Part 4 of the sermon series on the letters of John
John made his purpose clear. He wrote so that readers would not sin because living in sin is walking in darkness. However, he warned that anyone who claims to have no sin is a liar. What did he mean? He meant to say that all are sinners; however, those who walk in the light confess their sins. They are not comfortable with the darkness. The author then made a strong connection between knowing God and keeping His commands. Furthermore, John would make a connection between the light and loving the brothers, and hatred and living in the darkness.
Old Commandment
John refers to an old commandment, which is to walk in the light and to walk as the Lord Jesus walked. It may also refer to loving God and loving your neighbor (Dt 6:5 and Lev 19:18). The root is found in the Old Testament, but it is also present in apostolic teaching.
1 John 2:7: Beloved, I am writing you no new commandment, but an old commandment that you had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word that you have heard.
Deuteronomy 6:5: You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.
Leviticus 19:18: You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against the sons of your own people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord.
Love for God and His people is an Old Testament command, yet the Lord Jesus and the apostles commanded the same thing. Loving fellow believers in Christ is the command that they heard from the beginning.
New Commandment
John explained that the old commandment is also the new commandment. The commandment is to love one another as He loved them. The author also made a prophetic statement that the darkness is passing away because the true light is shining. This new commandment is in the light of the Light of the World, who is Christ.
1 John 2:8: At the same time, it is a new commandment that I am writing to you, which is true in him and in you, because the darkness is passing away and the true light is already shining.
John 8:12: Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
In John’s gospel account, he mentioned Jesus commanding the disciples to love one another as He loved them. The Lord Jesus commanded this after He also commanded them to wash one another’s feet, which means to serve one another, which is, in effect, loving one another (Jn 13:14-15; 13:34-35).
Love vs. Hate
The author establishes a clear connection between walking in the light and loving one's brother, and walking in darkness and hating one's brother. Whoever loves the brother or sister is in the light, while the one who hates the brother or sister is in the darkness. Furthermore, the one who is in the light does not stumble for there is no hatred, nor does he lead others against the will of God.
1 John 2:9-11: Whoever says he is in the light and hates his brother is still in darkness. 10 Whoever loves his brother abides in the light, and in him there is no cause for stumbling. 11 But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.
The author provides a clear test to determine whether one is walking in the light or darkness. It is love and hatred for those who walk in the light. If one hates those who fellowship with the Father and Son, they are in darkness. The one who walks in darkness will stumble because he is blind. The one who walks in the light does not make others sin, but fellowships with others in the light through love.
John 13:34-35: A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. 35 By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”
Application
1. Recognize that the command to love God and neighbor is rooted in the Old Covenant.
2. Believe that the Lord Jesus Christ is the Light of the World and that His light will overcome the darkness of our souls.
3. Obey the Lord by loving one another as He loved us, and turn away from hate, for that is walking in the darkness.
Poem
LOVE AND NO HATE by Ed Pilapil Jr God calls us to live in the light Let us be pleasing in God’s sight For such is fellowship with Him A life that is not dark or dim The light shines to expel the dim His light and love glorify Him Thus, keep His commands in our sight We will not stumble in the light John wrote about the old command It’s something we must understand Must bother to love our brother That’s the will of the Creator What’s the will of the Creator To love our sister and brother Take the effort to understand Love and serve is the new command Test yourself if you’re in the light Is God’s word and will your delight? No revenge, grudge, or hate in love There’s no darkness from God above
Study Guide
1. What did John mean when he said he gave them not a new commandment?
2. What did John mean when he said that he also gave them a new commandment?
3. What are clear indicators of one walking in the light and darkness?
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There should be no hate in the heart of a believer in enforcing church discipline by refusing fellowship.
1) God disciplines those He loves (Heb 12:5-11), and a father disciplines the son that he loves (Prov 3:11-12).
2) How does a church discipline its stubborn members? The Lord Jesus instructs the church to treat as a pagan or an outsider someone who does not repent despite repeated rebukes. This means isolation and no fellowship. The isolation is the discipline. If the members love the brother who is unrepentant, they will not fellowship with him until he truly repents.
3) In 1 Corinthians 5:1–5, Paul instructs the church to remove a man guilty of blatant sexual immorality, delivering him “to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved.” Later, in 2 Corinthians 2:6–8, Paul urges the church to forgive and comfort the man, reaffirming their love for him—showing that the discipline led to repentance and restoration. This illustrates the redemptive purpose of church discipline.
4) If the church does not practice church discipline in isolating the unrepentant, such a church is not practicing love.