Brotherly Love

"He that saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother, is in darkness even until now. He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is none occasion of stumbling in him. But he that hateth his brother is in darkness, and walketh in darkness, and knoweth not whither he goeth, because that darkness hath blinded his eyes."

I John 2:9-11

John reminded us in the preceding verses that God's law is summed up in loving God first and also loving those around us. Now don't be confused; the law is not simply reduced to our finite understanding of love, but is instead summed up in perfect love which we know comes when we are obedient. As with everything in Christianity, it all starts with God. He makes us able to love and we are to love Him first and foremost. Then we are to love our neighbors, not with the same love, but as we love ourselves.  

Love is perfected in us through obedience to Jesus. And as such that shows that we are in the light and belong to God. So that there is no confusion, John expressly tells us that the opposite is true as well. He that hates his brother is blinded by darkness and there is no light in him. He thinks only for himself and not of anyone else. Even if there were good deeds shown to others his intent is only for his own pleasure and these works will one day be shown that they are not of God. He who is in darkness is an enemy of light; he who lives in sin is an enemy of God.

But he that loves and prefers those around him as he would himself can be confident that he is in the light of God and that Jesus is his Lord. He can know without a doubt that his father is God and he then has no reason to faint in hard times, to worry about what the Father has ordained, or to dread His wrath. Others see this light and they know which he belongs to because the light that shines through him reveals whether they are in the light or darkness. 

Does this light shine through you to others, or does it shine from someone else upon you revealing your works of darkness? Are you wondering to whom you belong? God has provided this letter to reassure His own of how we can know we belong to Him and how we know those who are not. Everyone loves something, what does the object of your love say about you?

Consider also: Matthew 5:43-48; Colossians 1:9-17

 

Commandments And Light

"Brethren, I write no new commandment unto you, but an old commandment which ye had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word which ye have heard from the beginning. Again, a new commandment I write unto you, which thing is true in him and in you: because the darkness is past, and the true light now shineth."

I John 2:7,8 

John's words in this letter have thus far been applicable for all people of all time as well has the specific people he wrote the physical letter to. Yet in these two verses his words seem confusing if not contradictory to all of those not privy to how the first readers would have thought. This doesn't mean it doesn't apply to us today who are not Jews, it just means we have to dig further to understand how and why his readers thought and acted the way they did to understand why John worded things the way that he did. This letter is obviously an important part of church history, and good history is intellectual history. 

First John tells them that he isn't talking about a brand new commandment or tradition instituted by the pharisees. He's talking about the Word that came from God first which is pure, not any confusion added or conjured by man. The new commandment he is writing about is how Jesus clarified the commandments by summing them up in two. The first is to love God with all our heart, soul, and mind. The second is similar, that we love our neighbors as we love ourselves. This was a struggle for the Jews and is why John, as he has done to great extent thus far, cleared the confusion and set the distinction. 

Notice also that John does not tell them to ignore the old commandment. Many times today we hear, wrongly I might add, that Jesus did away with the Old Testament. They lie to us saying the law is abolished and we can discard those wonderful treasures of our history that God has so graciously preserved for us. We know from Jesus's ministry and His apostles that He did not destroy the old commands (the law) but fulfilled them! The old covenant wasn't wrong but it always pointed to the new covenant which is in Christ. We no long have to partake of the ceremonious sacrificial laws because Jesus became our High Priest when He died as our propitiation. The moral laws still remain in fact and as Jesus said they are summed up in love towards God and love towards our fellow man. How do we know this is true? Because the love of God is perfected in His children when we obey and that is how the true light shines forth.

Dearly beloved of God do not fret thinking that there are numerous laws we must keep perfectly. Jesus the righteous has died for your justification before God. The commands that we obey are for our sanctification to make us more like Christ so that His love will be perfected in us and His light shines through us in that obedience. Are you loving God with every fiber of your being throughout the day? Are you loving your neighbors also? Do you refuse sin to have any occasion in your life?  Desire the light of Christ to shine in your life through obedience and the world will see it unmistakably that you belong to Jesus Christ the only righteous!

Consider also: Matthew 22:37-40; Matthew 5:14; Galatians 5:16-26

The Love of God Perfected

"He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him. He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked."

I John 2:4-6 

 If you've read this far into the first letter from John you see that he places a strong importance on being clear about who belongs to Jesus and who does not. Early in the first chapter he made clear distinctions that there are two categories of people, not Jews and Gentiles, but those in the light and those in darkness. He then showed us that there is one advocate for those in the light, and He is Jesus Christ the only righteous. He is the only way to walk in the light of God. So how does one walk in the light and have fellowship with God? By keeping His commandments, even the commandments of Jesus who is God in the flesh. So to be perfectly clear John says likewise that if you do not obey the commands of Jesus you are in darkness. Even if you claim to obey Jesus with your words but your actions show that you do not. You are a liar if that's the case and in darkness.

But who can obey Jesus, that the love of God is perfected in them? This is not an obedience to perform some ceremonious task that we may be justified before God. That is heresy. Jesus does all of the atoning work of salvation, even clothing His righteousness upon us in the form of faith. God's love cannot be perfected in the unrighteous because they are without Jesus. So the perfection of love is not a question of salvation because it can only belong to those who are covered by the blood of Christ to make them more like Christ.

God's love is perfected in us because the obedience is not in word only but confirmed by our actions. In his letter, James says that faith without works is dead. This means that if faith is genuinely provided by God it will bring about actions that prove the faith exists whereby it cannot be denied that faith in Jesus is present and perfected (James 2:22). Consider it as well in the matter of love. Love is perfected not when we only say we love God, but when we obey the commands of Jesus because that obedience is proof of His love. It cannot then be denied that the perfect love of God is present in us.

So what ought we to do? If we say that we love Jesus we must love His commands! Sometimes we don't understand Him. Many times we understand all too well and it hurts that we must repent of some things to be right with God, but we must repent when He reveals these sins. It is when our everyday actions show the world that we trust, obey, and follow Jesus Christ that the love of the almighty God is perfected in us. Examine yourselves to see if your actions leave doubt of God's love. If you find that they do, please repent and obey that His love may be perfected in you through Christ.

Consider also: James 2:17-26; John 15:1-17; Romans 8:34-39; Ephesians 3:17-19

Do You Know If You Know Him?

 "And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments."

I John 2:3

  Oh how great a thing is it to be able to really know the God of the universe! Not only to say we know He exist or that we've heard of Him, but that we know Him personally. Is this just simply knowing His actions throughout the course of our history, or is it something far greater? Thankfully, knowing God is not hidden in some complex algorithm, a scheme of events, or incantations that must be achieved in methodical fashion. Knowing God is really quite simple. However, it is impossible for the unconverted person to know Him. This is because to know God is to know that Jesus Christ is His only begotten Son and is the propitiation for the Lord's saints. Without believing the gospel it is impossible to know God and have fellowship with Him.

And there is a way that we know who knows Him. Those who keep His commandments are those who have fellowship with Him. Not that the mere acts themselves grant fellowship or knowledge, but that those who are redeemed from sin, and the wrath of God upon their sins, desire to obey Jesus because His commandments are light in the darkness of sin.

It is true that our flesh at times lusts against us to do sinful things we would not do. But the Christian earnestly desires to please his Savior by obedience because it shows we belong to Him. Praise God! it is He who changes our hearts that we desire to obey and to grow closer to Him! It is He who grants us the sweetness of His fellowship and knowledge of His saving grace when after we look to Him we obey Him. 

Consider yourselves in the light of this short, simple, yet glorious verse. Do you desire to obey Jesus? Or is it a grievous thing for you to follow after Him and abandon sin. If you love the things of this world then it is likely you hate the things of God. You love darkness and not light and therefore you'll find yourself in eternal Hell if you do not believe the gospel. But if Jesus is precious to you; if He is your desire then take comfort that He has overcome the world for you. If His commandments are wonderful to you then praise the name of Jesus Christ the righteous and know that you know Him!

Consider also: Matthew 7:15-27; John 3:14-21; John 14:6,7,15; John 17:1-3