A New Capacity to Love (1 John 2:7-11)

INTRO

Sometimes it is hard to love.

10,000 Sermon Illustrations Grace of Giving

In The Grace of Giving, Stephen Olford tells of a Baptist pastor during the American Revolution, Peter Miller, who lived in Ephrata, Pennsylvania, and enjoyed the friendship of George Washington. In Ephrata also lived Michael Wittman, an evil-minded sort who did all he could to oppose and humiliate the pastor. One day Michael Wittman was arrested for treason and sentenced to die. Peter Miller traveled seventy miles on foot to Philadelphia to plead for the life of the traitor.

“No, Peter,” General Washington said. “I cannot grant you the life of your friend.”

“My friend!” exclaimed the old preacher. “He’s the bitterest enemy I have.”

“What?” cried Washington. “You’ve walked seventy miles to save the life of an enemy? That puts the matter in different light. I’ll grant your pardon.” And he did.

Peter Miller took Michael Wittman back home to Ephrata—no longer an enemy but a friend.

In The Grace of Giving, Stephen Olford tells of a Baptist pastor during the American Revolution, Peter Miller, who lived in Ephrata, Pennsylvania, and enjoyed the friendship of George Washington. In Ephrata also lived Michael Wittman, an evil-minded sort who did all he could to oppose and humiliate the pastor. One day Michael Wittman was arrested for treason and sentenced to die. Peter Miller traveled seventy miles on foot to Philadelphia to plead for the life of the traitor.

In The Grace of Giving, Stephen Olford tells of a Baptist pastor during the American Revolution, Peter Miller, who lived in Ephrata, Pennsylvania, and enjoyed the friendship of George Washington. In Ephrata also lived Michael Wittman, an evil-minded sort who did all he could to oppose and humiliate the pastor. One day Michael Wittman was arrested for treason and sentenced to die. Peter Miller traveled seventy miles on foot to Philadelphia to plead for the life of the traitor.

“No, Peter,” General Washington said. “I cannot grant you the life of your friend.”

“My friend!” exclaimed the old preacher. “He’s the bitterest enemy I have.”

“What?” cried Washington. “You’ve walked seventy miles to save the life of an enemy? That puts the matter in different light. I’ll grant your pardon.” And he did.

Peter Miller took Michael Wittman back home to Ephrata—no longer an enemy but a friend.

Jesus said in , “By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”” (, ESV)

How are you at loving others? Would people know that you are Jesus’ disciple?

Love should be one of the most foundational characteristics of a believer, yet it can be difficult. Sometimes Christians are mean! And there are those who try to justify their hatred or unloving attitudes by saying “this is just the way I am.” Well, let me tell you that that might the way your sinful flesh is, but if Jesus Christ has transformed your life, then you need to stop giving in to your flesh.

I want to talk to you today about how you can truly love as God has called us. Jesus Christ has given us a new capacity to be able to love. If you’re struggling to love, I want to tell you that through Jesus, you can love out of service, and not obligation. This principle might change your life.

So let’s start by understanding the basic command we have as Christians:

GOD HAS ALWAYS CALLED US TO LOVE

John is kind of confusing here. In v.7, he says that he is writing no new commandment, but an old commandment. Then in v.8, he says at the same time, it is a new commandment.

So, is it old or new? And what is it exactly?

The commandment here is to love. We know that from the immediate context, where John continues to speak about loving others in the following verses. And we know that from the greater context of the NT because John has been explaining the gospel message of Jesus. Jesus summarized all of the law into one great command: Love God and Love others.

Loving is an old command. “You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against the sons of your own people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord.” (, ESV)

“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.” (, ESV)

In this sense, loving the Lord and loving others is a commandment that people have heard from the beginning (v.7). The Israelites had always heard this command. It literally was ingrained into their society from practically the beginning.

Love has always been from the beginning in peoples’ faith—you have to come to an understanding of God’s love for you in order to accept his free gift of eternal life.

Love has always been from the beginning. John is not telling his listeners about some new command that is going to be burdensome and just be one more restriction on them. He is showing them that love has been part of the message of the apostles since the beginning of the Christian experience. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believed in Him might have everlasting life.

And love is the word that they have heard because love is a summary of the Law. “For the commandments, “You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet,” and any other commandment, are summed up in this word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”” (, ESV)

Love is an old commandment and love should be part of our lives, then. I want to give you hope, though, that love is not relegated to some old law that is ineffective for us today. There is a way you can love now, despite your circumstances, and despite your natural emotions and fleshly responses.

God has always called us to love, but:

JESUS ALLOWS US TO LOVE, NO MATTER WHAT

So what is new about this command to love? It is new because v.8 tells us that it is true in Jesus. You see, by Jesus’ obedience, He fulfilled the law and gave it a depth of meaning that had not been known before.

John 13:34 ESV

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.

The CSB Study Bible (p.1995) says, “The love command was intensified and perfected in its expression by Jesus.” This command is seen in Jesus in a new way that helps us realize that we can love, no matter what the circumstances.

What’s new about this command is that Jesus teaches us that we can love out of service to others, not out of obligation.

Turn to . “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.” (, ESV)

Notice how has a colon and then what follows it is an explanation of how the commandment to love one another is new. It is new, has a greater depth of meaning, because of Jesus’ example. “Just as I have loved you...”

How did Jesus love?

Let’s go to the beginning of to see the example Jesus set. {READ }

Jesus was set on God’s plan for him (v.3). He would not be sidetracked from that mission.

Judas Iscariot already was prepared to betray Jesus.

And what does Jesus do? Take a towel, tie it around his waist, and wash the feet of the disciples, including Judas. V.15 Jesus says this is an example to the disciples for how they should serve one another—out of humility. Foot washing was usually the job of the house servant to clean guests’ feet because of the dirty walking conditions of that time.

After Judas leaves the group, Jesus then tells the disciples about this new command to love one another, just as he has loved them.

In every circumstance! We have a new capacity to love others because of Jesus. Even when that back-stabber confronts you, or however difficult the situation, Jesus shows us how to focus properly in order to love well.

I think we see this focus in : “Jesus knew that the Father had given everything into his hands, that he had come from God, and that he was going back to God.” (, CSB)

He had come from God, and He was going back to God, and God had given everything into his hands. Similarly, everything in your life, Christian, is in between the bookends of what God has done for you and given you. In other words, our focus while on this earth should be on pleasing the Lord God and carrying out His work!

We can love like Jesus loved because the Holy Spirit is within us, enabling us to live righteously.

When you view God’s Word as a bunch of rules, when it’s just a powerless law, then it is easy to obey out of obligation. Fear even.

I’m going to love because I have to.

I’m going to love because I’m afraid of the consequence.

But Jesus shows us a greater attitude and motivation to love: serving others.

I wonder today if your attitude in loving could change from loving out of obligation or fear, to loving with an attitude of serving. And you can serve even the one who might betray you if you are living in the Spirit with the attitude that you are serving the Lord in the ways He has given you.

CONCLUSION

CHRISTIAN— You have a new capacity to love. A capacity that comes from the One who changed you.

NON-CHRISTIAN— You are loved. And you can love. If you’ll repent of sin and receive Jesus Christ.