1 John 3:11-24 NEW LIFE: NEW LOVE
Sermon • Submitted
0 ratings
· 40 viewsNotes
Transcript
Text
Text
11 For this is the message that you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another. 12 We should not be like Cain, who was of the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own deeds were evil and his brother’s righteous. 13 Do not be surprised, brothers, that the world hates you. 14 We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers. Whoever does not love abides in death. 15 Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him. 16 By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. 17 But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him? 18 Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth. 19 By this we shall know that we are of the truth and reassure our heart before him; 20 for whenever our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and he knows everything. 21 Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God; 22 and whatever we ask we receive from him, because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him. 23 And this is his commandment, that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us. 24 Whoever keeps his commandments abides in God, and God in him. And by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit whom he has given us.
1 John 3:11-24
Summary Statement
Summary Statement
Believers reflect the love and life of Christ, having confident assurance in Him.
Intro
Intro
The hatred of the World (11-15)
The example of Christ (16-20)
The confidence of the Believer (21-24)
Intro
Intro
Following Christ’s example
Assurance
1. THE HATRED OF THE WORLD
1. THE HATRED OF THE WORLD
“For this is the message...”
9 No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God’s seed abides in him; and he cannot keep on sinning, because he has been born of God. 10 By this it is evident who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother.
9 No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God’s seed abides in him; and he cannot keep on sinning, because he has been born of God. 10 By this it is evident who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother.
The Children of God are recognized for (A) practicing righteousness and (B) loving each other
1 John 3:
Verse 10
The one who does not love his bother is not of God
19 Honor your father and mother, and, You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
34 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. 35 By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”
John
12 “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.
John 15
9 Now concerning brotherly love you have no need for anyone to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love one another,
11 For this is the message that you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another.
Love Contrasted With Hate
Love Contrasted With Hate
12 We should not be like Cain, who was of the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own deeds were evil and his brother’s righteous.
Why did Cain kill Abel?
because his deeds were evil
not because he offered grain instead of meat - Leviticus, there were grain offerings
because his deeds were evil - his approach, attitude to God was sinful
that can even be seen in his response to God when God spoke to him, and after God disciplined him
Notice: Cain’s deeds weren’t evil because he killed Abel, He killed Abel because his deeds were evil
Because Cain was evil, he killed Abel
His actions were consistent with his identity - he was a child “of the evil one”
John is contrasting the children of God against the children of the devil
He uses contrasts throughout the letter
light and darkness
1 John 2:9
9 Whoever says he is in the light and hates his brother is still in darkness. 10 Whoever loves his brother abides in the light, and in him there is no cause for stumbling. 11 But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.
1 John 2:
29 If you know that he is righteous, you may be sure that everyone who practices righteousness has been born of him.
8 Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil.
1 John 3:8
10 By this it is evident who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother.
1 John 3:
Cain killed Abel because he was of the devil.
Cain’s evil deeds exposed him for who he was - not a child of God who practices righteousness, but a child of the devil who makes a practice of sinning.
His actions were a reflection of his father - the devil
His actions reflected accurately his identity - of the world.
His actions were a mirror to his soul, that reveal who he really is inside
That is still the case today
13 Do not be surprised, brothers, that the world hates you.
1 John 3:
Why?
Because they are of their father the devil
Either your father is the devil or your father is God
Your deeds reveal which one it is
So if the world hates you, don’t be surprised
18 “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. 19 If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.
because they are God’s enemies, they have made themselves our enemies too
7 For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot.
Rom
We should not be like Cain
We are not children of the devil, but children of God
Our actions and our deeds should not be a reflection of the devil but of our father
Our deeds should reflect the love of God, not the hatred of the devil
How can we be children of God but live as children of the devil??
Surely if we are children of God, we would be like Him?
practice righteousness, because He is righteous
love one another because He loves us
It wouldn’t make any sense to be a child of God while hating other Christians
So John says that we know that we are children of God because we love one another
14 We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers. Whoever does not love abides in death.
Love is a distinguishing mark of a Christian - its an evidence that we are Christian
We don’t love in order to become Christian… love is a sign that we are Christian
So one of the ways that we can know that we have passed from death to life -
from the world to heaven -
from devil to God -
from dead in our sins to born again...
is that we love the brothers - that we genuinely love Christians - one another
And whoever does not love, still abides in death
15 Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.
John is not drawing a contrast between people that shows who is closer in relationship to God than others…
He is contrasting those who are born again and those who are not
Those who have eternal life and those who don’t
21 “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.’ 22 But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire.
Not just a matter of deeds, but of heart
Remember, Cain didn’t become a murderer because he killed Abel… he killed Abel because he was a murderer at heart
“Why did he murder Abel? Because his deeds were evil...”
What is the condition of your heart towards other Christians?
2. THE EXAMPLE OF CHRIST
2. THE EXAMPLE OF CHRIST
16 By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers.
1 John 3:
The reality is that there is a very slim chance that you will ever need to literally sacrifice your life for another Christian
though in persecuted countries it is a reality
but there are other ways in which we do have opportunity to make real sacrifices for each other
17 But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him?
1 John 3:17
If you are not even willing to share your worldly possessions (which are passing away) with those in need, how are you reflecting the love of God?
the way you love your own children and siblings… that is how we ought to love one another
44 And all who believed were together and had all things in common. 45 And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need.
34 There was not a needy person among them, for as many as were owners of lands or houses sold them and brought the proceeds of what was sold 35 and laid it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to each as any had need.
15 If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that?
Not just giving out of your abundance - sacrificing
Jesus did both - He gave out of the abundance of what He possesses, eternal life and the glories of heaven
But He also made the greatest sacrifice imaginable - suffering and death
18 Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.
15 If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that?
3. THE CONFIDENCE OF THE BELIEVER
3. THE CONFIDENCE OF THE BELIEVER
19 By this we shall know that we are of the truth and reassure our heart before him;
1 John 3:
By this we will have assurance and confidence that we are children of God…
that we love one another,
sacrifice for one another
care for one another
These are evidences of the fact that we are children of God, and they give us confidence and reassure us that we belong to God
Confidence before God is a tricky topic for us to understand
Confidence before God is a tricky topic for us to understand
Our confidence in our salvation is really founded on the finished work of Christ
If anyone asks a Christian how we know we are saved, we should never be pointing to our works (or acts of love)
We always point to the cross
We cannot be saved by works, only through the cross
so our confidence is always founded on and rooted in Jesus
14 Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. 15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. 16 Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
Hebrews
At the same time though, our confidence is affected and impacted by how we live
23 Jesus answered him, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. 24 Whoever does not love me does not keep my words. And the word that you hear is not mine but the Father’s who sent me.
john 14
7 If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples. 9 As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. 10 If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love.
John 15:
10 By this it is evident who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother.
17 But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him?
1 John
16 By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers.
19 By this we shall know that we are of the truth and reassure our heart before him;
1 John 3:
24 Whoever keeps his commandments abides in God, and God in him. And by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit whom he has given us.
1 John
if you are not loving others and not willing to sacrifice for others, that is rightly going to impact upon your confidence of whether you are in fact a child of God
if you are not loving others and not willing to sacrifice for others, that is rightly going to impact upon your confidence of whether you are in fact a child of God
Consider your marriage
I am confident in my marriage because of the promises we made to each other when we made our vows
We made a covenant in which we both promised to love each other for the rest of our days
God made a covenant with us, in which he promises that every person who believes in Jesus and repents of his sins, will be saved and have eternal life
He promised that His Son paid our debt on the cross, died so that we could be forgiven, and was raised so that whoever believes in Him will also be raised to eternal life
My confidence that I am saved is rooted in Jesus and the covenant promise that God has made to me
However, my confidence in my marriage will be impacted by my own deeds
If I neglect my wife…
If I keep choosing others or other activities over my wife
If I don’t serve my wife and love her in various ways
If I am not willing to sacrifice for my wife…
Then if I take a step back and evaluate my marriage, I will have every reason to suspect that I do not truly love my wife and my confidence in my marriage will be rocked
So in the same way…
How can you say that you are confident that you are a child of God and part of His covenant family…
if you are not also displaying a genuine love for God and for other members of His family?
In fact… John is saying that if your life reflects more of a hatred for, or a detachment from other believers…
Then you cannot know or have any confidence that you belong to God.
Rather, it may be strong evidence that you belong to the devil, and have not yet passed from death to life.
What Should We Do?
What Should We Do?
20 for whenever our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and he knows everything.
2 different responses:
8 If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
When we measure ourselves against the standards of the world, we will think that we are doing quite well
When we measure ourselves against the example of Christ, our heart will condemn us
If your heart condemns you, know that God is greater than your heart
1 John 1:
One response
Our confidence can only be restored by someone who is greater than our heart - God Himself.
God - who knows everything - has proven HIS LOVE for sinners by the gift of His Son
10 In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Romans
If your heart condemns you, and you realise that you have not met God’s standard, take heart.
Christ died for sinners like us.
The very fact that your heart and your conscience condemns you, is an evidence that you are a child of God
9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Our confidence and assurance is made strong when we continue to look to God and rely on His grace and mercy, which He displayed on the cross
Martin Luther once said: “When I look at myself,
Martin Luther once said: “When I look at myself, I can’t see how I can be saved. But when I look at Jesus, I can’t see how I can’t be saved.”
21 Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God;
At the same time, if your heart does not condemn you because you can see the God’s sanctifying work in you, praise God
Your confidence in Him is made all the more stronger.
Not by your own actions or works, but by His grace in saving you and producing this fruit in you
22 and whatever we ask we receive from him, because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him.
7 If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.
23 And this is his commandment, that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us. 24 Whoever keeps his commandments abides in God, and God in him. And by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit whom he has given us.
