The Message from the Beginning | 1 John 3:11-24 | Walking in the Light
We expect things to get better with time. Cameras, phones, and televisions have all gone through version after version, each one solving a real problem the last one had. It's natural to think everything works that way, that the old version is due for an update. But in 1 John 3:11-24, John points back to something that has never changed since the beginning: the call to love one another. Using Cain as a warning and the cross as the standard, John shows the difference between love that's just talk and love that costs something. He closes by showing how that kind of love settles a heart that feels far from God. This week we walk through what real, sacrificial love looks like, and why it was never in need of an upgrade.
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Thank you for joining us for this week's sermon from First Reformed Church in Edgerton, Minnesota. Each week, we dig into God's Word, trusting that the Holy Spirit will continue the good work of sanctification in us. We have a natural tendency to believe that when something is newer, it is better. And most of the time, let's be honest, it really is, because most updated products tend to be solving a problem with the previous iteration, right?
Well, this past week as I was getting ready for our catechism camp at the first week of August, I was looking into disposable cameras as a part of what we're doing at camp. And it got me to thinking how much photography has changed. I mean, initially, really nobody had cameras, very few people had them, and the technology was such that when you look at those initial portraits of people, they had to have stern looks on their faces because they couldn't move because the exposure times were so long. Well, eventually, more people got cameras, the exposure times went down, and then more people had access to cameras, and film developing changed over time as well.
I'm old enough to remember when one hour developing became a thing. Like, that was a big deal. I even was thinking back to when I was a youth director in Ohio. We used to do photograph scavenger hunts with the students.
We give them a disposable camera. They went out to take different pictures of different things. And then the last part of the scavenger hunt was to find me. What a terrible reward, huh?
But they had to find me at the Walmart photo center. I would send them back. to the church for their adults there with pizza and they'd play video games and stuff till I got back about an hour later with the pictures. We tallied up the scores and give out the prizes.
And as I was thinking about this, I'm like, a lot of what I just said doesn't make any sense to a lot of people in this room. They don't even remember that because digital cameras became a thing. You didn't have to worry about exposures. You didn't have to worry about film.
You didn't have to worry about any of that. Now we can basically take unlimited photos on our phones and not even think about it. Back when you had film, you wouldn't take 17 different pictures of your food. Now we don't think about it at all.
That's just one example, but look at the move from bulky phonographs to 8-track players, cassettes, then mp3 players, and now streaming services on your phone. And believe it or not, kids, we used to have this small, heavy box in our living rooms, and it received video signals from the air. Yeah. And that was all you could watch.
These televisions got a handful of channels, and you were limited by your geography. I know I've had conversations with people in this room about remembering having to go outside and turn your antenna to get different channels. Now we have gigantic TVs that hang on our walls, and the only limit to our entertainment options is what we're subscribed to. We tend to think that this is how all things should be.
that things should get bigger and better. We need progress. There needs to be change. We need faster.
We need better. And we expect progressions like this. And if it doesn't happen, what is our mindset? We expect something must be wrong here.
Old versions of things are out of touch. They're irrelevant. If you can't update it, maybe you need to move on to something else. And as we continue through our journey of 1 John, we arrive now at this last part of chapter 3.
And John again goes back to some language that we've heard before. He goes back to an important message, and he says that it's a message that they have heard from the beginning. And he reminds them that they are to love one another. And again, this is a reminder to us that this is more than just a charge for us to have good feelings about each other.
He roots all of this in the Gospel and the love that God has shown to us as His people in Christ. And so this love He's talking about, it's sacrificial. It's sacrificial love. And this message of the gospel is foundational of who we are as Christians, and it's not a message that needs an update.
This call that we have is not something that needs to be bigger and better and newer. The message we heard from the beginning doesn't need to change. Instead, this message that we have heard defines who we are. We are called to be a people who love one another.
And John has made a point of this multiple times throughout this letter, and he repeats this theme, and this time he draws on a very familiar story for us from the Old Testament. If we hear the idea of loving one another and we think that maybe this is some sort of secondary side issue thing for Christians to do, or maybe that it's unnecessary that we were to love one another, what John has to say here shuts that down completely. Because he suggests that if we do not love one another, we're like cane. Cane.
That's a strong statement. But it really helps us take hold of the gravity of what John is saying to us here. Cain was of the evil one. Cain killed his brother because his deeds were evil and Abel's were righteous.
And John is telling us that when we have resentment and anger towards our sisters and brothers in the faith, we're like Cain. And that's a humbling thing to think about. Those bitter thoughts that you have towards another believer have probably convicted you at times. But have you ever thought that by having them you're being like Cain of all people?
John is not only convicting us of malice that we might have toward one another here, but going back to the story of the first murder in Genesis 4, he also reinforces that loving one another is the message from the beginning. And he makes the point that hatred has been going on from the beginning as well. So the call is for us to reject the temptation that consumed Cain Because it's not a godly desire, but a worldly one. And John's point here is that we shouldn't be surprised when the world hates us.
And we need to go back again to that story of Abel and Cain. So, John says Cain's deeds were evil. What was the problem? He did not offer acceptable worship to God.
Abel's sacrifice was received by God, but Cain's was not. Maybe you've thought about this before, and maybe you haven't, but the first murder was over worship. And instead of repentance, and instead of offering an acceptable sacrifice to God, Cain chose anger, hatred, and murder. And those who have rejected Christ, as John would say, the world, they've done the same thing.
Instead of acknowledging God's Word, instead of acknowledging God's commands and responding in repentance, faith, and worship, they reject Him. Therefore, John tells us that we should not be perplexed when the world responds in hatred to the things of God. We should not be surprised When the world is against the people of God, it's to be expected. What should not happen then is hatred towards one another in the household of faith.
The world will be opposed to the things of God and His people. But we need to love one another, not just so we don't look like the world, We also need to build up one another in love, and in doing so, we show the world that we have this salvation in Christ. And John wants us to be aware that this love for one another is a fruit of the grace that we have been given. We know, he says here, that we have passed from death to life when we love one another.
If we've been given the gift of faith, and we've been given new hearts, those hearts will love fellow believers. And this isn't a work that we do to prove that we're saved. It's a result of understanding that we've been rescued from the wrath of God by the love of God. And now we want to show that love to one another as well.
And at this point in our passage, John goes back to a word that we've heard before. Abide. Multiple times he has called us to abide in Christ, to seek Him, to obey His commands, to live in them. And now he says that if we don't love our sisters and brothers, we are abiding in death.
Now that idea gets my attention. I don't know about you, but that wakes me up. Think about that. When we dwell in bitterness and resentment, we aren't abiding in Christ.
We're abiding in death. Like I said, that's a wake-up call for us to assess our relationships with our fellow believers. Do you have another Christian who you harbor malicious feelings towards? Now, maybe malicious is too harsh of a word for how you feel towards another believer.
Do you have someone who changes your mood when their name is mentioned in conversation? You see, John isn't just concerned with the kind of hatred that could end in violence. He's concerned with the simmering bitterness that most of us carry around with us. And then we justify it by saying, well, it's not really hatred, it's just dislike.
So let the Holy Spirit and John's words here work in you. Where's this happening in your life? Who do you harbor feelings towards that cause you to abide in death instead of exhibiting the brotherly love that Jesus has called us to? And you consider this.
Take note of John's words in verse 15 here. When we hate a brother, we're a murderer. And no murderer has eternal life abiding in him. Now, you might think, John's taking it just a little bit too far here.
I'm just a little bit angry at someone who wronged me. But remember, What Jesus had to say about anger in our hearts. And how it's a violation of the commandment against murder. Sin isn't just the actions we do, but the thoughts that we have, and the thoughts that we harbor.
And John's point isn't that this isn't something that will cause the grace of God to no longer apply to you. John instead is reminding us of what can impede our relationship with God. And he calls us to live in light of the gospel. We were enemies of God, yet He showed love to us.
And knowing that He has loved us in Christ, that should motivate us to put aside our petty things. And instead of abiding in death, abide in life by loving one another. Instead of remaining in hatred and abiding in death, like he says here. And as we move further into the passage then, John turns from describing what an absence of love looks like, and he lets us know what it looks like in the positive.
And so, John gives us a reminder that love is more than a warm, nice feeling. He tells us that we know love because Jesus laid down His life for us. As you have heard me say many, many times before, when we speak of the love of God, we are not talking about a spiritual being somewhere out there having warm, fuzzy feelings about you. When we talk about the love of God, we speak of an active love that is sacrificial.
Active. When I tell you that God loves you, I mean that He actively did something for you. His love is more than emotions or words. It is dying for you.
That's the gospel. That God in Christ took on the wrath we deserve for our sin. That's love. And when we are given the faith to believe this truth, it changes us.
It shapes who we are. And it causes us to exhibit the fruit of the Spirit. It motivates us to love one another. And we are called to have that same sacrificial love for our fellow believers.
And John shows us that how we show our love for one another is in caring for one another. If we see a brother in need, he says, and close our heart to them, well, we aren't doing what God has called us to do. And we're not abiding in Him. Of course, we are going to struggle with this.
It isn't easy to persistently love others. But the point is to have a heart that is pursuing taking care of the needs of others. And love not only in what we say, but in deeds and in truth. And I think this resonates with us.
We have all had someone tell us that they love us, and then when it came to the time where you needed them, their actions didn't match up with their words. I think everyone here would trade one friend who would have your back in the hardest and darkest of times Over a hundred who tell us that they love us with lofty words, and that's all it amounts to. And at the end of the day, John is challenging us to be that type of person. The person we want others to be towards us.
We desire friendships with fellow believers where we share burdens and sacrifice for each other. Be that person. That's what John is saying here. And to do this, we need to look to the Gospel and not sentimental feelings.
For the Christian, love is defined by the cross. Remember the love that God has for you in Christ Jesus. And let that shape who you are and how you love one another. And in addition to keeping the commands of God, We get another benefit when we do this.
John tells us that it confirms for us that we're God's children. When we love one another, it confirms to us that we are of the truth, he says. It reassures our hearts. Now, as we look at this, it's essential that as we read it, we don't think that somehow this is how we are saved.
that this is our ladder that we climb in order to deserve heaven. That's not what John's saying. Instead, John is helping us to know how to be encouraged when we feel as though our salvation isn't secure. He says here that whenever our hearts condemn us, and we know exactly what he is saying here.
We know what he's getting at. We know the sinfulness of our hearts. Even though we know we have forgiveness, even though we know that God has adopted us, even though we know that God has brought us into his family by grace through faith, we still daily encounter the blackness of our hearts. We've all had moments where we wonder how the Spirit could possibly be at work in us when we have thoughts and desires that are contrary to the things of God.
In the face of those doubts, we need assurance. And John wants us to love one another and let that love of God within us that is flowing out of us confirm to us that we have received the forgiveness of sins and the salvation of our souls. You see, we can't have confidence from our own actions. We need to look to the love of God that has blessed us in Christ.
And as much as our hearts might condemn us, John tells us that God's salvation for us is greater. God knows everything, the bad and the good, and yet He blesses His people with forgiveness. He gives us new hearts, and with that a love for one another. And when John speaks of the heart here, he isn't speaking of this muscle in our chest that's about right here.
He means the core of our being. The center of who we are. The part of us that deep down knows our darkest desires and worst sins. And if that can't condemn us, then we should have absolute confidence in God.
And what He can do for us. John says that whatever we ask, we receive from Him. Now as always, It's our natural inclination to read a statement like this one in a formulaic way. If I want God to give me stuff, I'm going to be a good person.
I'm going to love some other people. I'm going to stack up the rewards. And then when I have something really big that I need, I'm going to cash in my reward points by praying for it. And God's obligated to give it to me because I've been a good person.
I know that we all know that that is absurd. We know that intellectually, but we've all thought that way. But that's not at all what John is telling us here. It goes back to this idea of abiding in Him, and loving others, and desiring to live in holiness.
We do this because we understand His grace, and if we are living in accord with God's law, If we are abiding in Him and hiding His Word in our heart, what will our desires be? They will not be for the things that we desire, but the things that God desires. As we abide, it shapes our hearts to desire that which is in alignment with the heart of God. We will keep His commands.
We will do what pleases Him. Those who abide in Christ are able to confidently pray, Thy will be done, and mean it, and truly be content with the answers to that prayer. And as our passage for today closes up, John continues to be really clear with us, very blunt, what is it that we're to believe? We believe in the Son, Jesus Christ, and love one another.
And notice this isn't a checklist. It's one commandment with two parts. It's inseparable. Believe in Christ and love one another.
You don't get to pick one or the other. If you have genuine faith in Jesus, it will produce in you a love for His people and love for His people will flow out of that faith that you have in Him. And you can see it in this passage. There's been an ebb and a flow back and forth between this idea of believing and loving.
Not two separate topics or ideas. It all flows together. And John takes us back to abiding. And we've seen this multiple times in this letter so far.
Keep His commandments and you abide in Christ and He abides in you. You will know that this is real because the Spirit confirms it in us. And this isn't just some warm feeling we have. The Spirit confirms this in us by our hearing of the Word and by growing in our love for one another.
It's the presence of God Himself And it is actual living evidence that God is at work in us. The message we have heard and believed is bearing fruit in our lives and in our hearts. So we've walked through this morning some pretty heavy stuff in this passage. The call to love instead of being like Cain.
laying our lives down for others instead of closing our hearts, having consciences that are settled before God, and loving others as a confirmation that we have believed on the Lord Jesus Christ. And all of this goes back to that verse we started out with this morning. It's all about the message that we've heard from the beginning. Your camera's gotten better.
You don't use a rotary phone anymore. Your TV is in a 50-pound box that's only 19 inches and weighs 100 pounds. That's good. That's great.
Things like that are supposed to progress. But the message to believe in the Son and love one another was never in need of an upgrade. It didn't need a new model or a new version to keep up with the times. The message that has been proclaimed throughout the ages comes through the ages to us this morning.
Will we hear and believe? Will we let it shape our love for one another? God the Son took on our flesh to save us from our sin, and he sent the Holy Spirit so that the message and commandment from the beginning could take root and grow in people like you and I. The message from the beginning hasn't been updated because it never needed to be.
The question then for us is whether we will live like we believe it and truly love one another with love that is Christ-like and sacrificial. That was the call to the believers in the first century, and it's the call to us today. Love one another as Christ has loved us. Amen.
Let us pray. Great and merciful God, we thank You for the story of the gospel, that it shows us a sacrificial love, a love that shows that You left the glory of heaven for us as Your people. We pray that that message would take root in us, that from it would flow a love for one another, that we might glorify You, that we might spread Your gospel to the ends of the earth, that we might build up one another in faith. Help us to love one another.
Let Your Word take root in us and let Your Spirit use it to build us up in faith. that we might be your witnesses and glorify Christ. It's in his name that we pray, amen.
“Abide in Him” is part of our ongoing series through 1 John, Walking in the Light. Explore the full series or browse our complete sermon archive to keep digging into God's Word.
