Pastor Billy Myron continues in 1 John chapter 3, focusing on love. He reads 1 John 3:4–18: whoever commits sin also does lawlessness, for sin is lawlessness. Christ was manifested to take away sins and in Him is no sin. Whoever abides in Him does not sin; whoever sins has not seen or known Him. Do not be deceived: he who does righteousness is righteous, even as He is righteous. The one doing sin is of the devil, for the devil sins from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil. Whoever is born of God does not do sin because His seed abides in him and he is not able to sin because he is born of God. In this the children of God and the children of the devil are manifest: whoever does not do righteousness is not of God, nor he who does not love his brother.
This is the message heard from the beginning that we should love one another, not as Cain who was of the wicked one and slew his brother because his own works were evil and his brother’s righteous. Do not marvel if the world hates you. We know we have passed from death to life because we love the brethren; he who does not love his brother abides in death. Whoever hates his brother is a murderer, and no murderer has eternal life abiding in him. We perceive the love of God because He laid down His life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. Whoever has this world’s goods and sees his brother in need and shuts up his compassion from him, how does the love of God dwell in him? Little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth.
Love is part of the fruit of the Spirit and is not something human beings generate on their own or manifest while carnal. In Galatians 5, believers are called to liberty; do not use liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but through love serve one another. All the law is fulfilled in loving your neighbor as yourself. Walk by the Spirit and you will not fulfill the desire of the flesh. Being filled by the Spirit enables the fruit of the Spirit, including love.
Hating a brother means not caring what happens to that person. In 1 John 2:9–11, he who says he is in the light and hates his brother is in darkness; he who loves his brother abides in the light. In 1 John 4:20, if a man says I love God and hates his brother, he is a liar, for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen? Warnings against not loving indicate it is possible for Christians; the new commandment does not happen automatically and requires being spiritual and taking it seriously.
Examples of not walking according to love include Romans 14, where differences over eating all things or herbs and esteeming days must not lead to despising or judging one another, for God has received him. If a brother is grieved with your food, you do not walk in love. Eating must be from faith; whatever is not from faith is sin. In James 2, partiality favoring the rich over the poor is sin. If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food and one says depart in peace, be warmed and filled, but does not give the necessary things, what does it profit? Faith produces works and is not dead being alone. In Ephesians 4:14–16, speaking the truth in love, the body is fitly joined together and builds itself up in love.
Loving one another relates to knowing we have passed from death to life, perceiving the love of God, knowing we are of the truth and assuring our hearts, and having confidence toward God while keeping His commandments to believe on the name of His Son and love one another.
