11. 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 brother's were righteous.
13 Do not be surprised, my brothers, if the world hates you.
14. We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love our brothers. Anyone who does not love remains in death.
15 Anyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life in him.
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.
17 If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him?
18 Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.
19 This then is how we know that we belong to the truth, and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence
20. whenever our hearts condemn us. For God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything.
Love one another -
11. This is the message you heard from the beginning: We should love one another.
The message from the beginning. This message is a old as creation itself. God has tried to teach his children to love one another. When questioned about the priority of commandments, Jesus said this -
Matthew 22
36 "Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?"
37 Jesus replied: "`Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.'
38 This is the first and greatest commandment.
39 And the second is like it: `Love your neighbour as yourself.'
40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments."
All the law and prophets hang on those two - love God and love neighbor.
Look at the 10 Commandments. The first 4 deal with loving God. The last 6 deal with loving your fellowman. They show us how to love one another. To love one another is more important than to not steal, lie, murder, etc., because if we love one another those other commandments will take care of themselves. Love is the key thing.
Man's problem -
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 brother's were righteous.
13 Do not be surprised, my brothers, if the world hates you.
Why did Cain murder his brother? Because he was jealous of him. His brother outdid him. Abel pleased God through obedience. Cain wanted God's approval, too, but he wanted it his own way. When Abel was approved and Cain wasn't, Cain couldn't stand it. He decided to get rid of the competition.
Our competitiveness leads to all kinds of sinful actions.
Then John points out that mankind will have the same problem with us who please God through Christ - they will hate us. We shouldn't be surprised. It's an age old problem.
The proof of our faith -
14. We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love our brothers. Anyone who does not love remains in death.
Here is yet another proof - another tell-tale sign - if we love one another. Jesus said -
John 13: 35 By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."
Don't you think the world wonders about churches that can't get along with each other? Love is the proof - the litmus test of Christianity.
That also works toward the world, too. Do we love sinners? We should. Jesus did. God does. He hates sin, but loves sinners.
If we don't love as he loved, then maybe he is not fully in our hearts as we think he is. His love is supposed to be shed abroad in our hearts.
Romans 5; 5 � the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.
John 15; 12 This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.
1 John 3; 16 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.
Now get this -
15 Anyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life in him.
Hatred is murder in the heart. Just like lusting after a woman is the same as committing adultery, hatred is the same as murder. Again Jesus said -
Matthew 5: 21. "You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, `Do not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.'
22 But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to his brother, `Raca,' is answerable to the Sanhedrin. But anyone who says, `You fool!' will be in danger of the fire of hell.
23 "Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you,
24 leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift.
Don't act religious or righteous before God is you have something against another person.
1 John 4; 20 If anyone says, "I love God," yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen.
21 And he has given us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother.
Again -
1John 4; 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.
Remember what Jesus said -
Matthew 25: 40 � Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.
What is 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.
A practical way to show love -
17 If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him?
18 Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.
I like the King James wording here -
1John 3: 17 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?
What you say doesn't prove much. What you do does.
18 Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.
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