1 John Part 3:11-24
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Welcome...
Pray...
Theme: Loving one another is a byproduct of abiding in God and being changed by Him.
[[SLIDE]]
Purpose of the letter:
“That your joy may be full” (1:4)
“That you may not sin” (2:1)
“To keep you from deception” (2:26)
“That you may know you have eternal life” (5:13)
Recap
Recap
Last week Matt talked about what it means to be a “Child of God”
That Jesus came to destroy the “works of the devil” (verse 8)
The works of the devil being: Lawlessness
Heart submitted to self vs heart submitted to God
This being from the beginning with Adam and Eve
Last Week → John highlights what Children of God don’t do
Today → John highlights what Children of God do
Kid’s Moment
Read the whole text:
For this is the message that you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another. We should not be like Cain, who was of the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own deeds were evil and his brother’s righteous.
Do not be surprised, brothers, that the world hates you. We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers. Whoever does not love abides in death. Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.
By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him? Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.
By this we shall know that we are of the truth and reassure our heart before him; for whenever our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and he knows everything. Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God; and whatever we ask we receive from him, because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him.
And this is his commandment, that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us. Whoever keeps his commandments abides in God, and God in him. And by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit whom he has given us.
Exegete the text:
For this is the message that you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another. We should not be like Cain, who was of the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own deeds were evil and his brother’s righteous.
There is a thematic nugget here that I don’t want to overlook:
Now Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain, saying, “I have gotten a man with the help of the Lord.” And again, she bore his brother Abel. Now Abel was a keeper of sheep, and Cain a worker of the ground.
In the course of time Cain brought to the Lord an offering of the fruit of the ground, and Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat portions. And the Lord had regard for Abel and his offering, but for Cain and his offering he had no regard. So Cain was very angry, and his face fell.
The Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry, and why has your face fallen? If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is contrary to you, but you must rule over it.”
Why wasn’t Cain’s offering accepted??
By faith Abel offered to God a more acceptable sacrifice than Cain, through which he was commended as righteous, God commending him by accepting his gifts. And through his faith, though he died, he still speaks.
The difference in offerings was that one was offered in faith (submitted to God)
One was offered with a heart of lawlessness (not submitted to God)
Go back to Gen 4
The Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry, and why has your face fallen? If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is contrary to you, but you must rule over it.”
Sin is looking to rule over you, but you must rule over it, but submitting to God so that He can rule over you...
Do not be surprised, brothers, that the world hates you. We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers. Whoever does not love abides in death. Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.
Do not be surprised that the world hates you...
We see this more and more as we walk in righteousness
Woe to those who call evil good
and good evil,
who put darkness for light
and light for darkness,
who put bitter for sweet
and sweet for bitter!
Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes,
and shrewd in their own sight!
Do you submit to God and his law?
Or do you make yourself god? And being wise in your own eyes, do you submit to sin rather than ruling over it?
Do not be surprised, brothers, that the world hates you. We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers. Whoever does not love abides in death. Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.
Do you keep God’s commands?
There’s a lot of them, I know, they are summed up in these two...
Love God, Love others.
To submit to the law of God is fundamentally to Love God and love others.
We know we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers?
Whoever does not love abides in death...
If you do not Love God and love others, then you are no friend of God, you are a friend of death!
Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer...
The law of God is a matter of the heart, not just a matter of outward adherence.
By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him? Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.
Now we get to the theme:
Theme: Loving one another is a byproduct of abiding in God and being changed by Him.
If we are called to obey God, and obeying God is essentially loving God and loving others, where will we get this love???
What is the source of love?
Abusers have most often been abused.
Lovers have most often been loved.
God is the ultimate source of Love.
Therefore, to love God and others, you must ultimately be connected to the source (Abide in God)
That is, you must be submitted to God and NOT let sin rule over you.
Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and truth.
This is where theology collides with practice....
By this we shall know that we are of the truth and reassure our heart before him; for whenever our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and he knows everything. Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God; and whatever we ask we receive from him, because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him.
Whenever our heart condemns us = when we feel guilty for our sin
God is greater than our feelings, God knows everything and his judgement is more significant than our self-condemnation.
Heart not condemn us = we are walking with God and walking in the light...
Whatever we ask we receive from him, again, because there is an alignment with our will and God’s.
Again, back to commandments (Love God, love others.)
And this is his commandment, that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us. Whoever keeps his commandments abides in God, and God in him. And by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit whom he has given us.
Is it “Love God, love others” or “Believe God, love others?”
These are really not so different...
Theme: Loving one another is a byproduct of abiding in God and being changed by Him.