If you'd open up your Bibles to 1 John 2, we're going to be spending most of our time in verses 7 through 11.
But as you can see on your bulletin, we're going to dip into what Billy preached on verses 3 through 6 for a little bit at the beginning of the sermon.
But let me ask you this.
Right now, are you having a hard time loving another Christian?
You who are blood-bought, are you having a hard time loving another Christian who's been bought by the blood of Jesus?
Maybe there's another Christian who just rubs you raw.
You're loud, they're quiet, it drives them crazy.
Or maybe someone has repeatedly disappointed you and you have a hard time loving that other Christian.
Or maybe you've had ongoing disagreements about politics, about race, about theology, and you've now closed your heart to someone and are having a hard time loving them.
Or maybe someone other Christian has repeatedly sinned against you.
And it makes it difficult for you to love that person.
Essentially, you have closed your heart against another brother or sister in Christ.
And that opens the door to all sorts of other temptations.
Complaining, grumbling, gossip, slander, attacking, avoiding, withdrawing, accusing, being quick to judge,
and being very slow to believe the best.
So on the outset here, let me ask you this question.
Have you closed your heart against another brother or sister in Christ?
Is there someone that God is bringing to your mind right now?
The book of 1 John contains a series of three tests.
The first test is the belief test, the doctrine test.
What you believe about Jesus.
Fully God, fully man.
The second test is what Billy preached on last week.
The obedience test.
Obeying all of the commandments of Jesus.
All of His word.
And this morning, we're going to look at the love test.
That we love one another just as God in Christ has loved us.
So here's the test.
Have you closed your heart against another Christian?
Are you not loving them?
Or in the words of John, are you hating them?
Christian love is having an open heart towards one another to do good to one another at cost to ourselves,
even when someone doesn't deserve it.
So here's the big idea this morning.
At the top of your bulletin, we must love all who belong to Jesus.
That's what we're going to see in this text.
That's what I'm going to make a case for.
We must love all who belong to Jesus for reasons why.
We must love all who belong to Jesus.
And I'm going to bring them all out of, help you to see them out of 1 John 2.
The first reason, Jesus modeled the way we must love.
Jesus modeled the way we must love.
If you've got a pen in hand, you want to circle Jesus modeled love.
Jesus modeled this for us.
Last week, Billy showed us from verses 3 through 6 that those born of God will obey His commandments.
And this obedient test that we see in verses 3 through 6 is not just obedience to some of Jesus' commands.
It's obedience to all of Jesus' commandments.
And if you just look at verse 3 and 4, you will notice that John has commandments in mind.
Because there's a little S on the end of commandment.
Commandments.
We're to obey all of them.
We're to keep all of His word.
Verse 5.
In the Great Commission, Jesus says,
Go make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,
teaching them to observe, to keep, to obey all that I have commanded.
Those born of God have become disciples of Jesus Christ.
We are to follow Him in all that He commands, in all of His ways.
We are to walk as He walked.
Now, what happens in this passage is we move from verses 3 through 6 into 7 through 11.
And we move from this call to obey all of the commandments of Jesus to now narrowing in on one particular commandment of Jesus.
If you look at verses, verse 7, I'm writing no new commandment, but an old commandment.
The old commandment is the same word that you have heard.
At the same time, this is a new commandment.
So, John moves from having all of Jesus' commands to now having one particular command.
And it's a whole new love test.
It's a test of love.
We move from the obedience test to now another kind of obedience, loving one another.
And what John has in mind here is John 13, 34.
Jesus has just washed the feet of His disciples.
He says,
What we see happening in John 13 is this.
Jesus models to His disciples what humble, loving service looks like.
And then He says to them in John 13, 34, and 35,
Hey, follow my lead.
Love as I love.
Which is interesting because in verses 5 and 6 of chapter 2,
we read,
Whoever keeps His word in Him, truly the love of God is perfected.
By this we may know that we are in Him.
Whoever says He abides in Him, in Jesus,
ought to walk in the same way in which He walked.
In other words, we are to love in the same way that He loved.
Jesus modeled this love for us in humble service, humble loving service.
But the ultimate place that Jesus demonstrated this love is, of course, on the cross.
Where He sacrificially gave Himself for the good of us, even when we didn't deserve it.
Christian love is a sacrificial commitment to do good to others, even when they don't deserve it.
That's what Jesus modeled.
Jesus modeled.
He didn't model this closed-hearted against you.
He modeled open-hearted for you.
So let's just apply this quickly.
First is this.
I just want you to see coming out of verses 3 through 6,
that loving one another is part of obeying all that Jesus commands,
and it's a matter of discipleship.
This is about following Jesus.
This is about being like our Savior and our Lord.
The second point of application is this.
It's a question.
Who are you looking to as a model of loving others?
When you think about, I need to love other people,
who are you looking to as your model?
Maybe you're not even asking the question.
So start asking the question.
But look to Jesus to see how He loved others.
His way is the way we must walk.
Jesus modeled the way we must love.
That's why we must love all who belong to Jesus.
The second reason why we must love all who belong to Jesus
is that we are the beloved of Jesus ourselves.
Would you circle that word beloved,
and then right next to it, write,
me, question mark.
Are you the beloved of God?
There's no question in chapter 2, verse 7,
when John writes,
Beloved, I'm writing you no new commandment,
but an old commandment.
Beloved.
There's no question that this frequent term of endearment
is John's pastoral affection
for these churches in the first century,
western Turkey.
No question.
He loves these Christians.
If anything, it shows his heart is open to them.
He wants good for them.
But the question I want to ask is,
why does John love them so much?
Because John knows that there is someone
who loves them more than him.
That they're not only the beloved of John,
they're the beloved of Jesus.
Jesus loves them.
Brothers and sisters,
our great triune God
sought us from before the foundation of the world
out of love.
He loves us with all that he is.
All that God is,
he is for you,
brothers and sisters.
The three persons of the Trinity
all work in concert with one another
with an open heart
for your good.
Lord,
you are the object
of the triune God's
open-hearted,
unceasing love,
beloved.
I want to press this in a little bit.
I want to help you
sink,
this sink in.
I want you to soak in this
for a little bit
because
many of you
have a hard time believing
that God loves you.
Many of you think
God doesn't care about you.
He doesn't see you.
Many of you think
that you need to walk
in eggshells
around your Holy Father.
Both couldn't be further
from the truth.
You know when God started
to love you?
God started to love you
before the foundation
of the world.
He set his love on you
way back then.
His love for you
didn't start
the moment
you heard the gospel
for the first time.
His love for you
goes way back.
And the
extent of his love
for you
that he would send
his only son
to die in your place
so that you could
take your place
in his family
as a beloved son
or daughter
in love
he predestined us
for adoption.
Beloved sons
and daughters.
How does God
love you?
He loves you
non-stop.
This past week
when you were
at your best
and you're like
I'm crushing it
as a Christian
God wasn't
all that impressed
but he loved you
still.
His love for you
isn't dependent
on your obedience.
He loves you
with a fierce love
for your good.
You know what your
greatest good is?
God.
He loves you
unto himself.
But this past week
when you were
at your worst
when you were
in the depths
of your shame
when you were
taken over
by fear
when you just
committed that sin
again
when you were
living in the
soft denial
of God's existence
because you're
just consumed
with yourself
God never
stopped loving you.
Yes
your sin
still grieves
him
and yes
he loves you
still.
he will never
abandon you
brother or sister
in Christ.
He doesn't
turn his love
for you
on and off.
He loves you
incessantly.
So brother or
sister beloved
of God
if you are
a genuine
believer in
Christ
you cannot
out sin
God's
outrageous
love.
You can't
out sin
it.
you can't
check this
out.
Do you
know how
hard of a
time you
have accepting
God's love?
Here's how
hard a time
you have.
The Holy
Spirit who
dwells in
you is
seeking to
convince you
of that
regularly
that you
are a
child of
God.
He bears
witness to
your spirit
that you
belong to
God.
In fact
at the
end of
Ephesians
3 the
apostle Paul
prays to
the father
to send
the spirit
afresh to
strengthen the
Christians in
Ephesus with
the power of
the Holy
Spirit so
that Christ
would dwell in
their hearts
by faith
that they
would be
rooted and
grounded in
love.
love so
that they
would comprehend
the height
depth breadth
and length
of God's
love for
them so
that they
would be
filled with
the fullness
of God
and his
love for
them.
It's a
ongoing
active
ministry of
the Holy
Spirit in
which the
Holy Spirit
is seeking
to convince
you that
you are
God's
beloved.
Your son
and his
daughter.
Here's why
this matters.
When you
are personally
affected and
filled up by
God's great
outrageous love
for you in
Christ, when
you realize the
greatness of
God's open
hearted love
for you and
you didn't
deserve it,
how can you
keep your
heart closed
against another
Christian?
If you
see and
experience God's
great love
for you, how
can you hate
somebody else
that he
loves?
1 John 4
19 says,
we love
because he
first loves
us.
Is God
bringing
someone to
your mind?
The cure
for a
Christian's
closed
hearted
hatred
is God's
open
hearted
love
for you
in Christ.
We must
love those
who belong
to Jesus
because we
are the
beloved
of Jesus.
Reason
three,
Jesus
is
commanding
us
to love
now.
circle
that word
commanding
and now.
Remember
back in
verses
three
through
six
and
verses
three
through
four
in
particular
the
obedience
test
commandments
is in
the plural
and here
in
verses
seven
and
eight
the focus
narrows
from
commandments
in general
to a
commandment
in
particular
and the
commandment
that I'm
trying to
argue for
that John
has in
mind
is this
command
Jesus
saying
I give
you a
new
commandment
that you
love one
another
just as I
have loved
you
you love
one
another
but here's
what's
interesting
in verse
seven
John
says I'm
writing you
no new
commandment
but an
old
commandment
that you
had from
the beginning
the old
commandment
is the word
that you
have heard
old
commandment
what are you
talking about
I thought
this is
the new
commandment
what's
going on
well as
often in
the case
of your
bible
what you
need to
do when
you have
a question
about one
sentence
or one
statement
you look
right around
to see if
there's an
explanation
so if you
turn to
first
John
three
eleven
here's
what we
read
for this
is the
message that
you have
heard from
the beginning
that we
should love
one another
a new
commandment
I give
to you
that you
love
one another
what
John is
saying is
that the
new
commandment
Jesus
gave
back
way back
then
is now
an old
commandment
to these
Christians
they heard
it from
the beginning
not in
the beginning
Genesis
1
but the
beginning
of their
journey
with
Jesus
when they
first
heard
about
God's
great
love
for them
in
Christ
who
sacrificially
gave
himself
to them
when they
didn't
deserve
it
when
that
began
and then
they
were
awakened
and realized
their sin
they were
also taught
that they
were to
love one
another
so what
John is
saying here
is this
old
commandment
stuff
nothing
new
it's like
he's saying
I'm not
writing
anything
you don't
already
know
this is
not
novel
this is
not
some
fresh
take
on
something
rather
this is
basic
following
of
Jesus
discipleship
101
you know
this
this is
what we
were taught
from the
beginning
and in
verse 8
he says
this
at the
same time
it's a
new
commandment
in one
sense
this
commandment
is old
this is
2,000
years old
for us
now
but in
another
sense
it's
new
and it's
always
new
because
this
command
to love
one
another
must
always
govern
our
relationships
with one
another
maybe
thinking
of that
word
new
as
now
would
help
beloved
at the
same
time
it's
a
now
commandment
that I'm
writing
to you
which is
true
in
Jesus
and in
you
Jesus
lived
it
and you
must
walk
in the
way
that
Jesus
walked
it
must
be
true
of
you
we
brothers
and
sisters
must
always
have
an
open
heart
towards
one
another
for
each
other's
good
even
when
we
don't
deserve
it
so
the
old
Jesus
gives
this
command
nearly
2,000
years
ago
the
new
it's
to
be
obeyed
today
this
is
a
commandment
of
our
Lord
Jesus
Christ
to
each
of
us
today
I
find
myself
asking
this
question
why
does
this
commandment
rise
to
its
own
test
in
the
book
of
1
John
in
John
13
35
I
think
we
are
given
the
answer
remember
John
13
34
is
Jesus
giving
the
new
commandment
a
new
commandment
I
give
to
you
love
one
another
just
as
I
have
loved
you
love
one
another
and
35
says
this
by
this
all
people
will
know
that
you
are
my
disciples
if
you
have
love
for
one
another
why
is
this
why
does
this
rise
to
its
own
test
because
our
credibility
and
Christ's
reputation
rides
on
our
ability
to
love
one
another
and
if
we
don't
we
blend
in
with
the
darkness
in
1
John
3
13
John
tells
this
church
why
are you
surprised
that you're
being
hated
by the
world
the
world
hates
Jesus
but
also
hate
you
so
if
you're
not
loving
your
brother
you're
more
like
the
world
so
this
causes
us
to
stand
out
the
new
commandment
that's
being
given
here
is
a
new
commandment
for
a
new
age
look
at
verse
8
at
the
same
time
it's
a
new
commandment
that
I'm
writing
you
which
is
true
in
him
and
in
you
because
the
darkness
is
passing
away
and
the
true
light
is
already
shining
just
one
quick
note
see
the
darkness
is
passing
away
flip
to
now
first
John
2
17
and
the
world
is
passing
away
along
with
its
desires
darkness
in
the
world
we're
talking
about
the
same
realm
the
same
domain
people
living
in
darkness
when
Jesus
came
he
lived
a
perfect
life
he
died
a
substitutionary
death
and he
was raised
from the
dead
and at
that
moment
there was
this new
dawning
of a
new
age
the
true
light
is
shining
Jesus
God
is
light
1st
John
1
5
life
our
Lord
Jesus
is
shining
now
in
between
his
first
coming
and
when
he
comes
back
and
it
will
all
be
lit
up
at
that
point
the
light
is
shining
in
the
darkness
is a
reference
to
Jesus
and
if
we
belong
to
Jesus
if
we
abide
in
Jesus
if
Jesus
is
our
life
he's
our
vine
we
can
do
nothing
apart
from
him
when
we
love
each
other
it
shines
in
the
darkness
it
lights
up
the
place
and
by
contrast
to
that
is
the
darkness
that
is
passing
away
and
what
we'll
see
in
a
little
bit
is
that
is
marked
by
hate
for
those
who
belong
to
Jesus
brothers
and
sisters
now
is
the
time
to
love
one
another
with
a
Christ
like
love
is
God
bringing
someone
to
your
mind
he's
commanded
you to
love
everyone
who
belongs
to
him
and
when
we
love
everyone
who
belongs
to
Jesus
we
light
it up
we
bear
testimony
it
validates
that we
belong
to
Jesus
and
that
Jesus
has
actually
come
so
the
question
is
what
does
this
look
like
what
is
loving
some
other
Christian
look
like
well
if
you
flip
back
in
first
John
chapter
three
in
verse
sixteen
through
eighteen
we
have
a
specific
example
of
how
some
Christians
are
to
love
other
Christians
maybe
better
yet
how
not
to
love
them
by
this
we
know
love
that
Jesus
laid
down
his
life
for
us
and
we
ought
to
lay
down
our
lives
for
the
brothers
but
if
anyone
has
the
world's
goods
and
sees
his
brother
in
need
yet
closes
his
heart
against
him
how
does
God's
love
abide
in
him
little
children
let us
not
love
in
word
or
talk
but
in
deed
and
in
truth
so
the
situation
going
on
there
what
John
is
addressing
is
hey
if
you
Christians
who
have
the
world's
goods
you're
not
living
in
want
you
have
your
needs
met
and
more
if
you
come
across
another
brother
or sister
in
Christ
and
they're
in
need
they're
in
material
need
but
you're
like
whatever
it
raises
the
question
if
you
belong
to
Jesus
what
I
want
to
help
you
see
is
the
heart
situation
because
this
is an
example
but
there's
a
heart
situation
going
on
here
that
applies
to
a
variety
of
other
examples
did
you
notice
verse
17
but
if
anyone
has
the
world's
good
and
sees
his
brother
in
need
yet
closes
his
heart
against
him
that
is
an
unloving
hateful
posture
of heart
that
leads
to
gossip
slander
imputing
motives
divisiveness
splits
departures
the
tearing
apart
of
God's
body
instead
of
the
building
up
and
unifying
of
it
brothers
and
sisters
God
doesn't
love
you
with
a
close
heart
he
loves
you
with
an
open
heart
to
do
you
good
even
when
we
don't
deserve
it
how
can
we
close
our
hearts
to
other
brothers
and
sisters
in
Christ
whom
God
loves
don't
close
your
heart
to
another
Christian
who
has
hurt
you
don't
close
your
heart
to
another
Christian
who
is
regularly
disappointing
you
don't
close
your
heart
to
someone
who
is
frequently
disappointing
you
criticizing
you
or judging
you
love
them
the
temptation
when
you're
sinned
against
or
when
you
have
your
expectations
not
met
is
to
close
your
heart
to
avoid
to
get
angry
to
be
frustrated
to
withdraw
yourself
withdraw
good
from
somebody
else
to
withdraw
your
trust
to
close
your
affections
to
close
down
giving
the
benefit
of
the
doubt
to
close
down
extending
grace
that's
not
the new
commandment
that's
hate
and the
cure
for your
closed
heart
toward
a fellow
Christian
is
God's
opened
heart
to
you
in
Christ
think
about
that
is
God
bringing
someone
to
your
mind
another
Christian
if
he
is
and
you've
realized
you're
hating
them
you've
closed
your
heart
to
them
first
step
repent
turn
to
your
loving
father
and
you
say
1
John
1
9
you
confess
same
word
God
I'm
not
loving
them
I'm
hating
them
please
forgive
me
cleanse
me
change
me
that's
where
you
start
because
your
love
is
God's
love
being
perfected
and
after
you've
confessed
you've
got to
ask
questions
like
this
do
I
need
to
seek
somebody's
forgiveness
or
do
I
need
to
forgive
someone
is
there
someone
I
need
to
go
to
and
ask
one
of
these
questions
are
we
okay
because
you
seem
a
little
icy
or
maybe
you
need
to
be
honest
you
know
three
years
ago
when
he
punched
me
in
the
face
I've
not
gotten
over
it
but
I
want
to
be
loving
you
do
you
have
a
next
step
this
new
commandment
is
a
now
commandment
we
must
love
everyone
who
belongs
to
Jesus
because
Jesus
is
commanding
us
to
love
now
the
fourth
reason
is
that
Jesus
delivered
us
from
the
darkness
into
his
light
we
see
that
in
verses
9
through
11
it's
this
contrast
between
those
who
are
currently
living
in
the
light
who
belong
to
Jesus
who
are
loving
those
who
belong
to
Jesus
and
those
who
are
currently
walking
in
the
darkness
because
they
don't
belong
to
Jesus
and
they're
hating
those
who
belong
to
Jesus
our
love
for
one
another
is
proof
that
we
have
been
delivered
from
the
kingdom
of
the
beloved
sun
the
true
light
shining
there
is
this
old
commercial
in
the
80s
by
Wendy's
there's
this
old
lady
that
when
she
encountered
a
hamburger
that
didn't
have
much
beef
would
say
where's
the
beef
where's
the
love
if
you
profess
verse
nine
to be
a
follower
of
Jesus
to
walk
in
the
light
and
you
have
no
love
in
verse
10
we
read
this
in
him
the
one
who
is
walking
in
the
light
loving
those
who
belong
to
Jesus
is
no
cause
for
stumbling
and
what's
getting
at
is
that
when
we
walk
in
the
light
by
loving
one
another
we're
going
to
avoid
sinning
we've
been
given
sight
we know
where we're
going
we're
following
after
Jesus
and
what
he
where
he
walks
what
he
says
we
follow
and
we
do
and
so
when
we're
walking
in
the
light
we
are
seeking
to
avoid
sinning
seeking
to
avoid
stumbling
and
causing
other
people
to
stumble
so
when
you
love
someone
else
another
Christian
is it
your
goal
to
help
them
not
sin
here
in
first
John
chapter
two
verse
one
we
see
John's
love
doing
that
my
little
children
I
am
writing
these
things
to
you
so
that
you
may
not
sin
that's
love
in
contrast
to
verse
10
verse
11
points
to
the
dark
side
if
you
hate
someone
who
belongs
to
Jesus
if
you're
closing
your
heart
against
someone
Jesus
has
shed
his
blood
for
whether
that's
because
they are
on the
different
side
of a
political
spectrum
or
whether
that's
because
they have
different
thoughts
than you
about
racism
or
they are
immature
you don't
like their
personality
they have
a different
theological
stance
their
weaknesses
drive
you
crazy
their
past
mistakes
their
poor
choices
they've
got
bad
manners
they have
different
preferences
they've
sinned
against
you
and
you
hate
them
for
it
if
you
are
hating
someone
Jesus
has
died
for
you
need
to
be
warned
because
you
may
still
be
walking
in
darkness
verse
9
says
it
is
possible
for
people
to
profess
to
be
in
the
light
yet
hate
in
the
dark
closing
your
heart
against
a
brother
or
sister
in
Christ
blinds
you
how
can
God's
life
giving
love
dwell
in
you
if
you
are
hating
the
very
ones
God
is
loving
are
you
calling
God's
beloved
the
behated
and
if
you
are
you
are
obviously
walking
in
darkness
not
knowing
where
you're
going
you're
not
obeying
Jesus
or
walking
in
the
way
in
which
he
walked
and
so
if
you're
consumed
with
hatred
with
someone
else
there
are
two
explanations
possible
explanations
for
that
one
is
this
you're
not
a
believer
you're
not
a
Christian
you're
in
the
dark
you're
walking
in
darkness
and
the
response
to
that
is
to
see
Jesus
being
offered
to
you
by
God
the
Father
and
to
run
to
him
to
repent
of
your
hatred
and
call
on
Jesus
to
forgive
you
for
your
sins
option
two
you
are
a
Christian
who's
closed
their
heart
and
it
reveals
your
need
to
confess
your
sin
confess
your
hatred
confess
it
for
what
it
is
it
is
a
breach
of
the
new
commandment
you
are
disobeying
Jesus
and
it's
grievous
to
God
you
are
stumbling
and
you're
causing
other
people
to
stumble
and
you
need
to
stop
and
repent
of
that
confess
it
repent
of
it
and
what
you'll
find
is
grace
cleansing
forgiveness
in the
blood
of
Jesus
in
verses
9
through
11
we
have
two
kingdoms
on
display
the
kingdom
of
light
and
the
king
is
the
true
light
shining
Jesus
darkness
marked
by
our
love
for
one
another
and
the
other
kingdom
is
the
kingdom
of
darkness
and
we
all
know
who
that
ruler
is
the
liar
from
the
beginning
marked
by
hatred
for
God's
beloved
your
love
for
other
Christians
reveals
your
kingdom
who
you're
living
for
and
Jesus
delivered
us
from
the
darkness
into
his
light
and
if
we're
in
the
light
we
love
let
me
wrap
this
up
I've
sought
to
make
a
case
this
morning
I
sought
to
give
you
four
reasons
why
we
must
love
everyone
who
belongs
to
Jesus
because
Jesus
modeled
it
he
modeled
love
to
us
we
in
fact
are
the
beloved
of
Jesus
we
are
commanded
by
Jesus
to
love
now
it's
not
some
kind
of
old
commandment
that
doesn't
apply
it
applies
now
it's
not
an
option
and
forth
in
his
love
he
delivered
us
from
darkness
and
into
his
kingdom
of
light
has
God
brought
someone
to
your
mind
if
he
has
don't
ignore
it
the
cure
for
your
closed
hearted
hate
is
God's
open
hearted
love
for
Christ
for
you
in
Christ
this
is
the
love
test
we've
been
examined
how
are
you
faring
if you
need
to
confess
go to
your
father
who
loves
you
find
fresh
forgiveness
and
cleansing
stop
hating
start
loving
out of
obedience
to
Jesus
let's
pray
God
I've
seen
hate
in my
heart
this
week
spirit
of
God
thank you
so much
for
showing
me
that
in
spirit
of
God
I
pray
that
you
would
do
a
thorough
work
in
us
where
we're
honest
about
what
is
in
our
hearts
towards
other
brothers
and
sisters
and
that
God
you
would
bring
us
to
a
point
of
seeing
it
for
what
it
is
confessing
it
as
it
is
and
repenting
of
it
God
we
ask
that
you
would
pour
out
your
spirit
on
us
that
you
would
convince
us
of
your
great
love
for
us
that
you
would
expose
our
hatred
for
others
and
change
us
into
the
image
of
Jesus
who
is
the
ultimate
lover
of
our
soul
help
us
Lord
Jesus
help
us
in
your
name
we
pray
amen