Category: I John

“Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see if they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world.” (I John 4:1)

Identifying false teachings and teachers is neither fun nor popular. However, identifying false teachings and teachers is biblical and necessary. It is also important for every generation within the church to undertake.

In I John 4:1, the Apostle John begins with his familiar address to his readers: “Beloved.” It is a term of deep affection and endearment by a pastor for his parishioners. John is reminding his readers that he has their best interests in mind.

The apostle balances this term of endearment with a command for obedience: “Do not believe every spirit.” True love is not shy from warning the beloved of the dangers in life and the responsibilities in living for Christ. John warns his readers to not trust in, commit to, depend upon and honor and worship any and every spirit they encounter. In other words, believers are to be discerning when they encounter teachers and philosophies which are clearly unbiblical.

Not only are believers in Christ to stop believing every spirit but also we are to “test the spirits.” This too is a present active command. To test means to thoroughly examine and to evaluate the genuineness of something.

Why does John issue these two commands? The purpose of not believing every spirit but rather to test the spirits is “to see if they are from God.” One of the tasks of the church, and individual believers, is to evaluate whether teachings are from God and are biblical or are they from another source, spirit or worldview.

Remember the basic two worldviews? First, there is Biblical Theism which teaches that God Exists, that He has determined what is right or wrong, and has also indicated what man’s purpose is which is to honor and glorify the One, True God. The alternative worldview is Atheistic Humanism which teaches the exact opposite of Biblical Theism.

Therefore, the child of God is to be constantly examining what people are communicating to them and to the church in order to evaluate whether they, and what they teach, is truly biblical and from the Lord.

John then gives a decisive reasoning for these two commands: “For many false prophets have gone out into the world.” Jesus had warned people against false prophets (Matt. 7:15; 24:11, 24; Mark 13:22; Luke 6:26). The
Apostle Paul warned us (Acts 20:28-30; I Thessalonians 5:20-21). The Apostle Peter warned us 2 Peter 2:1-22). Jude warned us (Jude 4-19).

In the current culture in which tolerance for everything is applauded, the one thing false teachers cannot tolerate is truth and the one thing the church must not tolerate is false teaching and false teachers.

We are commanded to evaluate the message and the messenger by the Word of God.

May the Lord’s truth and grace be found here.

Soli deo Gloria!

                                                                                    

“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.” (I John 3:24)

Reciprocity. What does this word mean?

Reciprocity means a mutuality, and exchange, a tradeoff or an interchange. Therefore, reciprocity can pertain to politics, finances, and even agreements between members of one’s family.

For example, reciprocity may refer to an agreement a father makes with his son: “You mow the lawn and take out the garbage and do your chores without anyone reminding you to do so and you may borrow my car Saturday night.” In this agreement, both sides keep their side of the agreement. The son does his chores and the father allows his son to borrow the car on Saturday night.

In the case of our relationship with God by grace alone, through faith alone through the person and work of Jesus Christ alone, reciprocity takes the form of a familiar and ongoing theme with the Epistle of I John.

God abides in the believer. This abiding began by the regenerating power of the Holy Spirit in the soul of the dead sinner through the preaching of the gospel. The Holy Spirit not only generates new life within the sinner but also faith (Ephesians 2:1-9). The sinner is born again in order to believe (John 3:1-3). In other words, regeneration precedes faith. The result of regeneration is conversion.

When conversion occurs, which not only involves faith in Christ but also repentance from one’s sin, the sinner begins the journey of growing in the grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ (2 Peter 3:18). This journey and growth is evidenced by an increasing obedience to the Word of God. This obedience is not born by a desire to become a child of God but rather as an indication that the individual in question is a child of God.

John says “Whoever keeps his commandments abides in God.” This is a simple truth with significant implications. This is John’s keynote theme. The reciprocity is that not only does the believer abide in God but also God abides in the believer. Additionally, we also know and understand that God abides in us by the Holy Spirit who the Father has given to us.

Dr. John Walvoord writes, “Two themes appear in this verse. The first theme is the epistle’s first reference to God, or Christ, abiding in each obedient believer. Those who obey His commands (cf. 2:3; 3:23; 5:2–3) live (menei, “abide”) in Him, and He in them. That the abiding life involves this mutuality (reciprocity) is made plain in the Parable of the Vine and the Branches (John 15:4–5, 7). The second idea is the epistle’s first of six explicit references to the Holy Spirit (cf. 1 John 4:2, 6, 13; 5:6, 8; cf. “the Holy One” in 2:20). The way a believer can verify that God lives (menei, “abides”) in him is by the operation of God’s Spirit in his life. John then showed that God’s Spirit is the Spirit of both faith (4:1–6) and love (4:7–16)—the two aspects of the two-part “command” given in 3:23.”

What evidence is there that the Holy Spirit is working in your life? Are you obeying God’s commandments? Are you displaying the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23)? Are you mortifying your sin (Romans 8:13)? If these are true in your life, rejoice that you are a child of God. If not, repent of your sins and receive Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior.

May the Lord’s truth and grace be found here.

Soli deo Gloria!

 

 

^“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.” (I John 3:23)

I  John 3:23 shows us the relationship between justification and sanctification. Justification and sanctification may be distinguished but they must not be separated.

Justification is the act by which God the Father declares elect sinners righteous before Him on the basis of the imputed righteousness of Jesus Christ. This right standing before the Father is on the basis of grace alone, through God given faith alone in the person and work of Jesus Christ. Justification occurs in a moment when the Holy Spirit, through the preaching of the Gospel, monergistically regenerates the sinner thereby giving them the ability to place their faith in Christ. The sinner is born again in order to believe and be justified. This differs from the common perspective by many Christians that one believes in order to be born again and be justified.

Sanctification is the process by which the believer grows in holiness and becomes more like Jesus Christ in thought, word and behavior. Sanctification, unlike justification, does not happen in a singular moment but rather throughout the believer’s lifetime. Sanctification ultimately concludes when the believer physically dies and goes to be with the Lord in heaven.

I John 3:23 shares that God commands us to believe in the name of Jesus Christ. To believe in Christ means to trust, commit, depend and worship Christ alone as Savior and Lord. This is synonymous with justification.

Today’s text also shares that God commands that following our conversion, we are to obey the Lord by loving one another. This love for fellow Christians is one example, of many, of how our conversion in Christ is to influence our commitment to live for Christ.

I John 3:23 provides us with not only a doctrinal test regarding the validity of our faith but also a moral test. Both are important but notice the order. One’s belief in Christ is the reason one is to love one another. In other words, we do not love another person in order to become a Christian. Rather, we believe in Christ which therefore is the impetus to love a fellow believer.

Dr. John MacArthur helpfully adds that, “These verses again repeat the three features of this epistle—believing, loving, and obeying—which are the major evidences of true salvation.”

Pastor John Piper concludes that, “The one embracing commandment of this letter is that we believe and that we love. These are the foundations of our assurance because these are the evidence of God’s work; they are the testimony of His Spirit.”

Do you believe in the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord? Do you evidence this belief by loving other believers?

May the Lord’s truth and grace be found here.

Soli deo Gloria!

 

²¹ Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God; ²² and whatever we ask we receive from him, because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him.” (I John 3:21-22)

John begins vs. 21 with the familiar term of endearment “beloved.”  The apostle reminds the reader of his fond affection for his fellow believers in Christ.

As he continues, John wants his fellow Christians to understand that as we strive to live holy lives and pursue obedience to God’s commands, God’s Word and the Holy Spirit will confirm our right standing before God. From the human perspective, this means that our thinking, our feelings and our decisions in this life will not say to us that we have done something wrong. Remember, this understanding of what is right or wrong is based upon our thinking, feelings and decisions in relationship to the Word of God as our source of authority.

Dr, John Walvoord does lend a note of caution when he writes, “John does not mean that all whose hearts do not condemn them, are therefore safe before God; for some have their conscience seared, others are ignorant of the truth. Therefore, it is not only sincerity, but sincerity in the truth which can save men. Christians are those meant here: knowing Christ’s precepts and testing themselves by them.”

With this in mind, the believer in Christ has confidence in God in prayer. We may approach God and receive what we ask of Him knowing that we have asked with right and biblical motives. In other words, we are praying while at the same time we are keeping God’s commandments and therefore doing what pleases Him.

Well over 20 years ago, a man approached me and told me that he was going to divorce his wife. He gave me his reasons for this decision, none of which were biblical, and then proceeded to tell me that he had prayed about it and that it was okay. While his heart did not condemn him for this decision, the Word of God indeed did in light of the fact that he was carrying on an affair with a mutual friend of he and his wife.

We must not believe that our prayers have no relationship with God’s Word. Rather, our prayers must be shaped and honed by the Scriptures.

Charles Spurgeon writes, “He who has a clear conscience comes to God (in prayer) with confidence, and that confidence of faith ensures to him the answer of his prayer. Childlike confidence makes us pray as none else can. It makes a man pray for great things, which he would never have asked for it he had not learned this confidence. The man of obedience is the man whom God will hear, because his obedient heart leads him to pray humbly, and with submission.”

A committed heart of obedience to the Lord will result in a confident heart of prayer before the Lord.

May the Lord’s truth and grace be found here.

Soli deo Gloria!

 

 

“For whenever our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and he knows everything.” (I John 3:20)

The Apostle Paul encouraged the believers in Philippi to work out their salvation with fear and trembling (Philippians 2:12). Why? He knew, as we should also know, that while God saves us by grace alone, through faith alone, in the person and work of Jesus Christ alone that it is not by a faith which is alone. True saving faith is always accompanied by works (James 2:14-26).

One of the works which believers are to pursue is the work of pursuing assurance. The Apostle John has repeatedly said that if an individual loves the Lord, it will be evident by their obedience to God’s commandments: especially the commandment to love one another (I John 4:7-8).

Dr. R. C. Sproul writes, “When we consider the matter of assurance, it is clear that believers have a certain duty to work toward attaining certainty about their salvation. Scripture explicitly commands this; for example, 2 Peter 1:10 instructs us to be diligent to confirm our “calling and election.” Yet there are many ways in which God’s Word implicitly exhorts us to pursue assurance as well. Consider the parable of the sower, for example. Among other things, this parable tells us that it is possible to profess faith in the gospel and yet lack the true faith that perseveres and produces a harvest of spiritual fruit. Many who hear the Word of God appear to be converted, but later they fall away because the gospel never truly took root in their souls (Mark 13:1–20). That should encourage all of us to seek to know whether we are good soil, whether we have truly been saved and will persevere to the end. We cannot assume that we are good soil simply because we have confessed faith; we must search our hearts and our lives to be certain that we are not poor soil or that we will not be overcome by the thorns and thistles of life.”

Dr. Sproul made mention of 2 Peter 1 regarding the believer pursuit of assurance. 2 Peter 1:3-10 says, “³ His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, ⁴ by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire. ⁵ For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, ⁶ and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, ⁷ and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. ⁸ For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. ⁹ For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins. ¹⁰ Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall.”

Dr. Sproul concludes by saying, “Throughout church history, many people have thought that God does not really want us to be certain of our salvation, that gaining true assurance would make us complacent in doing good works in service to the Lord and our neighbor. Scripture, however, wants us to be sure of our salvation. The entire epistle of 1 John, for example, was written so that we would know that we are saved (5:13). Thus, we should eagerly pursue the assurance of our salvation and seek to know if we are truly in Christ. Indeed, pursuing assurance is part of our Christian duty.”

Make every effort to pursue your assurance that you are God’s child by being obedient to God’s Word.

May the Lord’s truth and grace be found here.

Soli deo Gloria!

 

 

¹⁷ 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? ¹⁸ Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.¹⁹ By this we shall know that we are of the truth and reassure our heart before him;” (I John 3:17-19)

How do you really know that you are a believer in Christ? Do you ever experience doubts that perhaps you are not truly a Christian, but you only think you are? Maybe it occurs during a particularly difficult trial and you wonder “where is my faith?” You discover you’re filled with self-condemnation as to why you are not stronger in the Lord.

The late Dr. James M. Boice wrote, “Self-condemnation can be due to a number of factors. It can be a matter of disposition; some people are just more introspective than others. It may be a questions of health; how a person feels inevitably affects how he thinks. It may be due to specific sin. It may be due to circumstances. But whatever the cause, the problem is a real one and quite widespread. How is a believer to deal with such doubt?”

2 Corinthians 13:5 says, “Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you fail to meet the test!”

There are several false evidences which neither prove nor disprove an individual is truly converted. They include (1) Visible Morality: Matt. 19:16–21; 23:27; (2) Intellectual Knowledge: Rom. 1:21; 2:17ff.; (3) Religious Involvement: Matt. 25:1–10; (4) Active Ministry: Matt. 7:21–24; (5) Conviction of Sin: Acts 24:25; (6) Assurance: Matt. 23; and (7) a Time of Decision: Luke 8:13–14.

What are the biblical evidences which prove that an individual is indeed a child of God by grace alone, through faith alone in the person and work of Jesus Christ alone? These evidences include (1) Love for God: Ps. 42:1ff.; 73:25; Luke 10:27; Rom. 8:7; (2) Repentance from Sin: Ps. 32:5; Prov. 28:13; Rom. 7:14ff.; 2 Cor. 7:10; 1 John 1:8–10; (3) Genuine Humility: Ps. 51:17; Matt. 5:1–12; James 4:6, 9ff.; (4) Devotion to God’s Glory: Ps. 105:3; 115:1; Isa. 43:7; 48:10ff.; Jer. 9:23–24; 1 Cor. 10:31; (5) Continual Prayer: Luke 18:1; Eph. 6:18ff.; Phil. 4:6ff.; 1 Tim. 2:1–4; James 5:16–18; (6) Selfless Love: 1 John 2:9ff.; 3:14; 4:7ff.; (7) Separation from the World: 1 Cor. 2:12; James 4:4ff.; 1 John 2:15–17; 5:5; (8) Spiritual Growth: Luke 8:15; John 15:1–6; Eph. 4:12–16; (9) Obedient Living: Matt. 7:21; John 15:14ff.; Rom. 16:26; 1 Pet. 1:2, 22; 1 John 2:3–5; (10) Hunger for God’s Word: 1 Pet. 2:1–3; and (11) Transformation of Life: 2 Cor. 5:17.

Obedient living is the truth test the Apostle John sets forth in today’s text regarding an individual’s assurance that they are truly regenerated by the Holy Spirit and converted in Christ. As the believer in Christ continually displays authentic love for people, the assurance that they belong to Christ will well up within their soul.

One commentator explains that, “When we love ‘with truth and action’ (v. 18), this reassures our hearts before God that we are of the truth (v.19). Assurance with God will spring forth in the heart, in the conscience, when we demonstrate genuine and authentic love for others. It assures us that we are children of God. We have confidence in His presence that He is our God and we are His children.”

Take time today to examine your heart as to whether you truly belong to Christ. See whether or not your assurance is based upon false evidences or true, biblical evidences of genuine saving faith.

May the Lord’s truth and grace be found here.

Soli deo Gloria!

 

 

 

 

^17 “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? ¹⁸ Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.” (I John 3:17-18)

Have you ever heard the expression “talk is cheap?” Have you ever used this expression? If so, what exactly does it mean when a person says “talk is cheap?”

The phrase talk is cheap means it is easier to talk about doing something than to actually do that thing. Many people say they will do something but never do it. Or many people may say that something should be done but they never envision themselves as the individuals by which that something could and should be done.

This attitude and inaction may happen anywhere and everywhere. It can happen at home, school, work and even in volunteer organizations such as the church. It can happen among members of a sports team. The true leader is one who does not necessarily talk about leading, but rather displays it by working hard, showing up early, being the last to leave, and being a positive example.

By the same token, another contrasting idiom is “Actions speak louder than words.” This means that people’s actions show their real attitudes, rather than what they say. This expression is sometimes used to advise a person to do something positive.

This is the essential meaning behind the Apostle John’s comments in I John 3:17-18. John once again used another cause and effect statement to bring this principle of action vs. inaction in Christian living to light.

“But if anyone has the world’s goods” refers to possessions or resources. We all have them, perhaps some more than others. It includes clothes, food, vehicles, tools, etc. These are the goods we own.

The principle John set forth was if a believer in Christ has possessions and sees a brother in Christ in need of one such possession but does nothing to help the fellow believer, that former individual does not have the self-sacrificial love of God within their soul. Remember, that John often speaks in black and white terms. He gives no room for the grey areas of life or extenuating circumstances. You are either into holy living or you are not because you are either a truly converted believer in Christ or you only pretend to be.

The principle John explicitly set forth is found in I John 3:18: “Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.” For the apostle, deed and truth is more important that words or talk.

Recently, my boss experienced car problems with his brakes. He needed to take his Honda Accord to the local Honda dealership. However, this left him without a car to drive to work. When He spoke to me about the problem, the Lord prompted me to offer him the use of my SUV until he got his car back. He was surprised and did not know what to say, but he gratefully accepted my offer.

Well, the situation lasted about a week but my boss’ car was finally repaired and my vehicle returned to me, with a full tank of gas I might add. It turned out to be a good resolution to his problem and an opportunity for me to show the love of Christ and not just speak of it. I pray that it made an impact upon him.

I do not share this story to praise myself, but rather to illustrate that each of us can do something in order to help someone we know when they are in need. To be certain, we need to have discernment and good wisdom, but we also need to be willing to risk the loss or put up with the inconvenience in order to help a friend or a fellow believer.

How may you love in deed and truth today, and not just in word or talk?

May the Lord’s truth and grace be found here.

Soli deo Gloria!

 

“By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers.” (I John 3:16)

Every believer in Christ probably has memorized, meditated upon and perhaps taught John 3:16. One of the most often quoted, and recognized, verses in all of Scripture says, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”

John 3:16 teaches how God loved the fallen world. However, how do believers demonstrate that they know the God of love and the love by which God loved them in their fallen and sinful condition? This is the content of I John 3; 16.

John sets forth two principles as a simple test or examination for believers in Christ, including the apostle, to show whether or not believers continually understand self-sacrificial love of the will which originates and proceeds solely from God.

The first evidence principle that we know what constitutes true love is understanding that Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. True love is acknowledging the substitutionary atonement of Jesus Christ on behalf of sinners. Sinner who hated Him but of whom He loved (Revelation 1:5-6).

The second evidence principle that we know what constitutes true love is that we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers.

As one commentator of I John writes, “Many have noticed the beautiful relationship that exists between John 3:16 and I John 3:16. The former is a demonstration of love. The latter is an explanation of love. John 3:16 says that God gave His Son for us. I John 3:16 says we should give ourselves for others. The bible says that if you want to see love, look at the cross! The Bible says that if you want to show love, looks at the cross! The bible says that if you want to know love, look the cross! The Bible says that if you want to live love, look at the cross!”

Jesus Christ lived the life that we should have lived, but couldn’t. Jesus Christ died the death we should have died but don’t have to. True love is about self-sacrifice and self-submission.

Chris Tomlin reminds us of this true love in his song You Are My King.

I’m forgiven because you were forsaken
I’m accepted, You were condemned
I’m alive and well
Your spirit is within me
Because you died and rose again

Amazing love, how can it be?
that you, my king. would die for me.
Amazing love, I know it’s true
it’s my joy to honor you.
Amazing love how can it be?
That my king would die for me.
Amazing love I know it’s true
it’s my joy to honor you.
In all I do
I honor you.

You are my king
You are my king.
Jesus, You are my king.
Jesus, You are my king.

How may you give yourself for someone else today and in so doing, demonstrate that you understand the love of God?

May the Lord’s truth and grace be found here.

Soli deo Gloria!

¹⁴ We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers. Whoever does not love abides in death. ¹⁵ Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.” (I John 3:14-15)

One of the most effective teaching methods is comparison and contrast. When reading and studying the Scriptures, look for items, or individuals, that are contrasted with each other.  For example, Proverbs 14:31 says, “He who oppresses the poor shows contempt for their Maker, but whoever is kind to the needy honors God.” In the same way, look for items, or individuals, that are compared to each other. For example, Proverbs 25:26 says, “Like a muddied spring or a polluted well, is a righteous man who gives way to the wicked.”

 Throughout the Epistle of I John, the apostle has used numerous contrasts to illustrate the Christian life. Thus far, he has used the following: (1) Light and darkness 1:5’ (2) The New Commandment & the Old Commandment 2:7-8; (3) Loving the Father and Loving the World 2:15-16; (4) Christ and Antichrist 2:18-22; (5) Truth and Lies 2:20-21; (6)  Children of God and Children of the Devil 3:1-10.

In I John 3:14-15, John uses yet another series of contrasts. In vs. 14 there is the contrast of eternal death and eternal life. In vs. 15 there is the contrast of love and hatred.

John said in 3:14 that the believer in Christ is no longer dead in sin but rather has passed out of spiritual death into eternal life. Therefore, this new life in Christ will be demonstrated by a love for fellow Christians.

In the same way, in 3:15, John said whoever hates a brother in Christ is a murderer (Matthew 5:21-26). This attitude demonstrates that the individual in question is truly not a believer in Christ.

Dr. John MacArthur writes that, “Becoming a Christian is a resurrection from death to life, and a turning of hate to love (cf. Gal. 5:6, 22). A lack of love indicates that one is spiritually dead. Love is the sure test of whether someone has experienced the new birth or is still in the darkness of spiritual death (1 John 2:9, 11). Someone who is characterized by hate has never experienced the new birth. Hatred is spiritually the same as murder in the eyes of God, i.e., the attitude is equal to the act. Hate is the seed that leads to murder, as seen in the example of the hatred of Cain for Abel that resulted in murder (Matt. 5:20–22; cf. Gal. 5:19–21; Rev. 22:15).”

 How has today’s lesson challenged you to be more loving to fellow believers? In what ways have you loved a fellow Christian? In what ways have you not loved as you should? Resolve to be more loving today.

May the Lord’s truth and grace reside here.

Soli deo Gloria!

 

 

^11 “For this is the message that you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another. ¹² 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. ¹³ Do not be surprised, brothers, that the world hates you.” (I John 3:11-13)

What is the core message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ? The Apostle John set forth the premise that it is the love of God for a fallen and sinful world (John 3:1-16). This love was demonstrated by Jesus Christ’s obedience in dying on the cross in the sinner’s place (Romans 5:8-10). This was done even while sinner’s for whom Christ died were His enemies (Romans 5:10).

Dr. John MacArthur writes, “As noted throughout this epistle, John often repeated the same truths, expanding on them to allow his readers to hear them in new and fresh ways. Each time he presents the same truths in “new” packages, which expand on a particular aspect of their significance or approach the subject from a slightly different angle.”

The natural result of receiving God’s love (John 1:12-13) is that the sinner not only becomes a child of God in position but also in behavior. The most basic behavioral demonstration that an individual is a believer in Christ is a love for other believers (John 15:12; I Peter 1:22-23).

The love of which John speaks is a self-sacrificial love of the will. It is this kind of love which John will address later on in his epistle (I John 4:7-11). John emphasized that what the church heard “from the beginning” (1:1; 2:7, 24) was being attacked by false teachers who were against that which God proclaimed through the apostles. 

The contrast to self-sacrificial love of the will is a selfish, self-centered love. This is the antithesis of God’s love. Rather, it is a love that is likened to Cain. John stressed that Cain belonged to the evil one, or the devil. This ownership was demonstrated and proven by Cain’s murdering Abel, his brother. Cain did so because while Abel’s actions before God were righteous, Cain’s were evil. Cain was filled with a jealous fury which resulted in him hating, rather than loving, his brother and God.

It is this type of jealous and irrational hatred that the fallen world has for believers in Christ. The world calls Christians bigots, hate mongers and intolerant. The irony is that the bigotry, hatred and intolerance is displayed by the fallen worldly culture towards the church in general, and the believer in particular.

How may you demonstrate God’s love today? How may you counteract the hatred of the world today? May the Lord’s truth and grace be found here.

Soli deo Gloria!