I John 2:7-11--- The Love Test Begins

 I John 2:7-11  The Love Test Begins 

    As you remember I think I said that as we go through I John,  we will see the Apostle John reminds us three times of what they are--the tests of eternal life, so he repeats himself as any good teacher does.  In other words, he knows we need to be reminded because we too soon forget the love of God --- in His Son Jesus Christ.  The new commandment he speaks of is not new at all but what we heard from the beginning of our Christian lives.  3:11 describes it: " For this is the message that ye heard from the beginning , that we should love one another".

How did your Christian life begin?  I know I needed and still need a lot of help as I began mine and continue it.  I needed to know the gospel, that God in Christ reconciles us to Himself and that we can be born from above, or born again.  The old has passed away & all things have become new.  Christianity is not a set of rules and laws.  It is a relationship of love and trust with Him who gave Himself for us and now He lives in us.  

1. John addresses his children in I John 2:7 as Brethren or Beloved in other translations of this.  Some of us , actually all of us, need encouragement as we are battered by the world's systems of evil, and its attempts at wrecking our lives and the lives of our families.  

We too are recipients of His love.  " Behold , what manner of love the Father has bestowed upon us , that we should be called the sons ( children) of God." In America we value liberty, and we are known by it all over the world.  In Christ we are valued and loved not because of what we have done, but because His love has been bestowed upon us! Somehow we forget that and just as Adam and Eve hid in the garden we too hide from God and His powerful love.  We don't think we are worthy of it.  Well we are not but we are in Christ and have His grace and love .  

What a wonderful gift that we can not earn or deserve...somehow we forget that now that we are in Him, we are truly free in Christ to serve and love others as well as we have been loved.

2. Secondly John encourages us to be on the right path which is love and not darkness. Walk in His light is to walk in love.   John Stott in his wonderful commentary on I John explains vs 10 " He that loves his brother abides in the light. But he that hates his brother is in darkness and walks in darkness."

Note what he says in vs. 11 " darkness has blinded his eyes."  Stott says, " If we love people, we see how to avoid sinning against them. The man with hatred in his heart ,however, because he is in darkness, also walks in darkness.  Hatred distorts our perspective.  ...It is love which sees straight, thinks clearly and makes us balanced in our outlook, judgments and conduct."  Jesus said in John 8:12 " I am the light of the world: he that follows me shall not walk in darkness,but shall have the light of life."

Somehow we are not applying this light in our own relationships and lives.  Stott says it , " We do not first misjudge people and then hate them as a result; our view of them is already jaundiced by our hatred."  Cambridge dictionary- "judging everything as bad because bad things have happened to you in the past"

3. Lastly, how do we apply this lesson for today?

Well take some simple steps.  If you or I have a negative opinion of someone or something, take a few steps back, and ask why?  Is it really justified,  or did something irritate you or I that made me feel that way about it?  Or what really happened ?  As one of my former Army Commanders said to me on several occasions, " Peel the onion".

Is there a way to fix this ?  Well, of course forgiveness ( acting on something or someone now as that past action did not happen that was so bad?)  Guess what. We all need to forgive and be forgiven every day.

We are to know and apply what John said in his gospel to us:" Love one another as I have loved you"  13:34

Conclusion- I came across the " Missionary's I Corinthians 13 ( are we not all missionaries to others as Christians?)

" If I have the language perfectly and speak like a native, have not His love for them, I am nothing.  If I have diplomas and degrees and know all the up-to -date methods, and have not His touch of understanding love I am nothing.

If I am able to argue successfully against the religions of the people and make fools of them, and have not His wooing note, I am nothing.  If I have all faith and great ideas and magnificent plans, and not His love that sweats and bleeds and weeps and prays and pleads, I am nothing.

If I give up my clothes and money to them, and have not His love for them, I am nothing.  If I surrender all prospects, leave home and friends, make the sacrifices of a missionary career, and turn sour and selfish amid the daily annoyances and slights of a missionary life, and have not the love that yields its rights, its leisures, its pet plans, I am nothing. Virtue has ceased to out of me.  

If I can heal all manner of sickness and disease, but wound hearts and hurt feelings for want of His love that is kind, I am nothing.  If I can write articles or publish books that win applause, but fail to transcribe the Word of the Cross into the language of His love, I am nothing. "

Amen.