The Love Test

1 John 2:7-11 The Love Test Introduction: The issues that were going on in this little fellowship that John was writing to are so relevant to the issues going on in the church today. John is giving this church tests by which they can know that they truly have fellowship with God and that they have eternal life. One reason that John does this is because we as humans are subject to spiritual deception. This is because we so often base our spiritual maturity, spiritual progress, or spiritual state on some subjective standard. But we cannot judge our spiritual state simply by how we feel, we must have a objective standard, and the standard that John puts forth is the word of God. Here is an example of spiritual deception: “I pray as hard as I can and work very hard with my spiritual director to make sure the voice I hear in my head is God’s voice”. Again, “Just simply to say that homosexuality goes against tradition, the teaching of the church and scripture does not necessarily make it wrong.” - Gene Robinson -The Former Anglican Bishop of New Hampshire Obviously this so called Christian has a moral standard based on something other than God’s word. It seems that although these secessionist claim to have fellowship with God they had a standard of morality and love other than God’s own standard. It was subjective morality. It was Christianity on their own terms. They decided what was to be obeyed and what could be passed over. As we studied two weeks ago God has a moral standard that his people are to walk by. We see God’s righteous standard given all throughout the scripture but when we come to the New Testament the bar is raised even higher. It isn’t enough to simply not commit adultery, we must not even let our thoughts go there. It isn’t enough to not murder, we must not let hatred have any place in our lives. God’s standard of righteousness is nothing less than Jesus Christ the righteous. Therefore John says, “By this we may know that we are in him: whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.” Now John moves from the moral test of true fellowship with God to the social test. John’s argument is really a progression. He first says that those who know God keep his commandments and walk as Jesus walked, and then he narrows it down to one command in particular. He gets down to the main commandment: The Love Command. Just as John shows us that there is a standard of morality and righteousness that we can judge our spiritual state by there is also a standard of love that we must judge our spiritual state by. As we talk about love it is very important to define what we mean. We cannot mistake love for tolerance. To truly love someone means that we are committed to their ultimate good. At it’s root love really has nothing to do with our emotions or attraction. Otherwise the COMMAND to love would really be impossible. Tolerance on the other hand really means that you do what ever you think is best and I allow it (by minding my own business) whether I believe it to be harmful or not. Tolerance is suppressing our true feelings. 1. The Old Commandment a. Vs 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.” b. As I already said, the commandment that John is concerned with is the Chief commandment: The command to love one another. i. How do we know that John is talking about the command to love one another? 1. In 2 John it is made quite clear for us, “And now I ask you, dear lady—not as though I were writing you a new commandment, but the one we have had from the beginning—that we love one another.” -2 John 5 2. John is obviously referring to Jesus’ teaching found in John’s Gospel chapters 13 and 15. a. John 13:34 “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.” b. John 15:13 “Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.” ii. How is it an old Command? 1. It’s an old commandment in the fact that it isn’t something new. a. You might be thinking duh, but let me explain. i. What I mean specifically is that the secessionist, the false teachers, were bringing in “new doctrine”. ii. In 2 John 9 it’s put this way, “Everyone who goes on ahead and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God. Whoever abides in the teaching has both the Father and the Son.” iii. There teaching was new, it was progressive, in the worst sense of the word. iv. John’s teaching is not new,it is the orthodox teaching, it is the same command that they heard from the beginning. v. Now the commandment that these believers heard from the beginning, the message that John delivered to them, was that they were to love one another. 1. Christianity first and foremost is the command to love. 2. Love is to be the distinguishing mark of God’s people. a. What is love? 2. The New Commandment a. Vs 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.” i. In what sense then is this old commandment new? 1. The key to understanding is the word “already”. He says, “the true light is already shinning”. a. What’s he talking about? b. It must mean that a light that was expected sometime in the distant future is no longer merely a hope. It has already begun to shine. i. Isaiah 60:19-21 “The sun shall be no more your light by day, nor for brightness shall the moon give you light; but the Lord will be your everlasting light, and your God will be your glory. Your sun shall no more go down, nor your moon withdraw itself; for the Lord will be your everlasting light, and your days of mourning shall be ended. Your people shall all be righteous; they shall possess the land forever, the branch of my planting, the work of my hands, that I might be glorified.” ii. The Old Testament was looking forward to a day when all would be light, there would be no more sin, no more curse, no more misery, but righteousness, peace, and joy in God. iii. John says, that light is already shinning. 1. How is it shinning? a. It is shinning through our love! b. We reflect God’s light when we love. c. When John speaks of the the darkness passing and the true light already shinning it is in reference to love. It seems that John is indicating that "Christian Love" is a sign a testimony to the new age to come. It is a declaration of God's kingdom, a sign that what is present is coming to an end..... d. John 13:34-35 “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. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” e. This love is a light and a witness. 2. So how is it new? a. So the reason the commandment of love is called new in verse 8 is that it is a commandment to be the new light of the world. When John says that the light which was hoped for in the distant future of the kingdom of God is already shining, he means that it is NEW. It came first in Jesus. And now John commands that it come (or shine) in the life of every believer. 3. The Test a. Vs 9-11 “Whoever says he is in the light and hates his brother is still in darkness. Whoever loves his brother abides in the light, and in him there is no cause for stumbling. 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.” i. Now whereas God is love. And his kingdom is one of light and love the characteristic of hate is entirely opposed to all that God is. ii. Therefore God’s people will be characterized by love. 1. 1 Thessalonians 4:9 “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.” iii. Hate is the distinguishing mark of the kingdom of darkness - which John says is passing away. iv. Here’s where we see again with John that actions, not words, are what count. It doesn’t matter what side someone claims to be on what is the distinguishing mark of their life, love or hate? 1. It’s really not complicated. Conclusion: Love is to be the distinguishing mark of God’s people. True Christianity must consist of Truth, Righteousness and Love. Where these do not exist, Christ does not abide. “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. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” - John 13:34-35 1. It is by our love for each other that they will know that we are part of God’s kingdom, his church, his people, his children. 2. What is our love like as a church? What is our love like as an individual. Love is the defining characteristic of God’s people. a. Galatians 5:22-23 “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control” b. 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 “Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. c. Having read those, let me say, love is not soft. It isn’t tolerance, love rejoices in the truth, and seeks what is best for the loved.. 3. Are we a church that loves and supports one another? Are we personally loving and supporting others? Do we feel loved? Again this isn’t some subjective feeling; is the love that Jesus displayed for us at the cross being displayed by us toward one another? a. How can we do this better? b. Maybe it’s assumed that we are loving, but how much better if we would assure one another by, not just having love and support available when needed, but by actively loving and supporting one another. Love is not reactive its proactive.