The light of Love

Introduction

Good morning, Lafayette Baptist Family, it is a joy to Emily and I get to be with you here once again. Our scripture today is 1st John 2:7-11, 1st John 2:7-11. If you will all please go ahead and find your place in your bibles there, 1st John 2:7-11. While you are doing that, I want to share you with you a wonderous sight, a beautiful picture that was orchestrated and painted by God that Emily and I saw this week. This happened at what was called the firefly festival near Clarksville. At this festival, which really turned out to be a guy who really wanted to share a wonderous sight with others who had a tractor, a farm, and a wagon. Emily and I (along with one other family and the farmers young daughter) rode this wooden wagon for 30 minutes into a secluded field and wood. This was scary enough at first, but the scene was worth it. Little do we really understand, that at the point of true darkness in the night (sometime around 10pm that night), that something amazing would happen. You see, this field was upkept (or rather not kept) for sake of attracting both fireflies and monarch butterflies, so as the waft of a sweet smelling plant (to attract the monarchs) entered our noses, the trees and field came to life. In a perfectly random unison, the fireflies began to light the night sky, you could barely tell where the fireflies in the sky ended and the stars began, the trees seem to blink in the same manner that a Christmas tree does. We were stunned in this moment, an image that no camera but only eyes could ever truly capture. It was a scene with the creator’s signature all over it, but as beautiful as those fireflies were in the sky, they don’t even begin to compare to the beauty of the light that God gives us. God gives us both beauty and light in many ways, but today I want to focus on The light of love, which is today’s sermon title, The Light of Love.

The Text

If you will all please rise for the reading of God’s word today, which is 1 John 2:7-11. If you will all please follow along in your own bible’s with me as I read. When I’m through reading I will end saying, “This is the word of the Lord” if you will all please responds by saying, “Thanks be to God.” Before we begin though, let’s pray. Father, thank you for this wonderful chance to come together today in worship and adoration of You. You and you alone are the only one worthy of our worship and adoration. You are first and foremost in our hearts and minds. Refine us fathers, that this might be true and become more and more true. Sanctify us in your word father, your word is truth and we thank you for this truth. Open our ears, hearts, minds, and hands so that we can receive what you are telling us today. It’s in these things that I ask and in Jesus’s Christ’s Holy and Precious name that I pray, Amen. 1 John 2, starting at verse 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. 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[a] 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[b] 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. This is the Word of the Lord (Thanks be to God) Thank you, please be seated.

Context

We are continuing today in our expository journey together in the letter of 1st John. As we have went over together, this letter was written by the Apostle John and was written especially to churches near him with the purpose of lovingly and fatherly correcting a huge theological issue that these churches were facing at the time. That is, a false gospel was being preached to them, known as the gnostic gospel, that was misleading people about the divinity of Christ, the work of Him in salvation, and placed emphasis on self when it comes to salvation. This issue was also touched upon by the apostle Paul to perhaps the same church in Ephesians when he said, “8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast.

In last week’s text, John especially went into the topic of proving whether or not either an individual or idea/ theology was true, by providing certain examples by which we are to compare thoughts and ideas and the actions of people. In this case, we especially looked at the idea of the most important commandments of Jesus, which were in themselves part of the Jewish law, were kept. That is, we are to love God and love people with all of our might in every area that we can to the point of sacrifice, as Christ had sacrificed Himself for our redemption to The Father. You will see in our text today, that it seems like John is covering the same subject again and again, in fact in this week’s passage you will notice that it seems as though John is doubling down on the previous section, and in a sense he is. Why would he do that?...... Because the idea of Loving God and Loving people sacrificially is so important that it bears repeating often and frequently for all believers and lovers of God. This idea is so essential that to ignore it would raise the question as weather or not you are actually a believer, as John pointed out in our text last week. So, as John is doubling down on this idea, don’t be surprised if you hear me quote scriptures that will seem familiar to you from last week. With that in mind, let’s break down the text and see how this applies to both them and us today.

Message

Here is your first point, God’s Commandment of Old

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.

Wow, right from the start there is a very interesting word in this verse. Beloved, how often do we find ourselves saying this word? If you are me, not very often. In fact, most of us have probably only heard or used it in a romantic sense, but this is not the context of the word’s use here. Rather, it’s Greek also roughly translates to “Dear or well-loved person.” So, John here is using a strong term of endearment to the church (I would contend both then and now), setting an example for how we should treat and think of one another as believers. John then goes to say, “Hey, the words I am writing to you are not new words, these are not a new and novel idea, this is something you have had all the way from the beginning of the law and the beginning of your faith, this is basic, this is one of building blocks to your faith.”

Moses touched on this in many places, but here is a text to help you understand how seriously this kind of love is to be taken. Deut 6 5 You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. 6 And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. 7 You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. 8 You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. 9 You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates. So, you should love God to a point that it manifests itself in every part of your life, including with people (and especially brothers and sisters in Christ) and teach it to your children (and spiritual children) as well as keeping reminders of it everywhere while revisiting it in your life often. This is something that is an expectation from old, all the way back, and still applies to us now. Christ loved the father to perfect obedience, all the way His death on the cross, to The Fathers will, and we are to emulate Him in this.

A second Point God’s Commandment made new

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[a] the darkness is passing away and the true light is already shining.

Let’s look at this one, in my own personal study this week, this verse gave me some trouble when trying to understand it. Myself, I kept stumbling with the idea of, “How can something be old (the old commandment) but at the same time be new (a new commandment)”? To let you understand a bit my sermon preparation process, typically I spend a full day reading just the text (without any other resources) and meditating on it in my own life. After a day of this, I make what is called an exegetical outline, where my goal is to describe the thought by thought outline and find the big idea of the section, without turning to outside help just yet. On this day, I found myself talking to other brothers about this and how it stumped me a little. I mean, of course we know that God makes and will make all things new. He makes people new when they confess Jesus as Lord, He makes them a new being, what is often referred to as regeneration. As I pondered this, I was reminded of Jesus’s conversation with Nicodemus in which the Gospel of John accounts in chapter 3, “3 Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. 2 This man came to Jesus[a] by night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him.” 3 Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again[b] he cannot see the kingdom of God.” 4 Nicodemus said to him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?” 5 Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.[c] 7 Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You[d] must be born again.’ 8 The wind[e] blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.” So, God can and does make things New, but I always supposed that to be with people, but I had never thought of it on anything else.

What then does New even mean then? After completing this step, I look at commentaries (and if you're wondering I typically consult about 5-10 (on average 7)) for the answer to my questions. Surprising to say, I did not find a clear consensus here. One theologian openly said he wasn’t sure (Granted this commentary was written nearly 500 years ago and did not have access to ancient texts like we do today). One said that it was new in emphasis, citing the many times that loving one another is repeated in the New Testament. Another said that it was new in emphasis and quality. A fourth said that it was new in emphasis, quality, and extend. This theologian, Stott said on this newness that, “The idea of love in general was not new, but Jesus Christ invested it in several ways with a richer and deeper meaning. First, it was new in the emphasis he gave it, bringing the love commands of Deuteronomy and Leviticus together and declaring that the whole teaching of the Law and the Prophets hung upon them. Secondly, it was new in the quality he gave it. A disciple was to love others not just as he loved himself but in the same measure as Christ had loved him, with selfless self-sacrifice even unto death. Thirdly, it was new in the extent he gave it, showing in the parable of the Good Samaritan that the ‘neighbour’ we must love is anyone who needs our compassion and help, irrespective of race and rank, and includes our ‘enemy’ (cf. Matt. 5:44).”[1]

I have to agree here, but to put it simply, this new commandment wasn’t just a new thing, it was renewed. I like to think about this, and I want to say that this isn’t a perfect example, to a couple that renews their wedding vows. When this is done it doesn’t mean that the old vows weren’t good and that the marriage wasn’t “true,” but rather new vows are being added after years of experience together that will help them love and commit to each other all the more in the years to come. That’s what John is saying here, that Christ added more to the emphasis of the law of old so that we (the bride of Christ, the Church) would seek and follow Him more earnestly. John then goes on to say in this verse that this new idea of love is true in Christ and it is true in you; because the darkness (our sin and sin nature) is fading away and the love of God (our love to/of God) becomes stronger and deeper and better understood as we put on this heart condition of loving one another.

So, if you are not doing this or are choosing not to, repent and believe beloved, Jesus says that not loving others sacrificially is a sin. Don’t be so focused on yourself (and if your anything like me, the need to be right about things), that you fail to see the hurt in people’s eyes and tone, that people are really hurt and confused by so many things. Instead of just laughing at someone in their hard times, or reveling in your victory over them (in a sense mocking them), or maybe belittling them with thoughts that they are lazy or just bums, ask yourselves, “Do I really understand what their pain is about?” One way you can love someone is just simply asking them, why they feel that way, just trying to understand them. Whether you are right or wrong, it doesn’t matter; Jesus tells us to love this person. That doesn’t mean you concede to their thoughts/beliefs necessarily, but it does mean you take the time to understand them, and love this person, which will in turn give you opportunities to share the light of Jesus Christ Crucified and His Glorious Gospel to them. This brings us to our next point.

This is the next point, God’s light in you

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[b] 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.

John is again here equating light with truth, especially the truth of God, darkness with fraudulent lies of Satan, that sin is good and the love of God is bad. Satan did this all the way back at the beginning of man, when he tricked Eve into taking of the forbidden fruit, he continues to do this to us now, and he will keep doing this until his final defeat by Christ. So, you cannot hate your brothers and sisters in Christ and not walk in sin, whoever does love them walks (and follows) the light of Christ and is correct in doing so. However, if you walk in the darkness (hating your brother) you are dreadfully on the wrong path, in fact you are so wrong that you don’t even know that you are. Brothers and sisters, love is to be the quality that we are known for exhibiting the most. Love is to be what we rely on from God (thank you Jesus) to be redeemed to Him, WE CANT DO IT ON OUR OWN. Love is to be what comes out of us and fills the room whenever enter, because God Loved us So much, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him Should not perish but have everlasting life. Love is so important in our lives that Paul says in 1 Corinthians that,

13 If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3 If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned,[a] but have not love, I gain nothing.4 Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant 5 or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful;[b] 6 it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. 7 Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.8 Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10 but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away. 11 When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways. 12 For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.13 So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

The light of God in us is expressed when we love God and Love People to the fullest and healthiest degree that we can to the point that it hurts.

Conclusion

Friends, my message today is the same as the apostles. Repent and believe, repent from your sins and believe in the Lord Jesus and that His sacrifice and death on the cross can and will make you whole again. Nothing else can, everything that claims it can is false. Don’t forget this thing, those that walk in the light of love, that you are called. That you are called to love God and others (especially brother and sister believers) with a hearty vigor, as God loves us so. If you are not yet a believer but want to talk more about faith in Christ, I would love to talk to you about that. Let’s pray. Father move us, move us into your holy worship. Make us think on and act on the great act of worship that loving you and loving others is. Moves us to go out in our communities and say both in deeds and action that Jesus Christ saves and nothing else matters. Help us to walk in the light because this light is of your love. It’s in these things I ask and in Jesus Christ’s Holy and Precious name that I pray, Amen.

Don’t forget to stay up. LS things as well. Don’t forget to inquire on order.

[1]Stott, John R. W. The Letters of John: An Introduction and Commentary. InterVarsity Press, 1988, p. 97.