From Death to Life

 

DEVOTION

THE 1^ST LETTER OF JOHN

FROM DEATH TO LIFE

1 John 3:11-15

11 This is the message you heard from the beginning: We should love one another. 12 Do not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own actions were evil and his brother's were righteous. 13 Do not be surprised, my brothers, if the world hates you. 14 We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love our brothers. Anyone who does not love remains in death. 15 Anyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life in him.

NIV

John continues expanding on loving our brothers, but also includes the opposite of hating our brothers and that hatred is the same as murder. He used Cain and Abel as an illustration of the church and the world. The world may well hate us in many ways as we oppose so many of their moral choices. However, their hatred would be expressed far greater if we expressed more openly our opposition to their immorality. Sometimes it seems we do not want to make waves, so to speak, and remain silent, so as not to evoke too much of their hatred toward us in hopes we would have some influence on them to turn from their wicked ways. But how would they turn if they do not hear, and how would they hear if no one is sent to speak? However, there is still a bigger issue within the community of faith regarding loving our brother. John says that we have passed from death to life because we love our brother. Once again we have to examine Paul’s letter to the Corinthians to determine if we actually love our brother. Are we patient with our brothers and sisters in Christ? Are we kind to them? Are we envious of them in any way? Do we boast, or brag about what we have done or are doing, especially in the Lord? Are we proud of ourselves? Are we ever rude to them, which could be seen as simply ignoring them or not listening to them? Would we rather talk about ourselves, then them, thus being self-seeking? That could also be seen in other ways as well, such as always doing things that benefit ourselves, rather than them. Do we ever get upset at someone, just because we are offended or feel hurt? Do we always remember when they make a mistake? Do we hold that mistake against them and maybe even bring it back up when it serves our purpose? This may happen more in marriage than in the whole body, but then our spouses are also either a brother or sister in Christ. Still, we have witnessed this refusal to forgive within the body of Christ, which is keeping a record of wrongs. Certainly, we do not delight in evil, we do not enjoy seeing our brother or sister doing something that is evil, just as we do not delight when we do anything that is evil.  Do we rejoice in the truth? That is are we filled with joy when we hear the truth. Do we always protect our brothers and sisters in the Lord? To we always trust them, always believing in them, always thankful for them, and always having hope they are being blessed by our Lord? Do we persevere through anything and continue to love them, no matter what? Can we say this is the kind of love we express toward others? If we have passed from death to life, we would have to say that is how we love them. If we are failing to love in this manner, could we say we have not passed from death to life and we still remain in death? We pray this is not the case, that we do love our brothers and sisters. Let us remember to always love and live as we do because we all are in Christ, and are one as He and the Father are one. Therefore as one, we love as one, not as many, because we have passed from death to life.