Not long ago I was discussing with a group outside of the church the “Judeo-Christian” ethical foundation of a given institution. I assumed some knowledge of a 4000 year moral consensus going back to Abraham and moving forward to Moses, to Jesus and continuing through 2000 years of church history. The response was, “What church are you talking about? There are churches today which hold quite different views (in this case having to do with sexual ethics) We can’t look to the church or Christianity. Christians can’t agree among themselves.”

Our problem today is the same which faced the Apostles. Not everyone who calls himself or herself a Christian truly is. This can be very confusing and troubling for believers. There are cults that call themselves Christian. There are “progressive” or “liberal” forms of Christianity that have abandoned substantial portions of historic Christian doctrine and practice. How are we to distinguish authentic believers from counterfeits? How can we separate genuine forms of Christianity from the false?

The Apostle John has devised three tests: the doctrinal, the moral, and the social. He has applied them to two themes. He began his epistle by declaring that “God is light” and then showing through the end of chapter 2 that those who truly walk in His light may be identified by their behavior: they confess sin and keep the commandments (1:5–2:6) (the moral test); they love the brethren and love not the world (2:7-17) (the social test); they confess Jesus is the Christ (2:18-29) (the doctrinal test). Those who claim to know or have fellowship with God, and yet don’t do these things, are called liars, self-deceived, blind, and, he says, they make God a liar.

Chapter 3 began a new cycle of tests, built around the declaration that God is our “Father,” and we are His children by adoption. There are only two families in all the world. There is God’s family, and there is the devil’s family. Those who are born of God may be identified by their behavior: they practice righteousness (3:1-10) (the moral test); and now we shall see, they love the brethren (3:11ff). The devil’s children are equally obvious: they are unrighteous and hateful. The characteristics of God’s family, then and now, are righteousness and love. What is true of the Father, is true of His children. The Apostle introduced the theme of love at the end of verse 10:

By this the children of God and the children of the devil are obvious: anyone who does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor the one who does not love his brother. (1 Jn 3:10)

We looked at the righteousness of God’s children last time. Now we will look at their love. The love of the Father will be reproduced in His children. John says,

For this is the message which you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another; (1 Jn 3:11)

The Apostle John is not proposing a novel doctrine. He feels the necessity of repeating what he has already told them (2:7ff). They had been taught to love one another “from the beginning,” as in 2:7, probably a reference to their conversion, and the beginning of their instruction in Christ.1 Among the first things taught Christian converts was and is that they must love. It is “an indispensible feature in the lives of the children of God,” says Bruce, “because it is the embodiment of the gospel messages.”2 Love is basic. It is fundamental. It is central to all that Christianity is. There could be no delay between learning the way of salvation and learning the way of love. It had to be taught “from the beginning.” It is important that this should sink in. Doctrine and morals are very important to churches like ours. They should be. They need to be. However, emphasizing doctrine and morals should not be an excuse for neglecting love. Love is not an addendum to the Christian faith. It is not a bonus. It is necessary and vital. Without love we become Pharisees, content with external doctrinal and ethical conformity, without the heart and soul of our faith, which is love.

However, we are not allowed to say “love,” and then fill it with our own content. Love means one thing for Hollywood, quite another for a Marxist, still yet another for a feminist. When the Bible says “love,” what does it mean? The Apostle John will highlight its meaning for us in verses 12-18 by contrasting it with hate. He first describes it negatively, over against the hatred of Cain (vv 12-15), and then positively, as seen in the example of Jesus Christ (vv 16-18).

Contrast

not as Cain, who was of the evil one, and slew his brother. And for what reason did he slay him? Because his deeds were evil, and his brother's were righteous. (1 Jn 3:12)

The Apostle has several things to say about what love is not. Love is not what Cain did. Cain was filled with hate, so he was clearly “of the evil one,” meaning, “born of the evil one,” or “a child of the evil one.” He “slew” his brother, a word (sphazō) which literally means, “he cut his throat.”3 Law translated it, “butchered.” Let the horror of his crime sink in. He murdered his brother, his own brother! What might push a person to do such a thing? Surely there must have been some exceptional precipitating event. Abel provoked him in some way, right? The Apostle says he slew him because “his deeds were evil, and his brother’s were righteous.” You may notice this is not a reason, and that is the point. Envy or jealousy possessed his soul and overcame him. Cain’s hatred was inexcusable. It could not be justified or even explained. It was a blind hatred of righteousness.

Let’s remind ourselves of the scene. Abel and Cain both presented offering to the Lord. Apparently, God had already let the first family know that, because of sin, He could only be approached through sacrifice. Abel’s offering was accepted. Cain’s was not. Again, we must fill in the blanks and surmise that Abel followed instructions, and Cain did not. God afterward instructed him, “If you do well, will not your countenance be lifted up?” (Gen 4:7).Abel “by faith” had offered a “better sacrifice” (Heb 11:4). Cain had offered the wrong sacrifice with the wrong attitude. All Cain had to do was trust God and do right. His response, however, was not to correct his behavior, but to lash out in envy at Abel. “Cain rose up against Abel his brother and killed him” (Gen 4:8). “Evil people do not love the highest when they see it,” Morris observes. “It accuses them and they crucify it.”4

The moral comes in verse 13:

Do not marvel, brethren, if the world hates you. (1 Jn 3:13)

The shift from the command to love to the hatred of the world mirrors Jesus’ words in John 15. “Love one another” (Jn 15:12-17) led directly to “the world hates you” (Jn 15:18-27). Cain is a prototype of the world. Cain butchered his brother out of hatred of righteousness. The spirit of Cain lives on in the world. “Do not marvel,” he says, “if the world hates you.” “Do not be surprised,” echoes the Apostle Peter.

Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you, which comes upon you for your testing, as though some strange thing were happening to you; (1 Pet 4:12)

This is the way it always has been. The devil and the world hate holiness. They hate a holy life because it rebukes their unholy life. They hate it for the guilt they experience. People know what is wrong. A holy life rebukes them because they are not what they should be. It is disturbing. They also hate it for the restrictions it represents. Biblical religion suffocates them. Christianity represents chains to them. “Let us tear their fetters apart,” they say (Ps 2:3). The world wants no limits, and will tolerate no restrictions on its “freedom.” Witness the persecution of those who attempt to limit a woman’s right to do with “her body” whatever she pleases; or hope to limit the “right” to publish anything, no matter how degrading; or attempt to put limitations in lifestyle choices or entertainment preferences. The children of God, just by being, also remind them of the inadequacies of their own religion or lack of religion. The joy and peace and contentment of Christians is a challenge to those whose religion or irreligion provides no reconciliation with God and no atonement. People are irritated by joyful Christians. Those who “practice righteousness” (3:7) rebuke, represent, and remind. The world will not tolerate it. Jesus said,

For everyone who does evil hates the light, and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. (Jn 3:20)

The world “hates the light,” Jesus says. The world avoids the light “lest (its) deed should be exposed.” Similarly, the light of Christ shining through His people exposes evil. So don’t be amazed at the world’s hatred. The early church was brutally persecuted. The reformers were slaughtered by the thousands. There were more Christians martyred in the twentieth century than any other in the history of the church. This is to be expected. There is no good reason for it. Jesus said, “They hated me without a cause” (Jn 15:25; Pss 35:18, 69:4). Their hatred is irrational. If we are righteous, not perfectly righteous, merely possess the characteristic (but imperfect) righteousness of a child of God, we will attract the hostility of the world, for no particular reason but that we are righteous.

Marshall says that John “clearly has in mind” the hatred of not just those outside of the church, but those within, “whose lack of love demonstrates that they are not truly believers.”5 Love, then, is a sign of what? It is a sign of life. But it is particularly love for the “brethren” that he has in mind.

We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brethren. He who 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. (1 Jn 3:14,15)

Ahh, now we see his point. The real issue, the one to which he has been building, is love between Christians. The Apostle is saying, “You so-called believers who justify hatred of the brethren are at one with Cain the prototypical brother-hater and murderer. You are of the world.” Those who hate are murderers and “no murderer has eternal life in him” (3:15). Those who do not love “abide in death” (3:14). Believers are known to have “passed out of death into life” because they “love the brethren” (3:14).

Is the Apostle John now overstating his case? No, hatred is the desire to see another person destroyed. “We wish him to perish whom we hate,” says Calvin.6 Hatred is “embryonic murder,” as Marshall puts it.7 It is murder minus the opportunity. This is exactly what Jesus taught (Mt 5:21ff). It is hatred that leads to murder and does indeed commit the murder, if it has the opportunity. Murderers, those who take from a person that which is their most valued treasure, life, cannot have eternal life, the life of God, in themselves. This is, of course, not talking of a repentant murderer, for whom forgiveness is accessible, but one in whom it perseveres or continues. Hatred and murder are the opposite of life. “The two are mutually exclusive,” as Morris points out.8

It’s not that the world or the world in the church manifests hatred of every Christian all the time. There are certain issues that are dear to the world in each era. Early on, it was the cult of emperor worship that drove the persecution of Christians. Later, it was the power of the Papacy. Today, it has to do with any challenge to unrestricted license in the decadent West and challenges to Islam and Hinduism and tribal religions around the world.

Harboring hatred? We cannot allow ourselves to do so. Hate is a sign of death. Hate destroys the soul. Hatred cannot co-exist with eternal life, with the life of God in the soul, with the new birth. Like Cain’s hatred, it can never be justified or excused. Do not nurse it. Repent of it, flee it, mortify it, until our souls are rid of it.

Encountering hatred? We need to be sure that our foolishness or misdeeds are not the cause of it (see 1 Pet 4;15,16). But if we are persecuted for righteousness sake, don’t be surprised. Blessed are you, Jesus said (Mt 5:10-12). We are not to be surprised by hatred, even when it is directed at us by the worldlings within the church. It will happen. Without saying a word, sobriety will rebuke drunkenness. Purity, without a word, will rebuke immorality. Integrity rebukes the devious and twisted. Zeal rebukes the lukewarm. Tithing rebukes the non-tithing. Sabbath-keeping rebukes the Sabbath-breaking. Love rebukes hate. Even within the church righteousness will be hated by its worldly members. Where we see that hatred, the Apostle is saying, we see a “murderer,” we see one who “abides in death,” and who is “of the devil.” However, those who love the brethren can be assured that they have been born of God (or else they would not have the capacity to love). Those who love have “passed out of death into life,” and have “eternal life abiding in (them).”

Love

What then is love? The Scriptures weren’t given with a dictionary in the back. Do they provide a definition, or a picture of love? Indeed they do.

We know love by this, that He laid down His life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. (1 Jn 3:16)

“We know love by this,” the Apostle says. “Here is how we know the true meaning of love.” We are to look at the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. This is where we see the love that we are to emulate. We may analyze His love under five headings.

1. Christ’s love is an example for us. “He laid down His life for us.” This means that in turn “we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.” His love is the pattern for our love. His love is the model after which we shape our own. We are to fix our eyes upon Jesus (Heb 12:1). Repeatedly the New Testament tells us to look to Jesus as our example of humility and quiet suffering. We are to “follow in His steps” (1 Pet 2:19-23). We are not left merely with theories and abstractions. In Jesus we have a concrete example of what we are to do. “Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus . . .” (Phil 2:5). When John speaks of love (agapē),” says Bruce, “it is no sentimental emotion that he has in mind, but something intensely practical.”9 Christian ethics are Christocentric. Jesus provides the example, the pattern, the model for our love of others.

2. His exemplary love is one of total sacrifice. The example which Jesus left for us is that of ultimate self-sacrifice. His death was an act of love. Jesus said,

Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends. (Jn 15:13)

It is to this “greater love” that He calls us. Hate takes another’s most prized possession (3:15). Love gives its most prized possession (3:16). Jesus laid down His life. We are to lay down our lives for one another.

Notice, love is not defined in any romantic or emotional sense. This is not Hollywood’s brand of love. Jesus defines for us what love is, and He defines it as sacrifice. John will say the same thing again in 4:10,11.

In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. (1 Jn 4:10,11)

“In this is love,” he says. We need these definitions and examples. Otherwise we don’t know what we’re talking about and, no doubt, we’ll water down the ideal. “If God so loved us,” by the voluntary offering up of His beloved Son for our sakes, then “we also ought to love one another” with that same love. These are exactly the “steps” in which Peter says we are to walk, that is, the steps leading to unjust but redemptive suffering (1 Pet 2:19-23). The “attitude” which the Apostle Paul commends to us is that of considering others as more important than ourselves, illustrated by the cross (Phil 2:3ff).

The love of total sacrifice is the pattern for our love for the brethren. What this means is that I embrace the outlook that says, “My life for yours.” A thousand different ways, large and small, I say, “my life for yours.” I say, your comforts over my comforts; your needs over my needs; your well-being over my well-being.

3. This love is manifested in practical kindness.

But whoever has the world's goods, and beholds his brother in need and closes his heart against him, how does the love of God abide in him? (1 Jn 3:17)

The Bible is an intensely practical book. It will not let us say with Charlie Brown, “Humanity I love, it’s people I can’t stand.” C. S. Lewis warned us about platitudes disconnected from reality.

“It is easer to be enthusiastic about Humanity with a capital “H” than it is to love individual men and women, especially those who are uninteresting, exasperating, depraved, or otherwise unattractive. Loving everybody in general may be an excuse for loving nobody in particular.”10

We also can speak of love for the Church with a capital “C” as an excuse, loving no church members in particular. The Apostle John, arguing from the greater to the lesser, becomes very concrete. If we are willing to make the ultimate sacrifice, then we will be willing to make lesser sacrifices, like sharing what we have with those who don’t have. If we are willing to surrender our most valued possession, our lives, then we are willing to give up our lesser valued possessions, our things.

If we have the “world’s goods” or “material possessions” (NIV), that is, the means of sustenance, and are unwilling to share them with those in need, then the love of God is not in us. “Love does not dwell in the miser,” says Stott.11 It would be easy at this point to become self-righteous and pound the pulpit and make us all feel guilty for failing to give money to every transient or homeless person who crosses our path. That is not what the Apostle is saying. The word “beholds” (theōre) “implies a prolonged look . . . rather than a casual glance,” notes Smalley.12 It speaks of a known situation, one in which you are aware of the facts, involving a Christian “brother.”13 The Apostle is not testing our response to panhandlers. He is probing our love for our brethren in need. The reality of love is proven in concrete, costly, everyday acts of practical kindness. Love is generosity. Love is giving. Love is sacrifice. Love is action.

4. Love is more than words. We become redundant here, but the Apostle is driving home his point.

Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth. (1 Jn 3:18)

Words are nice. We should express our love. We should speak edifying, grace-giving words (Eph 4:28,29). But talk is cheap, as commonly is said. Love must become something more than talk. We must love “in deed and truth.” Words must become action. There seems to be an epidemic of people who can speak endlessly about love, about how we need more love, and are quick to identify what they consider to be unloving. Yet they themselves, never seem to get about the business of loving. Love has become this shapeless, formless platitude. “All you need is love,” blah, blah, blah. Love is not mere speech. It is “deed,” and “truth,” the latter term meaning, “in reality,” or “truly,” and not just appearances. “In action and with genuineness,” says Smalley.14 James teaches the same thing, saying,

If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food, and one of you says to them, "Go in peace, be warmed and be filled," and yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that? Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself. (Jas 2:15-17)

Those are nice words: “peace,” “be warmed and be filled.” But nice words without giving what is necessary is useless. The reality of love is tested by actual sacrifice. We can’t make the excuse “I don’t know of any needs.” If we aren’t “beholding” our eyes are closed. Come around and meet the brethren, as we say. Circulate among one’s fellow church members. Ignorance can be culpable. Beyond the local church are the needs of Christians throughout the world. Many are hungry. Many lack Bibles and literature. Some are without church buildings and facilities. Can we close our hearts to them?

5. Love is compassion. Finally, we must not make the mistake of excluding feelings from our understanding of love. Repeatedly we read in the gospels that Jesus was “moved with compassion” in the face of human need. Particularly noteworthy is Mark 8:2 where He was so moved because of the physical need of the crowd – they were hungry. Love includes sympathy, or compassion, for the needy, as opposed to disdain or contempt or condescension. We cannot push them aside. Neither can we merely write a check. If we love, we will have compassion for them in their plight. We will not harden ourselves to the condition of needy people. We will not “close our hearts” to them. Beware of doing so. “They’ve made foolish decisions,” we might say. “I’ve worked hard for my wealth,” we might think, resenting their poverty. No, love includes compassion. However, it is not disinterested sacrifice, or reluctant sacrifice, or resentful sacrifice, but willing, sympathetic sacrifice.

C. S. Lewis also tells of his annoyance with the lady with the “elastic side boots” in the back of the church. Once converted he wanted to read theology but didn’t care much for the church and its people, so many of whom were unsophisticated. “But as I went on I saw the great merit of (the church”),” he writes. “I came up against different people of quite different outlooks and different education, and then gradually my conceit just began peeling off.” Gradually he came to realize he wasn’t fit to clean those “elastic side boots.” “It gets you out of your solitary conceit.”15 How wonderful would the life of the church be if everyone loved selflessly like Jesus. What if everyone was saying, “My life for yours.” How could bitterness grow? How could resentment fester? What would the life of the church look like if I learned to look at your weaknesses, your quirks, your idiosyncrasies, and even your failures, with sympathy and compassion? True love, says the Apostle Paul, “seeks not its own” (1 Cor 13:5).

How many divorces would occur if husbands and wives loved like this? What if both were saying, “My life for yours.” What if we were living selflessly rather than asking, “What am I getting out of this?”, rather than evaluating it on the basis of me, and what I want, and what I deserve. True love lays down its life for the loved one, and says “for better or worse.”

“Well, I can’t love like that. I just can’t do it,” one might say. This is correct. Let’s remember the Apostle’s theme. This love is the sign that one is born of God (3:1,8,9,10). It is not natural. It is supernatural. One must have the seed of God’s love planted in one’s heart (3:9). The Christian’s love is a supernatural love. We can’t generate this love on our own. It takes the grace of God. We must be born again. But if we are, it is possible. It is possible at great personal cost, to love even the unlovely and unlovable. Jesus died for enemies. So must we. Jesus died for sinners. So must we. Jesus died for the helpless and hopeless. And so must we.

Pray for this love. Pray that we will sacrifice and lay down our lives to love and serve others. Pray that we will have compassion for the needy. Pray that we will learn to see them as Christ does, as weak and vulnerable and in great need. Keep looking to Christ. He is the author and perfecter of our faith (Heb 12:2). He is our example. He laid down His life for others. Now, also, by God’s enabling, shall we.