Learning the Lesson from Cain and Abel
Love and the Doctrine of God • Sermon • Submitted
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· 14 viewsIn these passages, John applies the lessons of Cain and Abel so his audience can understand the behaviors that distinguish believers from the world.
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Introduction:
Introduction:
We must learn to have our understanding of this place where we live match biblical teaching. To be fair, this is not always easy to do. God, through His word, encourages everyone to think about life beyond the basics of survival.
We know from Jesus’ teachings that there are more profound answers to seek than: what shall we eat, what shall we drink, with what shall we clothe ourselves. Yet, many times we confuse survival with the reality behind life.
God is the reality behind life, and He also made human beings to live within reality.
We know we live “in the world.” But what does that mean? What is the world? And, how do we answer that question biblically.
John’s purpose is to expand upon the scriptural example of Cain.
He establishes a baseline of behavior enabling believers to understand the difference between themselves and everyone else.
The world is not a neutral place.
Behavior Marks the Difference between the World and Believers (1 John 3:12)
Behavior Marks the Difference between the World and Believers (1 John 3:12)
John asks a question about the motivation behind Cain’s murder of Abel.
On account of what did he slaughter him?
While Cain illustrates rebelliousness against God, he does so through his actions.
What he thought about himself or his actions bears little significance on the matter at hand.
What he did constituted evil BEFORE he murdered Abel. Cain had already done evil, and he hated God and his brother because his evil was not viewed equally to righteousness. False worship is evil just as murder is evil.
Cain’s murder of Abel confirmed him as a doer of evil deeds.
Believers Should Learn to Look at the World Realistically in Light of Cain’s Example
Believers Should Learn to Look at the World Realistically in Light of Cain’s Example
We should expect false doctrine (see 1 John 3:7).
We should also expect the practice of hatred from the world.
What do we expect from the world?
Safety
Liberty/Freedom
Security
Freedom to Worship
The world refers to more than the planet Earth as the place where human beings live.
A system ruled by Satan.
Everyone except believers in Jesus Christ belong to it.
It offers “the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life.”
It does not know God.
It hates and murders believers in Jesus.
John has now arrived at an example of an unrighteous behavior that demarcates unbelievers.
The hatred of the world is consistent with the world. We should expect such practices from it.
Believers Differ through the Practice of Love (1 John 3:14-15)
Believers Differ through the Practice of Love (1 John 3:14-15)
We can find assurance of our identity in our practice of love.
Hatred is so consistent with the identity of the world that love distinguishes believers.
Self-sacrifice on behalf of others is not natural to the world.
We are the ones who have departed from the norm.
Notice the use of the term “transfer.”
Believers change. The world does not.
We have transferred out from death (the normal state of the world) into “the life.”
The practice of loving the brethren causes use to know that we have transferred from death unto life.
Hatred equals murder. Hence, we can identify that those who hate believers and seek to kill them do not have eternal life.
Persecution is an indication of the absence of eternal life.