1 John 3:11-24

Love or Hate

In this Bible Study we will look at 4 topics John covers in theses verses.

Murder (v. 11-12)

Hatred (v. 13-15)

Indifference (v. 16-17)

Christian Love (v. 18-24)

Murder

1 John 3:11–12 “For this is the message that ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another. Not as Cain, who was of that wicked one, and slew his brother. And wherefore slew he him? Because his own works were evil, and his brother’s righteous.”

Murder of course is the absolute lowest form of relationship between people

v. 11 John tells us we should “love one another”

before he tells us how to love one another he tells us what love IS NOT

v. 12 Cain is an example of a life of hatred.

Why did Cain kill Abel?

Envy, anger, jealousy and crept in not dealt with and he heeded the voice of the devil instead of heeding God’s warning.

The is ultimately where envy, anger and jealousy could end.

Ill come back to cain later.

Hatred

1 John 3:13–15 “Marvel not, my brethren, if the world hate you. We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death. Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him.”

God takes hatred a step further.

Matthew 5:21–22 “…Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment: But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment…”

This of course is spiritual and not physical. It should instill the same amount of guilt to a Christian if they hate someone as it does they kill them.

You may think your okay just because you’re not acting upon the hatred like Cain did.

But God is just as disgusted with your hatred towards people as he was when Cain murdered Abel.

Indifference

1 John 3:16–17 “Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. 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?”

Love isn’t just about not doing evil to others but about doing good to others.

Isaiah 1:16–17 “Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil; Learn to do well; Seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, Judge the fatherless, plead for the widow.”

God doesn’t just call you to stop doing evil but he has called you to do good!

you don’t have much love for someone if at all if you have the means to help someone in need and don’t.

“how dwelleth the lkove of God in him?”

Christian Love

Christian Love means loving in deed and in truth, not just word of mouth

James 2:15–16 “If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit?”

What good is it??

Luke 6:38 “Give, and it shall be given unto you…”

This applies to more than just Money! LOVE!!

John give us 4 blessing that come from practicing Christian Love

Assurance

1 John 3:19–20 “And hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before him. For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things.”

a condemning heart is one that robs peace from Christians.

the heart is deceitfully wicked

Answered Prayer

1 John 3:21–22 “Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God. And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight.”

Obedience is KEY to God answering prayer!!

Psalm 66:18 “If I regard iniquity in my heart, The Lord will not hear me:”

Why he doesn’t answer is on us. Why isn’t he answering??

Abiding

1 John 3:23–24 “And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment. And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us.”

obeying God and thoroughly being right with him can give us peace and assurance!

BACK TO CAIN

Cain vs. Abel

Same Parents

Same Lineage

Both Brough Sacrifices

Both Brought the sacrifice in worship to God

Abel’s was accepted

Cain’s was not.

This is the perfect example of someone someone pretending to be a Christian.

Cain went to church

brought sacrifices for worship

brought offerings

yet when his love for his brother was tested he failed

He could have rejoiced that his brothers sacrifice got excepted, instead he got bitter that his didn’t and envy and jealousy took it’s toll.