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The Contrasts Of Love And Hate
1 John 3:11-18 KJV For this is the message that ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another. [12] Not as Cain, who was of that wicked one, and slew his brother. And wherefore slew he him? Because his own works were evil, and his brother’s righteous. [13] Marvel not, my brethren, if the world hate you. [14] We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death. [15] Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him. [16] Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. [17] But whoso hath this world’s good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him? [18] My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.
I. INTRODUCTION — AUTHENTIC SAINTS
Throughout this whole epistle of 1st John, John is constantly reiterating to the reader what a real saint of God is. Those who are genuine are presented here in a very clear way. It cannot be summed up any more clearly than in the preceding verses leading up to our current text. 1 John 3:4-10 provides some very simple characteristics of who a saint of God really is:
· 3:7 — One who practices righteousness is a saint of God.
· 3:8 — One who practices sin is clearly marked as a sinner.
· 3:9 — A saint is one who will not practice sin.
· 3:10 — A person who does not practice righteousness is a sinner.
Therefore it becomes very clear that a saint of God will not practice sin but practice righteousness and he will love his brother. Both of these are marked by an underlying tone of obedience. Contrast this concept with false teachers who were not willing to admit their own sin (1 John 1:6; 1:8; 1:10) and the real picture is defined.
This command to love the brothers is not a new one. In fact, in 1 John 2:8-11, John wrote that the man who hates his brother is one who is walking in darkness. Throughout this whole epistle it is can be noted that John uses a spiraling method. He will address a truth and then leave it briefly and then come back to it again in a greater detail. We find this true with the very next passage that we will go through also. 1 John 3:19-24 has previously been covered in a lesser manner in 1 John 2:1-6. It almost appears as if John is working to press home the point in a greater way as if he does not want the truth to escape those whom he is ministering to.
How is it that an authentic saint can love one another? The real facts are that if we really, really knew each other it would be difficult for us to love one another. So how can this great deed be accomplished? It is through the Holy Ghost.
Romans 5:5 KJV And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.
The love of God will cause us to love those who are brothers.
1 John 4:7-8 KJV Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. [8] He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.
II. THE CONTRASTS OF LOVE AND HATE
John is encouraging the saints to go back to the beginning (1 John 2:24) at the original source and look at the beginning of their roots (1 John 3:11). The Truth is unchanging. It cannot be changed by culture or by time. The message that came from the beginning is that we should love one another. Since God has placed love in the heart of the saint, it must be practiced with all his might. Consider the following passages:
John 15:12-13 KJV This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you. [13] Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.
1 Thessalonians 4:9 KJV But as touching brotherly love ye need not that I write unto you: for ye yourselves are taught of God to love one another.
1 Peter 1:22 KJV Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently:
Not only is it a command to love one another, it is a privilege to be able to partake in. The fact is important to note that a saint of God will be characterized by his actions toward love. One does not make himself a saint by loving the brethren, it is the other way around one loves the brethren because he is a saint. It is a 1 Corinthians 13 type of love. This kind of love is very powerful.
A. Children of God and Children of the Devil
The contrasts through the Gospel of John and the epistles of John are very striking. Under the inspiration of the Holy Ghost, John writes in a very clear manner. In our first study, it was determined that John was very black and white in his approach and left nothing to the so-called “grey” world. He is very absolute in his teaching to the Church. He now contrasts the children of God and the children of the devil in this passage. He does so by looking at an element of sacrificial worship.
It is in an atmosphere of worship that much can be understood. In fact, over the years, I have come to understand that it is important to sometimes observe what happens when the Spirit begins to move in a Church. The building can be full and the gentle breath of the Spirit can expose so much. This is particularly important to understand when habitual behavior during the moving of the Spirit is observed. Those who are true saints of God will always respond to the moving of the Spirit of God. Those who are not will find time to be distracted and out-of-touch with what is occurring. A great contrast can be observed between the two.
One who has a heart for God will find the moving of the Spirit to be a time of refreshing and renewed anointing. There will be a hunger that wells up within a saint for more of the Spirit and more of the Word. There will be a desire to see others experiencing the same thing that he has gained from the Lord. On the other hand, in the moment of worship if there is a tendency to want to distract others, pull away from the altar, pull away from others who are desiring to pray with them, or not wanting to mentally interact with the Word when it is being taught or preached this defines much about this man. This is what John is going to embark on when he mentions Cain.
He will contrast the children of God and the children of the devil. Note the contrasts:
The children of God:
· Love
· Respect
· Are sacrificial
The children of the devil:
· Hate
· Resent
· Are selfish
Much of this passage is given to show the characteristics of the children of the devil.
B. The Children of the Devil
1. Murder — 1 John 3:12
1 John 3:12 KJV Not as Cain, who was of that wicked one, and slew his brother. And wherefore slew he him? Because his own works were evil, and his brother’s righteous.
The first characteristic of the child of the devil identifies them with murder. This is the very action of hate. This is the only Old Testament reference in this epistle. Cain is the only proper name that is given here and strangely he is never depicted as an atheist. He “believed” in God. He had gained his first education of God from his parents, Adam and Eve. Even more chilling is the fact that he is presented as a righteous man who was a worshiper. He literally knew the God of Genesis.
This brings up an ominous point. Some of those most given to hate are those who are “religious” people. In fact, it was religious people who murdered Jesus. Outward religiosity is not necessarily a sign of a true heart. Cain failed the test of love during a time of sacrificial worship because he was trying to worship God on the basis of a wicked heart. It showed up in his life when he despised a man that God had approved. Those who do not possess the Spirit will always hate those who have it.
This happens because the life of the man filled with the Spirit will work toward convicting men of their dark actions. When the conscience is smitten by the testimony of a saint’s life, it produces very conflicting emotions in the children of the devil. Generally there will be a desire to remove that convicting voice or lifestyle. This is why that many saints of God have had to face persecution at school, on the job, and even in family relationships. This happened simply because their lifestyle of acceptable worship provoked the murder in the heart of Cain.
It is also instructive to notice the progress of Cain’s sin from Genesis 4.
· God had no respect for his offering — Genesis 4:5
· He was wroth — Genesis 4:5
· His countenance fell — Genesis 4:5
· He rose up against Abel, his brother and slew him — Genesis 4:8
It is probably safe to say that had someone warned Cain of the danger that he was about to become involved in, he would have resented it and even declared it to be an insult to him. Strange things happen to men when they perceive themselves to be worshipping in truth. It is also important to notice Cain’s response after God had judged him for his sin. Cain did not show remorse, grief, or repentance for his sin. Instead Cain resorted to complaining that his punishment was greater than he could stand (Genesis 4:13).
His anger had pushed him to a place of sinfulness.
John 8:44 KJV Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.
Cain’s anger was directly related to his sense of self-righteousness. John characterizes the works of Cain as evil. The Greek word, πονηρο?ς (pone?ros), means ill or diseased. It gives the indication that so evil was Cain that he wanted to infect those around him and bring their life to a state of destruction. He desired that all around him would also be destroyed. He desired for everyone to be caught up with his own sense of injustice and anger. He seeks for everyone to be drawn into the corruption and destruction that is awaiting him.
However, there is another Greek word that even more clearly sums up the crime that Cain committed. The Greek word for “slew” is σφα?ζω (sphazo?) which means to butcher, slaughter, or maim violently. Kenneth Weust has the following comment on this word:
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The word “slew” is sphaz?, “to slay, slaughter, butcher, by cutting the throat.” It was used in classical Greek of slaughtering victims for sacrifice by cutting the throat, also of animals tearing by the throat, of any slaughter by knife or sword. It is used in the LXX (Greek translation of the Old Testament), of the slaying of the Levitical sacrifices (Lev. 1:5). The usual word meaning “to kill” is apothn?sk?. The inspired writer goes out of his way to use a specialized word to describe the murder of Abel by Cain. The latter cut his brother’s throat. God said to Cain, “What hast thou done? The voice of thy brother’s blood crieth unto Me from the ground” (Gen. 4:10). The method Cain used to kill his brother was one in which much blood would be shed. The cutting of the jugular vein would fit that description. The human race learned how to kill when it was taught to slay a sacrificial animal as it approached a holy God (Gen. 3:21). |
Up until this point the only thing that had been killed was an animal to make a covering for Adam and Eve. Cain’s actions asked God a question. “Do you want a sacrifice? Here’s one!” and he then slew Abel. It was literally an act of defiance toward God. Cain taught the human race to how to murder through a skewed understanding of worship. People need to be taught how to worship but if they belong to the devil they will not worship, they will instead resort to murder. This is exactly what Cain did. The motivating reason for his actions was given in 1 John 3:12. It is because sinners hate what is righteous.
Three out of five times when Abel is mentioned in the New Testament, he is described as “righteous.” This sense of righteousness incensed Cain and so he murdered Abel. Rather than repent because of the rebuking brother, he killed him. Cain was angry with God but he could not get to God so instead, he killed his brother.
Over the years, I have noted many relationships become strained because of the desire of a saint to get closer to God. I am not speaking of religious goofiness but a sincere and authentic desire to know and understand the ways of God and to experience a genuine transformation. Marriages have been placed under duress because of the devotion of a spouse. A husband starts moving closer to God and his wife attacks him or vice versa. Children have found that parents wanted them to have just enough of God to keep them “good” but not overly committed and they found an attack in the home. Situations at school and on the job could be listed over and over again. The attacker had a “Cain” like spirit that chose to react grievously to the worship that another was expressing toward God.
There is sort of a hate that comes up that drives the “Cain.” Perhaps it is commitment issues but for whatever reason, they attack the sacrificial worship of Abel.
2. Hatred — 1 John 3:13
1 John 3:13 KJV Marvel not, my brethren, if the world hate you.
The second characteristic of the children of the devil is hate. The only difference between hate and murder is the act. The attitude is identical. In the eyes of God, hatred is the moral equivalent of murder. Many would commit murder except for knowing there would be long-term consequences that would be demanded of them.
In fact Jesus addressed the very issue in the Sermon on the Mount:
Matthew 5:21-22 KJV Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment: [22] But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.
So close was the relationship between murder and hatred that Jesus put them in the same category. This was the terrible outcome of Cain’s reaction to his brother’s presentation of a proper sacrifice. So if these same feelings are present in the world, do not be surprised if the world will hate those who are saints of God. Do not be surprised if they want to destroy and remove all things righteous from their sight. Hatred for the saints of God and the Church is a certain key to point out the fact that one does not know God.
John 15 is a chapter that the Lord focuses in on explaining the way that the love of God works towards his followers. At the same time scattered throughout are hints of the fact that the enemies of the Cross will hate the saints of God.
John 15:18-19 KJV If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. [19] If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.
John 15:25 KJV But this cometh to pass, that the word might be fulfilled that is written in their law, They hated me without a cause.
In our times there are more martyrs than ever before. Richard Wurmbrand’s organization The Voice of the Martyrs routinely documents personal and violent attacks upon Christians throughout the world. There are many of these attacks that end up with the death of the followers. This need not surprise us. Furthermore there could very well appear a time in our own nation that the Church has to face down some physical persecution.
Matthew 24:9 KJV Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name’s sake.
Luke 6:22-23 KJV Blessed are ye, when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you from their company, and shall reproach you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of man’s sake. [23] Rejoice ye in that day, and leap for joy: for, behold, your reward is great in heaven: for in the like manner did their fathers unto the prophets.
Luke 21:17 KJV And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake.
John 17:14 KJV I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.
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Love is the only security against hate. And as every one who does not love is potentially a hater, so every hater is potentially a murderer. A murderer is a hater who expresses his hatred in the most emphatic way. A hater who does not murder abstains for various reasons from this extreme way of expressing his hate. But the temper of the two men is the same. Alfred Plummer, The Pulpit Commentary, Vol. 22, p. 74. |
Those who have angry, hate-filled hearts have never been transformed by the power of the Holy Ghost.
3. Indifference — 1 John 3:16-17
1 John 3:16-17 KJV Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. [17] But whoso hath this world’s good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?
This last portion of this passage sums up the best that can be in the heart of the children of the devil. They are dominated by a selfishness that turns them toward indifference. They will give only to those in need because of a motivation to appease their own conscience. They will not give their lives for anything. Even in the heart of a terrorist, the giving of his life is to obtain a very fleshly and lust-motivated reward. This was the curse that came to Meroz (Judges 5:23) because he was indifferent to his own brother’s needs.
The emphasis of this passage concerning indifference is summed up in the thought that when a need is recognized it is basically ignored. This indifference places on in the category of having the love of God absent within him.
C. Children of God
This segment of the passage is significantly shorter in the characteristics of defining those who are the children of God.
1. They Love the Brethren — 1 John 3:14
1 John 3:14 KJV We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death.
A man who is truly a saint of God will find a great love for the household of faith. There is an underlying theme here again in this passage that one can determine his own spiritual health. How much does he love the brethren? The fact that a man can love his brothers proves of a surety that a true conversion has taken place in his life.
2. They Lay Down Their Lives — 1 John 3:16
1 John 3:16 KJV Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.
This is a totally selfless action. There is a willingness to give up everything they have to help another saint of God. Epaphroditus (Php. 2:25) is a classic example of this kind of love. He was an attendant to Paul during some of his most difficult days. Such love brings an affection that is sacrificial into the lives of those they are attempting to serve.
Jesus Christ laid down his life for us when we were in a difficult state. Romans 5:6-10 clearly indicates what it means to lay down one’s life. Jesus Christ died for us:
· When we were without strength and totally unable to save ourselves — Romans 5:6
· When we were ungodly and opposed all the Kingdom of God stood for — Romans 5:6
· When we were actively living in sin — Romans 5:8
· When we were the literal enemies of God, rebellious, cursing, ignoring, denying, and rejecting God — Romans 5:10
Despite all of the low ways of man, Christ died for us. He literally laid down his life for us. We have to love men at all times. We have to love those who oppose us, do things against us, stand against us, and in doing so this act serves us to know that we literally understand the love of God.
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Christ died for those who hated Him; the Christian must confront. . . the world with a love that is ready even to die for the haters.” Alfred Plummer, The Pulpit Commentary, Vol. 22, p. 74. |
3. They Will Have An Active Love in Word and Deed — 1 John 3:17-18
1 John 3:17-18 KJV But whoso hath this world’s good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him? [18] My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.
The children of God will have a love that motivates their words and their deeds. This is an assuring testimony that will come to the saint. Love is literally a life that has been poured out for the cause of Jesus Christ.
Those who have been blessed with the “world’s good” which means the necessities of life and see a person who is in need should be given to help that person. The love of God motivates men toward working to supply the needs of their brothers who are in need.
1 Timothy 6:17-19 KJV Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy; [18] That they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate; [19] Laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.
Acts 20:35 KJV I have shewed you all things, how that so labouring ye ought to support the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, It is more blessed to give than to receive.
Romans 12:13 KJV Distributing to the necessity of saints; given to hospitality.
Galatians 6:10 KJV As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.
