Speed bellows his willow bay,
If eager Savior wills to meet me, Say, today Christ lifted
me. Thank you, Sherry. All right, go back to 1 John
2. What we just read and what we're
about to study is not new to most of us. Nearly everyone in
here has read this before and studied it before. Yet, you can always learn something
new from this old passage, can we not? Verse 7, this is what
He says brethren I write no new commandment unto you but an old
commandment which you had from the beginning I write no new
or novel thing. And what he's talking about is
what went before what he already said and what he's about to say. It's not new to you who know
Christ that he is your advocate. And what he's about to say is
not new to you either. Notice who he's writing to. It
says, Brethren. Brethren. God's children who
are brothers. Brothers in Christ. Now, he says
what is written is nothing new, but it is as old as God's Word. That's an old commandment. Go
back to Leviticus and we'll see where God gave us this old commandment,
Leviticus 19. And the commandment, he said
in chapter 3, verse 11 of 1 John, this is the word that you heard
from the beginning, that you love one another. This is the
word, the commandment, to love one another. And it's not new.
God said this in Leviticus 19. Verse 18, thou shalt not avenge
nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou
shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. I am the Lord. So this is not
new, not New Testament doctrine, but it's as old as God's words,
an old commandment. Verse 34, Look at the same chapter,
verse 34. The stranger that dwelleth with
you shall be unto you as one born among you, and thou shalt
love him as thyself. But you were strangers in the
land of Egypt. I am the Lord your God. Because
who said that? It's a commandment. So go back
to our text so he says this is not a new commandment but an
old commandment something which you heard from the beginning
the word which you heard from the beginning love your neighbor
as yourself a new commandment and he says. In verse. Eight again a new commandment
I write on to you which thing is true in him and in you it's
true. In Christ, it has its perfect fulfillment in the Lord
Jesus Christ, who is truth. He truly loves, and in you. If Christ dwelleth in you, you
dwell in him. If God, the Holy Spirit of God,
leads you and dwelleth in you, then God has shed abroad in your
heart this love. It's true in you too. It's true.
It's not a hypocritical thing. It's not a fake thing at all. It's true.
It's true in you. It really is. God's people, those
that are in Christ. Now go to John 13 with me. He said it's not a new commandment,
but it's new. He said again, a new commandment
I give to you because it's It's new and it's fresh. It's
newly commanded that the Pharisee you remember when Paul wrote
in first Corinthians, he said. The Pharisees practice and teach
and talk about the old letter a lot. But. This Christ. In a newly revealed,
though it's not. a new revelation of the truth,
though it's not new. It's as old as God. He showed
us something new, not just the old letter. Now, God said, Love
thy neighbor as thyself, didn't He? As thyself. Now, that's something,
isn't it? Who is my neighbor? That's what
the Pharisees asked. Who is my neighbor? Who do I
have to love? That's what they said. Who do
I have to love? And then our Lord gave the illustration
of the Samaritan. Remember that? Well, that's really
something, isn't it? To love someone as you love yourself? To be as considerate of someone
else as you are yourself? and caring of someone as you
are yourself, that's something. Now, because we're not able to
do this completely, that doesn't mean it has no bearing on us,
right? Because we're not able to keep
this completely, does that mean that God said, well, let's just
forget that law? That's what he's saying here
is this is something we keep. It's new because we keep we need
to learn. If we've really learned something.
We don't need to hear it again. If you've really got something
mastered, then we don't ever need to hear it again. So he
says, this is not a new, but yet it is. I'm going to keep
telling you. And Sammy, this whole book is
full of this commandment. But until so until we do. Until
we do learn this completely and fully and perfectly. He's going
to keep your mind like the faithful father that he is. So he says,
are you in John 13? Did you turn over there? OK,
John 13. So he says, love your neighbor
as yourself. And this is true in Christ. Did he not? Love his neighbor. Well, here's an even more extraordinary
way. That the Lord love and tells
us, look at John 13, 34, a new commandment I give unto you.
That you love one another. As I love you. That's better than any love than
himself and But you also love one another, as I have loved
you. This is even better. It goes
even further than yourself. The love is Christ's love and
loves us. Now again, though we fail, that
doesn't mean that this commandment has no bearing on us. That's
why we keep being reminded, but he tells us to love as Christ
love. How did Christ love? Look at
chapter 15. How did Christ love us? Here it is. Chapter 15 verses
12 and 13. This is my commandment that you
love one another as I have loved you. How is that? Well, greater
love hath no man than this. This is the greatest display
of true love. This is the absolute undeniable
proof he laid down his life for his friend. He laid down his life. This is
the greatest proof, isn't it? Now, how are we going to love
one another as Christ loved us? He commands us to. How? There's only one way that we
will begin to love one another as Christ loved us. And that's
by considering and keeping in mind how Christ loved us. You understand what I'm saying?
There's only one way that we will begin to really love one
another as Christ loved us. And that's by keeping in mind,
by considering, keeping before our eye, in our mind, how Christ
loved us and loves us. By looking to Him, that's what
that means, looking to Him. Now, I want you to consider with
me, first of all, who it is that Christ loved and loves. Just who it is that He set His
love upon, and then how. Look at Romans 5 with me, Romans
chapter 5. Some of you knew I was going
to go there, didn't you? Romans 5. Who is it that Christ loved
or set his love upon good people. Lovely people. Who is it that Christ loves now? Perfect people. Sinners. Look at chapter five,
verse six. When we were yet without strength
in due time, Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for
a righteous man will one die, yet peradventure for a good man
some would even dare to die. But God commended his love toward
us. Us, he's talking about. In that
while we were yet sinners, and we'll see in a minute what that
means. While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. God loves
sinners. Over in Ephesians 2, he says,
when we were enemies, when we were children of disobedience,
Ephesians 2, it says, do you remember? He says how that You
all, in verse 2, walked according to the course of this world,
according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit
that now worketh in the children of disobedience, among whom also
we all had our conversation, our life and time passed. Children
of disobedience, that is. Rebellious sons, that is. In the lust of our flesh, fulfilling
the desires of the flesh and mind, never giving God a thought. And whereby nature look at this
first three were by nature the children of wrath even as other
that's not talking about the wrath of God upon us. So matters. Right for him. Or by nature children of wrath
even as other God haters even as other but God. Who is rich
in mercy for his great love were with he loved us. Even when we were dead in sin,
not giving him a thought. And over in Colossians 1 verse
21 it says, when we were enemies in our own mind by wicked word.
That's who God loved and loves still. Rebels, ungrateful, prodigal
sons, rebellious sons. Luke chapter 6, turn over that
real quick. Luke chapter 6, who is it that
God set his love upon, and who is it that God loves even still? Look at Luke chapter 6. You got it? Verse 27, I say unto
you, which hear, and that's us tonight, love your enemies, do
good to them which hate you, bless them that curse you, and
pray for them which despitefully use you. unto him that smiteth
thee on the one cheek, offer also the other. And him that
taketh away thy cloak, forbid not to take thy coat also. Give
to every man that asketh thee." Verse 32 and 33. If you love
them that love you, what thank have you? Sinners do that. Verse
33. If you do good to them which
do good to you, what thank have you? Sinners do the same. Verse
35. But love your enemies, and do
good, and lend, and hoping for nothing again, and your reward
shall be great, and you shall be the children of the highest.
For he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil. And who's that?
Well, that was us. Wasn't it? That was us when God set his love on us. Unthankful.
Unthankful. And evil. Now, it's easy for me to love
someone who is very Christ-like, very kind, very tender and gentle. Let me just use my son here. This is my son, not in law, in
grace, I believe. predestined for the world began
to be my. You know son is in law. We're
so we're called sons in law and the script there were some. This young man is easy for me. He's very Christ like he's better
very tender very kind very sweet. But now what. For me to love. a rebel, an out-and-out worthless,
lousy, wretch. Now that'd be something with
him. He loves me. It's evident. But to love someone that hates
me, now that's the love of God. That's God's love towards His
people. That's who He loves. You remember me talking to you
about that young man that wanted to argue about the love of God
being for all people, and he brought this up. It said that
you love your enemies, that you may be children. That's what
the Lord said in Matthew 5. Love your enemies, bless them
that curse you, that you may be children of your father, which
is in heaven. he make it his son to rise on
the evil and on the good and send it the rain on the just
and the unjust. So he wanted to use that as proof that God,
see, God loves his enemies. But it doesn't say there God
loves all his enemies. God does love, did love, and
even does now love some of his But whoever he does love, who
is his enemy now, will not remain his enemy. They will be reconciled
to him. So he's not their enemy. God
has never been the enemy of his people. But they are his enemies. But God turns his enemies, remember
Brother Marvin's message, brings them to his footstool. He breaks
down that enmity in them. He reconciles them to him, and
they repent of their enmity toward God, their hatred of Him. And
they wonder how they could have ever been God's enemy before
such love. But God doesn't love all His
enemies. He loves some of His enemies, thank God. A whole lot,
but not all of them. And so that's why He said that
you may be children of your Father, love your enemy. He tells us
so to love them all. He doesn't distinguish there
who we... But now David said this, now if we can get a hold
of this, David said, and you know the Lord said, love, pray
for them that despitefully use you. Love your enemies. So I'm to love mine, and to pray
for them that spitefully use me. Those that abuse me, those
that smite me on the cheek, turn my cheek. If I do that to my wife, am I to love her? David said, What about my God? David said, Do not I hate them
that hate thee? So you make a discernment there,
huh? Would I love her if I let her
be abused? Neither does Christ love those
who hate his children. No sir, buddy. It's going to
destroy them all. Is that too tough? That's the
way it is. That's the way it is. Well, forgive
those that wrongfully treat you and do ill to you. Love your
enemies. It's a hard matter for a man
to love God and love those that hate God. OK. All right, go back to our text
in 1 John 3. Who does God love? Who does Christ love? Scripture
says, Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed
upon us, that we should be called sons of God, who were before
ungodly, who were before aliens, who were before enemies. That's
the love God bestowed upon us. And if we keep that in mind,
surely we shouldn't have too much trouble loving someone like
ourselves. All right, how did Christ love
us? How did God love us? 1 John 3. It says here in verse
16 of 1 John 3, Hereby perceive we the love of
God, because he laid down his life for us. Now, we ought to
lay down our lives for the brethren. He laid down his life for us.
We just read Christ died for the ungodly. The people in heaven
right now are singing unto him that loved us and washed us from
our sins in his own blood. Unto him that gave himself for
us. Unto him that laid down his life
for us. Talk about love. He took our
sin. He took our blame. Old Job said,
skin for skin. That's what a man will, he'll
save his own skin. Christ didn't. He took our sin. He took our
shame. He took our blame. Hard matter
to take someone else's blame, isn't it? That's impossible without
the grace of God. But this is what Christ did.
He took the blame completely. He was made sin for us who knew
no sin and gave us his honor. Did he not? Talk about love for
the joy that was set before him. Scripture says he endured the
cross and despised the shame. That
word despised means he thought nothing of it. Didn't give it
a second thought. What was the joy set before him?
To please the Lord to make you his people. Talk about love. He who was rich Yet for our sakes became poor,
that we through his poverty might be made rich." Talk about love.
Gave everything that we might have. Gave himself. Laid down his life. Gave up his reputation. Gave up his comfort. Gave up
his glory. Gave up his honor that we might have all those
things. Talk about love, look back at our text, chapter 2.
And this thing of love, he said, is true in him. That's why I
said that. It's true in him. It's really true. True love. Verse 8. This is true in him
and in you. Because the darkness has passed
and the true light now shined. The darkness has passed and the
true light now God's love is true in his people. Yes, it is.
It's true. This assembly right here is a
good, good example of that, is it not? You ask anyone who's
been here, all the preacher brethren, ask
them, any of them, they go away from here just rejoicing in the
evident love. that God has put in the hearts
of his people here for him and for one another. It's so evident,
is it not? Each of us are recipients of
death. You can attest to it, can't you?
Oh, it's not perfect, but it's true. It's here. And the person
who doesn't see it, the person who doesn't really feel it, probably
is the one who doesn't show it. That's just true. Just as an order for a man to
have friends he must show himself friendly. To be loved or feel
that love you have to do some loving. Right? One who truly loves Fervently,
Peter said that you love one another fervently. That means
actively. Show it. Do something. Prove
it. I mean, actually love somebody. Not say it, but do it. Someone
who truly loves will feel and be a recipient of that love.
It just has to be. It has to be. One who gives love gets love. That's a fact. Someone who does a lot of calling
will receive a lot of calling. That's just a fact. One who does
a lot of writing will get written to. And the opposite is true. If you don't call on somebody,
don't expect to be called in return. If you don't check on
somebody, don't expect to check on you. Give love, receive love. Be a friend, you have lots of
friends. This is not written that we examine
other people. Well, so and so shouldn't examine
herself. Do I love? Do I love? If I don't feel any love, maybe
I'm not Love him actively enough myself, but nevertheless, it's
true. It really is true in God's people. And love thinketh no evil. Love only thinks evil of itself,
but not of the one it loves. OK, look at verse 10, so he says,
He that loveth his brother abideth in the light. Christ is the light,
is he not? That's what John already said.
God is light. Christ is the light which lighteth
every man that cometh into the world. He that loveth his brother
abideth in the light. And there's no occasion of stumbling
in him. He that loveth his brother actively
abideth in Christ and in his love. And there's no occasion
of stumbling in him. What does your marginal reference
say about that? Occasion of stumbling. Scandal. There's no scandalous
behavior. You know first step now listen
carefully OK this is. This is sad. But it's true and
it's something we need to always keep in mind watch out for first
one of the first steps in apostasy. That is leaving the. Gospel, and John's going to tell
us about that in verse 19. They went out from us. It's very,
that's very regal. There must be heresies among
you. They which are proved might be
made manifest. But one of the first steps in apostasy is this
thing of being scandalous, or that is, starting suspicion.
Being suspicious of others. A scandal is something to raise
suspicions and shock and so forth, and you have to start that to
be that way. Scandalous. Discourse. It's to
bring up distrust. Criticism. Find faults. One of
the first steps in apostasy is to begin to find fault with others. Begin to find fault with the
church. Begin to find fault with the
preacher. Begin to find fault with whoever. If we want to find
fault, we don't have to look very far to find plenty of fault. But love doesn't think that way.
Love thinketh no evil of the brethren. It's not scandalous.
It's not an occasion to bring up scandal or suspicion and so
forth. And he that does so, verse 11,
he that hateth his brother, and someone that would do that, raise
suspicions and be overly critical and not cover up. Love covereth
sin. Love doesn't expose. Love doesn't
bring up, but it covereth. You don't broadcast and spread
your children's failings and things that they've done, do
you? No way. And neither do we. We dare not. But he that does hates his brother.
He that does, what's that? Is it for me? That's all right, darling. It
could have happened to anybody. But I'm glad it was you. You know, really, I am glad that
was you. Okay. He that hateth his brother,
and that's what it means to hate your brother, to bring up, expose
their faults and so forth, to bring them down. The only reason
somebody would do that is to make themselves look good. You
know, that's the only reason we ever bring up the faults in
others, to make ourselves look good. But it doesn't make us
look good. It doesn't. He that does so hates his brother. Hates his brother. Doesn't love
him. I don't care what he said. He hates his brother and he's
in darkness. He's in darkness and walketh in darkness. And knoweth not whither he goeth.
Because that darkness hath blinded his eyes. He that does so, he
walks in darkness. He's missed Christ. He, for all appearances, he seemed
like such a sweet, kind, dear fellow. If you ever heard him
pray, you'd be real impressed with his prayers. But he proceeded to try to draw
away disciples after himself. He fooled a few people. I have a lot of criticism for
him, various ones. Most of his criticism was directed
at the pulpit and others. And scandalous behavior, brought
up scandalous behavior. Everybody knows who I'm talking
about. He's gone now. He's gone. Went back to Mars, where he came
from. But I remember my pastor one time confronted him in the
last little while that he was here, confronted him and pointed
his finger in his face and he said, you've missed Christ. I
don't care what you say, how much you love God, know the gospel
and all that, you've missed Christ. That's a serious thing, and that's
how it manifests itself. By this shall all men know you're
my disciples, Christ said. You have love. I mean true love, real love.
God's people don't go around talking about it and just saying
it. Talk comes cheap, doesn't it? But it shall come. And really, love is not a thing
you can fake at all. You can fool some of the people.
all the time, all the people some of the time, but not all
the people all the time. Not God's people. We don't say it nearly enough.
We ought to say it a little bit more, but it's evident. It's
evident. It's truth, love. It's evident. So, he said in our text, he says,
this is no new commandment. This is something God has told
us from the beginning. It's as old as God is. Love your
neighbor as yourself. But it's new and Christ newly
showed us what it really means, didn't it? He newly revealed
what it really means to love your neighbor as yourself. How's
that? He laid down his life. didn't shift the blame, he took
the blame. Laid down his life, so he said, we ought to do the
same. And he that loveth his brother abideth in the light. Now, because, as again, let me
say this to encourage you, that because we don't do it perfectly,
don't think that there's not better. Don't think that you
don't have it. Can you not say? And John goes
on to say this in chapter 4. Hereby we know that we love God
when we love the brethren. Just as Christ asked Peter, Peter
do you love me? Peter didn't have to hesitate. I know I've denied you I know
I didn't act like I love you and all you know I love you and
love acts at times as it shouldn't but you know true love and everything
but can you not at the same Question, John, do you love Stan? You don't have to stop and think
about it. I don't know. He's pretty rotten
at times. John, Stan, do you love John? You don't have to stop and think
about it. Of course you do. Hereby we know. We've passed from death unto
life. We love the breath. That's not natural. This is not
natural. We love our family. We love our blood relation. We
love those that love us. That's natural. That's not supernatural. But now this is supernatural.
To love the others like flesh and blood. Now that's of God.
And that is the love of God that he sheds abroad in the hearts
of these people. I thank God for that. Okay, stand with me. Our Heavenly Father, thank you
for the son of your love, for sending
him to love the likes of us. Thank you, Lord, for sending
Christ to die for the ungodly. What manner of love. He bestowed
upon us that we, rebels, children of disobedience, children of
wrath, even as others, should be called the sons of God, alien,
enemies, and that Christ should die for us. We thank you, Lord. We don't know the half of it. of this. We don't fully appreciate
it, but we do thank you for what we do understand. Make us to
realize that more and more every day and appreciate and thank
you for your love more and more every day. And Lord, cause us
by your grace, by your spirit to love one another as ourselves,
as Christ loved us. It's going to take your power,
your spirit, to enable us to love just to
a degree of Christ's love. The Lord help us. We want to,
so the spirit is willing, the flesh is so weak. The Lord, may
we lay down our lives for our brethren according to your commandment,
this old and new commandment. Thank you for it. Keep reminding
us we need it. In Christ's name, amen. You're
dismissed. Thank you very much.