His Love in us / Vista

1John 2: 3-11

Intro : As we have noted already the book of 1John is about fellowship w/ God! 3 Reoccurring themes that describe the characteristics of those who know God & are walking in fellowship w/ God!

  1. Seen in where they walk / How they love & what they believe !

Up to this point / been talking about the walk !

    1. Walk in the light / walk in reality !
  1. In v. 3 of Chapter 2 John turns now to this 2nd Characteristic as he discusses how we are to love ! V. 3-11
  1. Now there are 5 things I want us to focus on this morning as we look at this passage
    1. 1st What are the commandments referring too / 2nd How are they new / 3rd Why is this so important to Jesus? /
    2. 4th Why we know we can keep them/ 5th What does it mean if we don’t

 

1st What are the commandments V.3

When we hear the word commandments - we immediately think of the ten commandments - law of God!

A.) The ten commandments were written on two tablets of stone: given to Moses - Mt. Sinai - Exodus

B.) 1st tablet contained requirements concerning man's relationship w/ God

1.) 2nd tablet contained laws concerning man's relationship w/man!

C.) Now when John says - He who knows Him keeps His commandments - is referring to the 10 commandments ? Is That What he means?

1.) Yes & no

D.) In Matt 22 - Jesus was asked what was the greatest commandment. Gave an Incredible response: v.37-40

Jesus said to him, " 'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.' "This is the first and great commandment. "And the second is like it: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself. '

"On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets."

 

In His response Jesus was narrowing the 10 command. down to 2 - simplifying the law of God & Law of Moses down to 2 command.

A) Jesus said - I will make it real simple for you / love God w/ all your heart soul, mind and strength & Love your neighbor as yourself !

1) Focus on these 2 things & everything else will fall into place !

B) So when John says we know that we know Him if we keep His commandments this is what he is referring to . Commandment to love God… / love others

 

2nd thing note is How is the commandments new ! New in Emphasis v.7,8

  1. Now at 1st glance this seems like a contradiction where in V.7 says " I'm not writing a new commandment to you / old which ..... beg.

B) But in v. 8 John says I'm writing a new commandment to you!

What does John mean!

1) The Grks had 2 words in their Lang. for the word new! 1st =New in time / other = new in emphasis or quality

C) EXAMPLE we would use the 1st word to describe the latest model

of a car / New Car - a 97 Latest model / new in time

  1. But if we purchased a car that was radically different from every other car

runs on fruit Juice & flies /use the 2nd word / new in emphasis or Quality

So in V.7 When John says " I write no new commandment to you " He means it is not new in time

A) not something you haven't heard or seen before /

1) Not a new thing ( in time )- in fact you have known this from the beginning ( Means from the beginning of their faith )

  1. This wasn't an after thought in Gods mind / " oh yea w/ being saved I want you to also love each other Wasn't an after thought !

C) As I mentioned before Jesus explained that all the commandments

are summed up in these 2 Love God w/ all ........... / Love neighbor...

D) So this is not a Brand new thing we are talking about here ! Not new in time but it is new in emphasis & Quality Why?

1) because it has never been demonstrated the way it was in

the life of Christ !

E) This is what John means in v8 when he says new commandment

he uses the word that means new in emphasis

    1. Same word Jesus used in Jn. 13: 34, 35 "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another.
  1. They had always had the commandment to love one another But He was giving the commandment new emphasis when he said love one another as I have loved you!
  1. The new Emphasis was a new example / note John says in V8 " Which thing is true in Him "
    1. New example to love one another as He loved them ! As they saw love demonstrated by His life !

 

It was the love of Christ that led Him to leave the glory of Heaven come to earth / servant give up His life

A) 1JN. 4 God is love " Jesus exemplified that in His life / walking

demonstration of the love of God to men

C) Because of that the people liked to be where He was / Luke 15

records even the worst of sinners drew near to Him

1) JN. 4 The people marveled at the gracious words that He spoke

Cc) They were used to the religious leaders of their day coming down on them and laying trips on them / Not Jesus / Burden Bearer-not burden bringer

D) Get away w/ disciples crowd followed / wasn't annoyed / He wasn't

feeling inconvenienced ! No he looked on them w/ compassion..........

1) Love led Him to see the people Differently / sheep w/ out.........

  1. He touched Lepers / ministered to outcast / He was patient w// the in consistencies & unbelief of His disciples /

1) His greatest demonstration of love was seen at the cross!

SO the commandment was new because Jesus gave it a new example & a new emphasis Love one another as I have loved you

 

3rd Thing look at Why is this commandment to love one another so

important to Jesus?

A)Was it because he wants us to experience the joy of being in a family where the defining mark is love

B)Is it just because he wants his children to get along w/ each other /

1) I believe the reason is deeper than that BIGGER REASON ON HIS HEART / THAN JUST OUR BENEFIT! Turn Jn. 13

C) V.34,35 34 "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another."By this all will know (all the world ) that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another."

 

D) The reason Jesus emphasized this wasn't for unity sake alone !

1) See the focus isn't tolerance / so we can all get along in spite of

our differences / the focus is on the world!

E)I want the world to see something so diff. in you that they will

be prone to wonder / even ask why so loving ? / So giving ?

Guys we must keep this in mind in any discussion we have dealing w/ the subject of love & unity

A) That His focus is on the world ! That is how the world is going to know you are my disciples by your love / The world was on heart / mind !

See Jesus understood that God designed man w/ a need for companionship / And as a result

A) Jesus knew that people would be struggling w/ things like

Loneliness ( Emptiness )

B) Came across an Interesting story where Loneliness wound up being big business for one enterprising individual who placed an ad in the Classified section of a newspaper. The ad read:

I will listen to you talk for 35 minutes without comment for $5.

C) This person received 10 to 20 calls a day in response. (made 50 to 100)

1) Good illustration of how the pain of loneliness can be so great that some people will do almost anything just for a 1/2-hour of companionship.
  1. Everyone knows what it's like to experience loneliness. You can be in a crowded room and suddenly a momentary loneliness sweeps over you.

1) You feel like there's no one there... but you.

GREG LAURIE Loneliness is also a reason why people get emotionally or sexually involved outside of marriage. Often girls are sweet-talked by guys to jump into bed with them. It's been said that men give love to get sex and girls give sex to get love. Think about that. A guy might say to a girl, I love you so much! You’re the girl of my dreams. I'll marry you." But those promises are rarely if ever remembered the next day. Many girls will agree to have sex in hopes of receiving that love. They want to be appreciated. They feel the need to be cared for. They want someone to be concerned about them. It all comes down to loneliness.

  1. Why we see an epidemic of unwed mothers / abortions & sexually transmitted diseases that are plaguing our society
    1. Because people are constantly turning to sex to try & fill the emptiness they feel inside

A study by the American Medical Association and National board of education. More than half the students in junior and senior high school drink and about

500,00 say they go out and get drunk every week.

E) That's another symptom of a deep emptiness and meaninglessness in the lives of our young people Today!

Maybe you know what it is like to be lonely - to be hurting, to be rejected?

A) Maybe you were not the "big man on campus" when you were in school. Maybe you were not the "prom queen".

  1. Maybe you were not the center of attention. Perhaps when you were growing up, your parents moved around. -
    1. so you changed schools so frequently that you never had a chance to form lasting friendships.

Bb) Jesus knew that people would be dealing w/ these types of struggles and / His heart went out to them / What was His Answer?

1) The Church - " I want the world to see my love in you "

C) Jesus expressed these same sentiments in Jn. 17 when He was

praying for unity amongst His Disciples / they one as we are one

D) But then He added I don't want you to take them out of the world/ in fact I am sending them into the world but they need to be one

1) the world needs to see their love !

E) Paul shared the same idea in Phil . 1:27 Only let your conduct be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of your affairs, that you stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel,

F) Again the focus was on the gospel/ lives united would be a testimony lives worthy of the gospel / striving together for the faith of the gospel

1) In other words your lives will have a much bigger impact / the

message of gospel / more powerful effect if see your Love!

The witness to the world is our love /- the defining mark on our lives that we know Him/ Disciples is seen in our love for one another & the world

Wycliffe bible translator Doug Meland & his wife moved to a village in Brazil to minister to the Fulino Indians / He was referred to as " the White man " Which wasn't a compliment / exploited & taken advantage of by white men .

After they learned the language & began to help the Indians w/ medicine & in other ways " the Respectable white man "

One day the Indians saw Doug washing a dirty smelly bloody foot of a

young Indian boy ( " The man God sent us")

True Christian love transcends color / race / social status/

The world will know we are His disciples by our love

 

So we have seen What the commandment is / Seen how new ( Emphasis And in example) / Seen why it is so important to Jesus

  1. 4th thing How can I do this / How can I love like this ? John gives us the answer in our passage ( turn back to 1Jn. )
  1. Now remember Jesus declared that all the commandments were summed up in these 2 Love God w/ all your Heart & Love neighbor as yourself
    1. The thing the bible points out for us is this the 2nd command is really the by- product of the 1st
  1. If you love God w/ all your heart you will find that He will be working in you making you a person who naturally loves others !

D) That is what John explains in v.5 when He says - whoever keeps His word (1st commandment) love of God is perfected or completed in Him!

1) by this we know we are in Him!

D.) Paul put it this way in Rom 5:5 - "The love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit"

This is such a radical truth John & Paul are making - explaining that this is something God does in your heart!

A.) God's love is poured out in you when you give your life to Christ by H.S. who comes in you

B.) As the Spirit begins to work in your heart You begin to look at things and others differently!

1.) Before you come to Christ - your focus was primarily on yourself! Thoughts were toward yourself - how please you

C.) How take care of you! Satisfy you / meet your needs

1.) even when a kind act was done by us there was thought or concern inside of how will this affect me

D.) That's the sin nature: #1 - Focus is on self - how satisfy; gratify please self

1.) Often times in marriage counseling when some type of betrayal has taken place!

E.) Person hurt - will say - he/ she told me they loved me!

    1. Really truthfully they did ( not Agape )- but here's the thing - they love themselves more!

 

But as the H.S. in us begins to work in our lives begins to transform us into those who are more others centered than self centered

A) And The longer that person walks w/ the Lord the love of God is perfected in them - completed!

  1. So that you start to see others way He did! Treat others differently!
    1. work God does in you that is so incredible!

 

In v.6 - John further explains this by drawing from an idea that he had heard Jesus teach on the night before His death! John 15:

A.) There Jesus described the Christian life in connection w/ a vine: He is the vine we are branches

B.) The only way we as branches are going to be able to bear fruit is if we abide in Him/ Abide = to continue w/ / key to fruit bearing

1.) Great illustration - that branch which becomes disconnected w/ the vine - happen? shrivel up & die

C.) But if it stays connected to the vine - it naturally brings forth fruit - no straining - no effort! H.S. is completely that work in Him/ her !

1.) What is that fruit - Gal 5: - fruit of spirit is love - all other characteristics are by products of love

D) joy is loves rejoicing / peace is loves - calming / long- suffering is loves patience /- so on & so forth

E) When we abide in Christ; w/ Christ - the fruit that comes forth from our lives is going to resemble Him

    1. Gal 5 : fruit of spirit - perfect Description of Jesus

F) This is what John means when he says he who says he abides ought to walk as he walked ( Ought doesn’t mean should like in requirement)

1.)Word ought means in Grk it is a necessity in the nature of the case! Other words - natural characteristics

  1. Dog barks because it is a dog / Christians love because they are walking w/ Christ & the H.S. is in them !

H) Work being done in us by Him as we abide in Him / yielding to the spirit & walking in the spirit !

 

5th Final thing we need to look at Quickly is what does it mean if I Don’t keep the commandment to love 3 things

  1. 1st v.4 that person doesn’t know what he is talking about - he can say I know God all he wants to but if he doesn’t love - Liar !
  1. 2nd V. 9 He is in darkness /
  1. 3rd He is a stumbling block to others instead of a stepping stone ! v. 10, 11
    1. World looks on & says aren’t you guys supposed to be loving?

Now, one might say - OK Rob - if love is to be the natural fruit coming out of the Christian who is abiding in Christ -

A.) Why is there so much judging that goes on in Christian circles? Why can gossip be a problem in church?

B.) Why is it that a person can go to a church for a year or more & feel like no one has reached out to Him?

1.) Why is it that a person can be out of fellowship for weeks and never get a call?

C) Now we could simply answer - human nature: people are people - people are not perfect! We are all sinners All true

1.) But I think the problem is deeper

 

I think many Christians have never understood the process of abiding and fruit bearing that we see taught by Jesus in the gospels - especially - John's