TRANSFORMING LOVE CHANGES US OUTWARDLY (PART 1)

We resume our study of 1 John this morning after the glorious celebration of both Palm Sunday and Easter Sunday. In some ways this return is comforting, because we began our study of 1 John at the beginning of the year before the coronavirus pandemic.

By way of a recap, we have examined Fellowship with the Triune God in the first chapter of this letter. We looked at how we can obtain this fellowship through the saving person and work of Jesus Christ, and that our fellowship, our intimate communion, is with the Triune God (God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit) as well as with other believers.

In the second chapter of 1 John we read different letters written from the aged father John to his little children. These letters ranged from letters for security to letters for encouragement, from letters for separation to letters for discernment.

We began chapter 3 on 22 March, looking at Transforming Love. LIke the butterfly who is transformed from the caterpillar to the butterfly, so too the Christian is transformed through the grace of God when the Christian beholds Christ. We divided the first 10 verses into two parts, focusing primarily on the inward change wrought by God.

This inward change, this change spoken of in 3:1-2 is a change in our natures. We are no longer children of the devil (3:8), but children of God (3:1). As such, we are changed! Yet, even in this epistle, John notes that our transformation, though complete in the eyes of the timeless God, is a work in progress. John encourages believers to purify themselves (cleanse themselves) as Jesus is pure. We have work to do, brothers and sisters, and we must be about this work.

This morning we will see that the transforming work that God began in the Christian does not end on the inside. As our desires change (noted in 3:4-10), we experience continual inward change. But this change spews over into the outward, like a pot of boiling water bubbling over the edge of the pot.

Our inward change in natures produces an outward change in actions. Jesus says that a good true produces good fruit and a bad tree produces bad fruit. The root determines the fruit, so to speak. Our inward change (root) produces outward change (the fruit). This morning’s sermon will focus on John’s example of how our outward practices reveal our inward natures. In the next two sermons, Lord willing, we will discuss a negative presentation of this change as well as a positive presentation.

Our outward actions reveal our inward natures. We discussed this as we worked our way through 3:9-10. And verse 10 provides the backdrop to what John will reveal to us this morning.

(Read Scripture)

Transforming Love Changes Us Outwardly

I. THIS OUTWARD CHANGE IS REVEALED IN THE WRITTEN WORD OF GOD- 1 John 3:11

It is amazing how much truth is contained in these two verses, so we will take our time and enjoy unpacking them. Like a delightful meal of a New York Strip and a nice salad, we will take our time with these two verses, and the first point we see is that this outward change is revealed in the written Word of God.

John says, “This is the message that you have heard from the beginning...” This message is mentioned by John in 1 John 1:5. This message includes the Gospel, as John describes in the first chapter. But it is also a message that has been written in the Word of God since the beginning. This message dawns in Genesis 3:15 and continues throughout the Scripture, slowly being revealed in the person and work of Messiah. This message, John tells us, is that we should love one another.

It is important that we understand how the Scriptures work lest we eject ourselves from the Old Testament. It is popular today to ignore the Old Testament and only use the New Testament. Some take this thought even further, claiming to be red-letter Christians, the implication being that the red letter words of Christ carry the most weight.

Brothers and sisters, the entire Bible, the Old and New Testaments, are the Word of God. It is this word that Paul says is “All Scripture is inspired by God,” including the Old Testament and the New Testament. Why do I bring this up and belabor this point? Because there is a vital connection between the Old Testament and the New Testament, namely the 10 Commandments. These 10 Commandments represent the requirements of God in a wonderful way, and included in these commandments are our obligations to God and to one another. If we practiced the 5th-10th commandments with one another, we would truly love one another. This message, as John reminds us, has been from the beginning. The beginning of our transformation is inward, as John makes explicitly clear in 3:1-2. This inward change, this salvation by God’s grace, will produce outward change, and this outward change is described in the command to love one another.

II. THIS INWARD-TO-OUTWARD CHANGE RESULTS IN OUTWARD FRUIT- 1 John 3:11b

John begins with this inward change and then moves outward. The Christian life, though certainly an inward life, always manifests itself outwardly. Inward change is manifested in outward change. And this outward change is summarized in the phrase, “that we should love one another.”

Now, John began this discussion back in 2:9-10 when he mentioned hating one’s brother and loving one’s brother. John will connect this with physical acts later in this chapter, but we are going to focus on the broad sweep of loving one’s neighbor.

I want to read the second table of the 10 Commandments (commandments 5-10), and imagine if we actually did these how we would demonstrate love to another. Now, as I read these, also keep in mind that these do not simply prohibit certain activity, they also require certain activity. That is, there is a negative and positive command attached. Consider the words of the Larger Catechism, “Where a duty is commanded, the contrary sin is forbidden; and, where a sin is forbidden, the contrary duty is commanded.” (see Matthew 5:21-26)

Honor your father and your mother

You shall not murder

You small not commit adultery

You shall not steal

You shall not bear false witness

You shall not covet (Ex. 20:12-17)

We would truly love one another if we were to avoid these sins and practice the positive duty of each one of these commands. Our main focus is that of John’s, that believers’ actions are different than unbelievers.

Remember the words of our Lord? He said, “By this shall all people know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” (John 13:35) Our outward actions reveal an inward change. Our fruit reveals our root.

So, what does our fruit reveal about our root? Do we make a practice of sinning? Or, do we practice righteousness? Do we express love in tangible ways, or do we secretly hate our brother?

As we think about our own lives, we must think simply in short terms of time. I would not recommend using your drive to church this morning as a test. Consider your life style (John uses the word practice) over the last month, six months, year, five years, and so on. What do your outward actions reveal about your inward nature? John says that this INWARD-TO-OUTWARD CHANGE RESULTS IN OUTWARD FRUIT.

III. THIS OUTWARD FRUIT REVEALS THE INWARD ROOT- 1 John 3:12

The point John is drawing out here is that outward fruit reveals the inward root. What John is showing is that our natures affect our actions.

This is vital, because when we are examining our lives we must remember that our actions reveal our heart. And in this examination, John calls our minds to Cain.

Now, Genesis 4:1-16 provides the biblical account of Cain’s life, and in this account we learn something of Cain’s character. God, we understand from His nature, revealed to Cain and Abel the sacrifice He wanted. Though not directly written, we know that God is a righteous and just God, and we can safely assume that He communicated His desires to these two men. You can read what happened in Genesis 4 on your own time, but to sum it up Cain murdered Abel.

By discussing this man, John provides an insight into the inner workings of human hearts, particularly those of unbelievers. This provides believers some understanding as to the thoughts, beliefs, and actions of unbelievers. I believe this will enable us to be more gracious, more loving, and more understanding in our interactions with the surrounding community, nation, and world.

A. Cain’s Inward Nature—who was of the evil one

John, after discussing the inward change of the believer, the presentation of the inward natures through outward actions, and the timeless command covered in Scripture, begins to focus on a practical, real life example.

Cain, as we have already mentioned, has a brief chapter of the Bible and yet appears several times throughout the Scriptures. He is mentioned in Hebrews 11:4, here in our passage before us, and in Jude 11 where Cain is connected with blasphemy, covetousness, and rebellious. This reveals much of the nature of Cain, which then allows us to see why this man would murder his brother.

In general, our society has embraced an unbiblical view of man, and if we are not careful, we as believers can embrace this as well. Consider the words of Travis Bradberry, of Inc.com, states,

“Given the right circumstances, good people can get caught up in some very bad things. More often than not, psychology is to blame.”— Travis Bradberry

(https://www.inc.com/travis-bradberry/14-psychological-forces-that-make-good-people-do-bad-things.html, accessed 16 April 2020)

Notice what Bradberry is not saying, he is not saying that we can do bad things, but that we get caught up in bad things. He also declares us to be “good people,” and that those things that we get caught up in are the result of “psychology,” not sin.

What John tells us, and what Scripture clearly teaches, is the exact opposite. We are not sinners because we sin, we sin because we are sinners. Noting this, the London Baptist Confession of Faith states, “From this original corruption, whereby we are utterly indisposed, disabled, and made opposite to all good, and wholly inclined to all evil, do proceed all actual transgressions.” (LBCF 6:4)

The Scriptures tell us that our roots are revealed in our fruits, and Cain displays the root of wickedness evidenced by his outward actions.

B. Cain’s Outward Actions—[he] murdered his brother

Cain’s nature was “of the evil one.” This calls back to mind what John was discussing in 3:4-10. Those who practice sin reveal their inward, evil natures.

Those natures are revealed to us by outward actions, and in Cain’s case his nature was revealed through murder (fratricide). The word for murder here is used to describe the death of Christ in the book of Revelation. It is a horrific death, and it reveals Cain’s heart of hatred. Our actions, as the Scriptures teach, reveal our hearts, or natures. But Cain’s actions were not void of reasoning. That is, it was premeditated. That is why we turn our attention to Cain’s wicked reasoning.

C. Cain’s Wicked Reasoning—because his own deeds were evil

At the end of verse 12 we are given a glimpse into the heart of Cain, and it is ugly. Yet, if we are honest with ourselves, this reveals a lot about our own hearts as well.

Cain, upon seeing the righteousness of his brother Abel, wanted to murder him. This is the cause of Cain’s fratricide. He was jealous, he was envious, exactly as James tells us in James 4:2, “You desire and do not have, so you murder.”

There is a form or reasoning behind every evil deed. We could elaborate upon this point, but I think it is self-proving in general.

CONCLUSION

THIS OUTWARD CHANGE IS REVEALED IN THE WRITTEN WORD OF GOD

THIS INWARD-TO-OUTWARD CHANGE RESULTS IN OUTWARD FRUIT

THIS OUTWARD FRUIT REVEALS THE INWARD ROOT

I want to end our time with three practical suggestions for putting what we have learned into practice.

Use the 10 Commandments to begin living a life of love (positive and negative commands)

You can take the next ten months and pick one command to focus on primarily. Search the Scriptures for individuals who either practiced the virtue commended or failed to obey, learn from their successes and failures, bolster your armory with additional commands and explanations from Scripture. All this, though, should be done with the desire to love one another.

Contemplate on your own outward actions.

Our outward actions are wonderful tools for our sanctification. They can reveal our hearts, and whether or not we are serving others or serving self.

Use the 10 Commandments to examine your life in conjunction with Psalm 139:23-24 to pray for God’s holy assistance. Consider the use of these commands offered by the Larger Catechism, “It is of special use, to show them how much they are bound to Christ for his fulfilling it, and enduring the curse thereof in their stead, and for their good; and thereby to provoke them to more thankfulness, and to express the same in their greater care to conform themselves thereunto as the rule of their obedience.” (Q97)

Remember the inward nature of those in society

It is easy to forget what the Scriptures teach about humanity, but we must remember these truths at all times. When we fail to do so, we wonder how people can do some atrocious deeds. Nevertheless, when we develop a biblical view of man, we realize that he or she is simply acting within his or her own nature. This helps us be more patient with those whom God has not yet saved through His grace and their repentance and faith. We are able to bear with them, as the Scripture says, in order to help preach to them the Gospel in hope and prayer that God will grant repentance.

So, brothers and sisters, what do your outward actions reveal about your inward nature? Is there a particular area in which you find yourself struggling? What will you do about it?

Perhaps your outward actions reveal the need for an inward change. They show you that Christ is neither your Lord nor your Savior. The Scriptures simply say come, in repentance from sin and faith in Jesus Christ, come.