Legacy of Love

Mike Beck

Sermon • Submitted a year ago • Presented a year ago

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Introduction

One of the key themes of 1 John is fellowship. And the key to having that great fellowship with the Lord and with each other is love.

Now, listen—love, today, is…well, it’s sort of a word that we pass by. It’s kind of worn out. But, I want you to learn from the Word of God today the legacy of love. And, when you see it, you’re going to realize —that even if we were utterly selfish—utterly selfish—we would want to love. Of course, we can’t be selfish and love, so that’s really a contradiction. But, look at God’s Word, and you’ll understand what I’m talking about—beginning here in John chapter 3, verse 11, and we’re going to read all the way down to verse 24.

1 John 3:11–13 ESV

For this is the message that you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another. We should not be like Cain, who was of the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own deeds were evil and his brother’s righteous. Do not be surprised, brothers, that the world hates you.

1 John 3:14–16 ESV

We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers. Whoever does not love abides in death. Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him. By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers.

1 John 3:17–19 ESV

But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him? Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth. By this we shall know that we are of the truth and reassure our heart before him;

1 John 3:20–22 ESV

for whenever our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and he knows everything. Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God; and whatever we ask we receive from him, because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him.

1 John 3:23–24 ESV

And this is his commandment, that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us. Whoever keeps his commandments abides in God, and God in him. And by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit whom he has given us.

He mentions here four levels of life. Let’s start at the lowest level of life, and that is murder.

*Murder

Look, if you will, in verse 11 again:

1 John 3:11–12 ESV

Adam had two sons. One was a martyr, and one was a missionary. Cain slew Abel. By the way, the first murder was over religion. That’s what the Bible says here: it was over religion. Cain hated Abel’s religion, and Abel was a martyr for the faith. False religion is almost always murderous. It comes from the devil. Jesus said he’s a thief that comes to kill, and to steal, and to destroy (John 10:10). That’s the lowest level of life. That’s of the devil. That’s murder.

All right. Now, let’s move on to the next level—not much higher. But, look, if you will now, in verses 13 -15:

*Hatred

1 John 3:13–15 ESV

Do not be surprised, brothers, that the world hates you. We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers. Whoever does not love abides in death. Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.

Now, the next level—not murder, but hatred. You say, “Well, I’ve never killed anybody.” But, John says, “If you have hate in your heart, God wrote it down in His ledger as murder.” Now, you might not have pulled the trigger; but in God’s sight, God might see you as a murderer-vs. 15

I remember hearing about a woman who went to the doctor. She’d been bitten by a rabid animal and the doc said, “Yes, you do. You have rabies.” And, she got out a pen and a piece of paper and began to write. He said, “What are you doing—making out your will?” She said, “No, I’m making a list of people I’m going to bite.” There are people just like that—filled with hatred. God writes it down as murder. That’s another level of life.

*Indifference

But then, there’s another level—a little higher, but not a whole lot better. It’s not murder or hatred, but it is indifference.

1 John 3:17 ESV

But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him?

Now, there are many who say, “Well, I’m not a murderer, and I don’t hate people; I just go my way. I do my thing, and I let them do their thing.” And, you’re indifferent. That, too, my friend, is not of God. Jesus gave a whole parable—the parable of the Good Samaritan—about those who passed the man by who had been beaten, and bruised, and bloodied, and left for dead. The world is full of the beater-uppers and the passer-uppers, but thank God there are some picker uppers.

So ignoring people isn’t really the way either.

Now, those are three levels of life, and we’re not going to deal with those. But, I want to deal with the fourth level. That’s the level of the child of God, those who are saved—and that is the level of love.

*The Level of Love

Not murder, not hatred, not indifference, but love. I just want to take just a little moment and tell you of the great, great, immeasurable value of love. I looked up some scriptures; I want to share them with you.- jot down the references. About why love is so very, very important.

1. Love Is the Greatest Virtue

Number one: It is absolutely the greatest virtue. 1 Corinthians 13: 1-2

1 Corinthians 13:1–2 ESV

If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.

We are like the gong show, just banging away, no one wants to hear that, we all wince! Our words without love are nothing. It’s the greatest virtue.

2. Love Is the Greatest Commandment

Matthew 22:36–40 ESV

“Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.”

What He says—you can take the Ten Commandments; you can take the Pentateuch; you can take Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations—you can take it all and just write down this: love God with all of your heart; love your neighbor as yourself. That’s it. That’s it—the whole thing summed up. Love is the greatest virtue. Love is the greatest commandment. And, by the way, if love is the greatest commandment, what is the greatest sin? Not to love, because you’ve broken the greatest commandment—not to love God, not to love your brother.

3. Love Is the Greatest Testimony

Listen, love is the greatest testimony.

John 13:35 ESV

By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

You don’t have to have a lapel pin; you don’t have to have a bumper sticker. Showing and giving love is the best testimony we have.

4. Love Is the Greatest Motivation

It is the greatest motivation. What motivates me? What motivates you?

2 Corinthians 5:14 ESV

For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died;

5. It Is the Greatest Investment You Will Ever Make

I want to say that love is also the greatest investment you’ll ever make. Some days as a parent, you just kinda throw your hands up, and you just don’t really know what to do- just keep loving.

Some times in marriage, same thing, just keep loving.

So those are just summarizing what love is and how important it is.

Now we get into what John is saying here in Chapter 3. He’s giving us three things we received, three benefits and blessings from love,

when we learn to love, when we pass on what we are calling the legacy of love.

the first one is a good conscience.

I. A Good Conscience

Now, first of all, let’s look, if we can, at how we can have a good conscience when we love. Now, notice in verse 19:

1 John 3:19 ESV

By this we shall know that we are of the truth and reassure our heart before him;

Reassure our heart! What causes your heart to condemn you?or lack assurance? Lack of love. When you have malice in your heart—when you have hatred in your heart—you have a condemning heart. God has wired you that way. If you’re saved—if you’re born again—you cannot fail to love and have confidence.

Now, we’re talking about the word conscience. You say, “I don’t see the word conscience there.” Well, in the Bible, the word conscience and the word heart are often used interchangeably. Now, when you have love in your heart, you’re going to find a wonderful thing—that your conscience is going to be clear.

Now, your conscience is not an enemy; your conscience is a friend—is something unique put in you that God did not put into animals. Have you ever thought about it? Animals cannot blush, and animals can’t laugh. Man has a conscience.

It is an ability to concentrate our actions and to make moral judgments. And, the Bible teaches that all of us should have a good conscience.

There is absolutely no way that you can have a good conscience without love. When you love, you’ll make it right; and when you make it right, you have that transparency. Now friend, that’ll do you more good than a sleeping pill. It brings assurance to your heart.

1 John 3:20 ESV

for whenever our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and he knows everything.

Your heart will condemn you, and you will never have a good conscience until you learn to love.

II. A Great Confidence

Here’s the second legacy of love—not only a good conscience, but a great confidence. Now, notice how one folds into another.

1 John 3:19–21 ESV

By this we shall know that we are of the truth and reassure our heart before him; for whenever our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and he knows everything. Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God;

Confidence—boldness. First of all, my heart doesn’t condemn me, When my heart doesn’t condemn me, then I have confidence toward God—boldness in the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ.

“Well,” you say, “What good is this confidence?” Well, this confidence, that you have with God—this confident heart that comes out of a clean conscience—is what helps you to pray and get your prayers answered.

1 John 3:21–22 ESV

Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God; and whatever we ask we receive from him, because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him.

it’s all linked together.

Now, what commandments is he talking about? Well, just go down to verse 23—the last part:

1 John 3:23 ESV

And this is his commandment, that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us.

That’s what he’s talking about.

How do you get your prayers answered? Have a good conscience. What does that do? It gives you a great confidence, and you can come to God and ask in His name and get your prayer answered. The Bible says, “If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me” (Psalm 66:18). That’s a prayer promise that we don’t like to quote, but that’s one of the promises. That’s a prayer promise.

III. A Gracious Communion

Now, here’s the third legacy of love—it gives a gracious communion. Look, if you will now, in verses 23 and 24:

1 John 3:23–24 ESV

The Holy Spirit—just whispering to us that we belong to God. The Lord is real to us. That’s the ministry of the Holy Spirit—to take the things of Jesus and to show them to us. Look, when I learned to love and I lived by love, I’m going to have a good conscience. And, when I have a good conscience, I’m going to have a great confidence. And, when I have a great confidence, I’m going to have a gracious communion. I mean, the Holy Spirit is going to be whispering to my heart that I belong to Jesus Christ and He to me.

That is vital to having love, we have to have that communion with the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit. What does the Spirit give us…?

A. The Witness of the Spirit

Do you know the reason that some Christians doubt their salvation? They don’t have the witness of the Spirit. And, how do you know that you’re saved—because some preacher has told you that you’re saved? Or, does God’s Spirit bear witness with your spirit that you’re a child of God (Romans 8:16)? He’s your witness! He’ll remind you that you belong to the Lord! abiding in the Spirit of God, that gracious communion; and you will have that as koinonia— that fellowship he’s been talking about, that’s that word that goes all the way through the Book of 1 John.

B. The Grieving of the Spirit

When we don’t love, when you give a place to the devil, what do you do? Well, you grieve the Holy Spirit because the Holy Spirit is resident in your heart and in your life when you’re saved—

Ephesians 4:30–31 (ESV)

And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice.

now, if you have anger in your heart—if love is not there—that doesn’t mean that the Holy Spirit of God forsakes you. He cannot—he will not. You are sealed by the Holy Spirit unto the day of redemption. Do you see that? It’s one of the great verses on eternal security. You are sealed by the Holy Spirit. and let everything else, except love, “be put away”

What grieves the Spirit?- bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, slander, malice...

*Bitterness

Now, what grieves the Holy Spirit? These things right here, and I want you to look at them. First of all, he says “bitterness.” Do you know what bitterness is? Somebody’s hurt you; somebody’s done you wrong.

*Wrath

Now, watch this—bitterness turns to wrath. Do you know what the word wrath means? The word wrath has the idea of heat, something burning, sort of a slow burn. The best illustration I can give you of this is to think of some oily rags in an attic or a closet, smoldering—or just the heat building up.

*Anger

What is anger? What’s the difference between wrath and anger? Well, wrath is that slow burn, but anger is when somebody opens the door, and the oxygen hits those rags, and they burst into flame.

*Clamor

Now, watch it—bitterness turns to wrath; wrath turns to anger. And, what does anger turn to? Clamor. What is clamor? That’s speaking loudly. You’re wrong. Don’t shout. I’m not shouting. And, you begin to…you get your voice loud. You begin to say things, and you get on a roll.

*Slander/Evil Speaking

And then, watch this—clamor turns to evil speaking. Then, you begin to say things you would never have said, but you’re on a roll now. And, you begin to say to your loved one, …awful things. The devil says, “Tell them more—tell them more.” And, you say these awful, terrible, hurtful, horrible things. The Bible calls that slander.

*Malice And then, he says “malice.” You know what that is? That’s when evil speaking turns to the desire to hurt somebody. “To do malice” means to actually harm them. You may wan to hurt them financially, emotionally, physically. You look back—you say, “My God, how did I do that?” I’ll tell you how you did it: you weren’t abiding; you weren’t Spirit-filled. You let the sun go down upon your wrath. You gave a place to the devil, and you grieved the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit’s a dove. He’s not a lion; He’s a dove. You can grieve the Holy Spirit. By the way, the Holy Spirit is a person. I can’t grieve that piano. You can only grieve a person. And, by the way, you can only grieve somebody who loves you. Grieve is a love word. Your neighbors’ kids will tick you off ; your own kids will grieve you. Amen? You can only grieve somebody that loves you. You see, the Holy Spirit of God loves you; but when you don’t love, you grieve the Spirit of God, and He closes up, and He withdraws, and you don’t have that communion with God that you ought.

Oh, but the legacy of love! When you love, you have a good conscience. Then, you have a great confidence. And then, you have a gracious communion. Isn’t that great? Isn’t love wonderful?

Conclusion

Well, the pastor said to love, and I’m gonna love.” And so, you just grit your teeth, and clinch your fist, and say, “I’m gonna love if it kills me.” You don’t have what it takes.

Love is not the way to God; God is the way to love. I’m gonna jump ahead but I want to finish with this verse-

1 John 4:7–8 ESV

Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.

You see, listen, the only way—that you can love is to have the love of God in your hearts. are you born of God?

You can never leave a legacy of love, without knowing God, having that close fellowship/ relationshio with Jesus.

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