Idea: Hatred has no place in the Christian life. The Lord works in you to put off hatred and put on love, and in so doing He also blesses you with assurance of salvation.
Intro: You might call this the nitty-gritty side of loving one another. John has already said that you ought to know the command to love one another. It has been from the beginning. The OT relates God's call to love Him and to love your neighbor. And then Jesus gave it to the disciples in the upper room when they celebrated the first Lord's supper. John repeated that command in 2:7 and now again in 3:11. So as we come to consider these verses, think of the progression of John's recent thought process. 1. He held up the goal of holiness, calling you as believers to pursue the life of righteousness as an expression of your faith in Jesus. 2. He contrasted that with the opposite, the life of sin as being lawless and coming from the devil. That leads into vss. 10 ff where John says there are two distinct classes of individuals in this world; the children of God and the children of the devil.
1. Children of God - Since God has loved you, therefore love one another.
2. Children of the devil - Heed the warning of Cain. Sin lies in wait at the door, but you must master it. Hatred has no place in the Christian life.
3. Application: a. The Imperative of Love b. The Assurance that Love provides
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