In God’s Word: Love One Another

July 22, 2019 - Let us look this morning at the cure for all that ails the world around us. Could it be that we could have a cure for the problems of the world, oh, but we do, and it is written out for us in God’s Holy Word just waiting for us to deliver it to the world…

So here is that long-sought-after-cure…

“For this is the message that you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another.” (1 John 3:11)

So simple in word, so difficult in deed, to just love one another.

“We should not be like Cain, who was of the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own deeds were evil and his brothers 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.” (1 John 3:12-15)

Cain murdered Able not for anything that Able had done to him, but because Cain had failed to please God with his sacrifice while Able had done as God had required and received God’s blessing for his own sacrifice.

Cain became so angry with Able simply because of his own disobedience and Able’s obedience.
Cain’s solution to the problem cost his brother his life and himself a lifetime of rejection by God, both were therefore dead from that time forth.

The scripture says that if one does not love others that he abides in death, that if one simply hates his brother then he has murdered his brother. Showing that the works of the mind are as strong as the works of the body. One can murder with the mind as well as with the body.

So just who is my brother, who is it that I must love if I am to abide in God’s love and have God’s eternal life abiding in me?

Let me answer that by using an example of a neighbor. Who is my neighbor? One might say; “Whoever touches me is my neighbor.” If this is true then my neighbor is every person around the world, for the chain is unbroken from me, around the world and back to me. All people are my neighbors, as all people are my bothers.

This includes all nationalities, all colors, all creeds for God only made one race, the human race. He made many nationalities, many colors of people but only one race of people, we are all human beings, made in God’s image, in the image of God he made us. (see Genesis 1:27)

How can one say that he loves his brother if he looks with hatred on someone of another color than his own? How can one abide in God’s love if he does not love his brother? He can’t…

The opposite of love is hate and the world is full of hate today and only the true love of Jesus Christ can cure what ails this evil cruel world.

“By this we know his love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers.” (1 John 3:16)

Jesus died not just for you and I but for all people, all nationalities, all colors, all creeds and if we are to follow him we must also love all others and serve all others with the gifts that God has given us.

“But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him?” (1 John 3:17)

It cannot, for it is with the mind as well as the body that we reject others. If we look on another that is in need and do nothing to help then we do not have God’s love abiding in us which means that we then abide in death. This cannot so be for a child of God!

“Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.” (1 John 3:18)

“By this we shall know the we are of the truth and reassure our heart before him; for whenever our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and he knows everything. Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God; and whatever we ask we receive from him, because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him.” (1 John 3:19-22)

Love God with all your being, love your brother as yourself and life eternal with our Lord will be yours.