SERMON MANUSCRIPT
There are times in our lives when how we behave does not accurately represent who we are or who we represent.
For example, one of the greatest honours and aspirations for any athlete is to compete for their country on an international stage, like the Olympic Games. They dream of wearing the flag and hearing their national anthem played as they stand on the podium. And many athletes make their country proud in those moments, competing and carrying themselves in an admirable and applaudable way—with skill, grit, integrity, and sportsmanship.
But some bring shame to the nation they represent by cheating, lying, mistreating teammates and opponents, and even breaking the law. When this happens, that athlete is still a citizen of their county but they’ve failed to represent the values of their country. They’ve squandered the opportunity to showcase to the world the best that their nation has to offer.
Christians are on Team Jesus. We run so as to receive the prize, we fight the good fight, and we strive to finish the race. And members of Team Jesus wave a common flag, we represent a common country, a heavenly nation. Our job is to represent well, not bringing shame to the name of our Captain, but showcasing to the world the best our Lord has to offer.
And, according to 1 John 3, that means we love one another. A church characterized by love is a church that most enjoys and best represents the God who is love.
The passage we’re looking at this morning begins by declaring what love shows. That is, what is demonstrated, what is made visible when God’s people love one another well.
[10–11] Verse 11 is a hinge verse. John is closing a discussion on righteousness (which we looked at last week) and starting one on love between Christians. That’s clearly to whom he’s writing [3:1a, 2] Even verse 11 confirms this: you heard this message, we should love one another. These are believers.
And John is calling them to represent their team and their nation well because, let’s face it, sometimes Christians don’t. Sometimes believers don’t act like children of God but like children of the devil. Sometimes, by our behaviour, we reveal that our heart is more submitted to Satan than our Saviour.
Was this not why Peter was rebuked by Christ? [Matt 16:23] Peter still belonged to Team Jesus but, in that moment, he better represented the opposition. And, even though I no longer belong to Satan, if I lie, if I walk in bitterness and anger, if I slander a sister in Christ, am I not doing the devil’s work? Am I not acting like one of his progeny?
Remember, the small book of 1 John is not about being saved. It’s about saved people abiding in Christ. How can we tell if a Christian is walking closely with their Lord? How can we tell if a brother is enjoying the presence of Jesus? How can we tell if a sister is living in God’s light and love? By how they love the family of God. [11]
It’s not a new commandment, but it’s a telling one. A familial love showcases a heart captured by the Lord. “By this the children of God and the children of the devil are obvious,” are manifest, the bent of the believers’ heart at that moment is on display. This is what love shows: it shows whether or or not we’re abiding in Christ. [2:9] Loving one another is how we best represent our team.
When Patricia and I first came to Oakridge we were struck by your care for us and for one another. (I know I’m not the only one who’s noticed that characteristic of this church family.) Understand that, according to the Bible, that quality isn’t merely evidence of kindness, hospitality, or friendliness; it’s evidence of you’re abiding in Christ. It’s evidence that your hearts are bent toward righteousness. That’s what your love shows. So, thank you, for not bringing shame to him who you represent but, instead, running this race with integrity.
Now that John’s told us what love shows he next describes this love—negatively and then positively. He starts with what love is not.
[11–12] You’re likely familiar with this story but let’s remind ourselves. [Gen 4:3–5] The brothers brought offerings to God. When Abel’s was accepted and, Cain’s wasn’t, big brother became consumed with anger.
God calls it out. [Gen 4:6–7] God reminds Cain that he has a choice at that moment: walk in righteousness or walk in the sin that stalks him. To use the language from 1 John, Cain could show himself to be a child of God or a child of the devil. Which will he choose? [Gen 3:8] Cain demonstrated, at that moment, that his heart was bent toward sin, not God, by hating his brother.
We can do this too. We notice other believers around us walking in righteousness, like Abel was—maybe more gifted than us, more blessed than us, more joyful than us, more peaceful than us, more sanctified than us—and we make a bad decision. Instead of celebrating their righteousness and, perhaps, learning from it, being corrected and challenged by it, we entertain the sin crouching at the door. In that moment we have a choice: love them or hate them. And what we decide will display the state of our heart.
Back in 1 John we’re reminded that this type of hatred is what we expect from the world around us, not from believers among us. [13] Those who don’t know God’s love and who hate God’s Son are expected to hate God’s people. They’re not on the team. But those who are on the team should represent their Captain, their nation, well and love one another not hate like Cain.
[14–15] John is reminding believers that, in Christ, we’ve passed toile from death. So why would we abide in death—remain in it, be tethered to it. Why would we act like it’s still our master by hating one another, something Jesus say is murder in our hearts (Matt 5:21-22)?
It’s like someone with no cavities insisting on getting weekly fillings. It’s like someone with cancer in remission demanding treatment continues. It’s like someone who’s been given a clean bill of health living like they have days left on earth.
We’ve been given life. [John 3:36a] So, John says “act like it!” Don’t live lives characterized by hatred, murder, and death. Represent the eternal life you’re been given by loving like the Giver of that life loves.
Okay, so love is not anger and hatred toward brothers and sisters, but now we need to know what love is. That’s where John goes next.
[16] There could not be a more drastic contrast: Cain versus Christ; taking a life in anger versus laying down a life in love. You want to know what love in the family of God looks like, set your gaze on Jesus and what he did for you and then do that for one another.
And, while few of us will ever need to literally lay down our lives for members of our church, we can sacrifice in other ways. [17–18]
This is what love is: meeting needs self-sacrificially. I had a professor who used to remind us that “Evidence of love is the response to need, not the palpitations of a heart.” Love is self-sacrifice need-meeting.
And if we have the means to meet a need in the body of Christ and don’t do it—literally, to shut your insides against it—we can’t say we’re abiding in the love of Christ because the essence of the love of Christ is need-meeting self-sacrifice!
But if the love of Christ is abiding in us, if we are consumed by our immeasurable need that was met by his immeasurable self-sacrifice, that love will ooze from us to others in the church. I will seek out needs because that’s what Christ did for me. I will not hesitate incur the cost of love because that’s what Christ did for me. I will endure inconvenience and pain because that’s what Christ did for me. I will do things for other people that they can’t do for themselves because that’s what Christ did for me. It will love in ways that expect nothing in return because that’s what Christ did for me. I will love others even when they are unlovely because that’s what Christ did for me. I will forgive the seemingly unforgivable because that’s what Christ did for me. I will extend offers of reconciliation to the undeserved because that’s what Christ did for me.
This is what love is. This is what is to characterize Team Jesus. Not self-exalting hatred but self-sacrificial love. And when we walk this way, we are putting on display the state of our hearts, the abiding in Christ we long for. We are representing our team, our nation, not with shame, but with values consistent with our Captain, who laid down his life for us.
This past week, the Baltimore Raven’s finalized contract negotiations with quarterback, Lamar Jackson. Not only does Jackson get to make a living playing a game for the next five years in front of adoring fans but he will make $260-million doing so. By most metrics, that’s good news. But it was reported that the deal was sweetened by a record-setting $72.5-million signing bonus. A little cherry on top.
As our text concludes, John gives us a bit of a signing bonus. It’s already been good news, right? We’ve passed from death to life and we’re invited to live like it’s true, meeting needs and displaying our Saviour’s love to the world. By most metrics, that’s good news, it’s a privilege. But now God sweetens the deal as John describes what love does. These are added benefits to us when we love like Christ and not like Cain. It’s the cherry on top. And he lists two things that love does.
First, love cleanses the conscience. [19–20] Okay, so we’re meeting needs in the church but, let’s face it, there are always more, right? Sometimes we just can’t keep up. Their everywhere! I can’t even get around to praying for them all, and I know I don’t even know them all! And, for someone abiding in Christ, guilt can set in no matter our level of generosity. “I haven’t done enough!”
Here’s a signing bonus: when our heart condemns us, we remember that God is greater than our heart, he knows all things including our motives, our capacity, and all the needs we’ve failed to meet. The same God we’re trusting with our salvation we’re to trust with the needs around us that we miss. Rest easy. Love one another, meet needs, and trust God. Let his love flowing through you cleanse your conscience.
Second, love gives us confidence. [21] One day the Lord is going to return and every believer will stand before him and give an account for the life and the time he entrusted to us. There can be some anxiety at that thought. But John says there need not be.
If we love our brothers and sisters in Christ, meeting their needs in self-sacrificial ways, we can look forward to that day when we will, as verse 19 said, stand before him with assurance. [2:28; 4:17]
But the confidence isn’t only forward looking. This familial love also gives us confidence today as we go to God in prayer. [22–23; 5:14]
We can hinder our prayer lives by how we live. One writer summarizes this issue when he writes: “There is nothing mechanical or magical about prayer. For it to be effective, the will of the intercessor needs to be in line with the will of God; and such a conformity of wills is brought about only as the believer lives in Christ.”
When we love one another we are showing that we’re abiding in Christ, representing him well, aligning our will with his. And, because of that, we can boldly go to the throne of grace knowing that we’re heard and that our prayers will be answered. That’s confidence!
What does love within the family of God show? It shows the state of our heart. It shows the level to which we are abiding in Christ. We’re to love, not like Cain, full of jealous, insecure hatred. We’re to love like Christ, self-sacrificially meeting needs. And when we do, we represent our team well, our Captain well, to a world that needs this example.
Oh, and there’s a signing bonus to sweeten the deal. When we love this way, we’re gifted a clean conscience and a holy confidence. By any metric, that’s good news.
So, brothers and sisters, let’s be that church family, loving one another like Christ not Cain. Let’s seek needs and meet needs. Let’s turn our eyes to Jesus / look full in his wonderful face. Let’s turn our eyes to Calvary, where the Son of God gave his life for us / and our measureless debt was erased. Let’s turn our eyes to his love and then dedicate ourselves to doing likewise.
Josiah has served the Oakridge Bible Chapel family as one of its elders and one of its pastoral staff members since September 2018, before which he ministered as an associate pastor to a local congregation in the Canadian prairies. Josiah's desire is to be used by God to help equip the church for ministry, both while gathered (edification) and while scattered (evangelization). He is married to Patricia, and together they have five children—Jonah, Henry, Nathaniel, Josephine, and Benjamin.
