Something Old, Something New

I John 2:7-11

• Love is losing its values in meaning• Life is real: life, love, & light• Christian love is affected by light &

darkness• Christian love : matter of life & death

(I John 3: 10-24); matter of truth & error (I John 4:7-21)

• Reasons why Christians should love one another– God commanded us to love (2:7-11)– We have been born of God & His love

dwells in us (3: 10-24)

– God revealed his love to us (4:7-11)

• Beloved• In English love has many shades of

meanings– Love in Greek: agape – God’s love toward

man, Christian love of other Christians, & God’s love for his church (Eph 5:22-33)

– Philia – friendship love– Eros – sensual love (erotic); not used in

New Testament

• Old & new commandments– New: new in time (recent); new in quality

– (fresh)

• It Is New in Emphasis (2:7)– Love is the fulfillment of God’s law (Rom

13:8-10)– Love for God & others motivate a person

to obey God without thinking about it• Not because of fear, but of love

– “From the beginning” (2:7)• I John 1:1 – He existed from the beginning

(John 1:1)• I John 2:7 – the beginning of the Christian life

– “from death into life because we love the brethren” (3:14)

– The unsaved may be selfish & hateful (Gal 5:19-21)

– Born again receive new life & nature• Holy Spirit lives in us & the love of God is shed

abroad in heart by the Holy Spirit (Roman 5:5)

– Love one another is repeated at least 12 times in New Testament

– Love is a matter of will rather than emotion• Allowing God’s love through you• I Cor 13: description of Christian love

• It Is New in Example– Jesus is the greatest example in loving one

another

– He hated sin, bur He loved sinners– Jesus’ love for His disciples– His love for all kinds of people– “No greater love” (John 15:13)– His love for enemies– “As he is so are we in this world” (4:17)– Those walking in the light practice love;

those walking in darkness practice hatred– “And the light is shining in darkness, and

the darkness is not able to put it out” (John 1:5)

– Satan, the Prince of darkness; Jesus, the Sun of righteousness (Mal 4:2)

– Jesus is the standard of love for Christians

– Easy to talk about love, but hard to practice

– Reason for the local church: fellowship of the believers

– Christian life has 2 relationships: vertical (Godward) & horizontal (manward)

– A gift on the altar is no value when a worshipper hasn’t settled with a brother (Matt 5:21-26)

– Unforgiving, unloving spirit causes more harm to ourselves

• It Is New in Experience (2:9-11)

– What we say should be the expression of our character

– Many Christians need to be accepted, loved, and encouraged

– Christians who love out of heart will have a great understanding & perception in spiritual things (Phil 1:9-11)

– Blinding power of hatred– Christians love is the practical thing

• Wash one another’s feet (John 13:14)• Prefer one another (Rom 12:10)• Be of the same mind one to another (Rom

12:16)• Do not judge one another (Rom 14:13)

• Receive one another (Rom 15:7)• Admonish one another (Rom 15:14)• Edify one another (I Thess 5:11)• Bear one another’s burden (Gal 6:2)• Confess your faults one to another (James

5:16)• Use hospitality one to another (I Peter 4:9)• The point is to treat one another as God treats

them

– Results of the believers who do not love the brethren• He lives in darkness (2:9)

– He thinks he is a spiritual giant when he is actually a babe with a very little understanding & perception

– He is living a lie even when he prays & read faithfully

• He becomes the cause of the stumbling– He stumbles himself & causes other to stumble

» Blind man with a flashlight– To prevent stumbling love one another

• Hatred retards the believer’s progress– Like the flowers need sunshine, God’s people need

love if they need to grow

– Positive results • We will be living in light – living in fellowship

with God & our Christian brothers• We will not stumble or become a stumbling

block• We will grow spiritually & progress toward

Christlikeness

– Contrast – the works of the flesh (Gal 5:19-21) vs the fruit of the Spirit (Gal 5:22-23)

• A couple for counseling

– The secret of Christian growth: walking in light & love

– We can’t generate love in our own power, but we can through Holy Spirit• The love of God is shed in our heart by the

Holy Spirit (Rom 5:5)

– Holy Spirit can take the old things into new

– The life that is real is the life of active love in Christ meaning forgiveness, kindness, long-suffering, joy, peace, & victory