Loving one another (1 John 3: 11- 15)

LOVING ONE ANOTHER (1 JOHN 3: 11- 15): 

After writing about God’s Children and Devil’s Children, as well as the importance of practicing righteousness and loving the brother for being God’s Children, Apostle John writes that the message the believers heard from the beginning is, they should love one another. The recipients of Apostle John is of different age groups and some might have directly encountered the teaching of Jesus and some might have been heard through the author himself or other apostles about the primary commandment for a believer that they should Love the other person in spite of the differences. Apostle John then writes that they should not be like Cain, who was of the evil one and had murdered his brother. He murdered him because of his own evil deeds and brother’s righteousness. Cain’s intention was not right from the beginning, he had offered the sacrifice just for the sake of doing it without making God as the first priority of his life, on the contrary Abel his brother gave his best implying his foremost priority to God. Then Cain had murdered his brother as he was jealous of him that God accepted his sacrifice. But because of the hatred of Cain, God had not accepted his sacrifice. Therefore the believers should not have the evil intentions and attitude as that of Cain.

Apostle John then addressed the believers as brothers and cautions them not to be surprised that the world hates them. The life of the genuine believers are much valuable and has the best standard in the whole world with admirable characteristics. Still, the whole world is corrupt and deviated that many of them could not endorse the believers and hate the believers for their good life as it disturbs their evilness, and as the believers stand against evil deeds, the world could not go in line with them. The believers need not be disappointed because of people’s unacceptance but shall rather have the conscience that they live for God. Apostle John also says that the believers know that they have passed out of death to life because they love the brothers and whoever does not love abides in death. The believers ought to love others in spite of their goodness and differences without any discrimination and favoritism as Christ did, which is not an option but a commandment and by that they know that they had overcome death to eternal life.  So, those who doesn’t love the brother, do not practice what is pleasing to God and couldn’t inherit eternal life, but abides in death which is the consequence of sin.

Apostle John further writes that everyone who hates his brother is a murderer and the believers know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him. The person who carries hatred in heart is not renewed and repented, and the person who hates the fellow being couldn’t follow Jesus in His steps. The person who hates doesn’t live a life of faith and they are compared to murderer as they had killed the fellow being already in heart and the person’s faith is vain. No such person can claim the faith in Jesus and call God as a father as they had not believed Jesus as the way it needs to be, and has no eternal life.

Stimulations for Self-Reflection:

1.      What was heard from the beginning? Why it was stressed by Apostle John?

2.      Like whom the believers should not be? Why?

3.      Why Cain murdered his brother?

4.      How Cain’s deeds were evil? How his brother’s deeds were righteous?

5.      For what the believers need not be surprised? Why?

6.      What the believers know? How?

7.      What does one who doesn’t love abide with? Why?

8.      Who is a murderer and what is the consequence of being a murderer?

9.      What are the challenges in loving one another?

10.  How we can love our brother without any hatred?