The word ‘message’ is not like a text, voice mail, an email, or even a letter – this is probably closer to ‘command’. It can mean message, as in 1 Jn 1:5 (this is the message you have heard from Him…). In Jn 13:34, 35; Jn 15:12, Jesus commands us to love one another. That is how the world will know we are His, we love one another. Not that the world does not love its own, but the world does not necessarily love others than its own. We are to love all fellow Christians, no matter if we know them well or not. We are to love the world as Christ loved the world – otherwise we won’t have the desire to preach the gospel to the world. Paul tells us that we fulfill the ‘law of Christ’ when we do so (Gal 6:2). He also tells us we have been taught to love one another (1 Thess 4:9) Peter says that we will love each other because we have obeyed the truth and have a sincere love for the brethren (1 Pet 1:22). (Now, is ‘love your brethren” different from ‘love your neighbor”? I think so. Loving a family member is slightly different than loving a stranger. Need to think on this one a little bit.) The emphasis on love in the new covenant (New Testament) is different than in the Old Testament. Perhaps that is the difference: the emphasis. That God loved the nation Israel, and preserved her in spite of rebellion and disobedience, cannot be denied. But love is not the initial impression you get from the OT.
| First message (command) |
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Vs. 3:12 – not as Cain, who was of the evil one, and slew his brother. And for what reason did he slay him? Because his deeds were evil, and his brother’s were righteous.
O.K. Love one another. The negative example is Cain, who murdered his own brother. See Gen. 4:3-10.
Note that no reason is directly stated why God approved of Abel’s sacrifice, but did not accept Cain’s. I don’t think it was merely that Abel’s were sacrificed animals, and Cain’s were vegetables. There are grain offerings specified for the Israelites later in the Pentateuch. The animal sacrifices may indeed be key, since without the shedding of blood, there is no forgivenss of sins.
Cain became angry, immediately – so angry he killed Abel. His attitude was ‘all about me’, rather than ‘how do I please the Lord?’ He also considered any judgment brought against him by God was too harsh – he didn’t realize the grace he had received; he did not recognize the mercy, (Cain obviously did not think of 'eye-for-eye' vengeance) but rejected God. Doesn’t this example seem a bit over the top? Love your brother, versus killing him? Job asks in chapter 34 if God should accept your choice of payment in recompense for your sin, when you have rejected His command, His stated payment required?
The basis for loving one another is placing the others needs and interests genuinely before your own. It flows from the heart. It is not grudgingly done.
| Cain vs Abel - object lesson Why was Abel accepted? Why was Cain not? |
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The world will hate you
Vs. 3:13 – Do not marvel, brethren, if the world hates you.
This seems thrown in – it seems to be a non sequitur. (NOTE: I do not think any scripture is a throw-away, a 'nonsense verse' used as filler. There are verses we don't understand because of poor translation, or they are beyond our ken.) So, if it is not a non sequiter,
how does this statement fit into the discussion of practicing righteousness, or messages of loving one another? Or is it a continuation of the “love” vs. “hate” message.
Let’s start with how people will receive you since you are a believer.
Jesus knew we would be hated by the world because we are His own (Luk 6:22).
Jesus warned that the world would hate the believers, because we belong to Him (Jn 15:19).
James says that the world and God are not friends (loving the world means we must turn our back on God. Jam. 4:4)
Rom 8:16,17 indicates that since we are children with Christ, we will suffer with Him.
In Ephesians 5:1,8 we are children of the light, which means that the world will not like to have its evil deeds exposed (John 3:19) – not that we need to go around pointing out evil, but the very existence of ‘light’ will cause opposition.
And see also 1 John 3:1 - "the world does not know you, because it did not know Him"
| world hates you |
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Vs. 3:14 – We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brethren. He who does not abides in death. -
Another “we know that” section. How do we know we have God in us? We love one another – the brethren, fellow believers. John changes the perspective a little – life versus death. If I love fellow believers, I have Christ, I have life eternal. If I don’t love fellow believers, I don’t have Christ in me, I don’t have life eternal. Like the paragraphs on sin and sinning, this is not just a one-time kerfuffle with someone, but an attitude, a way of life. That way of life is antithetical with the one God wants for us – and that way leads to death
| Love brethren - know…life
No love…death |
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Vs. 3:15 – Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer; and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.
Not actually killing, murdering, another person. When we lust after a woman, we have committed adultery already (Mat. 5:28). It is not what goes into our mouths that condemns us, but what comes out (Mat 15:11, 18) that shows what is in our heart. Hate is not love, is not close to love. Despite that Hollywood says love and hate are closely related. (I believe they confuse anger with hate – note all the scenes where couples are fighting, angry with other, and at a snap of the fingers they are making passionate sex. Which is bogus – but it makes good movie scenes.)
When you have hate for another, especially a fellow believer, love has been displaced. The love of God cannot be there. God is taking us beyond action to motives, to what makes us act. Either we are compelled to love by the love of Jesus for us, or sucked, led down the path of anger, hate, disdain, even apathy by Satan. Why equate murder with hate? Try this scenario: If I hate another person, there is no way that I will have any desire to share the gospel. If that person does not learn of Jesus's love and sacrifice, he will not accept Him as Savior - which means death. My anger has the effect of letting him go to hell, unless the Holy Spirit works in other ways. But his salvation will happen without me, (the results are always up to God, but my job is to share Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit). I have not done what Jesus wants me to do, hence 'murderer'. See Heb. 4:12-13, and Eccl. 12:13-14, also 1 Cor 4:5, and Rom 2:16 – We will all be judged – no actions will go un-noticed.
| hate = murder… murder = no life abiding |
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Thanks Gary. As always, so enjoyable to read and ponder!
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