1 John 2: 7-11
Beloved, I am not writing a new commandmet to you, but an old commandment which you have had from the beginning; the old commandment is the word which you have heard. On the other hand, I am writing a new commandment to you, which is true in Him and in you, because the darkness is passing away and the true Light is already shining. The one who says he is in the Light and yet hates his brother is in the darkness until now. The one who loves his brother abides in the Light and there is no cause for stumbling in him. But the one who hates his brother is in the darkness and walks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going because the darkness has blinded his eyes.
The life of a Christian expresses itself in two definite ways:
1. In Humble Obedience to Our Heavenly Father
2. In Loving service to our brother and sister in the Lord
In this passage of Scripture, John talks first about the law of obedience to God.
He says (in verse 5) that we know we are in Him by keeping His commands.
Then John turns his thoughts to the law of loving service to humanity – that is, brotherly love and service.
These two laws are inseparable.
We break both of the laws every time we break either of the two.
That is, if we break a law of God, we also break the law of man.
And, if we break a law of man, we have also broken a law of God.
John is reminding Christians here of our obligation to love and to serve our fellowmen.
We see that the command to love one another is:
1. An old commandment
2. It is also a new commandment.
3. We see that our carrying out – that is, our obedience or disobedience to the commandment affects our brothers and sisters and ourselves.
4. Moreover, it also affects our relationship with our Savior, Jesus Christ, and our God.
So, what John writes about here in this, his first letter to the churches, is in a nutshell:
Brotherly Love
I. Brotherly Love is an Old Commandment. READ vs. 7.
Beloved, I am not writing a new commandment to you, but an old commandment which you have had from the beginning; the old commandment is the word which you have heard That commandment is as old as the human race is old.
That commandment was in the Law – Leviticus 19:18: “You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the sons of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself, I am the Lord.”
The Law was fulfilled in that statement.
Paul, in his letter to the church at Galatia, addresses this commandment as well --- Galatians 5:13-14: “For you were called to freedom, brethren, only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. For the whole Law is fulfilled in one word, in the statement, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
Then, John has more to say about this commandment as well:
1 John 3:11-12 – “For this is the message which you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another; not as Cain, who was of the evil one and slew his brother. And for what reason did he slay him? Because his deeds were evil, and his brother’s (deeds) were righteous.”
So, as John wrote to the church, what he is writing is nothing new and unheard of. What John writes goes all the way back to the Garden where Satan began his work to destroy trust and faith in God.
One of the first things we teach our children from the time they are babies is to love one another. We don’t actually say to a baby, “Now, you must love your older brother or sister,” but we know that is God’s plan, and it is instilled in those young lives. We, as parents and other adults, have the responsibility to guide that child toward the love of others.
Another aspect of John’s teaching here is that the Son of God is also a brother of all God’s children.
Think about it this way – you may not have an older brother in your family here on earth, but you do have an older brother in Jesus Christ.
Here is what Paul says in his letter to the church in Rome – Romans 8:16-17: “The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God, and, if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him”.
And, Jesus says, in Mark 3:35:” For whoever does the will of God, he is my brother and my sister and my mother.”
II. Brotherly love is an old commandment – but it is also a new commandment.
1 John 2:8 – “On the other hand, I am writing a new commandment to you, which is true in Him and in you, because the darkness is passing away and the true Light is already shining.”
Jesus announced this new commandment in a new way.
John 13:34-35
“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have love you, that you also love one another. By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”
We are called to be raised to a new standard in Jesus’ life.
We are to love as He loves.
We are taught with a new force.
We are new in His manner of life.
Jesus became a man- He became a brother to humankind.
Love had never been seen until love was seen in Jesus Christ.
Something old had become new in the hands of the Master.
What is the extent of this new commandment?
Look at John 13:34-35 again
“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have love you, that you also love one another. By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”
Brotherly love has been raised to a new standard in Jesus’ life.
He teaches us to love like He loves.
He teaches with a new force – a power never known before.
This brotherly love is new in His manner of life.
He became a man – He became a brother to man.
Love was not truly seen until it was seen in Him.
Something old became new in the hands of the Master.
Have you ever experienced a piece of music that you could feel or experience the power within it? Maybe you have experienced a new food that became your favorite because you loved it.
Those things had always been around and available to you, but up until now you had never experienced the greatness of them.
That is how the extent of the newness of the gift of love God provided to us through His Son, Jesus Christ.
In the Scriptures, we see the newness of this message reaching the Gentiles, the Jews, the heathens --- all manner of people were introduced to this new message.
The boundaries widened.
One of the greatest evidences of this is seen when Jesus is hanging on the cross.
His love for the lost people of the world did not turn to hate, even as He hung on the cross, His physical life experiencing extreme pain and agony, even on a cross, He asked His Father to forgive those who were determined to get rid of Him.
What we see there in that scene is that love = light and hate = darkness.
Think about this –
III. Our attitude toward this commandment affects our brothers and sisters and ourselves
Look at 1 John 2:10 – “The one who loves his brother abides in the Light and there is no cause for stumbling in him.”
And why is there no cause for stumbling? Because when we are in Christ, we are in the Light – the Light dispels the darkness.
Love enables progress in the spiritual life.
Hatred makes progress impossible to move forward or to grow in Christ.
Hatred separates.
One who hates or resents another – in particular, a brother or sister in Christ – cannot forgive.
One who hates never grows up in the spiritual life.
Haters walk in darkness (vss 9, 11). When we walk in darkness we do not know where we are going – we are blinded – we stumble.
Our ability to judge rightly is obscured, distorted.
Our opinion overrides wiser choices because we cannot see clearly.
When hatred dominates a life – progress cannot take place. We simply keep stumbling over ourselves.
Hate leaves people in the darkness --- Love lets us walk in the light.
God has commanded that we love our neighbor as ourselves.
He always has, since the beginning of time.
Jesus goes even further.
He says even love your enemies Luke 6:27 – “But I say to you who hear, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you; pray for those who mistreat you.”
And what does that love look like?
It looks like a love that would cause us to lay down our lives for one another – even those who despise us.
This is how He loves us.
Before we can love in that capacity, we must have the love of Jesus Christ living in us.
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