1Jo 3:15 | KingComments | STEP | . In you have seen what Cain did to his brother. Just like Cain dealt with his brother, the world deals with you. You are someone who is born of God. That’s why the life of God is within you and becomes visible. That stirs up the hatred of the world, for it feels condemned thereby. Even if you do not say anything, your whole life is a testimony against the world that does not consider God. The world doesn’t want to have anything to do with God, but because of you it cannot avoid Him. You are going through the same experience as Abel and also as the Lord Jesus. The hatred mainly comes from the religious world. Cain was a religious person when he murdered his brother. The Lord Jesus was murdered by the religious leaders of His people. The world where you will experience intolerance and hatred the most is the religious world where nominal Christians are in control. You may probably be surprised if that happens. You do not need to, John says here (cf. ), because you belong to a company he addresses here for the only time in his letter as “brethren”, with which he means both brothers and sisters. This name radiates the warmth of the family relation in contrast to the cold hatred of the world. . Because of this family relationship and the appreciation of it you know that you have passed out of death into life. You love your brothers. That love may be put to the test at times and you may feel more affection for the one than for the other person but that love is certainly there. If you consider that the Lord Jesus has died for you as well as for your brother and that your brother also loves the Lord Jesus, then there is that ‘match’. You are on the territory of life and not on the territory of death anymore. Brotherly love belongs to life and not to death. On the territory of death, death is in control; people are murdered there. On the territory of life there is a sphere of life and you are surrounded by the sphere of love. “He who does not love” has no part in that, but “abides in death”. Needless to say that here it is about someone who uses the word ‘brother’, but has no new life. Such a person lives in death, abides in death, the sphere and aroma of death is around him. However, he is not only surrounded by death, but death characterizes him, it is also within him. . Someone who does not love his brother and who abides in death is also someone who hates his brother. He looks at his brother with eyes full of lethal hatred. His mind is that of a “murderer”. He does not seek the life of his brother, but he seeks his death. You know that such a person has no eternal life abiding in him. He never had, it is totally absent with him. False teachers do not seek to nourish the new life but they seek to poison the faith of God’s children with false teachings. . With love it is totally different. Love does not seek death for the brethren but life. Love even goes that far that it even enters death to give life to others. Love is something you are to know first yourself in order to be able to love others. The only way to learn to know love is by receiving it. You are not able to love if you yourself have not received love, if another person has not shown love to you first. You have learnt to know love through the Son of God, by what He did for you on the cross ( ). He has laid down His life for you. An example. If you see that someone is almost drowning and another person rescues him, but in the course of rescuing him the rescuer himself drowned, you see love. However, that is love at a distance. You observe it, but you are not involved. If you, however, are almost drowning and a person rescues you at the cost of his own life, then you personally experience what love is. The Lord Jesus has laid down His life for you. That is the highest expression of love. There is no greater proof of love possible ( ). And what is the result of that deed of love? Life. Do you see the full contrast to what motivates Cain and the world and what is inspiring the false teachers? Their inspirer is the devil. The devil lives in the sphere of death and breathes hatred in his instruments to murder as many people as he possibly can. With Christ belongs life; He is the center of the territory of life. Christ was killed by murderers. Yet that is not how it is presented here. Here it is said that He “laid down” His life. It is a deed of Himself. He gave His life. That is the highest and absolute proof of love that someone has for another. He is love, His nature, His Being, is love and you have experienced that love, for He had mercy on you. At the same time that is the measure for your love toward your brothers and sisters. If He is your life, then it works in you in the same way as it works in Him. Then you ought to lay down your life for your brothers and sisters as well. That goes very far, isn’t it? . But do you think that it will really be expected of you in practice to lay down your life for a brother or sister? As far as I am concerned I assume that there is quite a little chance for that to happen, almost out of the question. It also seems that John takes that into consideration. Therefore he gives another test from which you can show what you are prepared to do for your brother or sister. You may not literally give your life for your brother or sister, but you surely can put your life at their disposal, you can commit yourself to them ( ; ). How do you do that? Well, you have this world’s goods. You see your brother or sister is suffering want. The question is how you respond to that. He who has no life of God, in whom the love of God does not abide, closes his heart to it. In case there is life of God, if the love of God indeed abides in you, then you will surely respond in a totally different way. There will be a desire to provide for that want, for that lack, with the world’s goods you have. Notice that the brother or sister doesn’t ask for help, but that love will notice and observe the want. Love acts without being requested for any help. It is also remarkable that the expression for “world’s goods” literally is ‘the livelihood of the world’. As long as we are in this world we need a livelihood and we ought to share that with others who are in need of it. James tells his readers that he who says he has faith, must show that by giving where there is lack ( ). John takes the possession of the new, eternal life as a starting point. Here you see that the most exalted truths have their effect in the most daily circumstances. In these truths the rules of the people of Israel toward the poor and rich Israelites are also an illustration for us ( ). If there were poor Israelites, it was a test for the neighbor’s love of the rich Israelites. There was no possibility to look for excuses to escape from the obligation to give to the poor neighbor. A hardened heart kept his hand shut. He who had a hardened heart showed that he did not trust God for the promise of blessing He made. In the language of John we may say that in such a person the love of God did not abide. There was no love for God and no love for the neighbor. . To love is not a matter of only words or of talking about it in general terms. Of course true love may become apparent from words. You can prove your love to others by what you say. However, John says this with a view to the false teachers who do have sweet talks, but without any real care for the believers. They close their heart for others and seek to obtain other people’s properties. They also want to subject them to themselves (cf. ). In this light you should see this appeal not to love “with word or with tongue, but in deed and in truth”. Loving is a matter of deed and must be done in truth. Truth is not the doctrine here, but has to do with truth in the innermost being ( ). The point is that love is true and sincere. One should not give on the basis of a cost-benefit analysis. If you give from the thought to get better off, you lack sincerity. Getting better off from something can be both material and spiritual. You also may for instance give something to another person or do something for him, in order to get all the credits for it. Then also you can hardly speak of a sincere love. Even a feeling of self-satisfaction is inappropriate. That’s giving to the poor – says, that you should not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing ( ). If the new life is working you will love in deed and in truth without thinking of yourself. We are to learn that in practice. We can only learn that from the Lord Jesus. He gave fully and selflessly, without thinking of Himself. Now read 1 John 3:13-18 again. Reflection: How do you practice your love for your brother and sister?

‏ 1 John 3:15

The Practice of Love

1Jn 3:13. In 1Jn 3:12 you have seen what Cain did to his brother. Just like Cain dealt with his brother, the world deals with you. You are someone who is born of God. That’s why the life of God is within you and becomes visible. That stirs up the hatred of the world, for it feels condemned thereby. Even if you do not say anything, your whole life is a testimony against the world that does not consider God. The world doesn’t want to have anything to do with God, but because of you it cannot avoid Him. You are going through the same experience as Abel and also as the Lord Jesus. The hatred mainly comes from the religious world. Cain was a religious person when he murdered his brother. The Lord Jesus was murdered by the religious leaders of His people.

The world where you will experience intolerance and hatred the most is the religious world where nominal Christians are in control. You may probably be surprised if that happens. You do not need to, John says here (cf. Rev 17:6-7), because you belong to a company he addresses here for the only time in his letter as “brethren”, with which he means both brothers and sisters. This name radiates the warmth of the family relation in contrast to the cold hatred of the world.

1Jn 3:14. Because of this family relationship and the appreciation of it you know that you have passed out of death into life. You love your brothers. That love may be put to the test at times and you may feel more affection for the one than for the other person but that love is certainly there. If you consider that the Lord Jesus has died for you as well as for your brother and that your brother also loves the Lord Jesus, then there is that ‘match’. You are on the territory of life and not on the territory of death anymore. Brotherly love belongs to life and not to death. On the territory of death, death is in control; people are murdered there. On the territory of life there is a sphere of life and you are surrounded by the sphere of love.

“He who does not love” has no part in that, but “abides in death”. Needless to say that here it is about someone who uses the word ‘brother’, but has no new life. Such a person lives in death, abides in death, the sphere and aroma of death is around him. However, he is not only surrounded by death, but death characterizes him, it is also within him.

1Jn 3:15. Someone who does not love his brother and who abides in death is also someone who hates his brother. He looks at his brother with eyes full of lethal hatred. His mind is that of a “murderer”. He does not seek the life of his brother, but he seeks his death. You know that such a person has no eternal life abiding in him. He never had, it is totally absent with him. False teachers do not seek to nourish the new life but they seek to poison the faith of God’s children with false teachings.

1Jn 3:16. With love it is totally different. Love does not seek death for the brethren but life. Love even goes that far that it even enters death to give life to others. Love is something you are to know first yourself in order to be able to love others. The only way to learn to know love is by receiving it. You are not able to love if you yourself have not received love, if another person has not shown love to you first. You have learnt to know love through the Son of God, by what He did for you on the cross (Gal 2:20). He has laid down His life for you.

An example. If you see that someone is almost drowning and another person rescues him, but in the course of rescuing him the rescuer himself drowned, you see love. However, that is love at a distance. You observe it, but you are not involved. If you, however, are almost drowning and a person rescues you at the cost of his own life, then you personally experience what love is.

The Lord Jesus has laid down His life for you. That is the highest expression of love. There is no greater proof of love possible (Jn 15:13). And what is the result of that deed of love? Life. Do you see the full contrast to what motivates Cain and the world and what is inspiring the false teachers? Their inspirer is the devil. The devil lives in the sphere of death and breathes hatred in his instruments to murder as many people as he possibly can. With Christ belongs life; He is the center of the territory of life.

Christ was killed by murderers. Yet that is not how it is presented here. Here it is said that He “laid down” His life. It is a deed of Himself. He gave His life. That is the highest and absolute proof of love that someone has for another. He is love, His nature, His Being, is love and you have experienced that love, for He had mercy on you. At the same time that is the measure for your love toward your brothers and sisters. If He is your life, then it works in you in the same way as it works in Him. Then you ought to lay down your life for your brothers and sisters as well. That goes very far, isn’t it?

1Jn 3:17. But do you think that it will really be expected of you in practice to lay down your life for a brother or sister? As far as I am concerned I assume that there is quite a little chance for that to happen, almost out of the question. It also seems that John takes that into consideration. Therefore he gives another test from which you can show what you are prepared to do for your brother or sister. You may not literally give your life for your brother or sister, but you surely can put your life at their disposal, you can commit yourself to them (1Cor 16:15; 1Thes 2:8). How do you do that?

Well, you have this world’s goods. You see your brother or sister is suffering want. The question is how you respond to that. He who has no life of God, in whom the love of God does not abide, closes his heart to it. In case there is life of God, if the love of God indeed abides in you, then you will surely respond in a totally different way. There will be a desire to provide for that want, for that lack, with the world’s goods you have.

Notice that the brother or sister doesn’t ask for help, but that love will notice and observe the want. Love acts without being requested for any help. It is also remarkable that the expression for “world’s goods” literally is ‘the livelihood of the world’. As long as we are in this world we need a livelihood and we ought to share that with others who are in need of it. James tells his readers that he who says he has faith, must show that by giving where there is lack (Jam 2:15). John takes the possession of the new, eternal life as a starting point. Here you see that the most exalted truths have their effect in the most daily circumstances.

In these truths the rules of the people of Israel toward the poor and rich Israelites are also an illustration for us (Deu 15:7-11). If there were poor Israelites, it was a test for the neighbor’s love of the rich Israelites. There was no possibility to look for excuses to escape from the obligation to give to the poor neighbor. A hardened heart kept his hand shut. He who had a hardened heart showed that he did not trust God for the promise of blessing He made. In the language of John we may say that in such a person the love of God did not abide. There was no love for God and no love for the neighbor.

1Jn 3:18. To love is not a matter of only words or of talking about it in general terms. Of course true love may become apparent from words. You can prove your love to others by what you say. However, John says this with a view to the false teachers who do have sweet talks, but without any real care for the believers. They close their heart for others and seek to obtain other people’s properties. They also want to subject them to themselves (cf. Gal 2:4-5). In this light you should see this appeal not to love “with word or with tongue, but in deed and in truth”.

Loving is a matter of deed and must be done in truth. Truth is not the doctrine here, but has to do with truth in the innermost being (Psa 51:6). The point is that love is true and sincere. One should not give on the basis of a cost-benefit analysis. If you give from the thought to get better off, you lack sincerity.

Getting better off from something can be both material and spiritual. You also may for instance give something to another person or do something for him, in order to get all the credits for it. Then also you can hardly speak of a sincere love. Even a feeling of self-satisfaction is inappropriate. That’s giving to the poor – says, that you should not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing (Mt 6:3).

If the new life is working you will love in deed and in truth without thinking of yourself. We are to learn that in practice. We can only learn that from the Lord Jesus. He gave fully and selflessly, without thinking of Himself.

Now read 1 John 3:13-18 again.

Reflection: How do you practice your love for your brother and sister?