Love One Another

Thoughts:

This command to love one another does apply to the whole world, but specifically, John is commanding that we should love believers.

vs. 11 - “we should love one another”

continuous action

should we love the world, yes: “Be devoted to one another in love.” “Love your neighbor as yourself”

John has talked continuously about how we should abstain from sin, how we should strive to be righteous.

But coupled with that, we are to love one another

This is a message that was proclaimed by Christ in

And verse 14 ties into that fact, “We know that we have eternal life if we are loving the brothers

Cain - , “sin is crouching at the door”

- “ 44 You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies.

Cain murdered because he was evil, and his brother was righteous.

But then John ties us to murder in verse 15

If we hate, so if we don’t love, we are a murderer, and we don’t have eternal life.

John is also looking at this logically, verse 13. “That the world hates you”

The worldly response to love is hatred

So, if we hate, it signifies what?

That we are of the world

We are to walk in light, not in darkness ()

Which then leads us to this question, hopefully....well, what is love? How do we love?

Verse 16 - love is laying down our lives for the brothers

What are some ways we can lay down our lives for other believers?

Let’s list them out, get specific, because verse 17 tells us what?

Finally, verse 18 is our rallying cry

Let’s not love by just saying we should love, but let us due it in action. Let us live under the truth of God’s Word and make it known

Application:

We are called to love one another, in particular, believers

By choosing not to, we are choosing to hate, and hate is equal to murder

There are tangible, real ways for us to love, how are you going to love this week?

“because we love the brothers” vs 12

“because we love the brothers” vs 12