Love One Another

        
                                     Sunday School Lesson
                                          

Lesson: I John 3:11-24                                                                                                 
Golden Text: “For this is the message that ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another” (I John 3:11).
I.  INTRODUCTION.  As parents instructing our children, there were some messages that we repeated time and time again.  How many times did we tell our school-age children to look both ways before crossing the street?  This rule is not complicated, but a child’s mind is very easily distracted and the children could have entered a busy street before they were aware of it.  Our love and concern for our children and their safety compel us to reiterate certain rules.  In this week’s lesson, the Apostle John continued to exhort the believers to love one another with brotherly kindness because it’s our divine obligation as children of God.
II. BACKGROUND FOR THE LESSON.  First John was written by John, one of Jesus’ original 12 disciples.  He is the author of the Gospel of John and widely believed to be “the disciple that Jesus loved” (see John 21:20).  This letter was not written to any specific church, but was sent as a pastoral letter to several Gentile congregations and all believers everywhere.  At the time of the letter, false teachers had entered the church denying the incarnation (becoming human) of Jesus Christ.  John wrote to correct these serious errors.  He opens this letter by declaring that he was an eyewitness of the humanity of Christ and stating his reason for writing (see I John 1:1-4).  He then presents God as “light,” symbolizing absolute purity and holiness (see John 1:5-7), and he explains how believers can walk in God’s light and have fellowship with Him (see I John 1:8-10) with Christ as their defender (see I John 2:1-2).  John urges his readers to obey Christ fully and to love all the members of God’s family (see I John 2:3-17).  He warns his readers of “antichrists” and the antichrist who will try to lead them away from the truth (see I John 2:18-29).  In I John 3:1-10, John emphasized righteousness as a way of distinguishing a Christian.  Our lesson begins with verse 11 as John gives another way to identify Christians---love for others.     

III. LOVE MARKS THE CHILDREN OF GOD (I John 3:11-15)

A. John presents a divine command (I John 3:11).  Our first verse says “For this is the message that ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another.”  The word “message” here refers to the command “that we should love one another.”  John reminded his readers that this message to love one another was not a new revelation (see I John 2:7).  It was a commandment they had “heard from the beginning.”  The term “beginning” does not mean the beginning of the world, but it refers to the beginning of his readers’ salvation when they accepted the gospel of Jesus Christ (see Acts 11:15; Philippians 4:15).  Loving one another was to be their habit, for it’s one of the defining marks of a believer.  Even though the command to “love one another” is not new to the Christian, unfortunately we must be reminded frequently of how important it is to show Christian love in all our actions, attitudes, and words.  Note:  There are three basic Greek words for love.  “Phileo” describes a love between friends.  “Eros” describes sexual love and is not found in the Bible.   “Agape” describes a selfless, sacrificing love.  “Agape” is the word John uses when speaking of love.  It’s the word used for God’s love for sinners (see John 3:16; Romans 5:8).  This is a divine love that never seeks its own gratification, but always seeks the good of others (see I Corinthians 13:4).  It’s the love that Christ had for us in giving His life for us.  This is the love that God expects us to show.  However, in our own power we cannot pass the test of loving one another as Christ loved us.  This is a job for the Holy Spirit, for love is a fruit of the Spirit (see Galatians5:22).  The natural spirit and heart of man is evil continually (see Genesis 6:5), but when we submit to the Holy Spirit He empowers us to overcome hate, malice, and envy and teaches us brotherly kindness instead.

B. John presents a negative illustrations (I John 3:12-13).
1. (vs. 12).  In this verse John gives an example of one lacking love.  He said “Not as Cain, who was of that wicked one, and slew his brother. And wherefore slew he him? Because his own works were evil, and his brother's righteous.”  The phrase “Not as Cain” indicates that believers are to love one another and not be like Cain “who was of that wicked one.”  In other words, Cain belonged to the “wicked one” or the devil.  In verse 10 John said that children of the devil don’t practice righteousness nor do they love their brother.   Since Cain belonged to the devil, whom Jesus called “a murderer from the beginning” (see John 8:44), being under the influence of Satan he “slew his brother.”  The word translated “slew” speaks of brutal slaughter.  The Septuagint (the Greek translation of the Old Testament) uses this word to describe the butchering of sacrificial animals.  Therefore, the first murder in history was extremely vicious (see Genesis 4:8-15).  John then asks why did Cain do it, and then answered the question saying “Because his own works were evil, and his brother's righteous.”  Neither John nor the account of this event in Genesis chapter 4 reveals exactly why Cain’s offering was evil and Abel’s was righteous.  However, the Bible tells us that by faith, Abel offered a sacrifice that was pleasing to God (see Hebrews 11:4).  As the Book of Genesis relates, Cain was angry because his brother Abel was accepted by God and he was not (see Genesis 4:2-5).  Even when the Lord gave Cain an opportunity to repent and offer an acceptable sacrifice, he refused and instead rose up and killed his brother (see Genesis 4:6-8).  Note:  The conflict Cain had with Abel was a religious one.  God established the way of sacrifice, but Cain wanted to follow his own evil way of religious observance.  Abel followed God’s righteous way.  They both brought sin offerings or sacrifices (see Genesis 4:7).  Abel is a type of the spiritual man.  His sacrifice, in which atoning blood was shed (see Hebrews 9:22), was his confession of sin and the expression of his faith in a substitute (see Romans 5:6; Hebrews 11:4).  In contrast to Abel, Cain’s bloodless offering of the fruit of the ground proclaims even in the early stages of the human race, the truth that “without shedding of blood is no remission” (see Leviticus 17:11; Hebrews 9:22).  Cain acknowledged God as the source of all natural good but he rejected God’s revealed way of worship.  Abel, on the other hand, brought a blood offering therefore confessing that he was a sinner.  In Cain, all false religion began, which is the essence of man’s coming to God in his own way.  It should be noted that Cain and Abel, being brothers, had the same parents and they both brought sacrifices to God.  Cain isn’t presented as an atheist; he is presented as a worshipper.  And this is the point: children of the devil masquerade as true believers.  They attend religious gatherings and may even bring offerings as Cain did.  But these actions in themselves are not real proof that a man or woman is born of God.  The real test is his love for the brethren and Cain failed that test.
2. (vs. 13).  John goes on to say in this verse “Marvel not, my brethren, if the world hate you.”  The word “Marvel” means to be amazed or surprised.  The apostle was simply saying that Christians shouldn’t be surprised if they are hated by the world (see I Peter 4:12-13).  “The world” here refers to unbelievers who live by standards that don’t come from God (see I John 2:15-16).  Jesus warned His disciples that since the world hated Him, they would also be hated (see John 15:18-20).  Obviously, we can’t expect any better treatment than the Lord Jesus received from the world or unbelievers.  Note:  Jesus even warned the apostles that a time was coming when those who killed them would think that they were doing God a service (see John 16:2).  We should, in fact, expect to be persecuted for our faith.  Paul advised Timothy that “All that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution” (see II Timothy 3:12).   Perhaps one reason so many of us are not persecuted is that we so often blend in with the world around us (see II Timothy 3:1-5).
C. John makes a personal application (I John 3:14-15).
1. (vs. 14).  In this verse John says “We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death.”  Of course the term “we” here refers to believers.  Unlike the world or unbelievers, “we have passed from death unto life.”  The word “life” does not refer to physical life, but to spiritual life, which is eternal and found in Christ (see John 10:10).  John stated that this “life” is the present possession of the saints meaning we have it now because we “have passed” into life.  The words “have passed” are in the past tense indicating an action that’s already completed.  John said that “we know” or are sure of it by faith.  The words in this verse are quite similar to Jesus’ words in John 5:24: “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.”  One of the ways that we know we are in a saved relationship with Christ is “because we love the brethren.”  Simply put, we have taken a transforming journey from the realm of spiritual death into the realm of spiritual life, and the proof of this is that we love “the brethren” meaning other believers.  The word “love” here is in the present tense indicating that it’s a habit.  John also reminds us that the opposite is true.  He said “He that loveth not his brother abideth in death.”  In other words, anyone who doesn’t love his fellow Christians “abideth” or remains in spiritual death, that is, in sin in which everyone was born (see I Corinthians 15:22).  They have never been transformed or changed and therefore don’t have divine love.  This doesn’t mean that unbelievers cannot be kind and love one another, but they don’t have the divine ability to love Christian believers or our God.
2. (vs. 15).  In this verse John writes “Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him.”  Using very strong language, John declared that anyone who “hateth his brother” meaning fellow believers, “is a murderer.”   In other words they are as guilty as if they had actually committed murder.  Hatred in the heart preceded the outward act of murder.  It’s unlikely that any of John’s readers had literally murdered a brother, but they had possibly committed murder in their hearts (see Matthew 5:21-22, 27-28; 12:35: 15:19; Mark 7:21-22).  Since God sees hating as a form of murder, John was clear in stating the eternal ramifications of hatred.  He said “and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him.”  This doesn’t mean that murder is an unpardonable sin.  Some well known heroes of faith were guilty of murder such as Moses (see Exodus 2:11-14), David (see II Samuel 11:14-17), and Paul (see Acts 22:4; 26:10).  All of them were forgiven.  John was simply stressing the seriousness of the sin of hatred and how impossible it was to stay in fellowship with God while harboring hatred toward a brother in Christ.  Unfortunately, many who profess faith in Christ exhibit murderous attitudes toward others.
IV. LOVE IS VERIFIED BY GOOD DEEDS (I John 3:16-18)    A.  A supreme challenge: Christ’s example (I John 3:16).  John now says “Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.”  The word “perceive” is the same word that in other places is frequently rendered “know” (see I John 2:3, 29; 4:13).  To perceive God’s love is to know God’s love!  The primary way that we know God loves us is because “he laid down his life for us.”  The essence of love is self-sacrifice and Jesus is the supreme example.  There is no greater demonstration of God’s love for sinners than the death of Christ on Calvary (see John 10:11; Romans 5:8; Ephesians 5:25).  Since Christ set the supreme example of sacrificial love for believers, John challenged Christians by saying “we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.”  While this may include literally giving one’s life for a fellow believer, the truth is, we can never do for others what Jesus did for us.  However, in a limited way we ought to be willing to make the ultimate sacrifice.  There are other ways we can make sacrifices for fellow Christians.  Certainly, helping those in need is an appropriate way to do this.
B. John asks a legitimate question (I John 3:17).  In this verse, John poses a question to his readers.  He asked “But whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?”  The word “seeth” here means more than just glancing at someone in need.  It has the idea of recognizing and understanding that need.  Therefore, John’s question is this: “How can God’s love dwell in anyone who has plenty and recognizes that a fellow Christian has a need, and refuses to have compassion or mercy on him by sharing what he has?”  Putting this in perspective, if love can motivate us to sacrifice our life for someone, certainly it should motivate us to sacrifice our goods for someone.  Love will not allow a believer to “shutteth up his bowels of compassion” from a believer in need.  This simply means that love will prompt us to show pity and mercy on a needy fellow believer.  We won’t selfishly hold on to our material goods when we know a believer is in need, and we have the means to help.  Note:  There are needy people who can and should be helped by their Christian brethren.  This may include people who are sick, out of work, or otherwise suffering financially.  To these we should reach out and help, for in doing so we are ministering to Jesus (see Matthew 25:31-46).  Although our primary concern should be for those in the family of faith, or other believers, we should not exclude helping anyone (see Galatians 6:10).
C. John’s pointed exhortation (I John 3:18).  In this verse John goes on to say “My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.”  As an apostle and leader in the Christian church, John lovingly addresses his readers as “My little children.”  He then encourages them saying “let us not love in word, neither in tongue.”  In other words, genuine love is not shown by words that really don’t mean anything.  Genuine love is demonstrated “in deed and in truth” not just telling people we care.  As James 2:15 says, “If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit?”  The evidence that we have God’s love is action.  Concrete action must back up the fact that we have God’s love living in our hearts.  However, since actions can be hypocritical, we must be sure that our acts of love are done “in truth” meaning sincere. 
V. CONFIDENCE FLOWS FROM OBEDIENCE (I John 3:19-24) 

A. Confidence and the condemning heart (I John 3:19-20). 

1. (vs. 19).  Here John continues to say “And hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before him.”  Just in case John’s previous words could result in his readers having feelings of failure and spiritual discouragement that all Christians experience, he told them how they could be confident that they were “of the truth” meaning people of God.  The words “And hereby” refers back to the divine love believers should show in deed and in truth.  John was saying that when we show this kind of love it proves that we are “of the truth” or God’s people.  John said that understanding this “shall assure our hearts before him.”  In other words, if we have any doubts in our hearts or our conscience about our salvation, knowing that we demonstrate genuine love confirms that we are saved.  Love doesn’t save us, but it assures us that God dwells in us.  By loving in deed and truth, believers can know that they are children of the God of truth (see John 14:6).  Those who are truly redeemed have a confidence in their hearts that only God can give.  Indeed the Holy Spirit testifies with our spirits that we are God’s children (see Romans 8:16).
2. (vs. 20).  In this verse John goes on to say “For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things.”  Sometimes Satan and the false teachers he inspires will try to get us to doubt our salvation.  John describes this as our “heart” condemning us.  The word “heart” here refers to our conscience.  The apostle was saying that “if our heart (or conscience) condemn us” which means causing us to question our salvation because we may have sinned, we can be assured that “God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things.”  In other words, since God knows everything, He knows better what’s in our hearts than we do because He “is greater than our heart.”  We may misjudge ourselves, but God in His omniscience never does.  Note:  Many who profess to know Jesus Christ as Saviour have doubts from time to time about whether they truly belong to the Lord.  They question whether their profession of faith was or is genuine.  Such doubts often arise when a believer falls into sin.  It’s quite appropriate for someone who professes faith in Christ but is controlled by sin to have doubts.  Such doubts should at least cause believers to examine themselves to see whether they are truly in the faith.  However, Christians shouldn’t find themselves constantly in doubt.  Thankfully, God, who is greater than our heart or conscience, pronounces a more authoritative verdict about who we are than we do because we may sometimes have doubts.  When God declares that we belong to Him, His verdict is based on His perfect knowledge of us and includes all relevant circumstances including everything we say and do.  Our worst is always known to Him, and He still loves us.  God knew David’s sins, but He still said he was a man after His heart (see Acts 13:22).  This should assure us that God has forgiven us of our sins for Christ’s sake, and we can enjoy peace of conscience.  However, we must always take time for self-examination, and if we find that we have any un-confessed sin, we need to confess it promptly (see I Corinthians 11:27-29; I John 1:9) to be restored to fellowship with Christ.  Remember, when we are saved and we sin, we can’t lose our relationship with Christ (see John 10:27-29; Romans 8:35-39), but we can lose our fellowship (see Psalms 66:18; I John 1:5-8).  That’s why we need to confess any un-confessed sin and repent in order to restore the fellowship.
B. Confidence and answered prayer (I John 3:21-22).
1. (vs. 21).  In this verse John says “Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God.”   The phrase “if our heart condemn us not” means that our conscience is clear regarding sin and we have no doubts about our salvation.  When we are sure of our relationship with Christ, John said “then have we confidence toward God.”  In other words, when our conscience is clear, we have confidence that we can approach God.  Gaining confidence before God requires that our hearts (conscience) don’t condemn us because of sins of omission (faced with doing what is right, but we do nothing).
2. (vs. 22).  Still talking about having confidence in God, Paul goes on to say “And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight.”  The word “And” connects this verse with verse 21.  When we have an un-condemning heart or conscience that assures us we are God’s children (see Romans 8:15-17), John said this assures us that “whatsoever we ask, we receive of him.”  If our conscience is clear, we can come to God without fear, confident that our requests will be heard.  Of course, God does not give us whatever we ask automatically.  Only petitions or requests that are in God’s will for the believer will be granted (see I John 5:14).  Note:  It is true that Jesus promised that one who asks receives (see Matthew 7:7-8) and that God responds to the prayer of faith (see Mark 11:24).  However, we must interpret these promises in light of all scriptural teachings on prayer.  John said one of the conditions for answered prayer is that “we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight.”  John made it clear that success in prayer requires obedience to God’s commands and doing whatever pleases Him.  We will receive if we obey and do what pleases God because we will be asking in line with His will.  Of course, this does not mean that we can have anything we want, like instant riches.  If we are truly seeking God’s will, there are some requests we just won’t make. 
C.  Confidence and God’s command (I John 3:23).  John continues to say here “And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment.”  In the previous verse, John declared that answered prayer was dependent upon keeping God’s commandments.  But in this verse John summarized God’s commandments in the previous verse into one “commandment.”  There are two aspects to the commandment that John gives.  First, “That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ.”  In the Bible a person’s “name” stands for their character.  It represents who they really are.  Therefore, we are to believe not only in Jesus’ words, but also in His very person as the Son of God.  Moreover, to believe “in the name” means to pattern one’s life after Christ’s life to become more like Him.  If we are living like Christ, then we will be able to demonstrate the second aspect of the commandment which John said was to “love one another, as he gave us commandment.”  What’s important here is that we can’t accomplish one without doing the other.  In other words, we can’t love one another as God has commanded us without believing in Jesus Christ, God’s Son.    
D. Confidence and the divine presence (see I John 3:24).  In our final verse John says “And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us.”  The statement “And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him” means that the person who obeys Gods words by living the obedient life of love abides in God and God abides in him (see John 15:1-7).  John then tells us how we know that we have this special union with the Father.  He said “we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us.”  Scripture tells us that God’s Spirit has taken up residence in those who are redeemed (see Acts 2:38; Romans 8:9; I Corinthians 6:19; Galatians 3:2).  Note:  The obedient believer dwells in God and God dwells in him by the Holy Spirit.  Out of this intimate relationship will flow real acts of love and practical kindness.  Living a godly life in an ungodly world requires an uncommon power that exceeds man’s own ability.  Being aware of man’s inability to demonstrate divine love, Jesus prayed to the Father to send the Holy Spirit, our Comforter and teacher to be God’s continual presence with us and making plain God’s good pleasure.  Although the Holy Spirit lives in the Christian, it’s possible to grieve Him (see Ephesians 4:30) and quench or cut off His power (see I Thessalonians 5:19) in our lives.  The evidence that the Holy Spirit is in our lives is when we demonstrate the fruit of the Spirit.  And one characteristic of the Holy Spirit is love. 
VI. Conclusion.  How do we know that we are truly Christians?  The answer is given to us in this week’s lesson and it is simple: we have learned to love others because of Jesus.  The world is looking for genuine Christianity so that they can follow it, but it’s hard to find.  How much like a fresh breath of air it is when we find someone who loves unconditionally and who has learned to react to situations the way Jesus would.  Love is the mark of those who say they are following Jesus.  When asked about the greatest commandment Jesus quoted the Law which declared that we are to love both God and our neighbor (see Mark 12:28-34; Deuteronomy 6:5; Leviticus 19:18).  While love is one of the most talked about teachings of Christ, it may be one of the least practiced.  The Lord Jesus said, “By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another” (see John 13:35).  As we learned in this week’s lesson, the Apostle John continued to exhort the believers to love one another with brotherly kindness because it’s our divine obligation as children of God.