1 Jn 3:14-18

The Test of Love
Actions, Not Words
1 John 3:14-18

1. The Tremendous Truth—Christian Love is evidence of salvation—1 John 3:14-15 "We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brethren.

Language: "We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brethren...”

(1) “We” is emphatic
(2) “Passed” is a very key and interesting word.

(a) “passed” is “crossed over” in the NEB.
(b) The root word, ananbainw, often has a spiritual connotation in the NT. It means to “go up,” or to “go down.” It is used of Christ descending to Earth (His humiliation), and of his ascension to Heaven
Eph 4:8-10 "Therefore He says: "When He ascended on high, He led captivity captive, And gave gifts to men." 9 (Now this, "He ascended"; what does it mean but that He also first descended into the lower parts of the earth? 10 He who descended is also the One who ascended far above all the heavens, that He might fill all things.)"
Rev 4:1 "After these things I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven. And the first voice which I heard was like a trumpet speaking with me, saying, "Come up here, and I will show you things which must take place after this.""

(c) The particular form used here, metabainw, is used two other places, both in the Gospel of John

John 5:24 ""Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life."

John 13:1 Now before the feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that His hour had come that He should depart from this world to the Father, having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end.

(d) “Know,” and “crossed over” are perfect tenses—they are accomplished facts
(e) “we love” is present tense
(f) We emphatically know for a definite fact that we have passed, we have crossed over, from death to life, if we love the brethren.

Contrast—John has just told us about the hatred of the world for God’s people. Here the true believer’s attitude toward the Brethren is contrasted with the world’s hatred.

Love for the Brethren is the mark of a true believer

(1) Love for the Brethren

John 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. 35 "By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.""

John 15:12 ""This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you."

Rom 12:9 "Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good."

1 Th 3:12 "And may the Lord make you increase and abound in love to one another and to all, just as we do to you,"

1 Pet 1:22 "Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart,"

(2) Love and evangelism—** John 17:21-26!

Review—what is love, and what is love for the brethren?

(1) Love is not an emotion, love is an act of the will
(2) Love is doing the right thing toward someone, regardless of whether they appreciate it, acknowledge it, or thank you for it, and regardless of any reciprocation.


2. The Stark Truth: HatredèDeath— He who does not love his brother abides in death. 15 Whoever hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.

a. Language

(1) “he who does not love...” is a present participle—“the one not loving...”
(2) “abides” is present tense
(3) “whoever hates” is a participle phrase—“all, the one hating...”
(4) “Is” is in the present tense
(5) “we know,” is oida, to know innately, and it is in the perfect tense
(6) “abiding” is also a participle—continuity is stressed

b. The exposition is simple and straightforward—if you live in the attitude of hating a true believer, you are not a true believer. Hatred of true believers is what the WORLD does.

(1) Hatred, like love, is an act of the will. You can dislike someone, maybe even fairly passionately, but not have hate present in the relationship.
(2) On the other hand, you can be outwardly pleasant and full of hate. This looks to the heart
Mat 5:44 ""But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you,"

3. The Beautiful Truth—Christ’s Example, our Calling—16 By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.

a. Language

(1) “Know” is ginosko, knowledge by experience. It is also in the perfect tense, which indicates absolute and settled knowledge.
(2) “Laid down” is in the aorist, indicating a one-time event.
(3) “Ought” is the word “öåßëïìåí, which means “to be under obligation, to owe.”

b. What a shocking statement!

(1) We are under OBLIGATION to lay down our lives for our brethren in Christ.
(2) In many places in the world, this is not just a speculative thing—around 300,000 Christians a year are martyred for their faith.
(3) But in the context of everyday life, this does not just apply to persecution—it means that we should be willing to lay down our wants and needs for the good of the brethren, just as Christ set aside His own comforts for our good.
(4) The essential passage of full mention on this topic is Phil 2:1-11

4. The Point of Phil 2:1-5

a. If (1st class condition: “since…”)

(1) Since Christ is our advocate—5 "Therefore if [since] there is any consolation [encouragement] in Christ è There is consolation and encouragement in Christ! Heb 4:14-16
(a) Because of Him, we are forgiven
(b) Because of Him, we will live forever
(c) Because of Him, death has no sting—1 Cor 15:55 ""O Death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory?""
(d) Because of Him, we have power to live for God—Rom 6:14 "… sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace."
(e) Because of Him, we have an advocate in heaven—1 Tim 2:5

(2) Since Christ is our loving Shepherd— “…if any comfort of love [in Christ]…” John 10:7-15
(3) Since the Holy Spirit unifies our fellowship— “…if [since there is] any fellowship of the Spirit…” Rom 12:5, 1 Cor 12:13, Eph 4:3-4
(4) Since The Love of God has been given to us—“… if any [since there is] affection and mercy…”

b. What Paul Wants to See— “…2 fulfill my joy by being like-minded…”

(1) “…Like minded…” = “mind the same thing…” four statements—the basis for true unity
(2) Note of caution—“…this is not a command for unity at the expense of truth. It assumes that “the same thing” is also the right thing…” (Expositor’s Commentary)
(3) What “…Like Minded…” Means:

(a) Like minded means mutual Love—“…having the same love…”

(i) Love between the brethren in a church is required, not suggested
(ii) 1 John 4:7-11
(iii) John 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. 35 "By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.""
(iv) Love is not gushy emotion, but is a life of action.
(v) 1 John 3:14-19
(vi) James 2:1-9

(b) Like minded means Mutual Agreement— “…being of one accord, of one mind…”

(i) Amos 3:3 Can two walk together, except they be agreed?
(ii) 1 Cor 15:1-11—we do not drop our differences; we cling to the heart of the faith.
(iii) Eph 4:4-6 "There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6 one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all."

(c) Like minded means Mutual Consideration— “… 3 Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself…”

(i) What is your motive for being in church?
(ii) What is your motive for doing whatever it is you do in church?
(iii) Do you think you are better than others?

(d) Like minded means Mutual Concern—“…4 Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others…”

(i) Now, this does not mean we are to neglect our own business—1 Tim 5:8 "But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever."
(ii) But we are to be concerned about others in the church
(iii) We are to be concerned about their physical welfare
(iv) We are to be concerned about their spiritual welfare.

c. Christ is The Supreme Example—“…Phil 2:5 "Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus…"

(1) Now the famous passage on the Person of Christ makes more sense.

(a) The Deity of Christ Jesus—Phil 2:6a

(i) Just in case we are under the impression that we are somebody, think of Christ. He was Somebody, He IS Somebody.
(ii) If anyone was to have an attitude that they are better than anyone else, He was entitled to that attitude.

(b) The Self-Humiliation of Christ Jesus to Manhood—Phil 2:7

(i) Again, if we are tempted to think that we are above certain things, think of this.
(ii) For the mission of saving our souls, Christ Jesus humiliated Himself by taking on our flesh.
(iii) But that was not the attitude that He had!—“…did not consider it robbery to be equal with God…”
(iv) He did not consider the outward glories of His Godhood to be something to held on to, to grasp.
(v) You see, He had indescribable glory—John 17:5,24
(vi) He could hold on to the glory of heaven
(vii) He could hold on to the adulation and worship of the Angels in Heaven’s court
(viii) He could hold on to the intimate closeness He had with the Father and Spirit in Glory
(ix) He could hold on to the Love experienced between He and the Father from before the world was made
(x) Or, He could come to seek and to save us: but He could not do both.

(c) The Self-Humiliation of Christ Jesus to Death—Phil 2:8

(i) He did not stop at humiliating Himself to manhood—He humiliated Himself to death.
(ii) Is there a limit to what you would go through for the Lord’s service?
(iii) He had no limit. Whatever was required, He did.
(iv) And it was not just death, it was death on a Cross, a humiliating, painful, cursed death, the death of a lowly criminal
(v) And that punishment, that death, was yours.

(d) The Exaltation of Christ Jesus by the Father—2:9-11—Just as there was no limit to what Christ would do for the mission, there is no limit to His inheritance

(i) Are you laboring for the crown that will not fade?
(ii) Those who are His will share His Glory, His inheritance, and His Joy for all eternity.
(iii) We need to start living it now.

5. The Inconvenient Truth—Show Me (James 1 and 2!)— 17 But whoever has this world's goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him?

a. This is an example void of any complex theology and set up in a perfectly practical way.
b. No one in the church should ever be in need!

(1) This finds an echo in James 2:1-13.
(2) The attitude of well-off belivers to the poor was at the root of one of the most famous events of the Bible—Acts 5.
(3) Now, Paul sets this off by making sure that we understand we are not to subsidize laziness, 1 Thes 4:6-12, 2 Thes 3:6-12.
(4) But we are to take care of those who are really in need—indeed, that is why the first deacons were brought on board, to take care of distributing food to widows.
(5) There are many scriptures on this, we are only scratching the surface.

6. The Way, and the Truth—18 My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth."

a. Again, pure practicality—put your feet where your mouth is!
b. And again, this IS the definition of love.