How To Love God's People - Part 2 (1 John 3:13-16)

Each week throughout 2021, I will share a Bible study blog post taking us through the letter of 1 John. Only five chapters long, this brief book is worthy of our consideration. Whether you drop in for one post or many, I pray that you enjoy them. Access all posts here.

In our recent studies of 1 John 2:28-3:10, we celebrated the glorious truth that God loves us so much that He decided to call all believers His children. John wrote: "See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are." (1 John 3:1, ESV).

In this passage, 1 John 3:11-18, we have a much more difficult truth to digest. It's this: If God has made us into His spiritual family, we must love our spiritual siblings. Last week, you may have celebrated God's love for you, but you must struggle to show your love for others. This passage gives us practical help on how to demonstrate Christian love.

Remember, though, John's three tests. He's introduced all of them already and will revisit them throughout the rest of his letter.

1. Do I believe in Jesus?
2. Do I obey God?
3. Do I love God's people?

And, today, John will address the third test. He will talk to us about love. From the passage, I am going to draw out seven lessons on how to love, especially how to love God's people. Today, we will look at the third, fourth, and fifth lessons.

3. Don’t Join the World in Hating Christians

13 Do not be surprised, brothers, that the world hates you.

Cain was evil and hated righteous Abel. This brings John to another thought. The world (often) hates God's people. God's church is like Abel, righteous and acceptable in His sight (13). The world, still in their sin, does not have God's favor. It's inevitable then, times will come when the world hates you (13).

The righteous voice of the church, along with its constant message that all of humanity must be saved from their sin, grates upon the minds of the world.

"In ancient Athens the noble Aristides was unjustly condemned to death; and when one of the jurymen was asked how he could have cast his vote against such a man his answer was that he was tired of hearing Aristides called 'The Just.'" -- William Barclay, The Letters of John, The Daily Study Bible, p. 101

The community of faith should live differently than the world. Our lifestyle rejects greed, lusts, intoxicants, and other sins of the flesh. And, often, like Cain hated Abel, the world hates us for it.

And John tells us this is something which shouldn't surprise us (12). We should expect some hostility to come from the world system.

In contrast, the genuinely shocking event is when other Christians take up the world's posture and join the world in hating the church.

Look, I get it. Sometimes Christians are into weird things. I remember my first Christian rap tape -- it was terrible. And I remember watching Christians hand out leaflets on the perils of sorcery to nice families standing in line outside the showing of the first Harry Potter movie.

I've seen all manner of strange convictions. I've seen rudeness on full display under the guise of mentoring or discipleship or telling the truth in love. I've seen political stands taken up as if they are a stance for the gospel itself.

And all of it has bothered me, but I know I cannot join the world in hating Christians. This is an unacceptable response. The church is a multiethnic, multigenerational, worldwide family comprised of every class you can imagine.

Just as biological families are filled with all types of people, so is the church. For all I know, I might be the strange uncle. Love is the only option. Don't join the world in hating Christians.

4. Recognize Loving Is Living

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.

These verses are customarily taken to mean that it's impossible for a true Christian to hate fellow believers (14). Instead, because we have passed out of death into life, meaning we've been born again, we love the brothers (14). Since Jesus equated hatred with murder, and murder does not fit those with eternal life, to hate Christians means one is unconverted (14, Matthew 5:21-26).

But this interpretation doesn't stand under closer inspection.

• First, if it's impossible for true Christians to hate other Christians, why does John urge us to love one another so often? If it were impossible for us to do anything other than love, we wouldn't need the constant reminders to lay down our lives for others.
• Second, it's ignorant to think Christians are incapable of hatred. The Old and New Testaments are filled with examples of believers behaving poorly towards other believers. This is why we're constantly exhorted to put off things like anger, wrath, malice, and slander (Colossians 3:8) and to put on things like compassionate hearts, kindness, and patience (Colossians 3:12).

Where John's statements trip us up, though, is when he mentions:

• Whoever does not love abides in death (14).
• No murderer has eternal life abiding in him (15).

But, for John, eternal life was more than being saved or going to heaven when you die. It was also the practical experience of having and walking with Jesus right now!

With this in view, it seems possible for a Christian to have the security of an unending life with God, but lack the enjoyment of such a life today. This person is walking in darkness, and because they aren't abiding in their eternal life, they are instead abiding in death (14, 15).

In a sense, what we're learning here is that loving God's people is a way to tap into your eternal life today. To love is to live.

There are many ways I could exhort you here, but I would like to take a moment to talk to any future ministers of the gospel who are here today. I know every Christian is called to the ministry, but some of you might be called to pastoral or full-time church work.

If not you, who? I am pleading with you. The work is hard. The hours are long. The job is never done. But it is full of life!

And I should also speak to the parents of those who might declare a call to ministry. Do not discourage them. Do not let your heart be filled with fear. Yes, a degree in dentistry pays more than one in theology, at least on this side of eternity. But lift your eyes to the heavens. God is able.

God uses the foolishness of the world to confound the wise (1 Corinthians 1:27). Perhaps God will use the little fool who grew up in your house to impact the next generation for Christ. You know God's grace fuels every servant of Christ. Perhaps your child will be included in that ministry empowering grace of God.

Loving makes for a good life. Loving is living.

5. Lay Down Your Life

16 By this we know love, that He laid down His life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers.

Fittingly, after reminding us what love doesn't look like, John shows us what love does look like. It comes as no surprise to learn love looks like Jesus.

Jesus laid down His life for us (16). Jesus is the true definition of love. Because of Him, we know love (16). We see it in Him, but we also feel it from Him.

In John's world, there were many words people used to describe various facets of love.

• Eros was the word for sexual love.
• Storge was the word for familial love.
• Philea was the word for brotherly or friendship love.
• And agape was the word Christians took to mean self-giving, unalterable, sacrificial love. It loves without an expectation for repayment.

Jesus is the definition of agape love because He laid down His life for us (16). John then urges us to also lay down our lives for the brothers (16).

By the way, if you are here today and have not yet known Christ, I urge you to receive His love. He laid down His life in place of yours on His cross. He died so you might live. He died to receive your judgment. He rose to give you life. Believe in Him, right now, today, at this moment, right where you are seated. Tell Him you trust Him and want to follow Him.

But let's talk about laying down our lives like Jesus for a moment. What does it mean that Jesus laid down His life for us? Certainly, John is thinking of the cross. That was Jesus' ultimate moment of personal sacrifice. But did John have more than the cross in mind? I think so.

John witnessed Jesus' life. He knew Jesus laid down His life when He incarnated for us. He knew Jesus laid down His life when being patient with the disciples. He knew of Jesus' longsuffering nature. He saw Jesus patiently teach the masses and His followers. He witnessed Jesus parent His disciples without complaint. He saw Jesus endure Peter's foibles. In other words, Jesus didn't live for Himself until He was 33 years old and then die for the sins of the world. During His entire life, Jesus laid down His life for us.

And I mention this because we should not think of laying down our lives as merely a hypothetical moment where we might need to die for someone else. The reality is that to take the bullet once is likely easier than denying yourself a thousand times for others.

Imagine saving to build a nest egg. Pick a number that's impressive to you. Let's say you get up to $100K. Then, imagine God telling you to give it away. What would be easier? Finding one moment or person to give it all to, or giving away $100 at a time, watching your nest egg slowly deteriorate to nothing? But this is how we are to love. Daily, slowly, and continuously.

To die for someone is noble, but to die to ourselves over and over again for someone else is divine. Lay down your life.