1 John (9) | Loving in the Light (1 John 2:9-11)

Now that we have seen Him fulfill the law, and He is the embodiment of loving God with everything in Him and loving His neighbor as Himself, this can now be true of us. This is because the darkness is past, and the true light now shineth!

The Source of Light (Christ vs.8)

The true light

John 1:1–9 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not. There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe. He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.”

Because of the true light, and can truly love!

Acts 26:14–18 “And when we were all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice speaking unto me, and saying in the Hebrew tongue, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks. And I said, Who art thou, Lord? And he said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest. But rise, and stand upon thy feet: for I have appeared unto thee for this purpose, to make thee a minister and a witness both of these things which thou hast seen, and of those things in the which I will appear unto thee; Delivering thee from the people, and from the Gentiles, unto whom now I send thee, To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me.”

Open their eyes - 2 Corinthians 4:3–4 “But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.”

Forgiveness of sins - Romans 3:23–26 “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.”

The Sight with Light (vs.10)

Usually, when it comes to disliking people, there are two categories: those we dislike because of a particular reason, and those we dislike because of no particular reason.

Jesus is 100% God and 100% man. He could’ve easily went full human mode and had prejudice or preference to those around Him. Christ never allowed human feelings to motivate Him to be attracted to one and repel another.

How are unbelievers to know what the Lord is really like unless we ourselves exhibit a true image of Christ to one another!

1 Peter 2:9 “But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:”

Light does not shine simply to be seen, but shines for other things to be seen. We should never call attention to ourselves, but shine to show Christ!

Philippians 2:14–16 “Do all things without murmurings and disputings: That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world; Holding forth the word of life; that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither laboured in vain.”

The Stumbling without Light (vs.9,11)

Stumbling - any cause that results in (or is intended for) a person sinning; whether by preventing righteous action or by promoting sinful behavior; an offensive action that results in opposition. (A large rock, a large fallen log) Hatred is always a hinderance in our walk, and other’s walk. Hatred is a work of the flesh. Love part of the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5)

If we love our brothers and sisters, the Bible says there is absolutely no occasion for us to stumble. (vs.10)

Hatred for our brother or sister can, and will cause us to stumble.

Hate and Love cannot coexist in the same heart.

Hate = In dislike intensely, scorn, to not love,to have great aversion to.

Hating ones brother goes all the way back in Genesis 4 when Abel was murdered by his brother Cain. (Also reference I John 3:11-13.)

In 2nd Samuel 13:22, Absalom hated Amnon because he did something bad.

In Genesis 27:41, Esau hated Jacob because he was blessed.

In Genesis 37:1-8, Joseph's brothers hated him for his boldness.

In Genesis 50:15, Joseph's brothers thought Joseph would hate them because of the wrong they had done to him. God used their bad for Joseph's betterment.

Even in the law, God said not to hate the brother in thine heart. (Leviticus 19:17) this tells us that hatred isn't necessarily how you act, but how you feel toward your brother.

In I John 2:9, if one says they are living in light, abiding in Christ, walking in the Spirit, but has hate in their heart toward a brother, they are in darkness. Cross reference 2 Peter 1: 3-9.

Kindness in 2 Peter 1:7 is in the Greek "brotherly love". This is the affection naturally befitting the relationship between siblings, especially as the affection of those who are now siblings in God's family. Before one in truly love their brother, they must add what is mentioned in verses 5-6.

When one is more concerned with what they have and not what others have, they are blind as well! Cross reference Revelation 3:17.

1 John 3:17 “But whoso hath this world’s good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?”

1 Samuel 18:1-9

David’s Bond

1 Samuel 16:21 “And David came to Saul, and stood before him: and he loved him greatly; and he became his armourbearer.”

1 Samuel 18:1 “And it came to pass, when he had made an end of speaking unto Saul, that the soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul.”

David’s Boss

1 Samuel 18:2 “And Saul took him that day, and would let him go no more home to his father’s house.”

1 Samuel 18:5 “And David went out whithersoever Saul sent him, and behaved himself wisely: and Saul set him over the men of war, and he was accepted in the sight of all the people, and also in the sight of Saul’s servants.”

David’s Behavior

1 Samuel 18:5 “And David went out whithersoever Saul sent him, and behaved himself wisely: and Saul set him over the men of war, and he was accepted in the sight of all the people, and also in the sight of Saul’s servants.”

Despising a Brother

1 Samuel 18:6-9

Wroth - to be or become angry and feel aversion and antipathy for something, conceived of as becoming hot in the nose. (Elmer Fudd, Wylie Coyote)