L (2)

Intro: Why would you do X?

Big Idea: A Christ-Centered lives out love which gives us hope.

Love One Another

From the beginning this has been the call. John has used this phrase many times already in this letter. Here he is referring most likely to the gospel message. In other words, nothing has changed. This has always been a command of the followers of Christ. This is connected to the previous verse, 10. It is also connected to 1 John 2:9-10 “Whoever says he is in the light and hates his brother is still in darkness. Whoever loves his brother abides in the light, and in him there is no cause for stumbling.” That was part maybe be confusing at first read because John says it’s not a new commandment it’s an old commandment at the same time it’s a new commandment. OK John… Which one is it? Is it new or is it old?

Well it’s both. John 13:34 “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.”

But this command would not be new to the people receiving this letter. This is part of the gospel. But the call the follow Jesus, to be loyal to his kingship, is the love God and to love others. So it is new in the sense that Jesus said it was a new command, but it’s not new to this church. It’s also new in the sense that we have the Holy Spirit indwelling us. The difference is that God promises his Spirit to enable us to obey. That is the glory of the New Covenant—not freedom to disobey, but freedom from sin, the true freedom of obedience.

Lack of Love is murderous

This is the contrast he is making. He is drawing a connection from Genesis 3:15 and Genesis 4. What in essence he is saying is that going back to 1 John 3:10 and fleshing out this thought. And the connection is simple. Cain was from the stock of Satan/Devil/Serpent. His intention was to destroy the faithful Seed. The person of faith. He killed his brother because he gave is sacrifice in faith. The serpent tries to strike the righteous immediately. This is Devil’s MO. This is the way he can get the church distracted from their mission.

We see this early on don’t we. Jesus’ ministry > the early church > The reason why they fled is because they were being persecuted. The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church.

Often this lack of love is cloaked in rightouesness language. This is what the Pharisees did with Jesus.

We should expect to be hated by the world

Now we need to be careful here. This does not give us permission to be foaming at the mouth picketing. Who was Jesus most angry at during his ministry? It wasn’t the wicked Roman Empire who was ruling over the Jews. It was the Pharisees And they hated him. The point is that we need to be willing to say that there some of the people of God are really still in the world. They hate God’s righteousness and his church. Let’s not add any more fuel to the fire. Because the fire is there. Did you know that the early church was accused on canabalism? Do you know why? Because of the the Lord’s Supper. CAECILIUS THE PAGAN: You Christians are the worst breed ever to affect the world. You deserve every punishment you can get! Nobody likes you. It would be better if you and your Jesus had never been born. We hear that you are all cannibals--you eat the flesh of your children in your sacred meetings.

Christians were good citizens. They weren’t protesting everything. They would go to peoples homes for dinner, but wouldn’t pray to the pagan gods and wouldn’t participate all of the culturally acceptable practices because of their Christian convictions. They were hated because of it. They didn’t have to try very hard to be hated. Now that doesn’t meant they compromised either. That is the line we have to walk in wisdom. Loving others well, loving our enemies, praying for those who persecute us, meanwhile knowing they may hate us for our devotion to king Jesus.

So they way we live and operate in this world needs to be led in wisdom.

But we should not expect to be hated by our brothers

This is how we know that we are saved. We love our brothers. This is referring to those who belong to the body of Christ. Community focused. Now this doesn’t negate the call to love everyone. But there should a particular emphasis on the body of Christ. John is making the point here that the world hates you, it should not be the case for this community. The church, the body should be a place of refuge.

Referring Back to Cain. What if?

John expects his audience to be familiar with the narrative of Cain, who killed his brother Abel. The story is recorded in Genesis 4:1–16. At the heart of this narrative is the question Cain asks when God confronts him concerning the death of Abel. Cain asks, “Am I my brother’s keeper?” (Gen. 4:9). The implication of the passage is that, yes, we are each duty-bound to guard the welfare of others, which is precisely how John applies the story of Cain in this letter.

If we aren’t willing or able to love one another, it shows that our hearts have not been changed by the gospel

John says that your attitude toward your brother reveals your heart. If you hate them, you are a murderer and that attitude reveals your heart. Now you may say, I have never murdered anyone. My hands are clean. Matthew 5:21-22 ““You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.’ But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire.” The attitude of your heart matters. If you have a desire for someone in the church to not exist anymore, I urge you to repent and seek forgiveness because you have committed murder in your heart. Remember though 1 John 1:9 “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

It is the person who has done this, and has not sense of conviction, no desire for repentence where they have no enteral life.

This statement serves as a stern warning for anyone at anytime who finds an absence of love in his heart. For those in the community of faith, it should be an occasion for soul searching and careful examination “to see whether you are in the faith” (2 Cor 13:5).

Love in action

Jesus is not only our atonement but he is our example.

“The stakes are life and death in both of John’s examples: Cain, in his wickedness, killed his brother, whereas Jesus, out of his love, gave his life for us. Such drastic examples make John’s lesson clear: love requires sacrifice. But one does not have to die in order to show love.”

Are you willing to sacrifice for you brother in need?

Is your response - they should have planned better, they should have thought that one through. Maybe they didn’t work hard enough. They shouldn’t have had that child.

Or out of your abundance, are you willing to sacrifice.

James 2:15 “If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food,”

Leviticus 19:9-18 “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.”

I don’t know about you but there is a temptation to try to wiggle out of this. And maybe in the US its a little easier for us because relatively speaking even the poor among us are better off than other places. But that is not the point. Israel was going to be a land of blessing and abundance and yet, there was still those that struggled. Love hurts. Jesus was brusied bloodied and killed Becasue he loved. As his disciples are much hurt are we willing to endure for the sake of love

If you are in need, humble yourself and let someone know. And if you are approached be willing to act.

Miami, Tarrin, meals, Ukraine

Love and Assurance

Our hearts are fickle and tend to condemn us. Remember, John is trying to give his people assurance. That though they may experience doubts. He is saying that we need to look outside of ourselves. One person says this, when walk in love it leads us out of ourselves and to assurance. This is the point in vs. 19-20. We need to trust that God who is all knowing ives us the assurance we need.

Florence Chadwick

This assurance has an impact on your prayer life

You can approach boldness. This does not mean we can go flippantly. It doesn’t mean God becomes a genie in a lamp and we can command him whatever we want whenever we want. God is not beholden to you, this does not change that truth. What is does mean is that you can pray to him? You have access to the throne room of grace. You don’t have to go through a priest or a pastor. I’ll pray with you, I’ll pray for you. But your prayers are just as effective as mine.

1, 2, 3 John (2) Live in Confidence (3:19–24)

The immediate context suggests that the one asking is the one who is striving to “obey his commands and do what pleases him” (v. 22b). Likewise, 5:14–15 states that the prayer is to be offered “according to his will.” The guarantee of answered prayer is based on

Now What