Tonight, let's return to our study of 1st John. Considering 1st John chapter 2, the verses 7 through 11. I'd like us to back up a little bit in our Scripture reading to verse 5 of chapter 1. Beginning at verse 5 of chapter 1 and reading through verse 11 of chapter 2. 1 John 1, beginning at verse 5. Hear now the Word of God. This is the message we have heard from Him and declare to you. God is light. In Him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with Him, yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son purifies us from all sins. If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make Him out to be a liar and His Word has no place in our lives. My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense, Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours, but also for the sins of the whole world. We know that we have come to know Him if we obey His commands. The man who says, I know Him, but does not do what He commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But if anyone obeys His word, God's love is truly made complete in him. This is how we know we are in Him. Whoever claims to live in Him must walk as Jesus did. And now the words of our text. Dear friends, I am not writing you a new command, but an old one, which you have had since the beginning. This old command is the message you have heard. Yet I am writing you a new command. Its truth is seen in him and you, because the darkness is passing and the true light is already shining. Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates his brother is still in the darkness. Whoever loves his brother lives in the light and there is nothing in him to make him stumble. But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks around in the darkness. He does not know where he is going because the darkness has blinded him. Dear people of God, one of the questions that we ought to ask with regard to the teaching of the Word of God, whether we are taught in a sermon or in Bible study or in our own personal Bible reading, is what must I do? Now, I know that I've mentioned before that in seminary we were taught that every sermon must answer two questions. What must I know? And what must I do? And oftentimes it's much easier to answer the first question than the second. But the second, you see, deals with application. How is the teaching of Scripture to be applied to my life? How am I to live out that which I have been taught? Now, in many respects, John's whole letter answers that second question along with the first, but especially the second question, what must I do? As we have already seen, having only considered really less than a chapter and a half of the five chapters of this letter, we've seen that John has taught what we must know with regard to our sin and the way of salvation, And he has also been applying this already. And that application gets even more specific in the text which is before us. You recall as we have just read to refresh our memories that he has talked about having fellowship with God. And in order to have fellowship with Him, one must truly know Him. And the test of truly knowing God is obedience to His commands. Obedience is evidence of walking in the light of God's truth. And now John talks about one aspect, one very important and necessary aspect of obedience, and that is love. I preach to you this Word of God. Christian love flows from walking in the light. And we want to consider simply two things. First of all, the timeless command. And secondly, the unmistakable contrast. Again, verses 7 and 8. Dear friends, I am not writing you a new command, but an old one which you have had since the beginning. This old command is the message you have heard. Yet, I am writing you a new command. Its truth is seen in him and you because the darkness is passing and the true light is already shining. Now, at first glance, it seems that John is contradicting himself here. Not a new command, yet a new command. Old and new. What are you saying, John? What are you trying to tell us? I believe John reinforces a timeless command here. One that never expires and never loses its value or necessity, but is always profitable. Now remember, in his discussion, in his teaching about walking in the light, that walk, which is really a way of life, it is to be, That walk or way of life is characterized by being obedient to the commands of God. All of His commands, which John makes clear, is all of God's Word. Verse 5 again says, But if anybody obeys His Word, God's love is truly made complete in him. And John also taught in verse 6 that we have been given the perfect example of obedience to follow. Whoever claims to live in Him must walk as Jesus did. Our Lord Jesus Christ walked in perfect obedience to the law of God. He fulfilled all righteousness in our place, and His righteousness, as we mentioned this morning, is imputed or credited to our account. And now the command that John is speaking of is, I believe, the law of love. We know that the summary of the law is love for God above all and our neighbor as ourselves. And again, Jesus demonstrated that love perfectly, especially in the fact that He loved the church. And He gave Himself for the church. And I believe this is what John is talking about, the law of love, because that's what he contrasts with hate in verses 9 through 11. And as well, we know, if you're familiar with the book of 1 John, we know that he says so much more about Christian love later on in this epistle. But also in 2 John v. 5, we read, And now, dear lady, I am not writing you a new command, but one we have had from the beginning. I ask that we love one another. But also the very words of our Lord Himself point to this in John 13 v. 34 where Jesus talks about the new command. A new command I give you, love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. Fellowship with God, as John speaks of earlier, means also having fellowship with one another. Remember, he's talking to the church. And believers must have fellowship with one another. You see, it seems here that John is being more specific than just one's neighbor, which, as the parable of the Good Samaritan teaches us, is as broad as meaning anyone who may cross our path. But John is talking here first about the Christian brother. One who is in the visible church. You see, love for one's neighbor flows from love for God. It's not the other way around that love for God flows from love for one's neighbor. But love for one's neighbor flows from love for God. So if you don't love God, it is impossible to love your neighbor. And if you don't love your neighbor, then that is evidence that you don't love God. But we can also add, if you don't love your brothers and sisters in the church, it is impossible to love your neighbor. Now John says this is not a new command, but an old one. And the idea is that it is not new in nature. It's not a novelty. It is not original with John. Instead, it's an ancient command. The sum and substance of this command that he's talking about has been around for a long time. Old Testament Israel had this command. Leviticus 19, verse 18 says, Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against one of your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. There, the neighbor is talking about one of your people. But again, this is to flow naturally from love for God, which was a part of Israel's creed, as we see in Deuteronomy 6, verse 5, which says, Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. And therefore this command to love is a part of the history of God's people. It is a part of the fellowship God's people share with Him. It's always been there. And then John says of this command, which you have had since the beginning. John's audience has had this command ever since the beginning when they first heard the gospel proclaimed. You see, beloved, the Gospel message, whenever it is proclaimed, must include the record of God's saving work in Jesus Christ, as well as instruction as to how those who benefit from Christ's saving work are to live. What must I know? And what must I do? John makes it clear that this one and only message must include this command when he says, this old command is the message you have heard. If the message, if gospel proclamation doesn't include this command, then it's not the proper message. And obviously we can apply this in so many ways to us as a congregation, to the church at large, to us as individuals. But practically speaking, this means that we can expect the convert to conform to the command of God. We can expect that. You see, there are those in the church who say that the church cannot expect converts to see things according to the teaching of Scripture. That the church cannot expect converts, for example, to give up certain worldly lifestyles that they may be accustomed to. Maybe it's living with another outside of marriage. Maybe it's a homosexual lifestyle. Maybe it's not keeping the Lord's Day holy. But whatever the case may be, we can't expect them to see things the way the church sees things according to Scripture. But that's false. The church must and can expect these changes. And we know that these changes don't take place overnight. But we trust the work of the Holy Spirit that each one of us, old or new to the faith, not just the converts, but you and I here tonight as well, that the Holy Spirit will continually work so that we will continually be transformed by the renewing of our mind in order to be able to test and approve what God's will is His good, pleasing, and perfect will, as Paul says in Romans 12, verse 2. Yet John also says in verse 8, I am writing you a new command. Its truth is seen in Him and you because the darkness is passing and the true light is already shining. This timeless command has been contrasted this way, that the old did not cease to exist, but continues with the new. In fact, the old gives birth to the new. The new flows from the old. As someone has said, just like the Old Testament prepared the way for the New Testament, but did not lose its validity when the new arrived, the old commandment which addressed the Old Testament people kept its validity when Christ came. In fact, He gave it greater significance and a new form. Christ demonstrated this new command, old new command. He demonstrated the sacrificial nature of this command. Paul says in 2 Corinthians 5, verse 17, Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has gone and the new has come. The truth and fulfillment of this command is found in Jesus Christ. He demonstrated this command, and it is also to be demonstrated by those who are in Christ Jesus. John says that the truth is seen in Him and in you. Jesus Christ Himself makes this command the connecting link between His people and Himself. Again, quoting from John 13, He says, a new command I give you, love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this, by this loving one another, all men will know that you are My disciples if you love one another. Congregation, God's people are watched. God's people are watched closely by the world. And therefore we need to consider this. How do we get along? How do we treat each other? Part of the newness of this old command, and this may sound strange, is that it has never been altered. It has never been changed. But it is perpetually or continually in force. And there is no new knowledge or no new truth that can make this command outdated or obsolete. It is new and fresh with every generation and every situation. In fact, Christ, the light of the world whom Isaiah said would come, Christ, by fulfilling this command, now also makes it real and living in those through whom His lifeblood flows. This commandment is real in the believer because of his or her union with Christ. He is the light of the world that has come into this world of darkness. The light that will never be extinguished. You see, the darkness is passing away, as John says. As the Word of God continues to go forth and as the Holy Spirit of God continues to convert hearts from darkness into His marvelous light, from ignorance of God to faith in God, the darkness continues to pass away. Now once in a while we might say, I don't see that. It seems like it's getting darker all the time. But it's true. Jesus Christ is victorious. The darkness is passing away. One day the darkness of Satan, sin, and death will be completely put away. John says that in chapter 2, verse 17, where he says, The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever. And as Paul also says, one day Christ will put all of His enemies under His feet. But until that time, the antithesis between light and dark, between right and wrong, between good and evil, which includes the unmistakable, It remains, which includes the unmistakable contrast between love and hate. Notice again verses 9 through 11. Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates his brother is still in the darkness. Whoever loves his brother lives in the light and there is nothing in him to make him stumble. But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks around in the darkness. He does not know where he is going because the darkness has blinded him. In chapter 1, verse 6, John said that claiming to be in the light was incompatible with walking in the darkness. It's impossible the two don't mix. And now he says that the same claim to be in the light is incompatible with loveless behavior. That fits with the darkness. And again, John is talking about those who are in the family of God and those who claim to be in the family of God. We all know that there are hypocrites in the visible church. Those who say one thing and do another. There are those who claim to be a part of the family of God. They may even be faithful in the external life of the church. Worship, educational classes, volunteer work. There are those who, as Hebrews 6 verse 4 says, have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit, who have tasted the goodness of the Word of God and the powers of the coming age. Simply put, they have enjoyed the blessings of worship and hearing the Word of God preached. They have enjoyed the sacraments and fellowship with God's people and any other blessings of the visible church and therefore they claim to be in the light. But to be in the light, To be in the sphere of the true light of God means that one has been translated from darkness into light. It means that one has been regenerated with a new heart. It means that one has a new principle of life. And it means that one understands and owns the love of God for the sake of Christ Jesus. and then necessarily that one loves as God first loved them, as John says later on in this letter. See, God doesn't love us because we love others first. But we love because of His love first given to us. One cannot be in the light and not walk according to the light of God's revelation and His commands. This would be an unmistakable contrast. And that means as well that it is impossible, as John says, to be in the light and at the same time hate your brother. A lack of love for one you claim to be your brother is evidence of walking in the darkness and is evidence that you yourself are not a true brother. Remember, the darkness represents all that is of sin and of the lie and which is in opposition to God, while the light represents the exact opposite, the truth, and all that is in accordance with God, to be on the same page as God. The test of true Christianity is obedience to the commands of God. And one of the ways that obedience is confirmed is through love. While on the other hand, one of the ways that obedience is proven false is by hate. And we need to understand something else here. And that is that John, in speaking of the one who loves and the one who hates, he is not dealing here with the truth of our imperfectness and daily sin as believers, which often includes to our shame, indeed, acts of hatred for our brothers and sisters. He's not talking about true believers who indeed sin and humble themselves before the sight of God, asking daily for forgiveness. He's dealing with absolutes. He's dealing with black versus white, love versus hate. He's talking about those very simply who either are believers or are not true believers. He's not dealing now with the sin that we continue to commit against our renewed will. One or the other. It can only be one or the other. Love is expressed through concrete actions. And while hate is also demonstrated through concrete actions, hate also includes the absence of the deeds of love. You see, beloved, hatred towards another is not just, it is, but it's not just, a positive animosity toward another brother. In other words, boys and girls, feelings of anger and wrath toward another and the desire to hurt them in some way. In fact, feelings may or may not enter into the hate John speaks of here. Hatred very simply may include the absence of the deeds of love. Ignoring your brother. Hate is a failure to deny oneself. Hate is being unwilling to lay down one's life for a brother as we are commanded in John 15. Hate considers oneself first before anyone else. Opposite of what Paul speaks of in 1 Corinthians 13, 5 with regard to love. Hate disregards the robbed and the afflicted as we learn from the parable of the Good Samaritan. Hate despises the little ones of whom Christ says belongs the kingdom of heaven in Matthew 18. Hate withholds a cup of cold water from the thirsty and makes no effort to welcome the stranger or clothe the naked or help the sick or visit the prisoner as Matthew 25 speaks of. The one who walks in darkness sees no one and nothing but himself. But the one who walks in the light of the truth of God understands what a great salvation is His and understands that it is more blessed to give than to receive, and also loves his brother. In verse 10, again, John says, whoever loves his brother lives in the light. Now, he doesn't live in the light because he loves his brother, but loving his brother is evidence of living in the light. And there is nothing in him to make him stumble. And as well, Paul says in Philippians 2, verses 1-4, which is included in the one song that we sang tonight in song service, May the mind of Christ my Savior. He says, if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from His love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. And then he goes on to talk about having the same attitude, the same mind as Christ Jesus. In short, congregation, Christian love places a high value on our brother's soul and works hard to keep from doing anything that would harm his soul or harm his walk with the Lord, but at the same time, strives with all of his God-given might to encourage the spiritual life of his brother. Christian love seeks to give and not to get. And the one who loves his brother doesn't want to be a stumbling block to his brother. And by the grace of God, there is nothing in the one who loves that causes him to be a stumbling block to his brother. And there is nothing in him that causes himself to stumble. As someone else has said, one who abides in the light sees the foundation and reason of Christian love and discerns the weight and value of the Christian redemption and understands the necessity of loving those whom Christ loves and therefore there will be no occasion for stumbling in Him. Beloved, for one who walks in the light, the light of God's truth illumines the way and exposes the potholes and the pitfalls and the dangers that may be in our path. Even as the psalmist says, Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto our path to make the way clear. Our God helps us to avoid the dangers. But the one who hates his brother can't help but to stumble and to be a stumbling block because he constantly walks in constant darkness. Again, verse 11, but whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks around in the darkness. He does not know where he is going because the darkness has blinded him. Notice, whoever hates his brother is in the darkness. Not might be in or is on his way to the darkness, but is in the darkness. darkness we all know what it's like to to walk in black darkness especially as kids it seems to be a game sometimes to try to walk through a dark room without getting hurt you may try to feel your way around but there there's no certainty of where you are going or what you will run into darkness represents deadly danger darkness is blinding in the darkness there is only hurt spiritual darkness affects not only the heart and the soul, but also one's mind and one's judgment and one's conscience. And the one who walks in spiritual darkness cannot see the way to heavenly endless life, namely Jesus Christ. As well, the one who walks in darkness only serves to lead others away from Jesus Christ. That describes the one who hates his brother. In Galatians 5, verse 15, Paul describes the result of hate. In verse 14, he says, the entire law is summed up in a single command, love your neighbor as yourself. Then he adds in verse 15, if you keep on biting and devouring each other, watch out! Or you will be destroyed by each other. We see that today, don't we? Whether that's in the political races with negative advertisements trying to tear apart one's opponent. Whether it's between two nations at war that hate each other. Whether it's between rival gangs defending their turf. Whether it's in the corporate world as some try to climb the corporate ladder not caring who they step on or crush on the way. It's all around us in the world, which really should be no surprise to us because sin has caused man to look inward at me, myself, and I. Sin has changed the rules to read that I am number one. You see, we can expect this kind of behavior in the world, but woe be to us if we participate in the darkness of hate in Christ's church when God says, my rules have not changed. Not one bet. Beloved, the Word of God is clear. It's light versus darkness. It's love versus hate. There's no such thing and can be no such thing as living with one foot in the light while the other foot plays around in the darkness. It's an unmistakable contrast. Those who have been born again by the grace of God, who have been brought out of the darkness of sin into the marvelous light of the righteousness of God in Christ enjoy the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit so that they understand the light of God's truth more and more. So that daily they die to sin more and more and live to Christ more and more. And so that they love even as God first loved them. And therefore, through that, they demonstrate that they are disciples of Christ. They understand and demonstrate the love of servanthood and desire to be last so that someone else can be first. congregation for those whose hate testifies that they walk in darkness while it is still the light of today there is hope the true light is already shining even Jesus Christ the light of the world and only Christ the truth will set you free if you do not yet believe truly believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and His saving work alone for salvation the call is for you to repent of your sins confess them before the throne of God and believe on Him. He promises you His light to guard you, to guide you, to protect you for eternity. He promises you the light of His truth because only in His light will you see light. Only in His light can you see the way clearly. Only in Him is there hope. The one who walks in darkness walks without direction and has no idea where He is going and His only certainty is that He is without the hope of reaching safety. For those who truly believe, may we as God's people demonstrate His love for us by expressing His love for each other. And boys and girls, this very much includes you as well. There's no room for selfishness for those who walk in the light of God's truth. We are called to promote the welfare of each other, both physically and spiritually at home, at work, at play, at school, on the playground. We are called, beloved, to bear one another's burdens. We are called to help each other. We are called to pray for each other. We are not to desire the hurt or the misfortune or the spiritual downfall of another, but we are to desire for each other the exact opposite. And just as iron sharpens iron, and we are called to be used by God to build each other up in the most holy faith. We are to care for each other's spiritual lives and desire the care of others for our spiritual lives. And this includes encouragement where encouragement is needed. It includes admonishment where admonishment is needed. And it includes sacrifice where sacrifice is needed. You know, I believe one of the greatest demonstrations of love is when we as God's people confront each other with sin. We desire for each other to be restored to fellowship with God if one has been living in sin. That that one turns in repentance and faith once again and is restored in his fellowship with God. And again, our pattern. Remember what John says in verse 6, Whoever claims to live in Him must walk as Jesus did. Beloved, may our love for each other bear the stamp of Christ's love for us. And may we walk in this love not just on Sundays, but every moment of every day. And may our love for the family of God then necessarily flow to the neighbor who crosses our path. And may our prayer be that Jesus Christ be praised. What must we know? We must know the love of God in Jesus Christ, our Lord. What must we do? We must love as He first loved us. Amen. Shall we pray? Father, our Lord Jesus Christ has said, greater love has no man than this that one lay down his life for a friend. And those were not just words that he spoke but that was an action and a truth which he himself fulfilled and Father we thank you that you have called us as friends of Jesus Christ as brothers and sisters as your children to receive that precious gift we thank you for your love your love through which you care for your people and uphold our best interest at all times we pray that even as we experience your love to us. That we as well would express your love to each other. Father, may we indeed care for each other's spiritual lives. May we indeed build each other up, be used of you to build each other up in the most holy faith. And indeed, may Jesus Christ be praised. Hear our prayer, O Lord, for Jesus' sake and in His name. Amen. Thank you.