1 John 3:11-16 ESV
“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. By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers.”
This love that we are to have, one for another, is no
ordinary love. It is not human love or emotion but a choice of the will. It is
to prefer to live through Christ, embracing his will, choosing his choices, and
obeying them through his power. For it is to prefer what God prefers, which is
what is holy, just, righteous, and pure, as God is all these. And God is love,
and this love comes from God, so when we love others with this love we will do
for them and to them what is for their good, and we will not willfully harm
them.
For we should not be like Cain. And who was Cain? He was the
firstborn son of Adam and Eve. And they were the first humans God created.
Their second born son was Abel. And Abel was a keeper of the sheep, and Cain
was a worker of the ground. And in the course of time they each brought an
offering to the Lord. Yet the Lord accepted Abel’s offering, and he rejected
Cain’s, so Cain was very angry with God.
“The Lord said to Cain, ‘Why are you angry, and why has your face fallen? If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is contrary to you, but you must rule over it.’” Genesis 4:6-7 ESV
But Cain did not listen to God and he followed the will of
his flesh, instead, and he ended up murdering his brother. Why? Because his own
deeds were evil and his brother’s were righteous. And this is where many people
are today, hating and murdering other humans because their own deeds are evil,
and because they are selfish and greedy and they want their own way regardless
of who gets hurt in the process. And hate is murder, and so murder can be
physical, mental, emotional and spiritual abuse, too.
So, if you are like Abel, and your life is pleasing to the
Lord, and he accepts you as his own because you have surrendered your life to
him, and he is Lord of your life, and you have forsaken your sins to follow him
in obedience, then don’t be surprised if those who are more like Cain will hate
you and will come against you and attack you. And even some people may want you
dead, or they may literally kill you. And this is because your love for the
Lord and your walk of faith in the Lord is an offense to them.
Now, this is not the only reason that people murder others.
It isn’t always evil people just murdering those who are righteous. Those who
are evil and who are greedy are those who will murder anyone if it suits their
purposes. A lot of people are killed regularly for all sorts of evil purposes,
including for the purpose of world domination (see Revelation 12-14). And one
of the goals of world domination is population reduction.
Yet, as followers of Jesus Christ, if we are sincerely
following Jesus in truth and in righteousness, and not in form only, we are
going to have enemies, including pastors and elders of church congregations,
and including fellow professers of faith in Jesus Christ, and including our own
family members and those of our own households. It is what Jesus said would
happen to us if we become his true disciples and if we follow him in obedience.
For not everyone who professes to know God and to believe in
Jesus Christ is a true follower of Christ. Many give lip service only to the
Lord but by their actions they deny him. They claim Jesus as their Lord and
Savior but they do not honor him as Lord of their lives and they do not submit
to his plan of salvation for their lives, which is to deliver them out of their
slavery (addiction) to sin and to empower them to live godly and holy lives for
the praise and glory of God.
But since Jesus Christ gave his life up for us on that cross
to free us from our addiction to sin and to give us new lives in him to be
lived for his glory and purposes, then we are to submit to him as Lord. We are
to surrender our lives to him, and we are to walk in his ways and in his truth,
by the grace of God, and in his power and strength. And we are to love one
another with the love God has for us, and we are not to do to others
deliberately and habitually what we know will harm them.
[Matt 5:10-12; Matt 7:21-23; Matt 10:16-25;
Matt 24:9-14; Lu 6:22-23; Lu
9:23-26; Lu 21:12-17; Jn
8:51; Jn 10:27-30; Jn 14:15-24; Jn 15:10-21; Acts 5:32; Rom 2:6-8; Rom 6:1-23; Rom
8:1-14; Rom 12:1-2; 1 Co 10:1-22; Php 2:12-13; Tit 2:11-14; Heb 5:9; 1 Pet
1:1-2; Jas 1:21-25; Heb 3:1-19; Heb 4:1-13; 1 Jn 2:3-6,15-17; 1 Jn 3:4-10,24; 1
Jn 5:2-3; 2 Jn 1:6]
An Original Work / September 11, 2012
Bombs
are bursting. Night is falling.
Jesus
Christ is gently calling
You
to follow Him in all ways.
Trust
Him with your life today.
Make
Him your Lord and your Savior.
Turn
from your sin. Follow Jesus.
He
will forgive you of your sin;
Cleanse
your heart, made new within.
Men
betraying: Our trust fraying.
On
our knees to God we’re praying,
Seeking
God to give us answers
That
are only found in Him.
God
is sovereign over all things.
Nothing
from His mind escaping.
He
has all things under His command,
And
will work all for good.
Jesus
Christ is gently calling
You
to follow Him in all ways.
Men
deceiving: We’re believing
In
our Lord, and interceding
For
our nation and its people
To
obey their God today.
He
is our hope for our future.
For
our wounds He offers suture.
He
is all we need for this life.
Trust
Him with your life today.
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