“Loving Your Brother”
The True Sign of Transformation
1 John 2:7-11
Review/Introduction
John lived and served day and night with Jesus for three plus years. After the death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus, he recorded what Jesus said and did for us to read to this day. We would call him an eyewitness to the historical Jesus. John’s letter to Christians some years later reminded them that Jesus was real. John heard and saw and touched Him. What he saw and heard completely impacted his life. Two riveting themes run through the letter.
Intimate relationship with the God who is light and love.
The greatness and goodness of God!
The bulk of the letter expands on those two themes and explores the implications for those who want to have intimate relationship with this God.
I. GOD IS LIGHT
A. THE MESSAGE 1:5
God is light and not one speck of darkness can be found anywhere in his character.
B. The Implications 1:6-4:6
Continually walk (live) in the Light
We will continually have fellowship with one another
The blood of Jesus Christ will continually cleanse us from all sin.
Continually confess sin 7-10
1. He will forgive our sin (restore fellowship)
2. He will cleanse us (deal with what caused the sin)
3. Rely on your advocate 2:1-2
We have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ
4. Give attention to His instructions 2:3-6
John wrote how we could be sure that we really know Jesus. There are numerous degrees of knowing someone.
Awareness – acquaintance – associate – allegiance – affection or adoration
John uses the word “know” in the sense of an intimate relational knowledge characterized by adoration and affection. John employed the word “fellowship or mutual partnership in the first chapter. John revealed the major indicator that we have reached the top level of relationship with Jesus.
we know that we have come to know Him by this -- if we keep His commandments.
“Keep” -- John used a present tense verb indicating continual action; continually keep.
The meaning of the word has to do with guarding (as in guarding a prisoner), watch, keep your eyes fixed upon, keep in view, apply oneself to, pay attention, observe, be vigilant, and obey
The sure indicator of intimate relationship with Christ is close attention to the words and teaching of Christ. Jesus Himself indicated that all the commandments could be rolled into two.
Love God passionately.
Love others persistently.
John reinforced the main thought by some further explanation.
The one saying, "I have come to know Him," and not keeping His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him; but whoever keeps His word, the love of God has truly been perfected in him.
Further, John summarizes the response of one who really knows Jesus, the one who has an intimate relationship with Jesus.
we know that we are in Him(know Him, abide in Him, have fellowship with Him by this…
the one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked
God the Father and God the Son are beings of absolute light and purity.
If we want to develop and maintain an intimate level of communion, fellowship, knowledge, closeness, we must continually live in the light, confess and expose our areas of darkness, rely on the advocacy of Jesus when we fail to live in the light, give serious attention to His instruction and wishes, live as He lived.
5. Live in love for one another 2:7-11
It is not enough to live in the light. We must also live in love for God is not only light but love.
To be filled with His light is to be filled with His love. Living in His light (keeping His commandments) perfects His love in us. His love inspires our obedience. Our obedience inspires His love. Today’s message is quite clear and equally simple.
God’s light radiates God’s love. You cannot live in His light and love and not love one another.
All those who abide in the light love one another.
All those who abide in darkness hate one another.
If you love one another, you are abiding in the light.
If you hate one another, you are living in the darkness.
Our interaction with others indicates the sphere in which we walk.
Living in the light = love Living in the darkness = hate
John penned five statements in five verses related to his theme.
a) I am not writing a new commandment 2:7
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 which you have heard. 1 John 2:7
Having thundered a bit with some tough black and white statements intended to disarm the false teachers and expose the hypocrites, John tenderly reminded his readers how much he really cared for them.
“Beloved” or dearly loved ones (used 5 other times in this letter alone.)
What I am about to say about loving one another is really not new or something you haven’t heard before. This is a command that has been around from the beginning. John identified the specific command later. It is the command having to do with loving our neighbor. The beginning is the beginning of the time God communicated His was to mankind. Half of the Ten Commandments deal with our relationship with each other.
'You shall not hate your fellow countryman in your heart; you may surely reprove your neighbor, but shall not incur sin because of him. 'You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the sons of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself; I am the LORD. Leviticus 19:17-18
'When a stranger resides with you in your land, you shall not do him wrong. 'The stranger who resides with you shall be to you as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt; I am the LORD your God. Leviticus 19:33-34
For this is the message which you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another; 1Jo 3:11
Now I ask you, lady, not as though I were writing to you a new commandment, but the one which we have had from the beginning, that we love one another. 2 John 1:5
The concept of loving your neighbor was not foreign to their learning but to their living.
b) Yet I am writing a new commandment 2:8
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. 1 John 2:8
Jesus called it a new commandment.
"A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. "By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another." John 13:34-35
"This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you. John 15:12
"This I command you, that you love one another. John 15:17
In what sense is this commandment new? The word “new” could indicate new as in never having existed. It could also refer to new as in fresh, or renewed.
Jesus brought new light to an old commandment by demonstrating what God’s love really looked like. Listen to him impart new meaning to the old commandment.
"You have heard that the ancients were told, 'YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT MURDER' and 'Whoever commits murder shall be liable to the court.' "But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother shall be guilty before the court; and whoever says to his brother, 'You good-for-nothing,' shall be guilty before the supreme court; and whoever says, 'You fool,' shall be guilty enough to go into the fiery hell. "Therefore if you are presenting your offering at the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your offering there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother, and then come and present your offering. Matthew 5:21-24
"You have heard that it was said, 'YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR and hate your enemy.' "But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. "For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? "If you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? "Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect. Matthew 5:43-48
And a lawyer stood up and put Him to the test, saying, "Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?" And He said to him, "What is written in the Law? How does it read to you?" And he answered, "YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR STRENGTH, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND; AND YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF." And He said to him, "You have answered correctly; DO THIS AND YOU WILL LIVE." But wishing to justify himself, he said to Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?" Luke 10:25-29
Jesus then taught the parable of the Good Samaritan to demonstrate a new perspective on just who I should consider to be my neighbor.
"Which of these three do you think proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell into the robbers' hands?" And he said, "The one who showed mercy toward him." Then Jesus said to him, "Go and do the same." Lu10:36-37
God’s original command has not changed but Jesus provided fresh perspective that had been lost through centuries of truth dodging by hard-hearted sinners.
This new perspective was perfectly lived out by Jesus and had begun to find expression His followers.
“which is true in Him and in you”
Such love for people would be the defining characteristic of the followers of Jesus.
"A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. "By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another." John 13:34-35
This God-inspired love had begun to chase away the darkness.
because the darkness is passing away and the true Light is already shining. 1 John 2:8
c) Those hating, live in the dark no matter what they say 2:9
The one who says he is in the Light and yet hates his brother is in the darkness until now. 1 John 2:9
“hate” = feeling of animosity, aversion, repulsion, indifference, hostility toward someone or something. We use the word in our language to represent varying degrees of aversion.
Hate sweet potatoes. Hate to lose. Hate liars. Hate to be sick. The actions which stem from the feelings also vary
Avoidance to physical assault -- Silence to verbal assault
God’s light creates a world of loving relationships wherever it shines. Hatred, strife, hostility aversion, animosity are characteristics of a world without His light or love. If our relationships are characterized by those things, we are living in spiritual darkness. God so loved the world that He gave. God came to save the ones walking in darkness. God came to restore community.
A life characterized by anything but the love of God promotes darkness not light.
d) Those loving, live in the light and don’t stumble 2:10
The one who loves his brother abides in the Light and there is no cause for stumbling in him. 1 John 2:10
Continual pursuit of God’s light motivates God’s love. God’s light enables us to maintain an eternal perspective on people and life. The ability to perceive as God perceives removes cause for stumbling. Peter wrote about developing moral excellence, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness and genuine love. Then he made a statement concerning the result of such a continual development.
for as long as you practice these things, you will never stumble; 2 Peter 1:10
James affirmed that if we can control our hurtful speech we will never stumble.
For we all stumble in many ways. If anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to bridle the whole body as well. James 3:2
e) Those hating stumble around in the darkness 2:11
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. 1 John 2:11
Relational discord trips us up every time. Anger, hatred and bitterness cause us to be blind to God’s purposes as well as our own faults and failures. That is why Jesus talked about dealing with the log in our own eye before attempting to address the speck in the eye of someone else.
Hatred energized demonic forces to carry out their evil schemes.
This is a major theme of John’s letter. Fellowship with God, knowing, in, abiding, love of God all describe intimate relationship with the God who is light and love. The evidence of the depth of one’s relationship with God is their obedience to His commands. Love Him passionately.
Love those made in his image persistently. He revisits this truth three more times with even greater thunder.
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. For this is the message which you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another; 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. 1 John 3:10-12
We know love by this, that He laid down His life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. But whoever has the world's goods, and sees his brother in need and closes his heart against him, how does the love of God abide in him? Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth. 1 John 3:16-18
We love, because He first loved us. If someone says, "I love God," and hates his brother, he is a liar; for the one who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen. And this commandment we have from Him, that the one who loves God should love his brother also. 1 John 4:19-21
Every person is an image bearer of their Creator. As marred as it may be, every person has worth and value. God is in the redemption business. We have been called by God to manifest His light and love in a dark world or broken relationships. We have been called to model community as God intended it. The church ought to be the place where God’s loving community can be seen. They will know they are Christians by their life. The children of the world and the children of God are to be distinguished by the quality of their relationships.
The fruit of the Spirit identified by Paul in Galatians 5 has mostly to do with relationships.
The deeds of the flesh mostly describe broken relationships.
Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love, being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. Ephesians 4:1-3
Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you. Ephesians 4:31-32
The gage of the level of your spiritual maturity…
The means to determine the depth of your relationship with God…
The way to really determine if you are walking in God’s light…
…is the quality of your relationship with people.
If God is love and you abide in Him, and He in you and has poured out His love in you by the Holy Spirit then it naturally follows that our life will also be characterized by love for God, for our family for our brothers and sisters, for the needy, for the unlovely and yes even our enemies.
Let God’s light shine into your life this morning and reveal any cause for stumbling.
Failure to love as God directs, bitterness, hatred, animosity toward others
It will not only cause your growth to be stunted, but will cause you to stumble in the darkness of broken relationships.
