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Sermons from 1 John |
LOVING ONE ANOTHER (Pt. 3) |
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Other sermons from 1 John
Sharing The Word Of Life (1:1-3) Other sermons in this study is being added as they are prepared & preached.
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In what is sometimes called the “Eleventh Commandment,” John said in John 13:34-35, "A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.” He practically says the same thing in 1 John 2:7-10: "Brethren, I write no new commandment unto you, but an old commandment which ye had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word which ye have heard from the beginning. [8] Again, a new commandment I write unto you, which thing is true in him and in you: because the darkness is past, and the true light now shineth. [9] He that saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother, is in darkness even until now. [10] He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is none occasion of stumbling in him." As we have seen, the subject of love and loving one another is a major theme of 1 John. In 1 John 3:14 he states, "We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death." He speaks of love as evidence that we have passed from darkness out of light and from death into life. Then in chapter 4:7-21, he dwells at length on our loving one another. The heart and soul of what John deals with in these 15 verses is found in the words of verse 7, "Beloved, let us love one another.” A Sunday School teacher was reviewing a lesson his class was supposed to know. He asked, “What made Jesus come into the world?” No one answered. The teacher became irritated and repeated the question: “What made Jesus come into the world?” Still not answer. He exploded: “Love! Love!” He marched around the room hitting each child on the head with a ruler shouting, “Love! Love!” John does not beat us over the head with a ruler shouting “Love! Love!” but instead gives us a example and reason for loving one another. He sets forth the love of God and the sending of the Lord Jesus as the great example of love. In our last study we noticed verse 12: "No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us." We considered these words as a conclusion to verses 9-12, but they also serve to lay a foundation to verses 13-16. In these verses I draw your attention to three statements:
"No man hath
seen God" Notice these three truths as amplified in verses 13-16 Let's considering the subject of "loving one another" as built around these three statements. First, we see: 1. THE DIVINE ENABLEMENT TO LOVE After telling us in verse 12 that God dwells in us, He speaks of how we can know that God dwells in us. After speaking of love being perfected in our life, he speaks of how this perfecting is accomplished. The secret to both of these are found in the person of the Holy Spirit. First, we see: A) The Assurance Of Spiritual Life Given By The Spirit’s Presence We read in verse 13, "Hereby know we that we dwell in Him, and He is in us, because He hath given us of His Spirit." The presence of the Holy Spirit in our life is the proof and evidence that God dwells in us. The Holy Spirit lives in and indwells a saved person. We read in 1 Corinthians 6:19, “What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?” Paul would later tell the Corinthians that God both abides and is active in the believer. We read in 2 Cor. 6:16, “And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.” He both dwells in us and walks in us. He is abiding and active in our life. His abiding and activity in our life makes us aware of spiritual things. He makes us aware of sinful things. His activity in our life is the evidence that God dwells in us. Furthermore, it is by the Holy Spirit that love is perfected in our life. All that God has asked us to do and be is made possible by the Holy Spirit that lives within us. Divine requirements are met by Divine enablement's. We see this in: B) The Ability Of Saintly Love Given By The Spirit’s Power The perfecting of love is the maturing and development of love in our life. As we have seen, loving one another involves loving others as Christ loved us. If you remember in our past studies we saw that love takes the initial steps and even sacrificial steps. It is by the Holy Spirit's power that we can take such steps. This love is more than a love manufactured by human ability. It is a love that has been received from God. Therefore, the exercise of such love is dependant on Divine resources -- the Holy Spirit that has been given to us. The story comes from the days before vaccines were available of a little girl who was dying and her only hope was to receive blood from someone who had recovered from the same disease. That person was her little brother, Johnny. The doctor knelt down beside him and said, “Johnny, your sister needs your kind of blood so that she can live.” Johnny’s eyes grew big and were filled with fear, but he only hesitated long enough to swallow the lump in his throat. “Sure, Doctor, I will do it,” he replied. After the amount of blood was taken from Johnny’s arm, he remained quite for a moment and then asked, “Doctor, when do I die?” Only then did the doctor realize the extent of the little boy’s sacrifice. He had offered his life to save his sister. John stated in his gospel, “Greater love than this no man has, that a man lay down his life for his friends" (John 15:13). Tragically and sadly, this kind of love is often missing among believers. Dr. Francis Schaeffer stated: “I have observed one thing among true Christians in their differences in many countries: What divided and severs true Christian groups and Christians – what leaves a bitterness that can last for 20, 30, or 40 years (or 50 or 60 years in a son’s memory) – is not the issue of doctrine or belief which caused the difference in the first place. Invariably it is lack of love – and the bitter things that are said by true Christians in the midst of differences. These stick in the mind like glue … It is these things – these unloving attitudes and words – that cause the stench that the world can smell in the church of Jesus Christ among those who are really true Christians … The world looks, shrugs it’s shoulders and turns away … It has not seen even the beginning of what Jesus indicates is the final apologetic – observable oneness among true Christians who are truly brothers in Christ. Our sharp tongues, the lack of love between us – not necessary statements of differences that may exist between true Christians – these are what properly trouble the world.” A lack of love has done more harm to the cause of Christ and hindered the mission of the church more than anything else. Someone says, “But I can’t love so and so.” “I have a hard time loving so and so.” That is not the case! First, God would never tell us to do something that we could not do. Secondly, the Holy Spirit lives in us to enable us to be everything God has told us to be and to do everything God has told us to do.
We read in John 14:12-18,
"Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I
do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I
go unto my Father. [13] And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will
I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. [14] If ye shall ask
any thing in my name, I will do it. [15] If ye love me, keep my
commandments. [16] And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you
another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; [17] Even the
Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not,
neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall
be in you. [18] I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you." Secondly, we see: 2. THE DIVINE EXPERIENCE OF LOVE In verses 7-21, John is not speaking of a kind of love that is impossible or lacking in demonstration. We read in verse 9, "In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him." It is a love that we have seen. We read in verse 10, "Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins." It is also a love we have experienced. John once again reminds of this divine experiencing of love. He says in verses 14-15, "And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world. [15] Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God." John speaks of: A) A Public Affirmation Of The Love Of God The words, “We have seen” speaks of looking at something or someone very closely. There comes with this looking perception. We have been made aware of God’s great love. God's love is real in our lives. In our salvation we have experienced His love. The words, “do testify” means to, “bear witness” and “give evidence.” Our changed and converted life is the evidence that God sent His Son to be the Saviour of the world. We are examples of His saving power and grace. The world sees in us what God can do for a sinner. WE ARE THE PROOF OF HIS LOVE AND SAVING POWER. Others may argue with our doctrine, principles, and beliefs, but they cannot argue with our changed life. A wonderful example of this is found in the story of demoniac of Mark chapter five. We read that the crowd that was present and beheld the work of Jesus in his life, "began to pray him to depart out of their coasts" (Mark 5:17). Yet, when we find Jesus returning there is a totally different response and attitude. We read in Mark 7:31-32, "And again, departing from the coasts of Tyre and Sidon, he came unto the sea of Galilee, through the midst of the coasts of Decapolis. [32] And they bring unto him one that was deaf, and had an impediment in his speech; and they beseech him to put his hand upon him." The first time, they begged Jesus to leave. The next time, they received Him with open arms. What made the difference. Let me suggest that it was the difference they saw in the demoniac Jesus healed. We read in Mark 5:19-20, "Howbeit Jesus suffered him not, but saith unto him, Go home to thy friends, and tell them how great things the Lord hath done for thee, and hath had compassion on thee. [20] And he departed, and began to publish in Decapolis how great things Jesus had done for him: and all men did marvel." Jesus sent him home to be a witness and the change in his life could not be denied. He was a testimony of the love and saving power of Christ. In verse 15 we see the grounds of our relationship with God. Our relationship with God depends upon: B) A Personal Acceptance Of The Son Of God The word "confess" means to “give assent, acknowledge.” We accept and He abides. This is the basis of our relationship with God, and as well, the basis of the love we are to show to others. The love God asks us to show to others is the kind of love we have been shown by God. It is a love we have experienced. John is not talking about something that we have no knowledge of or have not experienced. We have experienced such a love and bear in our lives the evidence of that love. Thirdly, we see: 3. THE DIVINE EXPRESSION IN LOVE Verse 16 responds to the statement in (Vs. 12) “No man hath seen God at any time.” In this we see three things about God’s love. First, we see: A) God’s Love Is Revealed Note the words, “And we have known.” They mean "to be made aware." John stated in verse 9 that God has manifested His love. God has made His love known to us and we have been made aware of His love. He has revealed His love! Furthermore, we see that: B) God’s Love Is Received John speaks of how we have “believed.” To believe is simply to have faith. By faith we have received the love of God and the Son of God. Finally, we see that: C) God’s Love Is Reflected John has declared that "God is love" (4:8) and has manifested His love, or made us personally aware of His love. His love that has been experienced in our life is a love that is reflected in our life. John describes how the believer “dwelleth in love.” Love abides in the believer. The Christian abides in love. To simply state it, love is something that is a part of our life. At a National Prayer Breakfast some years ago, a congressman told the story of a busy commuter, Mr. Jones, hurrying through the station to catch his train to work, when he noticed a crippled lad selling apples. Suddenly, another man in a hurry accidentally knocked over the apple stand, scattering apples in every direction. The man paused momentarily, uttered a meaningless apology, then hurried not to miss his train. Mr. Jones stopped for a moment, then resumed his hurrying. About to board the parting train, he had second thoughts. He went back to help the crippled boy. He noticed that the boy was also blind for he was desperately reaching in all directions for the apples. Mr. Jones picked up every apple, polished each one with his handkerchief, re-erected the toppled stand and put the apples back in place. As Mr. Jones was about to leave to catch the next train, the blind, crippled boy grabbed his coat and asked, “Mister, are you Jesus?” “No,” said Mr. Jones, “but I want to be like Him.” The more become like Jesus, the more we will love as He loved. Loving one another is simply a reflection of His love we have experienced in our life. |