1 John 2:9-11 says...
Today's verses are 1 John 2:9-11, which read,
v.9 - The one who says he is in the Light and yet hates his brother is in the darkness until now.
The phrase I love in this verse is the "...until now." at the end. If this is new information for you, not to hate your brother, then you know it now and it will change your life dramatically. The person was saying that he was a Christian but it was okay that he hate someone and that someone was of close relationship by family or by church family. Now he knows that is not possible and still be a genuine Christian. Notice that John does not say that it is always easy to love people, especially some of those in the four walls of your home or the four walls of the church.
v.10 - The one who loves his brother abides in the Light and there is no cause for stumbling in him.
To "abide" is to remain and the word is a verb and an action verb that it is something that you are continuing to do. This is does not diminish the completeness of what God did through Jesus but it is for us to continue to remain or abide in Jesus. What a great result also. If I keep my eyes on Jesus and living my life in light of Him and pursuing the love of God and others then it sets me up to face off temptation.
We all are tempted but how prepared are you to face it? I am better prepared when I am "...abiding in the Light..." is the simple instruction here from John.
v.11 - But the one who hates his brother is in darkness and walks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going because the darkness has blinded his eyes.
John is so matter of fact here. There is "black and white" on this issue. Not only is the one who hates his brother "in" darkness but he also "walks" in darkness and the darkness has "blinded" his eyes so he doesn't know where he is going. The darkness does a lot.
This verse is to compare to the previous verse. To love God and others (even though it might be hard at times) prepares us for the temptations of life but to hate others (much easier and in a sense hating someone that God has created) not only has us not where we are to be with God relationally but walking away and the direction we are going leads us down a path that is not clear to us. When you put the two side by side you see that one is clearly better than the other even though at times it will be definitely harder to do.
One last thought: just as the Light is active so is the darkness, for John there is no neutral ground or position here. In our world of options and everything being relative to the individual person, this could be hard pill to swallow but once you get those "yucky" vegetables (to be in the Light is to love and not hate) that you know you are suppose to eat into your system, you will benefit beyond what you see immediately in front of you.
"Lord, thank You that You give us really what we need to live in this world. Help me to hear it, read it, understand it and obey it. Amen."
Pastor Adam
v.9 - The one who says he is in the Light and yet hates his brother is in the darkness until now.
The phrase I love in this verse is the "...until now." at the end. If this is new information for you, not to hate your brother, then you know it now and it will change your life dramatically. The person was saying that he was a Christian but it was okay that he hate someone and that someone was of close relationship by family or by church family. Now he knows that is not possible and still be a genuine Christian. Notice that John does not say that it is always easy to love people, especially some of those in the four walls of your home or the four walls of the church.
v.10 - The one who loves his brother abides in the Light and there is no cause for stumbling in him.
To "abide" is to remain and the word is a verb and an action verb that it is something that you are continuing to do. This is does not diminish the completeness of what God did through Jesus but it is for us to continue to remain or abide in Jesus. What a great result also. If I keep my eyes on Jesus and living my life in light of Him and pursuing the love of God and others then it sets me up to face off temptation.
We all are tempted but how prepared are you to face it? I am better prepared when I am "...abiding in the Light..." is the simple instruction here from John.
v.11 - But the one who hates his brother is in darkness and walks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going because the darkness has blinded his eyes.
John is so matter of fact here. There is "black and white" on this issue. Not only is the one who hates his brother "in" darkness but he also "walks" in darkness and the darkness has "blinded" his eyes so he doesn't know where he is going. The darkness does a lot.
This verse is to compare to the previous verse. To love God and others (even though it might be hard at times) prepares us for the temptations of life but to hate others (much easier and in a sense hating someone that God has created) not only has us not where we are to be with God relationally but walking away and the direction we are going leads us down a path that is not clear to us. When you put the two side by side you see that one is clearly better than the other even though at times it will be definitely harder to do.
One last thought: just as the Light is active so is the darkness, for John there is no neutral ground or position here. In our world of options and everything being relative to the individual person, this could be hard pill to swallow but once you get those "yucky" vegetables (to be in the Light is to love and not hate) that you know you are suppose to eat into your system, you will benefit beyond what you see immediately in front of you.
"Lord, thank You that You give us really what we need to live in this world. Help me to hear it, read it, understand it and obey it. Amen."
Pastor Adam
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