Assured by brotherly love

Introduction

Living without assurance is like driving down the road with the e-brake on; you are going forward with a great hinderance on spiritual progress and joy.

We have now reached a new test of which reveals to us whether or not you are born again. This is not a test of negotiations, but rather an ultimatum. The Spirit did not come down to live within you to negotiate, He came down and took ownership of your soul.

The new test is this: Do you love your brother?

John is primarily speaking about the practice of the divine love we see through the life of Jesus. The object of that love MUST be toward God’s children.

1) Divine Love From The Beginning

A. The message

This message was nothing less than the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

“heard from the beginning”

John speaks of the beginning of their spiritual birth.

Listen, without a divine sovereign love, there would be NO CALVARY!

As God sovereignly places His love on sinners (rebels, wicked, depraved, enemies of God) so we are presented the opportunities to place the Spirit’s love also on those who are undeserving.

God’s love is NOT a WEAK love!

Here is you often mistake: You respond to your inconsiderate brother as if you are only equipped with a weak love.

1 Peter 4:8 (KJV 1900) — 8 And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins.

It is only the UN-beleiver who understandably lives outside of practicing a divine love.

“we should”

1John 2:9-11

You are empowered to love with an unconditional love; a gospel love.

Every believer has been freed to love like Jesus.

WHO? People just like you!

B. What love is NOT! (vv11-15)

John likens “hating” ones brother as being a murderer.

John uses an illustration from the past; Cain & Abel

Why did Cain kill Abel?

You can’t tell me Cain wasn’t taught or never observed the kind of sacrifice God accepts.

Cain was a child of the devil.

NO UN-believer has the ability to please God

Your carnal strength will always desire to seek comfort for ones self than to self sacrifice to give God glory and edify others.

(v13) Marvel not! MAKES SENSE.

Abel was a child of God

Hebrews 11:4 (KJV 1900) — 4 By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh.

2 Corinthians 4:6 (KJV 1900) — 6 For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

2) Divine Love Experienced (vv16-18)

A. Jesus worked it out (v16)

Someone may ask, “Can someone really experience this love?”

Up until Jesus, this love had NEVER been mastered and exemplified.

Write this down: The Father provided it SOVEREIGNLY, the SON executed it PERFECTLY and the SPIRIT imputed it COMPLETELY!!!

John 15:10–13 (KJV 1900) — 10 If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love. 11 These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full. 12 This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you. 13 Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.

B. We are to live it out (vv17-18)

Quote: “To live above, with saints we love, that will be glory. To live below, with the saints we know, that’s quite a different story!”

THEREFORE, YOU ought to lay down YOUR LIFE for the BRETHREN.

“lives” = healthiness, happiness, exuberance, energy, vitality, etc...

John uses Jesus’ sacrificial act of providing saving grace to show us how we can live out practically a life of giving life’s necessities to those of the brethren who are in need.

James 2:15–16 (KJV 1900) — 15 If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, 16 And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit?

(vv17-18) Those who “SEES” their brother in need are those who are WATCHFUL (spending time with them).

Jesus lived out a life of PURPOSEFUL and PERSONAL interaction.

You and I execute this by living dependently on how the Spirit would have you use the family HE GAVE YOU!

The divine gospel love is a WORKING LOVE.

DEED alone - you will become a Simon sword swinger

TRUTH alone - you only become an intellectual

God’s love operates with both attributes fully intact and blended with each other.

James 1:22–25 (KJV 1900) — 22 But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. 23 For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: 24 For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. 25 But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.