The Imperative of Love

Her bubbles with you not turn with if you would to first John three. We look at verses nine through 15 no one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God's seed abides in him and he cannot keep on sinning because he is been born of God.

By this it is evident who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil.

Whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother for this is the message that you have heard from the beginning that we should love one another, we should not be like Cain who was of the evil one and murdered his brother. Why did he murder him because his own deeds were evil and his brother's righteous. Do not be surprised brothers that the world hates you.

We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers whoever does not love abides in death. Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him. Spray my father were dealing with a passage of Scripture tonight that is extremely serious. We pray heavenly father is we look at this that you give us guidance and direction through it that we might have a better understanding of of what you have called us to be as your children and father, we would ask that you show us these marks of the believer that we would see Lord what your spirit does in the life of the child of God to make us different.

We pray heavenly father that you would help us, that we might be a people of love father. The Scripture tells us that God is love. If we desire to be your children. If we if we desire to be like you, we don't have any choice in the matter but you have called us to be a loving people. When father help us, that we might understand what that means that it might not be some flaky kind of superficial love but it might be the God kind of love God and directors to this passage this evening. Lord, that Jesus might be uplifted and that this congregation might be benefited, as is the precious and holy name of Jesus that we pray. Amen. You may be seated. First John chapter 5 verse 13, John says these things have I written to you who believe on the name of the son of God she might know that you have eternal life. John is has a purpose in writing the the book that we call first John and one of the primary purposes is to help us, that we might examine our faith to see if what we have is true or not he wants to lay out what JC Ryle calls the distinguishing marks of the Christian. He wants to tell us what a Christian should look like and he gives us some very, very important things here is telling us that if you are truly born again believer then there are certain things that all of the manifesting in your life. We used to have a Dotson's name was Calvin. He died about couple years ago we had missed him greatly. We have two other Dotson's cake needy and I have learned about them that they have characteristics that I guess could be called Dotson ask one of the things that that Calvin would do not. He was our first Dotson's and I didn't know what they were like in and not one of the things that he would do at bedtime is that he would crawl up under the cover and get completely under it so he was hidden. If out a blanket out in the middle of the living room floor and crawl up under it. Go to sleep. Sometimes I want to the liver step right only. Many would just handle that. He let anyone go to sleep unless he could actually get deeply under the cover where you would even know that there that he was there. Dotson's also in specially Calvin hate squirrels absolutely hated the name Dotson in sub.

Badger handled and they were bred in order that they might go dig it into a badger hole and pull out a badger have any badger's around here and so I guess the squirrel was probably as close as as Calvin can imagine, but I Calvin hated him and that would if I had them out on the leash be walking down the road and if squirrel would come darting out and go across the yard, he'd see it and as soon as he'd see it he would lose control. I mean he would take off just as fast as he could go.

I'm beholden on of the leash and you get to the end of the leash and it would just flipping coming right and I are just flipping around knocking understands he do that to a three times but it had to be at least a thousand, and he never gave up. Always do it without a friend Milton Martin to come over to our house and he walked in the front door and first thing it sayest, Calvin. There's a scar on the backyard and Calvin would go running to the back door and and it's the glass door and he knows it's a glass door and he would run right into the glass.

Need bounce off and that happened over and over again a Milton just how they are also doctors are very protective. If the mailman rode the door-to-door salesman would come and ring the doorbell. He was right there and as soon as we would open the door and he can see he just bounce off the glass, absolutely scared to death will since the time that Calvin became in agony. We started talking to Dotson owners and what I found out is that most Dotson's do exactly what Calvin did they. They are very protective.

They love to sleep up under a blanket and I absolutely hate squirrels. So I've come to the conclusion that Calvin was not crazy he was just doing what Dotson's do.

He had a Dotson nature and was just doing what Dotson's do the apostle John is telling us that when God saves a person he changes his nature, and so he does things that he didn't know before. He was a believer.

Things manifesting his life that he's not even expecting second Corinthians 517 says if any man be in Christ he is a new creation. Old things are passed away. Bold all things are become new. Here in first John. John is telling us how to determine whether persons truly saved or not. If you're Christian, there will be distinguishing marks that in your life that prove that you belong to Christ.

In this passage that were looking at today. There are five points I want to share with you that the concern the imperative of love.

The first one is this love is a major distinguishing mark of a child of God. Look at verses 19 no one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God's seed abides in him and he cannot keep on sinning because he is been born of God. By this it is evident who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil. Whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother. And when John speaks of children of the devil.

He's not talking about just Hells Angels and Satan worshipers people. He tapped that tattoo 666 on the shoulder that states talking about every unbeliever, every unbeliever is called a child of the devil. I know people who were wonderfully kind, nice people and they would give you the shirt off their back if you need something they would be glad to help you out. Some of them help at the Red Cross and do volunteer work, humanly speaking, there there good people, but folks, there's a big difference between human good and godly good.

Very interesting. Verse seven Proverbs chapter 21 verse four. This is a holy look a proud heart and the plowing of the wicked is sin, always thought that verse to be very interesting. I can understand why Holly looking up proud heart would be sin but was not bad about the plowing of the wicked the word wicked, they are done mean extremely evil and it means just any unbeliever. So here's a guy unbeliever sit up on his John Deere tractor is out on his farm is going back and forth across his rose but plants lead in plowing was so bad about that. Where's the sin that is not a person's neighbor is not committing adultery's not murdering anybody's not stealing what what is his say and what is he doing is saying is this is not giving glory to God is all AE. The only reason he's alive is because God gave them life that the only reason he has food is because God gave them food guy getting water to drink, God gave them air to breathe is got all of this stuff. What is he say he says I am a self-made man I'm out here plus planning in the in the land that I bought for myself I would not bawl the seed that I'm taking this enough. Put in the gray on it and I'm watering and I'm doing all this stuff so look at what I have accomplished and he refuses to give God any glory. Not one time does he say thank you Lord for the ability to work. Not one time does he say thank you Lord for the seed that you provided for the for the rain that you sent that the seed might grow. Not one time does he give praise to the Lord. Maybe you're thinking yourself is not such a big sin is not like committing adultery or murder, stealing, well, what is the greatest commandment.

The greatest commandment is the is that you should love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, soul and strength. This man, this unbeliever by his life is something his nose in the face of God's greatest commandment. So when we read the term children of the devil. We should not have in mind Hells Angel or Satan worshipers.

But this is what we all have in mind the children of the devil are just all unbelievers, so John tells us how to tell the difference between a child of God and a child of the devil. He first reiterates what he's been saying before whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God to practice righteousness means to live a godly life. It means that you make decisions based on what Scripture teaches that were not talking here about about sinless perfection.

You are not going to be endlessly perfect here on this earth.

It's not going to happen. They dealt with is back in the first chapter you remember what he said if we say that we have no sin, we have deceived our sales and the truth is not in us but a true Christian wants to be obedient to the Lord he desires to be obedient to the Lord PhD strives to be obedient to the Lord and when he's not and when he sends there is conviction and there's grief over that sin that brings him to the point of confessing that before God and then repenting. I think of David, the Scripture says that David was the apple of God's eye man after God's own heart.

And yet David sinned grievously a committed adultery with Bathsheba at her husband put to death and he did this all a very selfish horrible way. After this the Lord broking and when the Lord broking. He wrote a song, a Psalm 51 and he said this, have mercy on me, of God, according to your steadfast love. According to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions, wash me thoroughly for my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin, brought know my transgressions, my sin is ever before me against you. You only have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight so that you may be justified in your words and blameless in your judgment, create in me a clean heart of God, and renew a right spirit within me, cast me not away from your presence and take not your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit, then I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners will return to you deliver me from blood guilty and is a God of God of my salvation and my tongue will sing aloud of your righteousness, that his life was certainly not perfect but some bad mistakes. He committed some very heinous sins. But CM was not his lifestyle and when he did sin. It it convicted him and it broke him and he repented he came to the Lord for forgiveness and fellowship with God was restored so John is saying that one proof of salvation is practicing righteousness, and in the same verse.

He tells us the next thing to look for and he said that his love for the brethren. A love for the brethren. God's people love each other and if that love AE DED is that love. It makes the world come to perk up and pay attention to us and say that what we have is real, surprises them that we love each other so strongly was Jesus himself.

He said this in John 1334 through 35 a new commandment I give to you that you love one another, just as I have loved you your also to love one another about this.

All people know that you are my disciples, if you have love one for another notice. Jesus did not say that the world would know those that are he is by their doctrine and do not save the world would know this is a he is by their diligence did not say that the world would know those that are he is by our style of worship. He said we would know those that are he is by the love we have one for another. When my son Mitch was a sophomore in high school he came home one afternoon and he was sitting down. I noticed he was just deep in thought and I said Mitch what you think about and he said that he said I was on the way to school this morning said we stopped off at little store is right down from the church and he said I went I got a pack of crackers and a and a Coke set out in the cook, Bob Lupton and said I want to pay for it said there was in line. Get ready to pay for and I reach back to get my billfold and I had forgotten of the old accident. I did have any money and he said Mrs. multi-came over and she and she looked at me and she said you forgot your billfold Enya and he said yes ma'am and said don't worry about it said I know you are and I trust you said next time you're in here you give it to me. Then don't worry about a thing.

Everything's fine and a seductive Asa dad said she did everything she could to keep me from being embarrassed hastened dad. HC said that's what Christian ought to look like why don't all Christians act that way and seems multi-a long time sore this afternoon at Amelia's party and I had to go over and tell her that story. I didn't know she remembered that she did and and I told us that this will thank you. Her husband was the first pastor at this church and they they ran the little store that was right down the corner of Lohr Rocky River in and I will Rocky River comes together and I tell you she still loves today.

Just like she did million. Look at the difference between Islam and Christianity. I know Moslems who study Islamic law and man they know it so well, they could put us to shame every diligent diligent in their prayers five times a day, diligent in fastings and and pilgrimages, they cannot put us to shame, we cannot accuse them of a lack of diligence or lack of discipline, but where is love, and the Muslim faith. True love takes place when people can be transparent with each other when they can trust each other true Christians love each other despite their failures. Moslems can't do that. His religion drives him to be secretive and closed up. He's taught to be deceitful because he knows that that that if he reveals to others what his heart is really like, then he's gonna be rejected.

Same thing is true in marriage. First Peter chapter 3, Peter gives him instruction to the wife and he says, was now only submit yourself to your husband but you are to reveal to your husband, the hidden man of the heart.

What is that hidden man of the heart is what a woman is done on the inside it's it's all the different buttons down inside it hurts her vulnerabilities were insecurity things that make her happy things that make her say at all these different things that that that make her what she is is a woman in the command that Peter gives her is to show those things to her husband to reveal to him what she is down on the inside.

Why so that her husband can see her weaknesses and he can be strong in areas where she's weak. Peter knew something very very important that that is a big part of the glue that will hold a marriage together and make it work. Same thing is true with Christians. Although too much lesser extent, we don't have to hide behind a mask. We can be honest with each other and then when he got area of weakness in your life. I can minister to you and I can pray for you in that area.

I've got an area of weakness in my life. You can minister to million and you can pray for me that's love High Point to love is the message that we have heard from the beginning with verse 11 for this is the message that you heard from the beginning that we should love one another list of these words from David Jackman. If you're carrying a cup which is filled to the brim and someone judge your arm, whatever is in the cup spills out the unexpected knocks and irritations of life are similarly a very good indicator of the quality of life within how do we habitually react towards other people are we like the message I read on the student's sweatshirt. I love mankind's people.

I can't stand. More importantly, as a Christian, how I react to my brothers and sisters in God's family we should love one another, says John, establishing that is the foundational is foundational to all genuine Christianity, just as is not simply God's habit to love, but the very essence of his being so a person cannot come into a real relationship with a loving God without being transformed into a loving person. If Christ love even his enemies. Can we not love our brothers and sisters in Christ who have the same heavenly father who share the same divine life. Love is the message that we've heard from the beginning. John means that love is foundational. First John chapter 4 verse eight. The Scripture says God is love doesn't say God has love. It doesn't say God contains love.

It says that God is love. The Scripture teaches us that Jesus is God.

If God is loving Jesus is God. That means that Jesus is love.

He radiates love. He exudes love little children love to be around Jesus. Why because he was a great teacher at my event something to do with it but I think the love that he had just kinda drew those little kids to himself.

It was John in the Gospel of John, who called himself the disciple whom Jesus loved. I've often wondered if all the disciples thought that of them sales because Jesus made them feel the most loved, what is it that drew the disciples to Jesus. I think he was. They were captivated by his miracles. They were mesmerized by his teaching, but they were drawn to him by his love number three. Love is not jealous. Verses 12 to 13. We should not be like Cain, who was it who was of the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him because his own deeds were evil and his brother's righteous. Do not be surprised brothers that the world hate you to truly love someone is to desire the best for them. John goes all the way back to Genesis for his example. It's amazing how often the writers of the New Testament do that. I go back to the first book of the Bible. Jesus is teaching on marriage, would he do. He went back to Adam and Eve use them for examples. Jesus teaching on the second coming. The disease uses Noah and Lot, Paul teaches own salvation by grace through faith. It is easy goes back to Abraham. Paul teaches on the sovereignty of God over man salvation and who does the user uses Isaac and Ishmael and and Jacob and Esau. Why did they cherish the book of Genesis, like they did because it was the book of foundations of the way somebody on the radio that the days listed in lately made the comment that they believed in gay marriage and the. The guy that was the pastor doing the interview said you believe in gay marriage is award about what the Bible says is what humane is a will. Second Corinthians chapter 6 says that no practicing homosexual enter into the kingdom of God in the book of Leviticus. The Scripture says that this abomination before God for man allows a man and a woman to live with a woman and in the guy on the radio said will I don't know about all that. I just know that Jesus did not condemn gay marriage he had studied what Jesus had to say very much for him. Jesus said this in Mark 1069, but from the beginning of the creation God made them male and female. For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife and the two shall become one flesh.

So they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore God has joined together, let not man separate. That's the definitive description for marriage and Jesus does not allow the union of man and woman to be tampered with. This once again is the reason that Genesis is the most attacked book in the entire Bible. Satan knows what needs to be attacked if the foundations be destroyed and what can the righteous do so. John uses a Genesis fiction figure to teach us what love is not Cain is his example and John explains how Cain killed his own brother and he asked why because his works were evil and his brothers righteous. You know the story. Cain wrote what we Presbyterians call the regulative principle hey tried to approach God in worship in a way that God had not prescribed him to do so, they made up a little fruit basket and he took it before the Lord.

This was his plan. It was his idea. It was his methodology of worship. He was trying to get God to to praise him.

In doing this able, on the other hand, killed a lamb and shed the blood before God able knew the necessity of a blood sacrifice to to atone for sin.

Hebrews 922 says without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sins and the Lord accepted Abel's sacrifice. It was pleasing to him.

But Cain sacrifice was rejected when Cain discovered that God had rejected his sacrifice. It infuriated him and he moved out to kill his own brother in cold blood.

Proverbs 1430 says that in the is like rottenness to the bones. Jealousy is like a cancer that just eats away at us until there is nothing but empty shale in first Corinthians 13 for the greatest chapter in the Bible and the subject of love verse four says that says that love does not envy in Romans chapter 12 in verse 15, Paul said that we are to rejoice with those who rejoice and that we are to weep with those who weep. I don't know about you but I find it easier to weep with those who weep at way somebody is hurting. I could go to them and pray with them and cry with them in and encourage them and sympathize with what they're going through. But sometimes it's tougher to rejoice with those rejoicing. Maybe somebody just got a new promotion at work in and you've not been promoted, and you work just as hard as they haven't and you are just as diligent in what you're doing is they are. They got the new job and and and you got passed over. Somehow that just doesn't seem fair.

John is telling us that's an attitude like Cain and it it does not come from love Romans 13 8 to 10 Paul said this owe no one anything except to love each other for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law for the commandment you shall not commit adultery shall not murder, you shall not steal.

You shall not covet in any other commandment or summed up in this word you shall love your neighbor as yourself. Love does no wrong to a neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfilling of the law is interesting to me that John does not use other examples to define what love is not even use the example of meanness or apathy or complacency even use them pieces if you truly love someone that you truly want the best for them. My daughter was playing on a softball team.

She's 14 years old and that 14th year for her was, I think probably the hardest year in her life going through some family difficulties and she just was having a tough tough time and she was playing on the softball team is the end of the season that year they had a banquet. I went to the banquet with her and the team had voted for the most valuable player and she won the most valuable player trophy and I can member walking up to get the trophy and I was sitting back on that back road tears just flowing. I was so happy for her not. I played sports all my life but I've never gotten a trophy or any kind of award that made me feel anything like I did that.

Not when Beth got Brophy and I thought man she probably really needs this at this point in time. This is good for this might get her over the hub. This might get her through some really rough patches of time and wanted. I feel that way. The reason I felt that way is because I love her and I just wanted to help her and I wanted what's best for I don't mean to be bragging. Cindy, my wife is taught me a lot about love, she rejoices over my victories. She makes me want to go the 2nd mile.

She encourages me to do what's right in God's sight in a person. It's jealous. Can't do that she not jealous in any way, shape, form, she just wants what's best for me.

She's taught me a lot about love forcefully love produces assurance of salvation. Look at verse 14. We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brethren. He does not love his brother abides in death pulses you want to know if you're truly a Christian then ask yourself this question.

Question, do you love Christians do you really love your brothers and sisters in Christ.

There a lot of churches I know where people are in those churches like cement. We really love our church but they love the church in a social way. I like to get together with their friends talk about sports talk about movies. Talk about a work into those sort of things, but if they begin to talk about Jesus and what Jesus is doing in your life and about CNN about the topics that we deal with us as Christians, then pretty soon they'll start breaking apart and moving all night to deal with that kind of stuff I used to love to go to church when I was a teenager when a Christian at the time, but let's go to church cousins were all my friends were, and we get there in Sunday school. We talk about the game that we were involved in that we played with the day before, but I can member when I got saved everything just changed and I can remember just hungering for fellowship man I wanted to be with people who knew the Lord, not in a stronger way than I did. I wanted to learn what the word of God says from people knew what they were talking about knew the Bible. I wanted the fellowship.

John says if you're a true Christian, then you will divide desire fellowship with true believers. Point number five is hatred is synonymous with murder verse 15 everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him. In the sermon on the Mount, Jesus said, you've heard it said by them of all you shall not murder, and whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment, but I say and you whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment we hear a grace or reformed Bible believing theologically conservative church and because the word of God means so much to us because it is so precious because we believe that it is it it is our God for faith and practice.

We get mean when people don't agree with us because it's so precious to us.

We don't want to be only tampered with and I am not advocating compromiser watering down the word to appease someone who didn't believe like we do, but we have got to learn to do it when people don't agree with us. We got to learn to do it in a loving way. It's important for that for us to do it that way if we have an ugly attitude that goes along with an Orthodox view of Scripture than were not much different than the Pharisees were how serious is that John is telling us that hatred is synonymous with murder love is synonymous with Jesus. If you know the Lord Jesus and his spirit rules and reigns in your heart and you cannot help but to love. We must love while we saved anyway.

Scripture says that there was a purpose in your salvation you were saved in order that she might be conformed in the image of Christ. If Jesus is love. And guess what were called to recall to be love as well is probably heavenly father, a convicting passage of Scripture. We dealt with tonight. Father realizes and going through this that I'm certainly not as loving as I need to be a pray father that you would convict me in these areas. Lord, where I am negligent, where I am not as diligent as I need to be that that Lord I might be a person who can live without compromise.

And yet do it in a loving manner. We love you Jesus, we thank you for loving us. We thank you for dying for us Lord you loved us. When we certainly weren't lovely people. You died for us when we were yet sinners and father. All we can do is stand back and absolute amazement and realize that if this is the way that you loved us. We need to love others in the same way got us and direct us Lord through this first John Jesus be uplifted and all, and may we learn the distinguishing marks of the Christian in May they we see those distinguishing marks in us that our assurance might grow day by day, and that Lord we might honor you in all we do is in Jesus name we pray. Amen