laying your life down for others? Do yo have a living faith? A living faith is a working faith.
[A TEST OF LOVE] A story about a PROFESSOR OF PSYCHOLOGY illustrates the difference between showing love and simply talking about it. The man had no children of his own, but whenever he saw a neighbor scolding a child for some wrongdoing he would say, "You should love your boy, not punish him." One hot summer day the professor was repairing his concrete driveway. Tired after several hours of work, he laid down the trowel, wiped the perspiration from his forehead, and started toward the house. Just then, out of the corner of his eye, he saw a mischievous little boy putting his foot in the fresh cement. He rushed over, grabbed him, and was about to spank him when a neighbor leaned out his window and said, "Watch it, Professor! Don't you remember? You must love the child!" At this, he yelled back furiously, "I do love him in the abstract but not in the concrete!"
How easy it is to talk sentimentally about love as an intangible thing! But it's much more difficult to put it into practice in the trying situations of real life.
This is the way we can test if we love: Is your love tangible in deed or is it still abstract or in word? Try loving in deed and in compassion. It is the test of real love.
Do you love each person here today? Do you love them in word & in deed? Your words may mask the truth. Your deeds will prove the truth.
“Once more John’s approach helps us to understand a little better the nature of the false teaching. These young Christians have been turned toward a theoretical kind of faith in the place of the realistic and concrete faith that they had first discovered in Jesus Christ. John draws together the theology and the ethics of true Christian faith; that united whole is the inseparable mixture of word and work. Jesus Christ did not speak the word of forgiveness to humanity; Jesus Christ is in Himself that very forgiveness; it was not salvation by mimeograph but salvation by costly love. Our Lord always combined within His ministry what he said and what he did so that the two are inseparable. This is why we cannot develop an elaborate theology about the words of Jesus and His teaching apart from the events of Jesus. The Cross and the empty tomb are essential to our faith because Jesus is both what He said and what He did. Otherwise we are in danger of developing a theology of Christian ideology and theory, and when that happens the truly radical nature of Christian faith has been totally subverted. But Christian faith is radical. God has spoken for Himself, the Word become flesh.” [Palmer, Earl. The Preacher's Commentary Series, Vol 35: 1, 2 & 3 John / Revelation. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc, 1982, S. 52.] This Word and work reality is absolutely essential to our faith.
