1 John 2:7-11 : The New Commandment of Old
1 John • Sermon • Submitted • Presented • 33:13
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· 95 viewsToday's sermon discusses the greatest commandment given to us by God - love.
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Introduction:
Today is Palm Sunday. We are preparing to celebrate the greatest action of love that has ever occured since the beginning. Jesus Christ gave His life for us. Palm Sunday begins with the triumphal entry. Jesus is openly embraced as a leader and His arrival to Jerusalem is celebrated. Yet it is only a week later and He is crucified. All because the people did not fully obey the new commandment of old. They refused to love their God and their fellow man. They chose the way of the world - the way of selfishness and pride.
Read Full Scripture:
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.
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.
Prayer
Today we are going to discuss God’s great commandment of love. Let’s start by discussing the old commandment of love.
I. Believers should follow…The Old Commandment (2:7)
I. Believers should follow…The Old Commandment (2:7)
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.
What old commandment does John mention here? And what does he mean that we had it from the beginning?
It can be confusing to figure out what exactly John is talking about here. This shows the importance of understanding the context around a given verse. If this verse is taken by itself it can be misinterpreted. Yet when we see it in light of the entire passage it becomes more clear.
The Commandment that he gives is no new commandment - meaning that this commandment has been given long ago. In fact we see this commandment given clearly in the book of Leviticus which was written by Moses some 1400-1500+ years prior to John writing! This means its over 3400 years old for us today! This old commandment stated:
18 You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against the sons of your own people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord.
God had clearly given us the commandment to love Him in Deuteronomy 6:5
5 You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.
This command of love was clearly seen by the Jewish people. It was an old commandment. Love God and love your neighbor.
This was no new teaching that John was bringing. He wasn’t trying to preach a new philosophy. He wasn’t trying to be innovative with his words here. He is bringing up a commandment that has been written since the Law was written and was written in principle since the creation of the earth.
Why is it so important that we love our neighbor? Obviously we know that it is important to love God. He made us. He is perfect. He is holy. He gave His son - Jesus Christ - to die on the cross for our sins. How can we not love such a wonderful God?
8 Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law.
Paul makes it clear in his epistle to the Romans that love for one another actually fulfills the law.
You see, there is an unbreakable and inseparable link between obedience and loving God and loving one’s neighbor. You can’t do one without the other. You cannot hate man who is made in the image of God and love God.
This is an old commandment. It has been preached since the beginning. Yet so many today seem to ignore this old commandment in favor of new ideas and human philosophies.
We live in a world of ‘newness.’ Every day, multiple new things come out.
According to a smart gadgets website:
You can buy this magnetic levitating Bluetooth speaker (advertised as the only floating speakers that you’ll ever need - I wasn’t aware you needed floating speakers but maybe I’m missing something!)
Or how about the GoDonut
The smartphone stand. I’ll give it to them - there are only a few things more frustrating that trying to watch a video on how to fix something without a phone stand!
Finally - for you people who cannot stand to have smudges on your smartphones or tablets… The Screen Klean. Seems a bit excessive in size for a small phone but whatever floats your boat!
Are any of these products really new? Have there been speakers for a long time? Sound has existed since God made it! Have there been stands for equipment for a long time? Have there been cleaning supplies for a long time. Absolutely. All of these new things are not even really new.
In the book of Ecclesiastes which was written by the wisest man ever to live (other than Christ, of course) - Solomon states:
9 What has been is what will be, and what has been done is what will be done, and there is nothing new under the sun.
This is such an important principle to understand. Today there are many teachers and preachers trying to preach new ideas to attract a crowd. They preach prosperity gospels, health and wellness gospels, motivational messages devoid of the power of God’s Word, and practical steps to become a better you. These are all taught with an idea of newness. If you just try this new idea out that they are preaching or teaching then you will see how wonderful your life will be. They have the solution to all of your problems.
The real issue in your life is that you don’t plan well enough. Or maybe it is because you don’t do enough sit-ups every morning. Or maybe it is that you don’t invest in the right companies. Or maybe it is because you aren’t…fill in the blank.
I’m not here to say that planning, exercising, and investing don’t have their places - however we must be leery of people who teach that doing these things well will give us peace and joy and fulfillment. These teachings are deceptive because they focus on issues and not the big picture.
None of these messages are novel or new. There have been messages devoid of Christ since the fall of man.
However, there is a commandment of old that is also not new. One that works every time. One that we can know if fully true. We need to love God and love people. And as Paul said in Romans 13:8, through this commandment of love, we can fulfill the entire law.
Brothers and sisters, follow the old command of God. Not only do we follow this command of old…
Scripture References: Lev 19:18, Deut 6:5, Romans 13:8, Ecc 1:9
II. Believers should follow…The New Commandment (2:8)
II. Believers should follow…The New Commandment (2:8)
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.
But wait a second. Didn’t John just say he wasn’t writing a new commandment? Wasn’t he referring to the commandment to love God and your neighbor which was written on man’s heart since the beginning and in the book of Leviticus some 1400-1500 years before his writing?
Yes.
But I thought you said Scripture doesn’t contradict itself. It is inerrant - or without error. It is the perfect Word of God. Again I say yes.
I love teaching through the Bible in an expositional, book-by-book way because it brings up great teachings that I wouldn’t have thought of teaching on by myself.
Over the next couple of minutes, I am going to teach an important principle in understanding and interpreting the Bible. If you come to a place where it seems like there is a contradiction or error - the problem is actually with you and your understanding. Ouch. I know we live in a world where it is always someone else’s fault. We blame-shift. I robbed the convenience store because my dad left my family when I was younger. I divorced my wife because I didn’t see a proper marriage growing up.
My friends, that is not how God works. We will all give an account personally. We won’t be able to call witnesses to testify for us on our behalf. We won’t be able to try to throw someone else under the bus while we give our account before Jesus.
We need to take ownership of our own failings and ignorance. And here is an example of that.
[See picture diagram]
So what does John mean? In order to understand this we need to see it in the context of Scripture as well. When we approach a given Scripture that is difficult to understand at first glance - like this one - we need to start with the immediate context in the book. After that we can look at all of the books written by this particular author. Then the Testament that it is in and then the entire Bible. That is a proper way to understand the Scriptures.
As a side note and a warning for studying the Bible: In this diagram we also see the benefits of other things such as geographical, historical and cultural studies in the understanding of Scripture. My friends, tread lightly on these areas as they are beneficial but should never stand in opposition to Scripture or seek to explain away Scripture. So many ‘liberal theologians’ today use extra-Biblical ideas to explain away and chip away at the authority of the Scriptures. This liberal theology is dangerous. Watch out for a pastor who constantly says that a Scripture doesn’t say what it actually says. They are dangerous and could very well be false teachers.
Going back to our diagram it is still difficult to understand this in the context of 1 John. It still seems somewhat muddy. But when we move to the next level - looking at books written by the same author - namely John - it becomes crystal clear.
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.
See that phrase - a new commandment I give to you. See how it parallels with 1 John 2:8.
You see, Jesus took this love thing to the next level. Leviticus 19:18 told us to love our neighbor as our self. Now that is quite the command in and of itself! We love us some us, brothers and sisters! Look at all of the self-help stuff out there. Look at all the exercise videos, the nutrition fads, the intellectual training, and luxury items. We have mattresses that adjust to our desire for firmness. We have car seats that heat and can be air conditioned! We have no problem loving us some us in America today!
But Jesus takes this love to the next level. He says love one another - just as I have loved you.
How did Christ love us?
He loves us with ‘agape’ love. This is unconditional love. This is sacrificial love.
The commandment is the same but the ability to carry it out has changed. No longer does man love within the confines of human ability. We now can love through the power of Christ. True agape love can come through the Holy Spirit who lives in us as believers. Humans are able to perform phileo - brotherly love. They can have a positive affection for another person. Yet this type of love is not always sacrificial. It is friendship love. This is a beautiful love - but it does not have the same staying power and sacrificial conviction of Agape love.
Who can obey such a command my friends? Only believers. Only those who love through the power of the Holy Spirit. It is impossible for an unbeliever to love this way. Christ’s power is the only thing that allow one to obey this new command of old.
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.
Going back to verse 8 in 1 John 2, looking at the end of this verse we see this wonderful phrase - the true light is already shining.
With the inauguration of the Messiah’s spiritual kingdom which came with the earthly life of Jesus Christ, the true light was revealed to the world. This true light is still shining today and the darkness will pass away. The True Light, namely Christ, will one day completely crush the enemy of our souls, namely the devil as seen in Romans 16:20.
20 The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.
The True Light is the only one who can help us obey this new commandment of old. The True Light (namely Jesus) is the only one who can shine through us into the darkness and light our way. It is only by His power that we can love our neighbor the way He loves us. The True Light is also the one who helps...
Scripture References: John 13:34, Leviticus 19:18, Romans 16:20
III. Believers should follow…The Illuminated Commandment (2:9-11)
III. Believers should follow…The Illuminated Commandment (2:9-11)
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.
The True Light we discussed before sent the Holy Spirit to us to illuminate the darkness and light our path. Through the Word of God we may walk a lighted path (Psalm 119:105).
Verse 10 shows us that Jesus lights our way. There is no cause for stumbling for those who walk in the light of Christ. Those who walk in the truth. This word stumbling refers to something that makes one fall into sin - or to be entrapped - to trip someone up. Those who walk in the light do not have to fear what is ahead because they can clearly see it!
If you remember my story last week of falling down the stairs because my sleeping dog was in the way and I was running in the darkness - we see the need for this light! If the light would have been on I would have been able to adjust course or slow down and wouldn’t have been tripped up!
Yet we see in verse 9 and 11 that there is another choice as well. Those who do not follow the illuminated commandment of love choose hate instead.
This Greek word for hate here is miseō (mee-sou). It means to detest or abhor someone. Hate is the absence of deeds of love. Although there is most definitely an active form of hate such as hateful actions. Hate can be expressed in an absence of love as well. Hate can be inaction as much as it can be actions. It can be neglect as much as it can be direct abuse. Anything that is not godly love is actually a form of hate.
Hate can look like many things. I think we can all pick up on what hate looks like when it is active hate - murder, violence, abuse, etc.
However, hate can also be seen in our own lives if we aren’t careful. Husbands, when we neglect our wives in favor of doing what we want to do time and time again - this is a form of hate. Wives, when we disrespect our husbands in front of others and embarrass him - this is a form of hate. Children - when we disrespect our parents and don’t obey - this is a form of hate. Brothers and sisters - hate is all too common in our families today. Hopefully it isn’t what we would consider active hate - violence, abuse etc - although sadly this is taking place in many homes today as we see in our news. But so many families today are just going through the motions. Love is absent in the marriages. The marriage bed is empty and unfulfilled. The children’s hearts are far from their parents. The kids have reached out time and time again - longing for a relationship with mom or with dad - only to be turned away because of a career or a hobby. Parents are reaching out to their kids who reject their advances because what do their parents know anyway?
May these situations not be in our families at CrossPointe Family Church! Fathers - lead and love your wives and children. Wives - respect and love your husband. Children - respect and obey your parents. Love is active. The absence of active love is hate. Just like cold is the absence of heat - hate is the absence of love. We must decide, through the power of the Holy Spirit, to love. He can help us overcome this task of love. Love can be hard. Some people are more difficult to love than others. Yet Jesus said we are to even love our enemies (Matthew 5:44)!
Verse 11 gives us a vivid picture of what hate can do to us. Hate can blind us. When we hate we walk in darkness and become blinded over time.
I stumbled upon a great illustration of what it is like to become blinded as you walk in the darkness of hate.
There is a certain fish called the Mexican Blind Cavefish. This fish is very unique in that it is not merely born blind. It is born with eyes that regress until they are completely lost as adults! The bones of their once-round eye orbits collapse. In the place of their eyes, there are only empty sockets that store fat deposits which are covered by scales.
Brothers and sisters - God is so gracious to us even though we are evil. We come into this world with a conscience - eyes per-se. We are all born with a knowledge of God so that no man is without excuse.
18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. 19 For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. 20 For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. 21 For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened.
This is not to say we are born good. There is no one who is good as Romans 3 shows us. Yet, God is merciful and reveals Himself to us through creation. Yet, through our hatred of God and our fellow man we are blinded. Like the Blind Mexican Cavefish, our eyes regress and are covered by scales. We allow the serpent of old, namely Satan, to blind us.
3 And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. 4 In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.
This little ‘g’ god of this world is Satan. He blinds the minds of unbelievers who walk in hate toward their maker and toward there fellow man.
My friends, where are you today? Can you see clearly in front of you through the illuminated commandment of love. Or are you walking blindly in darkness - grasping for whatever you can find.
Sadly, these Blind Mexican Cavefish have another poor quality. They respond unwisely. Researchers found that if you put your hand in the tank then they come right up to it. Other fish will not do this. They are wise and see and understand that there may be danger. These blind cavefish are foolish and have no idea of what danger might await them. They walk right into danger without reservation.
I pray that each of us can clearly see good and evil. That we are able to see through the lens of Christ. Trust Christ who can remove the scales of blindness away from your eyes and restore your sight. He can do the impossible.
Scripture References: Psalm 119:105, Matthew 5:44, Romans 1:18-21, Romans 3, 2 Cor 4:3-4
Conclusion
Those of us who are believers - I challenge you to follow the illuminated new commandment of old. Love your God and love your neighbor. Love is an action. Allow the Holy Spirit to help you love the Lord more. Put Him first in your life. Read the Word and pray regularly. Be sure to make Him a priority on your calendar. Do all of this through His power and not your own.
Allow the Holy Spirit to help you love your spouse, or siblings, or parents, or children more. Allow the Holy Spirit to help you love your friends, coworkers, and even boss more!
Those of you who are not yet believers - I pray that you give your life to Him today. We are only able to truly love because Christ first loved us. Jesus Christ came to the earth as God-made-flesh some 2000 years ago. He lived a sinless life and died on the cross for your sins and mine. He rose from the dead 3 days later and now is seated at the right hand of the Father. Salvation comes through Him and Him alone. Put your trust in Jesus, repent or turn away from your sins, and follow Christ as the Lord of your life. Only by His power can you be saved. Please seriously consider this wonderful offer. Without Christ, you will never understand what true love really is.
Prayer
Have a blessed week!