1 John Series: A New Commandment

1 John 2:7-11

Wednesday: We covered Verses 3-6. Those who know Him, God/Jesus, have a communion with God. They have fellowship or intimacy with God. Their minds and hearts have been touched by the God. The heart desires God and the mind is being renewed by the Word of God.

Things have changed. Life has changed. God is a reality in our lives as Christians, and we seek to follow Him and obey Him every day.

Those who know Him… who really know Him… Follow of Keep Jesus’ commands as a lifestyle.

We are following a Person. We are serving a Person. We are imitating a Person. We are loving and worshipping a Person.

Verse 7 - Brethren, beloved… Dear Friends… this is a very familiar term used by John… Christians are the beloved brethren of Christ. God the Father loves you. Christ the Son loves you.

Jesus sees you as Himself, even so that when you serve another Christian… you serve Him. When you hurt another Christian… you hurt Him.

Christian… you are the beloved children of God. This is who and what you are.

And when we look at one another… through the eyes of Christ… this is how we are to see one another.

Now: The following verses sound a little confusing when you read them. It is as if there is some ambiguity found here: “I write no new commandment or message, but an old commandment… “ And then we read verse 8:

Verse 8 - At the same time, or again… it is a new commandment that I am writing to you...

What can we make of this?

If we go back to the Old Testament… and we look at the 10 Commandments… what do we see within these old commandments, if we were to paraphrase them?

“Love God and Love your neighbor… Love the Lord God with all your being and love your neighbor as yourself...”

This is found within the Old Covenant of God. Loving God and loving people is found in the very beginning. This is nothing new. God has always desired and commanded this.

But we are now under a New Covenant… The Old has passed away and the New has come. A New Covenant has come with a New Mediator, a New High Priest, and a New Once and for all Sacrifice for sinners has come...

Jesus has come and has made all things New...

We are all now looking to Christ, the Messenger of the New Covenant, and we are asking: “Lord what do you want me to do, for I seek to do your will.”

We are not talking to the Law. The Law doesn’t love us. It cannot hear us. The Law didn’t save us. It just points to the reality that we are sinners and that we need a Savior.

AS Christians: We are looking to and following a Person, Jesus Christ.

We are not under the Law.

We are under Grace.

And now, we are to obey and fulfill the Law of Christ (Galatians 6:2).

What are these commandments? We will read these throughout the New Testament.

And these commandments that we will hear from Christ and His apostles have been heard before, they will sound very familiar, but they are commands given to us by Christ under the New Covenant.

So remember: In the New Covenant - We are looking not to the letter... but to the Person, our beloved Savior. We seek to obey Him, because we love Him.

(picture) Did some of you exchange letters back in the day, during your courtship? You were at school… your were in military service… You were working long distance… and you shared yourself and your love for one another through the letter.

It is reasonable for the loved one to be in the living room holding the letters, smelling the letters, and holding them to your face if the loved one is not in the room… But it is not reasonable to do this if your loved one is in the recliner next to you...

That is just weird...

The Person has come. Our loved One is here with us. Jesus is our loved one and we are looking to Him.

So, here is a new, but old familiar command that the Lord Jesus commands His people… And Jesus will say, “Obey this… my beloved people...If you love Me… you will do this...”

Love your brother and do not hate your brother.

Love your brother… Can we say, “Love your fellow Christian and do not hate them.”

Love your brother and or sister in the Lord. This is a command from Jesus.

What did John hear Jesus teach? John 13:34-35 - A New commandment I give to you that you love one another: Just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that your are my disciples, if you have love for one another.

Jesus says, “Love them as I have loved you… Look to Me and imitate Me in this way...”

Jesus would say, “If you love Me… love one another and lay down your lives for one another.”

And you will be known as my people, my disciples, as love is shown through your lives towards one another...

John heard this from Jesus Himself ...

Listen: Through the Gospel… through the eyes of God… We see one another clearly. We see people made in the image of God, for the Glory and honor of God. We see people as either lost and are going to hell or we see people as those who are in the same family as we are.

They are either family or the mission field.

Since this Scripture is speaking specifically about fellow Christians… we will spend our time here focusing on our family members.

And what John and this Church may be seeing, hearing and witnessing is an absence of love within the context of the local church. What they may be witnessing is professing Christians sinning against one another… and many of them were possibly believing that this was normal and or right.

But this is not the mark of Christ… This is not the mark of Christianity...

But someone is asking the question and they are scratching their heads...

“Hold on brother… What are the marks of Christians? What is the mark of church members? Isn’t it coat and ties, high heals and dresses? Isn’t it nice hair? Isn’t it just the appearance of looking good? Isn’t it just carrying around a bible or wearing a Christian tee-shirt? Isn’t it just saying “I love you and God bless you” to everyone you meet...? Isn’t it just going to church on Sundays or isn’t Christianity just suppose to happen at the church house?”

No… The mark of Christians is loving your people… In house and out of the house. The mark of Christ does not focus on the eternal things, such as what you were, or how you look… It has everything to do with what is in your heart.

Christianity without love is not Christianity...

The example and light of Jesus’ life in the Christian... is the Christian laying down their lives for your people. The mark of a Christian is humbling yourself like Christ, before your people, and serving them with your life.

What can this look like? We have a very limited time: Let’s look at these 3 Different Categories for Practicing Love towards one another, and I am taking some of this from the late Dr. Timothy Keller:

Sharing. 2. Affirming. 3. Serving

Sharing - Let’s look at a few verses:

Lets look at Acts 2:42-47 - Believers come together, continue in the apostles teaching, have fellowship with one another, share food with one another, pray for one another, provide for the needs of one another as they did life together...

Look at James 2:14-17 - If you say you have faith… but you leave your brother or sister without clothes and without food… If you say that you have faith but you will not take care of their needs… needs… That faith is dead and it will not profit you anything.

Matthew 25 - Jesus teaches on this and says that when you clothed and fed, and visited these brothers… You did it to Me, and when you didn’t do it… You didn’t do it to Me...

Listen: Loving your fellow Christians includes and involves providing for their needs and taking care of them in these practical ways.

Back in Jesus’ day… There were religious folks that made a good talk, but they would not lift a finger to help or provide for God’s people.

Mark 7:9-13 - There were religious leaders who would not take care of their biological family (parents)… because they said that they vowed their money to God… and Jesus rebuked them for such behavior.

1 Timothy 5:8 - For those who do not provide for their family, for members of their own household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever...

If we love Christ… Our desire is to please Christ… And to please Christ, we will provide for our brothers and sisters in need.

We will share… We will - Share one another’s burdens (Galatians 6:2). Share encouragement (1 Thess. 5:11). Share beliefs (Col. 3:16). Share space, share time, and share goods...

The opposite of this is… being selfish, being greedy, practicing jealousy… and Hate.

1. Love your people by providing for their needs… By Sharing with Others

2. Affirm one another.

How do we treat one another? We affirm one another, we honor one another (Romans 12:10). We accept one another as Christ accepted us (Romans 15:7). We rejoice in what God has done for our church family by blessing them (Romans 12:3-8). We greet one another with affection (Romans 16:16) being kind and compassionate to one another (Ephesians 4:32), and we endeavor to be quick to listen and slow to speak (James 1:19).

What is the opposite of these?

We dishonor one another. We grumble and complain against one another. We become envious and bitter. We reject one another and practice partiality/favoritism.

In and through our pride and selfishness, we turn from one another and no longer have concern for one another… and we put one another on the silent treatment… Or… we become impatient with one another and will not let the other complete a sentence...

All of these can be expressions of hate… or practicing hatred… and not love.

Proverbs 10:12- Hatred stirs up strife but love covers offenses...

Now Christian… Church family member… Can we all be honest, pull off our halo’s and pride for just a moment and be real with ourselves… and God...

Can we all find ourselves doing this from time to time? Yes.

We are all sinners coming together… seeking Christ together… Seeking to be one together… And every once in a while the sinful nature comes out, we forget who we are, whose we are, and we forget who our brothers and sisters are in the Lord… and we sin against one another...

It does harm to you and to them…

And we need to know that this is not loving, this is not love, it is not light, it is not of Christ, and it is showing hatred and not love…

And we need to stop excusing it or justifying it...

What do we do?

Do not retaliate and do not run away. Confront one another. Talk to one another. Work on the relationship. Ask questions. Seek forgiveness and be reconciled...

It takes two people to walk together. It takes two people to have a discussion. It takes two to work on the relationship...

It takes two…

“But he/she didn’t shake my hand...” It takes two hands to shake… Did you extend yours? Are you trying?

It take both of us to make the relationship work and to make it better...

(picture) Little children, Selah, will be on the playground, or will be at a event with other children… and you will see them moping sadly by themselves… What is going on? Well, Sally or Billy is playing with the other kid and it not paying as much attention to Selah. Selah wants Sally to pursue her…

Selah wants them to come to her… because the world is suppose to revolve around her...

How do I counsel her? The world does not revolve around you… Go to them and play with them… Go to them and ask to play… Go to them and get involved...

And everything was fine… They have a great time. Selah thought they didn’t like her and didn’t want anything to do with her… When that was not true at all...

And… We expect this kind of behavior on the playground...

But this behavior makes it’s way off the playground and into grown-up churches...

Church Family: Go after your brothers and sisters. Go after them before you let the lie linger within you. Go after them and talk to them before you let the enemy get a wedge in there and do more damage.

If you love them… Go after them, honor them, do not grumble and complain against them, do not slander them and gossip… DO NOT LET BITTERNESS set in to your heart.

The world does not revolve around you, and Jesus did not die for just you...

Talk and listen… Be kind and compassionate, ready to forgive and Christ forgave you.

As Christians… We Share and we Affirm… And Lastly...

3. Serve One Another...

How Can we Serve one another outside of sharing?

We can do this in different ways:

a. Serve one another by spurring one another on (Hebrews 10:24).

If you see a Christian that is looking weak… Serve them, come along beside them, call them, write them a card, help them to be encouraged so that they can make it another day...

Serve them with some encouragement. Serve them with some thanksgiving. Serve them with prayer. Serve them by telling them what a good good they are doing and how they bless you… Serve them!

b. Serve one another through accountability… What do I mean?

Come to one another and serve one another with truth. Confront one another with truth. Speak truthfully with one another, without hypocrisy. Do not be two-faced. Confess your sins to each other and pray for one another so that you may be healed (Matthew 18; Eph. 4:25; James 5:16).

Do not let let your brother wander off… Do not let your sister off the hook...

There soul is in danger. The enemy is going to do damage in their lives.

Go after them… Just as Jesus went after you and didn’t leave you alone. Go after them and serve them as Jesus came from glory to lay down His life for you.

Go after them… and serve them.

What is the opposite of this?

Hang on to your sins… hang on to your un-forgiving heart… become and remain two-faced, become arrogant. angry and harsh, slander one another, and be driven farther apart...

Which will not result in a picture of love, but a picture of hatred...

And this is not this picture of Christ… this is not the picture of Christianity… This is not the picture that believers are to portray...

But that is what is being seen in the church during John’s day…

People are professing Christ and are claiming to know Him, and love Him, and they are claiming to be in the Light...

But they are showing a lifestyle of hatred towards others...

And what does John say to this? (slide 8)

Verse 9 - He who says he is in the light… and hates his brother is in the darkness until now...

Verse 11 - He who hates his brother is in darkness and walks in darkness and does not know where he is going because the darkness has blinded his eyes...

Is this only seen in John’s day? Is this isolated to this church back then? No.

So… for those who profess to be in the Light, to be saved, to know Christ, have the Holy Spirit inside of them…

But you live a lifestyle... that is selfish, greedy, you are envious, jealous, you constantly dishonor, grumble and complain, you are partial, and harsh with others… You will not forgive, and you slander and gossip towards your so-called… church family… your brothers and sisters... for whom Christ died for...

Listen to the Word: You are deceived… You are in the dark…

And you need to repent, turn from your sins and turn to Christ… Confess your sins, believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and be saved from your sins, your darkness… today.

Turn to the light today...

Verse 10 - He who loves his brother abides in the light and there is no cause for stumbling in him...

For those who are struggling with doubt, struggling with salvation doubts… If your lifestyle is a lifestyle of love towards others… There is no cause to make you stumble and fall...

Your lifestyle shows that the love of Christ is inside of you and that the Holy Spirit is producing Christlikeness in you… You are in the light!

Keeping walking in the light. Keep walking in love.

Do not let love grow cold… Keep working at it… For Christ!

Even when others around you are discouraging you with their behavior...

Keep seeking to fulfill the law of Christ. Keep practicing love.

We are all going to struggle… and we are all going to fail at times...

But… We are not going to be harsh with our judgments towards people. We all need a Savior.

So listen..., for people who may be hearing this today… and you will not become a Christian, go to a church… Because you know a professing Christian who lives and acts just like the rest of the world. Or maybe… you say or heard a professing Christian get upset and say or do some things that were uncharacteristic of Christianity...

Ok… I am sorry… We are all messed up. We are all broken people who need Jesus.

It is quite possible that this person is not a Christian...

It is quite possible that that professor was not or is not a possessor of saving faith if you see them act this way as a lifestyle…

And it is quite possible, if it was not a lifestyle thing but a in a moment thing… The person’s sinful nature and flesh came out… and that person most likely has to do business with God and confess that later on...

I don’t know… They were up all night, they have all these home issues, work issues, hormone imbalances, something is going on in their life… I don’t know...

But what do you know about you? What do you know about your life and your lifestyle? How do you know that you know Him and that your soul will be saved?

Please quit pointing fingers and point to Christ and compare your life to Him and His words… What will you do with Jesus? On the day of judgement, you will answer to Him.

Someone is saying: “But those hypocrites down there at ABC and WXYZ church… but those hypocrites down there at work...” Listen… if a hypocrite is between you and Christ… Who is closer to Christ!?

What are you going to do with Christ?

Where is your life? Do you know Him?

Run to the light. Run to Christ. Run to your brother and sisters in Christ.

Christian… stay in the light and run from the darkness...

ANd… Do not make Christ and Christianity confusing for everyone looking on...

But show your love to one another by Sharing… By Affirming.… and By Serving.

Pray and Close