1 John 3:11, 12 says...
Today's verses are 1 John 3:11, 12, which read,
v.11 - "For this is the message which you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another;..."
Yesterday we left off with John's second thing that we as genuine Christians need to be serious about. We are to be serious about sin (that it is what God says it is) and we need to be serious about loving others. This is a message that has not changed and has come to us from the beginning. When we first heard about Jesus, we probably was told about His love. "Jesus loves me this I know,..." or "Jesus love the little children..." may have been songs in those early Sunday School classes. Jesus was asked about the greatest commandment and He directed the listeners to the "love the Lord your God and love your neighbor as yourself" passage in the Old Testament.
It is not optional for the genuine Christian to be lackadaisical about sin and it is not optional for the genuine Christian to not love others.
v.12 - "...not as Cain who was the evil one and slew his brother. And for what reason did he slay him? Because his deeds were evil, and his brother's were righteous."
John says in verse 10 about the one not of God not loving his brother and so he gives us a Biblical example of this with the story of Cain and Abel in the book of Genesis. Before we go any further, here is a New Testament writer speaking of an Old Testament account of the first family as fact and common knowledge. The credibility of the New Testament is giving credibility of the actual events of the Old Testament.
John goes back to an example from the beginning of the Bible where one person was following God's way and one was not. Cain's actions showed who his allegiance was with, the evil one, namely the devil, and physically harmed his brother instead of loving him. Read the short account in Genesis 4:1-8. What amazes me is that God speaks to Cain about the ability and opportunity to change after his offering was rejected by God. Cain brought just some produce of the ground in general (this will do for God) but Abel brought his firstlings and fat which indicated his first and best to God (nothing but the best for God). This was indicating the inside motive of their love for God or lack of love for God.
God points out the problem to Cain to change but he doesn't and instead lets sin rule and it leads to the death of his brother by his own hands. Abel was zealous in his relationship with God and Cain was disdaining the instruction of God. Cain is given the option to repent and confess but if he didn't God said "sin was crouching at the door." Cain disregarded what God said and that led to not loving his brother.
v.11 - "For this is the message which you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another;..."
Yesterday we left off with John's second thing that we as genuine Christians need to be serious about. We are to be serious about sin (that it is what God says it is) and we need to be serious about loving others. This is a message that has not changed and has come to us from the beginning. When we first heard about Jesus, we probably was told about His love. "Jesus loves me this I know,..." or "Jesus love the little children..." may have been songs in those early Sunday School classes. Jesus was asked about the greatest commandment and He directed the listeners to the "love the Lord your God and love your neighbor as yourself" passage in the Old Testament.
It is not optional for the genuine Christian to be lackadaisical about sin and it is not optional for the genuine Christian to not love others.
v.12 - "...not as Cain who was the evil one and slew his brother. And for what reason did he slay him? Because his deeds were evil, and his brother's were righteous."
John says in verse 10 about the one not of God not loving his brother and so he gives us a Biblical example of this with the story of Cain and Abel in the book of Genesis. Before we go any further, here is a New Testament writer speaking of an Old Testament account of the first family as fact and common knowledge. The credibility of the New Testament is giving credibility of the actual events of the Old Testament.
John goes back to an example from the beginning of the Bible where one person was following God's way and one was not. Cain's actions showed who his allegiance was with, the evil one, namely the devil, and physically harmed his brother instead of loving him. Read the short account in Genesis 4:1-8. What amazes me is that God speaks to Cain about the ability and opportunity to change after his offering was rejected by God. Cain brought just some produce of the ground in general (this will do for God) but Abel brought his firstlings and fat which indicated his first and best to God (nothing but the best for God). This was indicating the inside motive of their love for God or lack of love for God.
God points out the problem to Cain to change but he doesn't and instead lets sin rule and it leads to the death of his brother by his own hands. Abel was zealous in his relationship with God and Cain was disdaining the instruction of God. Cain is given the option to repent and confess but if he didn't God said "sin was crouching at the door." Cain disregarded what God said and that led to not loving his brother.
From
the beginning we see that God is calling us to obey Him and His ways
and when we do it leads to loving those around us who He also created.
Even when we are corrected for a wrong(sin) done, if we follow that
correction it will lead to actions of love rather than more deeds of
sin.
Maybe this is John's way of saying again in a different way, "Are you a Cain or an Abel?"
"Lord, I know that You love me and You love me so much to correct me when I do wrong. May I listen and obey and follow the commands that lead to love rather than my own ways that lead to more sin. May I be zealous in my relationship with You and not just giving you what is left over or what I think it good enough. Amen."
Pastor Adam
"Lord, I know that You love me and You love me so much to correct me when I do wrong. May I listen and obey and follow the commands that lead to love rather than my own ways that lead to more sin. May I be zealous in my relationship with You and not just giving you what is left over or what I think it good enough. Amen."
Pastor Adam
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