We are continuing this study in I John under the Series titled “Living in the Light.” Week 1 we discussed how “God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all,” and how you and I are to “Love one another.” Weeks two and three, the message was titled “Living in the New Name – Part 1 & 2.” If you remember from last week, John begins chapter 2 of this letter by saying, “My little children, these things write I unto you that you sin not . . .”
John is writing to us that we SIN NOT, because Light has no business hanging around in the darkness. But, when we do (AND WE WILL), we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. But Jesus is also more than just our Lawyer, our representative before God, according to verse 2, He is also the propitiation for our sins, the payment for our sins, and for the sins of the whole world.
Because of that, verse 3 says we are to “Keep His commandments.” But here’s the problem – we can’t. You and I have a hard time living up to this New Name – we need help! The only way we can Live up to this New name is to die to self, and allow Jesus Christ to live vicariously through us. HE MUST INCREASE AND WE MUST DECREASE! Remember from last week, Jesus said you and I can do NOTHING apart from Him. Do y’all remember what NOTHING means?
Then in verse 4 we learned that our actions speak louder than our words. What John is talking about here is people who constantly live their lives, day-in and day-out, contradictory to lifestyle Christ demands of our lives. They say they love Christ, but nothing in the lives reflects that. Here’s the real problem though, we are so focused on the sins people had in their past, we WON’T LET THEM FORGET. Christ might forgive them, but we sure won’t.
In verse 5, we learned that we should Obey (Keep) His Word Because We Love Him. Folks, if you say you are following Jesus, it is notObedience that cause you to follow – it is Love. You say, “Preacher why do you preach so much about love? Because listen to me, without it, we can never Live up to the Family Name.”
Finally, last week, in verse 6 we finished with this thought, “When you don’t know what to do, Do what Jesus Did.” The thought behind it was this: before you go off and do something stupid, you are supposed to stop and ask yourself – What Would Jesus Do? When you don’t know what to do, do what Jesus did!
Now this week, look at verses 7-11:
“7 Brethren, I write no new commandment unto you, but an old commandment which ye had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word which ye have heard from the beginning.
Remember from the start we mentioned John’s style of writing, how John will make a point, then he will go here or there, then he returns to the main point. That’s what John is doing here. He is saying, “I’m writing the same thing to you now that I wrote at the start.” The message hasn’t changed.
8 Again, a new commandment I write unto you, which thing is true in him and in you: because the darkness is past, and the true light now shineth.
Now here is what’s going on: In light of the resurrection, it’s application looks different. Before the resurrected Christ was out of the tomb, you were left trying and doing what you could to try and Live in the Light and to Love others, and to Live up to this New Name. But now, Christ has Risen. And we are now to DO AS HE DID.
In fact, in John 13:14, 15, “14 If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another’s feet. 15 For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you.”
“IF I, BEING THE SAVIOR HAVE TAKEN ON THE ROLE OF THE SERVANT, AND I DO THE UNPLEASANT, I DO THE THINGS THAT NO ONE ELSE WOULD DO, AND I’M DEMONSTRATING THAT TO YOU, THEN YOU – THOUGH YOU MIGHT THINK YOU ARE BETTER, YOU MAY NOT BE IN AS LOWLY A STATE AS OTHERS, THOUGH EVERYONE IN THE WORLD MAY ESTEEM YOU AS BEING GREAT – YOU – BECAUSE OF YOUR NEW NAME – CHRISTIAN – DO THE SAME.”
Jesus further demonstrates this in John 13:34, 35, “34 A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; (AS WHAT?) as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. 35 By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.”
The strongest evangelistic tool that we have in the church that we do not use is the tool of LOVING THOSE WHO ARE UNLOVEABLE. One of the biggest hurdles of people coming to faith in Jesus Christ is their inability to believe that God can love them:
- They’ve sinned too much.
- They’ve failed too much.
- They’ve gone too far.
- There is no hope for them.
- God has no place or forgiveness for them.
And where do you think they got that idea? From the local church. Can I tell you why I think Rally Point Biker Church is different? Because right here in this room this morning, you will find some jacked-up, sinful, messed-up with a big Rapp sheet kind of people – who are loved by God and who are in a room full of people that have demonstrated that love toward them.
You want to know why churches are so unattractive today? It’s not because the preachers aren’t preaching, or because the Gospel is less true, it’s not because we are getting close to ends time and people or just lovers of self-more than lovers of God – the reason the church of today STINKS to the community is because WE HAVEN’T LOVED EACH OTHER, MORELESS LOVED THEM.
I’m telling right now, the only problem we have had in this church has been because of LOVE – period. Folks, I’m telling you right now, the message this morning is this – If you have anger in your heart for another brother – FORGIVE!
WHY? BECAUSE OF YOUR NEW NAME – CHRISTIAN! Your capacity to forgive has increased because of the Love of a Savior that loves YOU and has forgiven YOU at the most unforgiveable state of your life. And what is forgiveness? It is forgetting and letting go. The problem (and downfall) for some of you, is that you just can’t let go.
You and I need to learn to let it go. Let it go where? Either to the Cross or the Judgment Seat. Either way, let it go. Why? Because if you don’t, look at verses 9-11:
9 He that saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother, is in darkness even until now. 10 He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is none occasion of stumbling in him. 11 But he that hateth his brother is in darkness, and walketh in darkness, and knoweth not whither he goeth, because that darkness hath blinded his eyes.”
Folks, without learning to Love and Forgive, you’ll never Live in the Light or Live Up to the New Name!
Learning to Live in the Light and Live up to the New Name begins with learning to Live in Love.
Fighting for My Pea Patch 