Thoughts from The Bible

Thoughts from the Bible

Tuesday, 04 June 2024 07:11

Do Not Be Surprised
by Cody Anderson Corinth Missionary Church

This is a good time to remember some of the over arching themes that we see in First John, mainly between light and darkness, love and hatred, truth and falsehood. These were all issues concerning the early Christian community to whom The Epistle of First John was written. These stark contrasts are ways to evaluate our spiritual well-being. Each end of the spectrum represents two totally different souls. Those who love, hold to truth and share the light, can rest on this evidence of their faith. The ones who hate, lie, and cling to the darkness have evidence of a dead soul. The text we are looking at is contrasting love and hate.
“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, (1 John 3:13-15, ESV).
Remember when Jesus was recorded in John 15 saying that we should not be surprised when the world hates us because it first hated him? The “world” refers to those that love darkness and hate the light. They are characterized by immorality and spiritual darkness. John wants to remind the believers here that it is not a matter of if we are hated, but when we are hated. Even though we are hated, hate should not be a characteristic of the believer.

In verse 14, John reminds us that love is not an emotion; it is the evidence of a believer. Love is the hallmark of a born-again believer. It is evidence that one has been taken from death and brought to life through faith in Jesus Christ. The opposite is someone who does not love, which indicates one who is still dead spiritually.
John draws a direct correlation between murder and hatred. Sounds a lot like Jesus’ teaching from the “Sermon on the Mount” where He equates anger with murder. Again, this hatred is not simply an emotion, but it aligns with darkness, death, and separation from God. Hatred is a destructive force that stems from harboring such feelings. John wants to address the internal character of hatred that can cause a corrupt heart and soul to commit acts such as murder.

I hope you find this passage as confirmation of your faith. Love is the defining characteristic of a true follower of Christ, but it is not limited to a feeling. This love acts in such a way as kindness, forgiveness, and reconciliation.
Next week, we will see selflessness. But you may find yourself filled up with jealousy, envy, and strife. If these emotions lead to acts of hatred, you will probably find yourself wishing to change the truth. Depending on your actions, you will know who your spiritual father is and whether you’re following Christ or the spirit of Satan.

One who is not filled with love will never bring light into the darkness of our society. The command to love God with everything we have and our neighbor as ourselves is the exact antidote to hatred and violence. One does not come to Christ by hearing the gospel from someone who hates them. We are to love and to proclaim the truth of cross so that the Holy Spirit can bring life to dead souls. As we live out our daily lives here on this earth, we need to heed this call to love, recognizing it as both a sign of our faith and a transformative force in a dark world.