Several weeks ago as I was preaching from the previous chapter I spoke about the commandment to love, sort of using love as a social test. I pointed out that this commandment to love was new in emphasis, new in example, and new in experience and that provided a brief outline for love. Now, as John returns to the theme of love he fills in some of his preliminary sketch, however, he uses no color except black and white. He makes it very clear that to love is much more than a good idea. So today I want to use 4 C's, beginning by going back to the command to love.

I. Command to Love

Recall that the previous verses that we talked about a few weeks ago speak of sin and now John writes of the correlation between righteousness and love. To be righteous is to be living in obedience to the commands of God that include the command that we should love our brother.

As John wrote in verse 11, "This is the message." I believe that he was referring to John 13:34: "A new commandment I give to you that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another." This idea of loving one another is not just a good thing to do, it is commanded by our Lord. It is an unalterable truth, a truth from the beginning that remains regardless of the situation in which we may find ourselves. This is a command not only when our brother and sister are loveable, but also when they are not. Recall examples of Jesus who loved those who hated Him, loved those who persecuted Him, who betrayed Him, who denied Him, who crucified Him. While the Scriptures do command us to love our enemies, the context in these verses in I John command us to love our sisters and brothers in Christ, fellows Christians in our church and in other faith communities. My friends, we must do this. It is a command, not an option to take or leave. All of us who profess to be Christians are to love one another.

II. Contrast to Love

Filling in the black and white sketch of love John continues the sharp contrast of light and darkness, life and death, love and hatred.

Read v. 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 righteousness." Hatred originated in the evil one. I see this as evil in active opposition to good. He was not only evil and corrupt himself by seeking to drag others into corruption. The word for murder here is literally brutal slaughter, slaying, butchering by cutting the throat. This is not the usual word for killing. It is a method for shedding much blood like the Levitical animal sacrifices. We read in Genesis 4:10, "What have you done? The voice of your brother's blood is crying to me from the ground."

The reason for his evil action involved jealousy and anger. Abel offered God a better sacrifice than Cain, so Cain became angry and chose to be disobedient. Anger is a choice. Cain may be a prototype of the evil world. Christians should expect the wicked people to treat the righteous people as Cain did his brother. When people of the world like Cain come face to face with reality and truth they have a decision to make, a black and white one. The choice is to repent and change to become loving like God, or to try to expose the one exposing him or her. An evil man once said to Socrates, "Socrates, I hate you, because every time I meet you, you show me what I am." Our lives as righteous persons may be a silent rebuke to a person living in evil.

At this point some of you may be thinking, "But Pastor Bruce, I have never murdered anyone." Let's reread verse 15. Everyone who hated his brother is a murderer; and we know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him. We might compare this with Matthew 5:22. Have you ever hated anyone? In God's sight it appears that hatred is the moral equivalent of murder. If not brought under control hatred could lead to murder, perhaps not necessarily taking a life, but perhaps by destroying with words and deeds, with gossip, harming their reputation, shamefully treating people, putting them down and destroying their emotional strength.

By confession and forgivenessv.14 "We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brethren. In the contrast of love we see the difference between the world and God's ideal and see how we ought to live. We should live with the conduct of love.

III. Conduct of Love

In pointing out Cain, he is mentioned as a type of the sinful world. Instead, the Church, that is, the people of God are to be characterized by love. With emphasis verse 14 says in effect, As for us, We know absolutely that we have passed over permanently out of the sphere of death into life, because we are habitually loving the brethren. We true Christians are to habitually practice love. Love is the mark of a Christian, the first of the fruit of the Spirit.

Are our lives characterized by genuine love? Would the way that we treat one another in our homes and in our church family be described as genuine love?

The supreme example of Jesus in verse 16 is a challenge for us. Hate is negative and often seeks to harm others. Love is more than lack of hatred or indifference. Love is positive, self sacrifice. It seeks good for others. Jesus gave us an example to copy. We should be willing to lay down our lives for others or our profession to love them is an empty boast.

If we really are willing.true love may also be expressed in lesser ways. We may not all be called upon to lay down our lives physically, but there are many opportunities to express genuine love.

Read verse 17. "But whoever has the world's good, and beholds his brother in need and closes his heart against him, how does the love of God abide in him?" I think it would be appropriate to think of the world's goods as the necessities of life. Note the two factors here that are both ongoing. First, has three necessities of life. Second, see his brother in need. These two factors place us in a position of inescapable responsibility. We might compare this with the story of the Good Samaritan If a Christian sees the needs of others and has the resources to supply it, isn't he or she responsible to help? Read Verse 17. "But whoever has the world's good, and beholds his brother in need and closes his heart against him, how does the love of God abide in him?"

Love must be practical! C. S. Lewis said, "Loving everybody in general may be an excuse for loving nobody in particular."

In verse 18 John identifies with us. "Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth." He does not condemn kinds words. However, comforting, cheering, warm words should be accompanied by warm deeds. Love is a verb, an action word and actions speak louder than words. Love is not merely sentiment or talk, but deeds. The conduct of love should characterize the life of all true Christians.

IV. Confidence of Love

The previous challenge of John may bring a question to you, "Am I as loving as I should be?" It is a question for each of us to seriously consider. Have I mistreated anyone? Have I failed to show real love? If you have unconfessed sin your heart may condemn you. Then you should make it right with your fellow Christian and confess it to God. Then your conduct of love will bring forth a great blessing to you, the confidence of love.

Read verses 18-22. Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth.

We shall know by this that we are of the truth, and shall insure our heart before Him,
In whatever our heart condemns us; for God is greater than our heart and knows all things.
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 the things that are pleasing in His sight.

John tells us of assurance, to tranquilize, to sooth the alarm of our heart in the presence of God. Another reading of this verse is:

"In this we shall know experientially that out of the truth we are, and in His presence shall tranquilize our heart in whatever our heart condemns us, because God is greater than our hearts and knows all things."

When our heart condemns us we shall quiet it with the assurance that we are in the hands of a God who is greater than our heart. God knows our heart and whether or not we are living in right relationship with Him; whether or not we have unconfessed sin in our lives.

Once you confess your sin - you need not allow it to accuse you anymore. You should then have the confidence of love; confidence before God. Please note that this confidence is not in our perfection, but in knowing that no sins separate us from God because the blood of Christ has cleansed us from our sin. Therefore, we are living and abiding in close fellowship with Jesus Christ.

Conclusion

Read verses 23, 24. And this is His commandment, that we believe in the name of His Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, just as He commanded us.

And the one who keeps His commandments abides in Him, and He in him. And we know by this that He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us.

Command to Love

Contrast to Love

Conduct of Love

Then we can have the blessing of the Confidence of Love.

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