1 John 3:11-24

1 John 3:11-24

11 For this is the message you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another. 12 We must not be like Cain who was from 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 astonished, brothers and sisters, that the world hates you. 14 We know that we have passed from death to life because we love one another. Whoever does not love abides in death. 15 All who hate a brother or sister are murderers, and you know that murderers do not have eternal life abiding in them. 16 We know love by this, that he laid down his life for us—and we ought to lay down our lives for one another. 17 How does God’s love abide in anyone who has the world’s goods and sees a brother or sister in need and yet refuses help?

18 Little children, let us love, not in word or speech, but in truth and action. 19 And by this we will know that we are from the truth and will reassure our hearts before him 20 whenever our hearts condemn us; for God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything. 21 Beloved, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have boldness before God; 22 and we receive from him whatever we ask, because we obey his commandments and do what pleases him.

23 And this is his commandment, that we should believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us. 24 All who obey his commandments abide in him, and he abides in them. And by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit that he has given us.

VS. 11…For this is the message you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another.

The message is that we should love one another

From the beginning could be from the beginning of the letter but most likely from the beginning of the apostles teaching.

VS. 12-16… We must not be like Cain who was from 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 astonished, brothers and sisters, that the world hates you. We know that we have passed from death to life because we love one another. Whoever does not love abides in death.  All who hate a brother or sister are murderers, and you know that murderers do not have eternal life abiding in them. 16 We know love by this, that he laid down his life for us—and we ought to lay down our lives for one another.

Cain murdered his brother because of hate!

If we have hate we are murderers and we do not have eternal life in us.

So how do we know we have hate? Hate is simply the lack of love.

There is indifference, and while indifference may not be hate, it is not love!

If you don’t practice love, you make a home for hate.

Love is lived, if not lived it is not love!

helping those in need

even laying down one’s life

VS. 17-18… How does God’s love abide in anyone who has the world’s goods and sees a brother or sister in need and yet refuses help? Little children, let us love, not in word or speech, but in truth and action.

John makes a transition in this verse from the plural “our brothers” to singular “a brother” and it is significant and deliberate

It is easier to be enthusiastic about Humanity with a capital “H” than it is to love individual men and women, especially those who are uninteresting, exasperating, depraved, or otherwise unattractive. - John Stott

Loving everybody in general may be an excuse for loving nobody in particular!

Love in truth and action not just words of speech.

It is easy to say you love someone but harder to show it!

VS. 19-20…

And by this we will know that we are from the truth and will reassure our hearts before him whenever our hearts condemn us; for God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything.

To accurately understand this verse it is helpful to see it as in a courtroom. Our hearts (conscience) the prosecuting attorney tries to condemn us, the defendant, the defence attorney, God, reassures our hearts because he knows the truth.

we can know we are in the truth because God is greater than our hearts - God knows everything!

“when our hearts condemn us” or when we feel guilty - when doubt comes in about whether we are in the truth, we have proof

What is this proof, love for one another!

VS. 21-24…Beloved, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have boldness before God;  and we receive from him whatever we ask, because we obey his commandments and do what pleases him. And this is his commandment, that we should believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us.  All who obey his commandments abide in him, and he abides in them. And by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit that he has given us.

With boldness we can ask for whatever we want and we will receive it, how?

Obey his commands and do what pleases him!

his command (singular) is that we believe in his name and love one another. The fact that this is one command means both are needed, you can not have one with

Obedience brings abiding with him, which brings him to us (he abides in those who obey).

The confidence that he abides with us is assured because he has given us his spirit!

Abide is mutual, it can be related to the idea that he is the vine and we are the branches. John 15