1 John 3:11-24
Notes
Transcript
Intro:
Intro:
Last week, we talked about how we will do what is right, when we are children of God..
As a child of God, you can live a righteous life, instead of a sinful life.
You get to choose to sin or not, God has given you that freedom.
When we choose sin, we are choosing to do the work of satan.
Christ came to do away with that work, so us doing that work is like “forget you, Jesus.”
Pray
V.11-12
The message from the beginning was loving one another.
Jesus gave us the perfect example of how we should love each other.
This is the Christian walk, loving one another… 1 Cor 13’
Cain killed his brother because God accepted Abel’s offering.
Now Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain, and said, “I have acquired a man from the Lord.” Then she bore again, this time his brother Abel. Now Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground. And in the process of time it came to pass that Cain brought an offering of the fruit of the ground to the Lord. Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat. And the Lord respected Abel and his offering, but He did not respect Cain and his offering. And Cain was very angry, and his countenance fell.
So the Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen? If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it.”
Now Cain talked with Abel his brother; and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother and killed him.
Then the Lord said to Cain, “Where is Abel your brother?”
He said, “I do not know. Am I my brother’s keeper?”
And He said, “What have you done? The voice of your brother’s blood cries out to Me from the ground. So now you are cursed from the earth, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand. When you till the ground, it shall no longer yield its strength to you. A fugitive and a vagabond you shall be on the earth.”
And Cain said to the Lord, “My punishment is greater than I can bear! Surely You have driven me out this day from the face of the ground; I shall be hidden from Your face; I shall be a fugitive and a vagabond on the earth, and it will happen that anyone who finds me will kill me.”
And the Lord said to him, “Therefore, whoever kills Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold.” And the Lord set a mark on Cain, lest anyone finding him should kill him.
Then Cain went out from the presence of the Lord and dwelt in the land of Nod on the east of Eden.
What can we learn from Cain and Abel?
God always inspects the giver and the worshipper before he inspects the gift, service, or worship.
We can sit her and try to act super holy, but if there isn’t love in your life, if you aren’t pursuing righteousness, then it probably won’t be accepted.
HOW YOU LIVE MATTERS!
V.13
It seems like those people who left this church that John is writing to, has some hard feelings toward them.
So, he makes the point… Don’t be surprised if the world hates you… because it will.
We shouldn’t be surprised if the world hates us, because it will…If you are following Jesus, and you are living like it, the world will hate you. PERIODT.
V. 14-15
What is a good sign of your salvation?
That you love your brothers and sisters (fellow believers).
God gives you the love that you are supposed to love your fellow believers.
If you hate your fellow christian, then you have a heart issue… Either you’re not saved or you are living in darkness.
CSB Study Bible: Notes Chapter 3
There is no middle ground. Love is the gospel mandate (Jn 13:35). The person who neglects to love hates his brother or sister. This signals absence of eternal life. This verse recalls Jesus’s teaching in Mt 5:21–22.
God calls hate murder, so if you hate someone, you are a murderer.
John isn’t saying that the person who murderers can’t be saved.
There has to be true repentance for salvation.
All sins are the same, in the sense that they all lead to death and dishonor God.
All sins have different consequences, but they all separate us from god.
The point is: don’t judge people who sin differently than you.
Oh you watch porn, omg.. But, do you lust after people?
Oh, you killed someone.... But, do you have hate in your heart?
My question for you guys… Are you loving well? Or, are your hearts full of hate and murder.
V.16-17
We know love by the example Jesus had left for us..
The cross not only saves, but it serves as an example for all of us.
Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.
As believers, we should be ready to make the ultimate sacrifice for our brothers and sisters in Christ.
Would you be wiling to die for your fellow brothers and sisters?
If we have ability to help our fellow Christians out, but choose not to, there’s an issue.
Love and Selfishness does not work together.
V.18
We can’t just say we love someone… Talk is cheap… We need to back it up with action.
Don’t just talk about it, be about it.
V. 19-20
Jon Courson’s Application Commentary Chapter 3
If your heart is attacking you, don’t worry. God is greater than your heart, for He knows more about who you are than your heart ever could.…
The heart will attack us at times… It’s part of life.. But, you have to remember that God is greater.
V. 21-22
CSB Study Bible: Notes Chapter 3
Confidence in the presence of God is no small thing. See Heb 3:6; 4:16; 10:19, 35.
We can have this confidence if we are abiding in Him...
You can’t have this confidence if you are not in close fellowship with Him.
CSB Study Bible: Notes Chapter 3
We will receive whatever we ask in prayer if our prayer is within God’s will (5:14). If we keep his commands, we will have no desire to request what God does not wish.
We should be praying, “Lord, let your will be done… Not my own.”
V. 23-24
We are given two commands...
Believe in Jesus… Trust Him… Rely on Him… Abide
Love one another
When you believe in Christ, all you can do is love.
Those who abide in Jesus know they are abiding, because of the assurance of the Holy Spirit.
The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God,
You can’t be abiding in Him and Not know it… You’ll know if you’re abiding in Christ.
If you don’t keep God’s commandments, you don’t have grounds to be confident in Him…
Our confidence comes from abiding and fellowship with Him, and having the Holy Spirit.
Conclusion:
We can have assurance and confidence, if we are abiding in Christ..
Want to know if you’re abiding well?
How well are you loving others?
And by this we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before Him.