We have been studying the doctrine of fellowship so far in our exposition of 1 John. We have seen that God designed us for fellowship with Him, and He desires fellowship with us. But as we have learned, before we can have fellowship with God, we must first have a relationship with Jesus Christ. Jesus manifested Himself to the world so that we might come to know God. Hebrews 1:3 tells us that “[Jesus] is the radiance of [God’s] glory and the exact representation of [God’s] nature.” But God desires more than just knowledge of Him. He desires fellowship with us, communion with us. He desires love with us. He loved us enough to punish Christ so that we might by faith become the children of God. And out of this relationship He desires our love for Him.
So we have seen various aspects of fellowship up to this point. We saw the basis of fellowship, the nature of fellowship, the proof and progression of fellowship. Today we are going to examine the test of fellowship. When we were in school as kids, we dreaded tests, didn’t we? The idea of a test always struck a chord of fear in my heart. Usually it was because I was not prepared. But the teacher understood that for us to really know the material she had been teaching, there must be a test of our knowledge. As students, we could protest all day long that we knew the subject matter, but the teacher knew that unless there was a test, our knowledge, or lack of it, would not be proven, it would not become evident.
So also John, as he teaches us this vital doctrine, knows that it is one thing to say you know Christ, but it’s another thing to actually have a relationship with Him. John says it’s one thing to say you have fellowship with God, but it’s another thing to actually walk with Him. And to illustrate that in chapter one we see John use again and again the phrase, “if we say.” “If we say we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.” “If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us.” And “If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar and His word is not in us.” All false professions of fellowship which are revealed by our walk. And we looked at the remedies to all those false professions. What we should do, as opposed to what we merely profess. We have to examine our worship to be certain we do not simply give lip service to God, but that our actions give testimony to the truth.
The next progression then in John’s letter is to define sin. And in chapter 2 vs 4, he defines sin as not keeping the commandments; “The one who says, ‘I have come to know Him,’ and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.” So keeping His commandments, or obedience to God, is proof of fellowship with God.
Now today, John tells us what those commandments are. The commandment is love. John doesn’t explicitly spell out in these verses what the commandment is. But it’s clear from the context of the passage, especially vs 10, that the commandment is love. Love is the overarching theme of John’s epistle, and it’s the preeminent commandment of the Bible. But let’s look at our text to confirm this. Don’t just take my word for it. First of all, John says it’s an old commandment. Vs.7, “Beloved, I am not writing a new commandment to you, but an old commandment which you have had from the beginning; the old commandment is the word which you have heard.”
So he is saying, “I’m not writing to you a new commandment.” “I’m not coming up with some new thing, some new gospel, some new knowledge.” There were a lot of false teachers in John’s day that were trying to teach some new doctrine, as if they received it from some vision or revelation. And so John, as he is writing to combat a lot of the false teaching of Gnostics and Dualists and so forth, is emphasizing that this is not something new.
A lot of commentators debate what exactly is meant by his comment that the commandment was “from the beginning.” Some think it predates creation, speaking of the nature of God. Some think it speaks of Moses and the Levitical law. Some think that it means the beginning of one’s salvation. I think we can make the case that all are true. John uses this idea of in the beginning, or from the beginning on a couple of other occasions. John 1:1, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God.” Obviously in this passage, “in the beginning” refers to eternity past. Before creation, before the law, before the incarnation.
Another passage is found right here in 1John, chapter 1:1, “What was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and touched with our hands, concerning the Word of Life—and the life was manifested, and we have seen and testify and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was manifested to us.” There again, “from the beginning” refers to the eternal nature of Christ, who was manifested to man in His incarnation. So I believe it’s safe to say John’s speaking of the eternality of this commandment, which reflects the eternal nature of God.
Now we know that God has also declared Himself to man in His law, which He gave to Moses on Mt. Sinai. His Law declares His nature, His character, and His attributes. And if we are to have fellowship with Him, then we must share those characteristics. Thus God’s nature becomes God’s law. As God said to Moses in Leviticus 19:2, “You shall be holy, for I the LORD your God am holy.”
In the law, Jesus said there were two commandments which contained the whole law. Some rabbi added up all the laws in the Pentateuch and came up with 613, if I remember correctly. And Jesus, in Matt. 22:37 said in answer to what was the greatest commandment said, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.” So I think it’s fair to say that the old commandment, which was from the beginning, are these two which Jesus said contained all the law.
However, it can also be argued that it means the beginning of one’s salvation. John tells us in chapter 3 vs 11, “For this is the message which you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another.” So it is a foundational message which is essential to the gospel. It’s old, it’s eternal, but it’s still vitally essential.
But notice then John seems to contradict himself in vs.8. “On the other hand, I am writing a new commandment to you, which is true in Him and in you, because the darkness is passing away and the true Light is already shining.”
Now John is indicating that on the other hand, this old commandment is, in some way, new. What does he mean, “On the other hand I am writing you a new commandment, which is true in him and in you ..."? Well if you can remember back in our study of the gospel of John, you may recall that this is an echo of Christ’s words recorded in John 13:34, in the Upper Room Discourse. There Jesus said, "A new commandment I give unto you, that you love one another as I have loved you.” That last phrase, "as I have loved you" is the key. To love one another is the old commandment, predating even creation. But "as I have loved you" is new application of it. The manner by which we love, the process by which this can occur is new.
I would suggest then that what is new is the manifestation of this law through Jesus Christ. He establishes the standard of love. And this is certainly new. Because Jesus showed through His life God’s standard for love that we are to emulate. We are to love one another as Christ loved us. The motive for our love is new. Before we loved because it was legislated in the law. It was required, and so the Jews in particular looked closely to see who they had to love and when. They limited love according to what the law specifically dictated. Christ though showed a different standard for love. He loved us when we were enemies of God. He loved us though we despised Him. He served those who should have been serving Him. And when we come to know that love, through a personal relationship with Him, we have now a new standard for love, and a new motivation.
So in the reference from the Upper Room Discourse, how did Jesus show He loved them? He loved them by washing their filthy feet. That’s what He did to illustrate His love for the disciples. And I think that's sort of a metaphor summing up how Jesus had loved them all through His ministry. They always needed their feet washed spiritually. And as we have discussed here in this epistle, this continual cleansing is necessary if we are to have communion with God. But our love for God should motivate us to stay pure, to live as He lived, and love as He loved.
How important is love? John 13: 35, "By this all men will know that you're My disciples." How they going to know you’re a disciple of Christ? "If you have love for one another." You'll know because it's a test that reveals your knowledge of God. Everybody else will know you are a Christian because of your love for one another. It's a humble love. It's a self-sacrificing love. It's a bowing and serving love. That kind of love, sacrificial love, is what Jesus speaks of when He said "Greater love hath no man than this that a man lay down his life for his friends.”
Now notice back in our text that John says this commandment is true in Him and in you. The word for true there means genuine. Genuine love is defined by Christ. Folks, I’m afraid the church has let the world co-opt Christian love. Love has been redefined by the world, and the church, unfortunately, has debased it’s definition as well to that of sentimentalism. The church must get back to the Biblical definition of love.
In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus had a few words to say regarding the law of love. In Matt. 5:43 He said, “You have heard that it was said, ‘YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR and hate your enemy.’ “But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,
so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? If you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”
I just want to point out, that it’s human to love those who love you. It’s natural to love those that do good to you. But God’s standard of love is to love those who injure you. To love those who mistreat you. To love your enemies. Even as Christ loved the church and gave Himself for her. Christian love is sacrificial love. It puts the other’s needs above your own. And this attribute, Jesus said, will be the defining characteristic, the defining test, to the world that is watching, that we truly are Christ’s disciples. And by the way, that’s God’s standard for marital love as well. The love between a husband and wife is not just sentimental, it’s not just romantic, but according to Ephesians 5 it is to be as Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her. Marital love is sacrificial love.
Now how do we love like Christ loved? Isn’t that a tall order? Is it even possible? Well, John says it’s true in Christ and it’s true in us if we are truly in fellowship with Him. So as we have already learned, this fellowship with God occurs when we walk in the light as He is in the light. When we walk in the light of truth. When we keep His commandments. When we confess our sins as they happen. We walk in fellowship. “Because the darkness is passing away and the true Light is already shining.” As we are conformed to His image, as we are sanctified in obedience to Him, there is less darkness and more light shining in us.
The Apostle Paul gives us some more insight in Romans 5:5, "the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who is given unto us.” Notice that we have the love of God in our hearts because of the Holy Spirit within us. He is the source of our love, He is the power that governs our love. And through that same Spirit is also the way the Lord loved his disciples. The love of God was shed abroad in his heart by the Holy Spirit who was given unto him without measure. That is the only way anyone loves another the way God loves. Only God can love that way. Therefore it is the same way for us. That is why John says, "which is true in him and in you." It comes out of a shared life as we have communion with the Holy Spirit. He is our power to keep the commandments of God. As we yield to Him, and as we stay true to Him, we are filled with HIs presence and His power.
So finally, we see love not only as an old commandment and love as a new commandment, but love as a way of life as we walk in the Light. This isn't just empty philosophy. This isn't just pie in the sky liberal ideology. In verses 9 to 11 John gives some clear illustrations of what love looks like. Here the principle is applied. The test is given to the one who claims to be a Christian. Verse 9, "The one who says he's in the light, yet hates his brother is still in the darkness until this moment.” Here is another false profession. “If we say, or the one who says he is in the light and eat hates his brother is still in darkness.”
I’m not sure if darkness is ignorance or an indication of a unbeliever. I would like to think it’s ignorance, or willful selfishness. Some commentators think it speaks of a unbeliever. Well, they would certainly fit the bill. But remember, we’re talking about fellowship here. And we have seen it’s possible to be a Christian and walk in darkness. So I would argue this is a condition of selfishness, or ignorance. But either way, it’s a sin. Ignorance of the law is still breaking the law, it’s still sin.
But the remedy comes in verse 10. "The one who loves his brother abides in the light and there is no cause for stumbling in him." Now that's a pretty obvious illustration. If you're walking in the light, you're not going to trip over something. He who is in the light sees where he's going. He's not like somebody bumping around in the darkness. When you love and obey the Law of God, when you express the love of God, the love of Christ to others, you're walking in the light, you're not going to stumble, you're not going to fall into sin.
But their is also a sense in which this is saying if you love your brother, you won’t do something to cause him to stumble. Paul had a lot to say about this in Rom 14:21, “It is good not to eat meat or to drink wine, or to do anything by which your brother stumbles.” And again in
1Cor. 8:9, “But take care that this liberty of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to the weak. For if someone sees you, who have knowledge, dining in an idol’s temple, will not his conscience, if he is weak, be strengthened to eat things sacrificed to idols? For through your knowledge he who is weak is ruined, the brother for whose sake Christ died. And so, by sinning against the brethren and wounding their conscience when it is weak, you sin against Christ. Therefore, if food causes my brother to stumble, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause my brother to stumble.” So then, if we love our brother, there will be no cause for stumbling in him. We will not despise our brother for the sake of our liberty or our rights. But we put his needs above our own.
And then John closes with a comment on the absence of love in verse 11. "But the one who 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.” Sin is darkness, it is ignorance, and it is blindness. One who is walking in darkness is one who is blinded by sin. Are they saved? I don’t know, God knows. Or are they just backslidden? Again, I don’t know. But I do know the remedy. The remedy to the darkness is light. 1John 1:5, “God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all.”
The answer is that we receive the light. The answer is we do not put a basket over the light. The answer is that we walk in the light as He is in the light. And if we are to stay in the light, we must love our brother. And the result will be that we shine the light of God to others. We reflect Jesus Christ to the world through our behavior. So that the world may know that we are His disciples. The manifestation of that test is that we love one another as Christ has loved us. This is difficult, I know. Human nature is opposed to it. Human nature talks about love, but only loves oneself. But through the knowledge of Christ, and through walking with Christ, we will adopt His nature, and what is true in Him will become true in us, because the darkness is fading, and the light is shining. Walk in the Light, even as He is in the Light. 1John 1:7 “but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.”
So this is a test of your fellowship; do you love one another as Christ loved you? Paul said in 2Corinthians 13:5, “Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you—unless indeed you fail the test?” Are you manifesting your faith? It’s one thing to claim it, it’s another thing to live it. We are called to live out our faith as a testimony to the world, and in obedience to Christ. I pray that you do not fail the test of fellowship, the test of loving one another as Christ loved you.
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