1 John 3:11-24; 4:1-18
The early believers were commanded to love each other despite of negative circumstances. Notice the do’s and don’ts in Paul’s letter in Romans 12:9-18. Yes, the bible commanded us to love even the brother who is very difficult to love. Jesus started this when he told his disciples, “35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” John 13:35. Today’s message will answer why true believers must love each other.
1. We have been spiritually born into God’s family.
“11 For this is the message you heard from the beginning: We should love one another. 12 Do not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own actions were evil, and his brothers were righteous. 13 Do not be surprised, my brothers and sisters, if the world hates you. 14 We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love each other. Anyone who does not love remains in death. 15 Anyone who hates a brother or sister is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life residing in him.” 1 John 3:11-15.
· You cannot truly love your brethren as Jesus commanded, unless you are spiritually born into God’s family.
· Only those who passed on from life to death will obey Jesus’ command to love His family.
2. We know that God indwells us.
“7 Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. 8 Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. 9 This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. 10 This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.11 Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12 No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.” 1 John 4:7-12
· God’s presence in us, fills our heart with His love.
· God’s indwelling a believer’s life is the true essence of love.
Hebrews 13:5, “5 Never will I leave you.”
· The Holy Spirit is helping us to live out God’s truth.
John 14:16, “16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— 17 the Spirit of truth.”
3. We know what biblical love is.
1 Corinthians 13:4-7, 4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.”
· Biblical love is not a noun but a verb.
· It is patterned after Christ’ love for His church.
4. We imitate Christ’s character of love.
“16 This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. 17 If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? 18 Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.” 1 John 3:16-18.
· We cannot do what Jesus did on the cross, but we can make sacrifices for the sake of other believers.
· Self-denial for the well-being of others is an act of love.
· It’s the opposite of the false teachers’ self-promoting attitude.
5. We have the assurance of salvation.
“21 Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God22 and receive from him anything we ask, because we keep his commands and do what pleases him. 23 And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us. 24 The one who keeps God’s commands lives in him, and he in them. And this is how we know that he lives in us: We know it by the Spirit he gave us.” 1Jn 3:21-24.
“17 This is how love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment: In this world we are like Jesus.18 There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.” 1Jn 4:17-18.
· The assurance of salvation gave us the confidence to act and behave according to what was commanded to us.
· It’s hard to pray for a difficult brother/sister to deal with, but we were commanded to pray for them anyway.