1 John 3:11-15

For this is the message that you have heard from the beginning, that we should 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 brother's 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.

Since we have children of God, abide in Christ and have His spirit dwelling in us, there are realities that are expected to be true of our lives.  A stark contrast should be visible between believers and those who do not know the Lord.  God’s family has certain traits that are unmistakable and vital to our mission.

WE HAVE LOVE FOR ONE ANOTHER: The message that Christ gave the disciples from the very beginning was that they should love one another.  Brotherly love is the mark of those who have placed their faith in Christ and are living according to His commandments.  This is contrasted by Cain who only had love for himself to the point of killing his brother.  Hatred and murder occur naturally in the heart of fallen men.  The presence of the Holy Spirit replaces that hatred with love.  God calls us to a life of love for Him that is demonstrated by our love for one another.

WE ARE HATED BY THE WORLD: Cain’s hatred for his brother stemmed from the contrast between his evil deeds and Able’s righteous deeds.  Those who remain in sin and are enslaved to the evil that dominates their life.  The love and good works that believers practice because of God’s work in our hearts causes them to feel uncomfortable or even jealous.  They don’t like feeling this way, so the tendency is for them to hate us.  The world will naturally hate those who have been transformed by the Word of God.

WE PASS FROM DEATH TO LIFE: The love we have for one another and the practice of the works of righteousness the Spirit of God produces in us, demonstrates that we have passed from death to life.  Hatred and disobedience are the deeds of death.  Love and righteousness are the deeds of life.  We are all born dead in our sin and desperately need the life of the Spirit of God to awaken us from our spiritual slumber and lead us into an everlasting life empowered by the work of His Spirit in our hearts.

APPLICATION: Show a genuine love for one another as brothers and sisters in Christ.  Don’t be surprised by animosity we experience from the world.  Walk in obedience to the Word of God as a demonstration of the Spirit of God living in our lives.  

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