1 John 3:11-18 For this is the message that ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another. Not as Cain, who was of that wicked one, and slew his brother. And wherefore slew he him? Because his own works were evil, and his brother's righteous.
Marvel not, my brethren, if the world hate you. We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death. Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him. Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. But whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him? My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.
Love and hate
The old song says, “Everybody loves somebody sometime.” And if that is true and the meaning of love in that context is the proper view, then everyone can claim to have met John’s test and be a Christian. But this is not the kind of love that John is speaking about.
Love originates with God and indicates a bond with God and expresses itself in self-sacrifice and other practical concerns for the needs of others.
Hate originates with the devil and indicates a bond with him and is expressed in jealousy and ends with murder. These two points form the two main sections of John’s passage. John is not saying anything new, but gets his information from the rest of Scripture – either the Old Testament or the teachings of Christ – Cain in Gen 4; Jn 8:44; 15:18-19.
Jesus taught the meaning of the command “thou shalt not kill” by showing that it is not only the act of murder but the attitude of the heart. A person may not actually kill another or may not have the strength to kill another, but he/she is a murderer just the same if they hate in their heart. John used the example of Cain and Abel because they show the result of a heart yielded to the devils power, influence and control as opposed to the heart of Christ, yielded to God and expressed in His sacrifice for mankind. Prov 18:21
Christian love
After showing the test that shows a person is of the devil and the test of being Christian, John brings forward the social test of Christian love. He says we know we have passed from spiritual death to spiritual life because we love the brethren. He says those who do not love are abiding in death (spiritual death). We are naturally selfish and self-centered people and it takes the power of God’s Spirit to bring us life – we were dead in trespasses and sins – and by God’s Spirit we have been made alive spiritually. An indication of that life is we love the brethren. John goes on to tell the believers about their relationship with other believers. They need the power of God’s Spirit to love one another. We are not all lovable and it takes the agapao love to aid us. We all have qualities about us that can be cause for bringing forth ill feelings that can lead to hate. But God will spread his love into and over us to enable us to love as we should (Rom 5:5). It is part of the Spirit’s fruit and John makes it clear that not yielding to the Spirit but allowing the enemy to fill us with hate rather than allowing God’s Spirit to fill us with love for the brethren, we do not possess eternal life (1 Jn 3:15).
In this teaching John shows that there are two families – that of God and the other of the devil. Those born into the family of God have the Spirit’s power available to enable them to produce a different life while the others are controlled by their father, the devil (Jn 8:44), and live his way.
This does not mean that we like all the ways of others or even agree with them, but through God’s Spirit we literally put up with others (Eph 4:2-3). Jesus tells us that this is a showcase to the world – how we love one another (Jn 13:35).