STUDIES IN FIRST, SECOND & THIRD JOHN
Lesson 11 The Power and Consequences of Divine Love
1 John 3:10 In this the children of God are manifest,
and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not
righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not
his brother.
A child of the devil cannot manifest divine love. He
might counterfeit it; In fact, the counterfeit love is
more readily accepted by many than the true love of God.
A soft spoken, "peace, brother" that leads one away from
REAL service to God into some fragmented copy of
religion is not an expression of AGAPE.
Manifest - made conspicuous
1. The one who is not practicing righteousness ( Note
- he does NOT say he has to be actively practicing evil
works.) Righteousness here signifies the sum total of
all that God requires and approves.
James 4:17 Therefore to him that knoweth to do good,
and doeth it not, to him it is sin. To
deliberately choose a way of life in opposition to God
and then to continue that way of life in defiance
of God is the mark of a child of the devil. If he is
saved, God will deal with him and bring him back, but we
can only operate on the basis of that which is
manifested. All we can see is the fruit and we must
deal with each individual accordingly.
2. And the one not loving (present participle) the
brother of him. To love, is to seek good and not harm
for the one loved. To rejoice in his good works and to
sorrow in his failings. It is not an act of love to
speak soothingly and reassuringly to one who is about to
step off a cliff. The importance of this love is seen in
the following verses.
1 John 3:11 For this is the message that ye heard
from the beginning, that we should love one another.
This is the message (command) that ye heard from the
beginning.
John 13:34 A new commandment I give unto you, That ye
love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love
one another.
Jesus has not changed His commandments yet!
John 14:15 If ye love me, keep my commandments
1John 3:12 Not as Cain, who was of that wicked one,
and slew his brother. And wherefore slew he him? Because
his own works were evil, and his brother's righteous.
One whose works are evil will always try to destroy
one who does that which is right.
1 John 3:13 Marvel not, my brethren, if the world
hate you.
This puts all who would destroy the Lord's church or
any of His people in the same category, whether they be
heretical leaders, political figures, demon worshippers,
or simply reprobates concerning the faith.
Phil 3:18 (For many walk, of whom I have told you
often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the
enemies of the cross of Christ:
Phil 3:19 Whose end is destruction, whose God is
their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind
earthly things.) Cain didn't get away with it and
neither will one who tries to destroy one of God's own
today - Christ still stands in the midst of the
candlesticks with the stars in His hand;
Rev 1:13 And in the midst of the seven candlesticks
one like unto the Son of man,.........
Rev 1:16 And he had in his right hand seven
stars:........
1 John 3:14 We know that we have passed from death
unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth
not his brother abideth in death.
1 John 3:15 Whosoever hateth his brother is a
murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life
abiding in him. Absence of love is hatred, just
as absence of light is darkness,
Rom 5:5 And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love
of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost
which is given unto us. and God equates hatred
with murder. Who is the more guilty, one who
drives the knife through another's heart or one who idly
stands by and takes pleasure in the sight? No murderer
HATH eternal life abiding in him. Christ is our
life
Col 3:4 When Christ, who is our life, shall appear,
then shall ye also appear with him in glory.
John 6:63 It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh
profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they
are spirit, and they are life.
John 1:4 In him was life; and the life was the light
of men.
1 John 1:1 That which was from the beginning, which
we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which
we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the
Word of life;
1 John 1:2 (For the life was manifested, and we have
seen it, and bear witness, and show unto you that
eternal life, which was with the Father, and was
manifested unto us;)
It is inconceivable that the essence of life in us
should bring about the fruits of death!
1 John 3:16 Hereby perceive we the love of God,
because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to
lay down our lives for the brethren. Love is made
known by its actions.
1. It produced action on God's part.
John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave
his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him
should not perish, but have everlasting life.
2. Since He died for those who hated Him, we
ought at the least be willing to die for those in whom
is this same divine love.
1 John 3:17 But whoso hath this world's good, and
seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels
of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in
him?
If we deny small acts of love, how can we claim
possession of the divine love that prompted Him to such
a great act?
1 John 3:18 My little children, let us not love in
word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.
His love in us will be as real as His sacrifice For
us.
Rom 12:9 Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor
that which is evil; cleave to that which is good.
dissimulation - the playing of a part on the stage.
Eph 4:15 But speaking the truth in love, may grow up
into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:
Being sincere in love
1 Pet 1:22 Seeing ye have purified your souls in
obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love
of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a
pure heart fervently: Same as
Rom 12:9 Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor
that which is evil; cleave to that which is good.
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