The Centrality of Love: How to Love One Another

Scripture Reading: 1 John 2:7-11

Opening Prayer

Introduction

Exposition (7-8)

1 John 2:7–8 ESV

7 Beloved, I am writing you no new commandment, but an old commandment that you had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word that you have heard. 8 At the same time, it is a new commandment that I am writing to you, which is true in him and in you, because the darkness is passing away and the true light is already shining.

John loves his readers (Beloved) - “dear friends” ἀγαπητοί

John gives the readers an “old commandment” (I am writing you no new commandment, but an old commandment that you had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word that you have heard)

“old commandment from vs. 6”  whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.

In other words, if you are in Christ you will do as He did and love God and keep His commandments.

This is not a new commandment

Just as Jesus reminded his hearers when He told people that the greatest commandment is to love the Lord your God with all your heart soul and mind, John is basically reiterating that teaching in the passage preceding that. (Matt. 22)

John tells them that even though the commandment not new, in another sense, it is new in the light of Christ (At the same time, it is a new commandment that I am writing to you, which is true in him and in you, because the darkness is passing away and the true light is already shining.)

Old covenant made new

I. The centrality of loving God to the Christian life is not new but is more fully revealed in Jesus’ love (7-8)

How did Jesus demonstrate God’s love?

Romans 5:8 ESV

8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

How can we love back?

Romans 12:1 ESV

1 I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.

Exposition (9-11)

1 John 2:9–11 ESV

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.

Verse 9 - If you hate your brother, you are still in darkness

Who is a brother?

A fellow believer

does not contradict Jesus’ command to love neighbor or enemy but makes a special emphasis about fellow believers

What is hate?

Similar to darkness, hate, among the brothers is the absence of love.

Hate is an action, and more than just the absence of love but the way John is presenting it here, a failure to love is to hate.

Verse 10

Abiding in the light is signified by love for the brothers

What is abiding in the light?

What is love?

Is it an emotion?

Is it a “feeling” of solidarity and community?

Or, rather...

Is it something you do?

Is it an action

If love is an action, how do you love? How do you love the brothers?

Verse 11

II. True Christians love each other (9-11)

Illustration - true friends, true spouses

1 John 3:17 ESV

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?

Conclusion