Love Or Die

John's letter has been compared to a spiral staircase because he keeps returning to the same three topics: love, obedience, and truth. Though these themes recur, it is not true, however, that they are merely repetitious. Each time we return to a topic, we look at it from a different point of view and are taken more deeply into it.

We have already learned about our love for other believers- "the brethren" (2:7-11)-but the emphasis in chapter 2 was on fellowship. A believer who is “walking in the light" will prove that by loving the brethren. In our present section, the emphasis is on his relationship with other believers.

Christians love one another because they have all been born of God, which makes them all brothers (and sisters) in Christ.

Obedience and love are both evidences of sonship and brotherhood. We have been reminded that a true child of God practices righteousness (3: 1-10), and now we shall look into the matter of love for the brethren (w. 11-24). This truth is first stated in the negative - "Whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother" (v. 10).

A striking difference should be noted between the earlier and the present treatment of love for the brethren. In the section on fellowship (2:7-11), we are told that loving the brethren is a matter of light and darkness. If we do not love one another, we cannot walk in the light, no matter how loud our profession. But in this section (3:11-24) on brotherhood, the epistle probes much deeper. We are told that loving the brethren is a matter of life and death.

"He that loveth not his brother abideth in death" (v. 14).

When it comes to this matter of love, there are four possible "levels of relationship," so to speak, on which a person may live: murder (vv. 11, 12), hatred (vv. 13-15), indifference (vv. 16, 17), and Christian compassion (vv. 18-24).

The first two are not Christian, the third is less than Christian, and only the last is compatible with true Christian love.

1 Murder & Hatred (1 John 3:11, 12)

Murder, of course, is the lowest level on which one may live in a relationship with someone else. It is the level on which Satan himself exists. The devil was a murderer from the beginning of his fallen career (John 8:44), but Christians have heard, from the beginning of their experience, that they are to "love one another." John emphasizes origins: "Go back to the beginning." If our spiritual experience originates with the Father, we must love one another. But if it originates with Satan, we will hate one another.

"Let that therefore abide in you, which ye have heard from the beginning" (1 John 2:24).

Cain is an example of a life of hatred; we find the record in Genesis 4:1-16. It is important to note that Cain and Abel, being brothers, had the same parents, and they both brought sacrifices to God. Cain is not presented as an atheist; he is presented as a worshiper. And this is the point: children of the devil can masquerade as true believers. They attend religious gatherings, as Cain did. They may even bring offerings. But these actions do not prove that a man is born of God. The real test is his love for the brethren, and here, Cain failed.

Every man has a "spiritual lineage" as well as a physical one, and Cain's "spiritual father" was the devil.

This does not mean, of course, that Satan fathered Cain. It means, instead, that Cain's attitudes and actions originated with Satan. Cain was a murderer and a liar like Satan (John 8:44). He murdered his brother, and then he lied about it. "And the Lord said unto Cain, 'Where is Abel thy brother?' And he said, I know not'" (Gen. 4:9).

In contrast to this, God is love (1 John 4:8) and truth (5:6; John 14:6); therefore, those who belong to God's family practice love and truth.

The difference between Cain's and Abel’s offerings was faith (Heb. 11:4), which is always based on God’s revelation (Rom. 10:17

Romans 10:17 KJV 1900

17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

Clearly, God must have given definite instructions concerning how He was to be worshiped. Cain rejected God's Word and decided to worship in his way.

This shows his relationship to Satan, for Satan is always interested in turning people away from the revealed will of God. The devil's "Yea, hath God said?" (Gen. 3:1) was the beginning of trouble for Cain's parents and for all mankind since.

We are not told by what outward sign the Lord accepted Abel's sacrifice and rejected Cain's. It may be that He sent fire from heaven to consume Abel's sacrifice of an animal and its blood.

But we are told the results: Abel went away from the altar with God's witness of acceptance in his heart, but Cain went away angry and disappointed (4:4-6). God warned Cain that sin was crouching at the door like a dangerous beast (v. 7) but promised that if Cain would obey God, he, like Abel, would enjoy peace.

Instead of heeding God's warning, Cain listened to Satan's voice and plotted to kill his brother. His envy had turned to anger and hatred. He knew that he was evil and that his brother was righteous. Rather than repent, as God commanded him to do, he decided to destroy his brother.

Centuries later, the Pharisees did the same thing to Jesus (Mark 15:9, 10

Mark 15:10 KJV 1900

10 For he knew that the chief priests had delivered him for envy.

Jesus called them, too, children of the devil

John 8:44 KJV 1900

44 Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.

Cain's attitude represents the attitude of the present world system (1 John 3:13). The world hates Christ (John 15:18-25) for the same reason Cain hated Abel: Christ shows up the world's sin and reveals its true nature. When the world, like Cain, comes face to face with reality and truth. It can make only one of two decisions: repent and change. Or destroy the one who is exposing it.

Satan is the "prince of this world" and he controls it through murder and lies. How horrible to live on the same level as Satan!

John 14:30 KJV 1900

30 Hereafter I will not talk much with you: for the prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in me.

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 several spiders, lizards, and snakes! His exit was a fast one.

If the unsaved world could only see, it would realize that it is living on the low level of murder and lies, surrounded by that old serpent Satan and all his demonic armies. Like Cain, the people of the world try to cover up their true nature with religious rites, but they lack faith in God's Word. People who continue to live on this level will eventually be cast into outer darkness with Satan to suffer apart from God forever.

2 Hatred (1 John 3:13-15)

At this point, you are probably thinking, "But I have never murdered anyone!" And to this statement, God replies, "Yes, but remember that to a Christian, hatred is the same as murder" (v. 15; cf. Matt. 5:22).

The only difference between Level 1 and Level 2 is the outward act of taking life. The inward intent is the same.

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 must 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 and shame, the penalties of the law, and the possibility of death. But we are going to be judged by "the law of liberty" (James

2:12). The question is not so much, "What did you do?" but

"What did you want to do? What would you have done if you had been at liberty to do as you pleased?" This is why Jesus equates hatred with murder (Matt. 5:21-26) and lust with adultery (vv. 27-30).

This does not mean, of course, that hatred in the heart does the same amount of damage or involves the same degree of guilt as actual murder. Your neighbor would rather you hate him than kill him!

But in God's sight, hatred is the moral equivalent of murder, and if left unbridled it leads to murder.

A Christian has passed from death to life (John 5:24), proving that he loves the brethren.

When he belonged to the world system, he hated God's people, but now that he belongs to God, he loves them.

These verses (1 John 3:14, 15), like those that deal with habitual sin in a believer (1:5-2:6), concern a settled habit of life: a believer is in the practice of loving the brethren, even though on occasion he may be angry with a brother (Matt. 5:22-24). Occasional incidents of anger do not nullify the principle. If anything, they prove it true because a believer, out of fellowship with his fellow Christíans, is miserable! His feelings make it clear to him that something is wrong.

Notice another fact: we are not told that murderers cannot be saved. The Apostle Paul himself took a hand in the stoning of Stephen (Acts 7:57-60) and admitted that his vote helped to put innocent people to death (1 Tim. 1:12-15; Acts 26:9-11). But in His grace, God saved Paul.

The issue here is not whether a murderer can become a Christian but whether a man can continue being a murderer and still be a Christian. The answer is, No. "And ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him" (1 John 3:15b). The murderer did not once have eternal life and then lose it; he never had eternal life at all.

The fact that you have never actually murdered anyone should not make you proud or complacent.

Have you ever harbored hatred in your heart?

Hatred does the hater far more damage than anyone else (Matt. 5:21-26). In Bible times anger put a man in danger of facing the local court. Calling a brother an "empty-headed fool" put him in danger of the Sanhedrin, the highest Jewish council. But calling him a "cursed fool" put him in danger of eternal judgment in hell. Hatred that is not confessed and forsaken actually puts a man into a spiritual and emotional prison (v. 25)!

The antidote for hatred is love. "Hateful and hating one another" is the average experience of an unsaved person (Titus 3:3). But when a hateful heart opens to Jesus Christ, it becomes a loving heart. Then, instead of wanting to "murder" others through hatred, one wants to love them and share with them the message of eternal life.

Evangelist John Wesley was stopped one night by a highwayman who robbed the Methodist leader of all his money. Wesley told the man, "If the day should come that you desire to leave this evil way and live for God, remember that 'the blood of Jesus Christ cleanses from all sin.' "

Some years later, Wesley was stopped by a man after a church service. "Do you remember me?" the man asked. "I robbed you one night, and you told me that the blood of Jesus Christ cleanses from all sin. I have trusted Christ, and He has changed my life”

3 Indifference Or Good Works 1 John 3:16, 17

But the test of Christian love is not simply a 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. 1:16b, 17a).

Cain is our example of false love; Christ is the example of true Christian love. Jesus gave His life for us so that we may experience truth. Every Christian knows John 3:16, but how many of us pay much attention to 1 John 3:16? It is beautiful to experience the blessing of John 3:16; but it is even more wonderful to share that experience by obeying 1 John 3:16:

Christ laid down life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.

Christian love involves sacrifice and service. Christ did not simply talk about His love; He died to prove it (Rom 5:6-10). Jesus was not killed as a martyr; He willingly laid down His life (John 10: 11-18; 15:13).

"Self-preservation" but "self-sacrifice" is the first law of spiritual life.

But God does not ask us to lay down our lives.

He asks us to help a brother in need. John wisely turns from "the brethren" in 1 John 3:16 to the singular,

It is easy for us to talk about "loving the brethren" and to neglect to help a single other believer. Christian love is personal and active.

This is what Jesus had in mind in the parable of the good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37). A lawyer wanted to discuss an abstract subject: "Who is my neighbor?" But Jesus focused on one man in need and changed the question to, "To whom can I be a neighbor?"

Two friends were attending a conference on evangelism. During one of the sessions, Larry missed Pete.

When he saw Pete at luncheon, he said, "I missed you at the 10 o'clock session. It was really terrific! Where were you?"

"I was in the lobby talking to a bellhop about Christ. I led him to the Lord," said Pete.

There is nothing wrong with attending conferences, but it is easy to forget the individual and his needs While discussing generalities. The test of Christian love is not in loud professions about loving the whole Church but in quietly helping a brother who is in need. If we do not even help a brother, we will not likely "lay down our lives" for "the brethren."

A man does not have to murder to sin; hatred is murder in his heart. But a man need not even hate his brother to be guilty of sin. All he has to do is ignore him or be indifferent toward his needs.

A believer with material goods that can relieve his brother's needs ought to do it. To "close the door of his heart" on his brother is a kind of murder!

If I am going to help my brother, I must meet three conditions. First, I must have the means necessary to meet his need. Second, I must know that the need exists. Third, I must be loving enough to want to share.

A believer who is too poor to help, or who is ignorant of his brother's need, is not condemned. But a believer who hardens his heart against his needy brother is condemned. One reason Christians should work is so that they may be able

that needeth" (Eph. 4:28).

In these days of multiplied social agencies, it is easy for Christians to forget their obligations. "So then. while we have an opportunity, let us do good to all men, and especially to those of the household of the faith" (Gal. 6:10, NAS).

This "doing good" need not be in terms of money or material supplies. It may include personal service and the giving of oneself to others. Many individuals in our churches lack love and would welcome friendship.

In a testimony meeting, a young mother admitted that she never seemed to find time for her own personal devotions. She had several little children to care for, and the hours melted away. Imagine her surprise when two of the ladies from the church appeared at her front door.

"We've come to take over," they explained. "You go into the bedroom and get started on your devotions." After several days of this kind of help, the young mother was able to develop her devotional life so that the daily demands of her time no longer upset her.

If we want to experience and enjoy the love of God in our hearts, we must love others, even to the point of sacrifice. Being indifferent to a brother's needs means robbing ourselves of what we need even more: the love of God in our hearts. It is a matter of love or death!

4 Practicing Christ’s Love (1 John 3:18-24)

True Christian love means loving in deed and in truth. The opposite of "indeed" is "in word," and the opposite of "in truth" is "in tongue." Here is an example of love "in word":

"If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food, and one of you says to them,

'Go in peace, be warmed and be filled'; yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that?" (James 2:15, 16, NAS)

To love "in word" means to talk about a need, but to love "in deed" means to do something about meeting it. Because you have discussed a need or even prayed about it, you may think that you have done your duty, but love involves more than words- it calls for sacrificial deeds.

To love "in tongue" is the opposite of to love "in truth." It means to love insincerely. To love "in truth" means to love a person genuinely, from the heart and not just from the tongue. People are attracted by genuine love but repelled by the artificial variety.

Sinners were attracted to Jesus (Luke 15:1, 2) because they were sure He loved them sincerely.

"But does it not cost much for the believer to exercise this kind of love?"

Yes, it does. It cost Jesus Christ His life. But the beautiful benefits that come to you as by-products of this love more than compensate for any sacrifice you make. To be sure, you do not love others because you want to get something in return, but the Bible principle, "Give and it shall be given unto you" (Luke 6:38), applies to love and money.

John names three beautiful blessings that will come to a believer who practices Christian love.

1. Assurance (1 John 3:19, 20).

A believer's relationship with others affects His relationship with God.

A man who is not right with his brother should go settle the matter before he offers his sacrifice on the altar (cf. Matt. 5:23, 24). A Christian who practices love grows in his understanding of God's truth and enjoys a heart filled with confidence before God.

A "condemning heart" robs a believer of peace. An "accusing conscience" is another way to describe it. Sometimes the heart accuses us wrongly because it "is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it?" (Jer. 17:9). The answer to that question is, "God knows the heart!" More than one Christian has accused himself falsely or been harder on himself than necessary, but God will never make such a mistake. A Christian who walks in love has a heart open to God ("God is love") and knows that God never judges wrongly.

John may have remembered two incidents from Jesus' life on earth that illustrate this critical principle. When Jesus visited Bethany, He stayed at the home of Mary and Martha (Luke 10:38-42). Martha was busy preparing the meal, but Mary sat at His feet and listened to Him teach. Martha criticized both Mary and Jesus, but Jesus knew Mary's heart and defended her.

The Apostle Peter wept bitterly after he had denied His Lord, and he was undoubtedly filled with remorse and repentance for his sin. But Jesus knew that Peter had repented, and after His resurrection, the Lord sent a special message (Mark 16:7) to Peter that must have assured the hot-headed fisherman that he was forgiven. Peter's heart may have condemned him, for he knew he had denied the Lord three times, but God was greater than his heart. Jesus, knowing all things, gave Peter just the assurance he needed.

Be careful lest the devil accuse you and rob you of your confidence (Rev. 12:10). Once you confess your sin and it is forgiven, you need not allow it to accuse you anymore. Peter was able to face the Jews and say, "But ye denied the Holy One and the Just!" (Acts 3:14) because his own sin of denying Christ had been taken care of and was forgiven and forgotten.

-No Christian should treat sin lightly, but no Christian should be more demanding on himself than God is. There is a morbid kind of self-examination and self-condemnation that is not spiritual. If you practice genuine love for the brethren, your heart must be right before God, for the Holy Spirit would not "shed abroad" His love in you if there were habitual sin in your heart. When you grieve the Spirit, you "turn off' the supply of God's love (Eph. 4:30-5:2).

2. Answered Prayer (I John 3:21, 22).

Love for the brethren produces confidence toward God, and confidence toward God gives you boldness in asking for what you need. This does not mean you earn answers to prayer by loving the brethren. Instead, it means that your love for the brethren proves that you are living in the will of God where God can answer your prayer. "And whatsoever we ask, we receive of Him, because we keep His commandments.”

(v. 22). Love is the fulfilling of God's law (Rom. 13:8-10); therefore, when you love the brethren, you are obeying His commandments and He can answer your requests.

A believer's relationship to the brethren cannot be divorced from his prayer life.

If husbands and wives do not obey God’s Word, their prayers will be hindered (1 Peter 3:7).

An evangelist had preached on the Christian home.

After the meeting, a father approached him.

"I've been praying for a wayward son for years," said the father, "and God has not answered my prayers."

The evangelist read Psalm 66:18-"If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me."

"Be honest with yourself and the Lord," he said.

"Is there anything between you and another Christian that needs to be settled?"

The father hesitated, then said, "Yes, I'm afraid there is. I've harbored resentment against another man in this church."

"Then go make it right," counseled the evangelist, and he prayed with the man. Before the campaign was over, the father saw his wayward son come back to the Lord.

These verses do not give us all the conditions for answered prayer, but they emphasize the importance of obedience.

One great secret of answered prayer is obedience, and the secret of obedience is love.

"If ye love Me, keep My commandments" (John 14:15). "If ye abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. ... If ye keep My commandments, ye shall abide in My love" (John 15:7, 10a).

It is possible, of course, to keep God's commandments in a spirit of fear or servitude rather than in a spirit of love. This was the sin of the elder brother in the parable of the prodigal son (Luke 15:24-32).

A believer should keep His Father's commandments because this pleases Him. A Christian who lives to please God will discover that God finds ways to please His child. "Delight thyself also in the Lord, and He shall give thee the desires of thine heart" (Ps. 37:4).

When our delight is in the love of God, our desires will be in the will of God.

3. Abiding (1 John 3:23, 24).

When a scribe asked Jesus to name the greatest commandment, He replied, "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God." Then He added a second commandment: "Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself" (Matt. 22:34-40). But God also gives Us one commandment that takes in both God and man: "Believe in the name of His Son Jesus Christ and love one another" (1 John 3:23, NAS). Faith toward God and love toward man sum up a Christian's obligations. Christianity is "faith which worketh by love" (Gal, 516).

Faith toward God and love toward men are two sides of the same coin. It is easy to emphasize faith-correct doctrine and to neglect love. On the other hand, some say doctrine is not important and that love is our main responsibility. Both doctrine and love are essential. When a person is justified by faith, he should know that the love of God is being shed abroad in his heart (Rom. 5:1-5).

"Abiding in Christ" is a key experience for a believer who wants to have confidence in God and enjoy answers to prayer. Jesus, in His message to the disciples in the Upper Room (John 15: 1-14) illustrated "abiding." He compared His followers to the branches of a vine. So long as the branch draws its strength from the vine, it produces fruit. But if it separates itself from the vine, it withers and dies.

Jesus was not talking about salvation; He was talking about fruit-bearing. When a sinner trusts Christ, he enters into union with Christ, but maintaining communion is a moment-by-moment responsibility. Abiding depends on our obeying His Word and keeping clean (vv. 3, 10).

As we have seen when a believer walks in love, he finds it easy to obey God, and therefore he maintains a close communion with God. "If a man love Me, he will keep My words; and My Father will love him, and We will come unto him and make Our abode with him" (John 14:23).

The Holy Spirit is mentioned by name in 1 John for the first time in 3:24. John introduced us to the Holy One (2:20), emphasizing the Spirit’s anointing and teaching ministry. (This parallels John 14:26 and 16:13, 14.) But the Holy One is also the abiding Spirit (1 John 3:24; 4:13). When a believer obeys God and loves the brethren, the indwelling Holy Spirit gives him peace and confidence. The Holy Spirit abides with him forever (John 14:16), but when the Spirit is grieved, He withdraws His blessings.

The Holy Spirit is also the attesting Spirit (1 John 4:1-6), giving witness to those who are indeed God's children. When a believer abides in Christ, the Spirit guides him and warns him of false spirits that would lead him astray.

He is also the authenticating Spirit (5:6-8), bearing witness to the person and work of Jesus Christ. This witness of the Spirit is mentioned in Romans 8:14-16.

Each member of the triune Godhead is involved in the "love life" of a believer. God the Father commands us to love one another; God the Son gave His life on the cross, the supreme example of love.

And God the Holy Spirit lives within us to provide the love we need (Rom. 5:5). To abide in love is to abide in God, and to abide in God is to abide in love. Christian love is not something we "work up" when needed. Christian love is "shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit," and this is your constant experience as you abide in Christ.

There are four levels on which a person may live.

He may choose the lowest level-Satan's level practice murder. Murderers "have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone, which is the second death" (Rev. 21:8).

Or, a person may choose the next level of hatred.

But hatred, in God's sight, is the same as murder.

The third level, indifference, is far better than the first two because the first two are not Christian at all. A man who has constant hatred in his heart or who habitually murders proves he has never been born of God. But it is possible to be a Christian and be indifferent to the needs of others.

A man who murders belongs to the devil, like Cain.

A man who hates belongs to the world (1 John 3:13), which is under Satan's control. But a Christian who is indifferent is living for the flesh, which serves Satan's purposes.

The only happy, holy way to live is on the highest level of Christian love. This is the life of joy, liberty, and answered prayer. It assures you confidence and courage in spite of the difficulties of life.

Dr. Rene Spitz of New York studied children in foundling homes to determine what effect love and neglect had on them. The survey proved that children who were neglected and unloved were much slower in their development, and some of them even died. Even in a physical sense, love is the very atmosphere of life and growth.

It is even more so in the spiritual sense.

In fact, it is a matter of love or death!