Abide in the Light

1 John 2:7-11 and the Call to Abide in the Light

Please turn in your Bibles to 1st John in chapter 2. This is God's holy and infallible word. My little children these things I write to you so that you may not sin and if anyone sins we have an advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous and He himself is the propitiation for our sins and not for our only but also for the whole world.

Now by this we know that we know him if we keep his commandments. He who says I know him and does not keep his commandments is a liar and the truth is not in him. But whoever keeps his word truly the love of God is perfected in him.

By this we know that we are in him. And he who says he abides in him ought himself also to walk just as he walked. Brethren, I write no new command to you. But an old commandment which you have had from the beginning the old commandment is the word which you heard from the beginning and Again a new commandment I write to you which thing is true in him and in you.

Because the darkness is passing away and the true light is already shining. He who says he is in the light and hates his brother is in darkness until now. He who loves his brother abides in the light and there is no cause for stumbling in him.

But he who hates his brother is in darkness and walks in darkness and does not know where he is going. Because the darkness has blinded his eyes. Please pray with me now. Oh Lord, I pray that you would cause these your people to Walk and abide in your light.

Oh Lord, we know that this is manifested first in our love for you father son and Holy Spirit. But in a very tangible way our love for you is reflected and revealed in our ordinary love for the brethren.

Oh Lord, I pray that this virtue would abound more and more in us that our Orthodoxy would be matched with Orthopraxy and we would be those who are known by their love for one another and ask all this in Jesus name.

Amen, please be seated. Three points of emphasis. I'd like you to consider today and the first. And you should be able to derive this just from the text itself the Old Commandment made new.

The Old.

Commandment made new. Second the darkness is past and the true light shines. The darkness is past and the true light shines. And Third the title of the message abide in the light. Number one the Old Commandment made new.

Number two, the darkness is past and the true light shines and number three abide in the light. Jesus Christ is the light of the world and For us to abide in the light to walk in his ways. We must love as he has loved.

For us to hate our brother is to walk in darkness. Until now. What I was thinking about 1st John this week. One of the things I thought I would bring in at this point in our time is the person of John the author.

And the reason I want to bring up these two Fuller descriptions of who John the Apostle is is because I have always viewed John in a very idealistic way. He is the disciple whom Jesus loved. He is likely the youngest of the disciples he appears to have not been martyred for his faith, and he was held in high regard and esteem in the life of the church.

I Like us to look at two quick texts about John one of those a little bit Indirect and one is very much John. The first I'd like us to look at is Matthew chapter 20. You please turn there. The reason I bring this up is because I think of Paul.

I think Paul prior to coming to Christ loved being a Pharisee of the Pharisees. I Think he took some value in being one of the best scholars in Israel Advancing beyond his companions. I think that was satisfying to Paul.

He was a part of The favored some people think the the most favored tribe in Israel the tribe of Benjamins. He has all of this pedigree. He has some tremendous natural ability and Great diligence of character.

He has honor. He can live in both worlds. He grows up in Tarsus. He understands the Greek world very well, but he himself is the Jew of Jews. Paul counts it all as rubbish. He throws all that aside says I know Christ.

So all these other things can be set aside. I think of Peter and his brashness and boldness and even arrogance. We get to him as an older man when he's writing his epistles, and he is a much more humble and.

Very.

Understated man. He's no longer exalting himself. He lives to Exalt Christ. So I want to give some backdrop like that for John here today. Let's look at Matthew chapter 20 and I'll begin reading in verse 20 then the mother of Zebedee's sons Came to him with their with her sons.

Kneeling down and asking something from him I want to point out that the two sons of Thunder James and John. John is likely the younger brother of James and John the sons of Zebedee. Zebedee is apparently a fisherman of some Note, he is probably one of the wealthier fishermen in the area in the Sea of Galilee.

He is a place of honor and significance in the computer and our mothers and our fathers here can Relate. We want good things for our children. We want them to have a place of honor. We want them to succeed in their lives.

We want to protect them from trouble. We want to we want to groom them in the proper way to direct them on the path that they should go. So Jesus responds to John's mother.

What do you wish and?

She says to him Grant that these two sons of mine may sit One on your right hand and the other on the left in your kingdom. Mrs. Zebedee was about honor for her family. You and I can be about the honor of our family.

We can want good things for ourselves and our children. Sometimes it can be misplaced. It's verse 22. Jesus responds to this request. You do not know what you ask. Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with.

And. They said to him no doubt very eagerly We are able we want the position of the right and the left hand of you When you come into your kingdom. Oh Christ when you come into your kingdom He says to them you will indeed drink my cup and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with.

But to sit on my right hand and on my left is not mine to give But it is for those For whom it is prepared by my father.

Now.

The sons of Zebedee our author of this epistle, they're kind of put down they're rebuked by Jesus. And it's interesting now. There's a bitterness that grows among the ten that are left of the Apostles look at verse 24.

When the ten heard it they were greatly displeased with the two brothers. But then Jesus called them to himself and said I Should pause here. When I preached this a number of years ago, I would came to some conviction that that part of the resentment of the ten in this earlier stage of their discipleship.

Is that they too wanted a place of honor? They didn't think of it their mama didn't come lobbying for their position. So the resentment is not this virtuous anger. My view it is the ten we're thinking I would like to have this place of honor.

This ending fits with our message and it's gonna help us get into it. Verse 25 says. Jesus called them to himself and said. You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them and those who are great exercise authority over them.

Yet it shall not be so among you whoever desires to become great among you let him be your servant and Whoever desires to be first among you let him be your slave. Just as the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and To give his life a ransom.

For many you can turn optionally if you're gonna be distracted and don't have the discipline don't do it but turn to Luke chapter 9. Again, I want to give you more information about John. I Don't know if he said to his mom.

It's not a good idea to go talk to Jesus or did they conspire and say hey, maybe Jesus likes you maybe if you go and talk to him, maybe James and I can have a higher place. We think about the idyllic life of John and but we also forget that his brother James the son of Zebedee.

The other one was probably the first of the Apostles to be martyred. You see that in the book of Acts so John himself is Acquainted with sorrows and grief like his Savior and like you and I are the last part of Chapter 9.

I'm gonna begin reading in verse 51. The dispute I should say in verse 46. It's a section again Who's going to be greatest in the kingdom of heaven Jesus responds to them? Whoever receives this little child in my name receives me and whoever receives me receives him who sent me.

For he who is least among you all will be great.

The.

Christian ethic is upside down from the world we strategize and we maneuver and we labor for greatness and honor and prominence. If You don't recognize that that in yourself you are in self-denial. This is something that has to be mortified in our flesh.

And I often think of John being the Apostle of love read Gospels read the epistles. He's the love Apostle verse 51. Now came to pass when the time had come for him to be received up. That he steadfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem.

Jesus is now on the path. To the cross to the resurrection to the Ascension. He's laser focus now. He's moving in the direction. His public ministry is out and he's going to now Do all of the work of the Messiah?

And he sent messengers before his face and as they went they entered a village of the Samaritans to prepare for him. You remember in the story of the one from the woman on the well. There is an expedient way to travel from Galilee to Jerusalem and you go through Samaria.

Samarians are half-breeds. They're not really Orthodox. They have strange doctrines. They are part of that rebellious northern ten tribes that were dispersed in the time of Solomon. Verse 53. The Samaritans did not receive him.

Because his face was set for the journey to Jerusalem. And when his disciples James and John the sons of Zebedee Saw this they said Lord, do you want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them just as Elijah did?

I don't think John is yet the Apostle of love and this gives me some encouragement because the gospel transforms the lives of Christians. We are not yet what we are going to be because of this great work of the Holy Spirit in us.

And so when we think and see our lack maybe we should consider the future with some optimism and recognize that God is at work in us and We may be people who want to call down fire from heaven and I gotta tell you part of me and my natural man.

I love that. I want to see the Samaritans smoked. I want to see him burnt up to a crisp. Because they reject our God. But Jesus corrects John and he corrects me. He says in verse 55 He turned and rebuked them.

And said you do not know what manner of spirit you are of. For the Son of Man did not come to destroy men's lives. But to save them and they went to Another village. Let's go ahead and turn back to our text in first John if you were with me.

John was a man like us a Sin nature like ours and God was able to use him in a very mighty way and I believe John's Chastening by Christ is part of the backdrop. This is I believe how in some ways John becomes The man that we know him to be.

Well, let's look at the text again. We're gonna be looking at verses 7 through 11. The language for us in English is a little bit awkward and there's some redundancy and Well, we should know about the Hebraic mind much like our own languages and traditions in the West.

There there's something powerful in repetition. John says some of the same things multiple times with slightly different tones. But but there's kind of a simple message that he is grinding out for us.

Here in the first epistle look again at verse 7 brethren. The Delphi those brotherly loved ones. I write no new commandment to you. But an old commandment which you have had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word which you heard.

From the beginning I have to establish this foundation. I believe in John's gospel and again turn with me if you're able or Just listen John chapter 13. This is an essential Christian text. Parents have your children memorize a couple of verses in this little section.

Adults you too would do well to know this text very intimately the the language the words. You'll know once I begin reading them is very clear to us. John chapter 13. This is Part of the explanation of how the old commandment is made new.

My first point, which I believe John is drawing out in our text beginning at verse 31. So when he had gone out Jesus said now the Son of Man is glorified and God is glorified in him if God is glorified in him.

God will also glorify him in himself and glorify him.

Immediately.

We beheld his glory. This is something that's very important to John. This is something that's in his first chapter and the epistle is very big in his gospel Verse 33 little children. I shall be with you a little while longer.

You will see me and as I said to the Jews where I am going you cannot come so now I say to you and here it is a New commandment I give to you That you love one another. I can go throughout the Old Testament law and show you how This command to love one another is Embedded in the very law of God.

The second table of the law is love your brother. How is this new? How is the commandment the Old Commandment that John speaks of in the epistle, how is it made new? He says as I have loved you That you also love One another.

The scholars could debate about who their neighbor is. They could argue with Jesus about loving enemies outside the covenant community but now with precision and clarity Christ himself says the law of love.

The commandment to love is now Amplified magnified fully teased out and revealed in my love for you to love one another. That can be done. Maybe at a surface level that could be satisfying to the church the community.

But now the standards have been raised. You and I are called to love each other in the way that Christ loves not about you. But I feel some conviction. I Don't love in this way. I look more like James and John in their bad state than I do a Jesus in his Perfection so walking in his ways abiding in the light Jesus really narrows it down and John focuses on that both in his gospel and in our epistle that this in its refined state is Loving one another as Christ has loved so you and I have some room for growth And improvement now, let's go back to our text in 1st John Brethren, I write no new commandment to you verse 7.

But an old commandment which you have had from the beginning the old commandment is the word which you have heard from the beginning. Again a new commandment I write to you that thing which is true and in you because the darkness is passing away and the true light is already shining.

When you think about redemptive history there have been some dark days in the life of the church there is a 400 plus Period of time before the arrival of John the Baptist preparing the way there's really in many ways a prophetic silence and if we look at the world in which Jesus arrives in the incarnation we see a Compromised corrupt Judaism and the wickedness of the Romans and the Greeks are legendary.

It's almost like a Genesis 9 kind of thing we read their letters, there's great sexual immorality. There's horrible things going on sacrifice of children. Corruption at the temple. There's a great darkness.

But now at the arrival of Jesus Christ, and this is what we should be thinking of every Advent season. We think about the arrival of Christ. The light of Christ now shines in the darkness. Christ has come and he cannot contain the brightness and the light of his glory and he comes.

Now.

The darkness is passing away and the true light is already shining. As Mark was talking about the importance this morning of thinking about the cross in light of the resurrection I Was thinking to myself in light of my tax.

It's important to think of the cross in the light of the resurrection and the ascension of Christ. The light has come into the world the the king has retaken Ownership and possession of his creatures and his created order he lives and reigns today.

The light is shining in this dark world. This gospel cannot be thwarted. The kingdom cannot be restrained. It's going to touch the ends of the earth. And John wants to get this message out and he says but there's an ethic there's a morality that goes.

With it.

The darkness has passed and the true light shines. We get this in a cosmic sense and maybe a categorical sense. We can posit it theologically. But we can also see it in a very practical way. Don't turn there.

But I think a linchpin verse for this idea if you're taking notes is found in 2nd Corinthians chapter 4. This is Pauline doctrine which you see some great synergy between Paul and John here. 2nd Corinthians 4 5 and 6 say this for we preach not ourselves.

I Can tell you I have nothing to say as a preacher. I've only got Christ in his word. If you hear me preaching my stuff. Tell me to get out. Paul says I'm not relying on my Pharisee of Pharisees and tribe of Benjamin stuff here.

I preach Christ and him crucified. We're not preaching ourselves. There's a lot of preaching of ourselves going on in the world today, but but true biblical preaching is to preach Christ and here's this very strong link and we preach Christ and ourselves your servants.

For Jesus's sake. So you and I should be tripping and stumbling over each other trying to outdo one another in our love and service to each other. Now here it is.

For God.

Creation who commanded the light to shine out of darkness Has shined in our hearts. After the darkness there's light the earth is dark and void And then there's light. There's dead and sins and trespasses there is no communion with God and Then the light of the world and the power of his spirit shines in the heart of his people.

The light switch goes on To give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. Brethren I Want to appeal to your reasonable rational logical minds. We who have.

Christ.

And are filled with his spirit that the light has shined not only round about us But in our dark recesses of our hearts. If That be true of us then then how can we tolerate sin in ourselves? As I've mentioned a couple of times in recent weeks We are very capable of seeing the sins of the culture and the sins of others.

But we must see the sin in ourselves and put it to death. If the light has shined, I don't know if you've noticed. Since the creation of all things that Sun Rises every morning the birds chirp in the trees.

The plants grow the crops come in. There's a harvest. It seems to me if that be true of the created order. How much more so for the new creation if the light of Christ shines in us his people it would seem that the darkness would be completely and repeatedly overtaken and as I've argued already in recent months We feel as though we can't have victory over sin and it's just not true.

We're not going to be sinlessly perfect. But the light always overtakes the darkness so in the grand theological the biblical Theological stage think about the progression of the church from a place of darkness into light.

We have been conveyed from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of light. We have been set free from the bondage of sin and made to walk in Christ's righteousness. The darkness Is passing away. The true light is already Shining.

I'm not gonna have time to get into this. I don't think with Greater depth. I may be able to work it in at another time. I want to give you a framework for This and partly part of this has been. I don't know who the original source is.

But it's been bantered about for some time. I want you to think about how Christ loved and then us as the body of Christ under these four headings first as Heart heart hands and feet. I Also want to think about Head and mouth to some degree in relation to this again.

I'm not going to fully do this because it will take too long, but maybe we'll work it in in the coming weeks. How did Christ love this is really the question we're trying to understand if this is the royal law.

We're commanded the great imperative is to love as Christ is loved. This is what actually abiding in the light means. This is what it means to walk in his ways. We've got to get to the place where we have a handle and a grip on how did Christ love?

How did he do it? I think this heart hands and feet imagery helps us first. We have a heart for God. I think about Jesus and his absolute submission to the will of God the worship of God. He was zealous for God's house.

His Affections were guided and directed by love for God in his humanity. He did that perfectly and you and I are called to love in that same way. We really love God. Our affections are stirred and kindled by genuine love for God.

We love his word we love him we love his commands and we learned that if we don't Love his commands. We can't really say that we love him very challenging concept for us. Second I want to spend some time on this one and it could be more developed.

It's gonna be quicker.

Hands.

Hearts on.

Fire for God. Zealous to keep his word. Zealous to know his word. What about our hands? As you know in the ancient world the Most people had occupations. The men particularly had occupations that required the labor of their hands.

This is a second way. I like us to think about our love for God today our love for Christ to love as Christ is loved the labor of our hands are consecrated for his service. Our Industriousness creates the increase to support the church and meet the practical needs of the widows and the orphans.

And that Deficient eschatology we talked about this morning. The vocation doesn't seem to matter so much missionaries and pastors or the people that have some kingdom significance. But the whole of the Christian life the reason we raise our hands at the doxology we say to God With the weightiness of all that it implies here is my life.

I.

Belong to you the way I make my living the way I eat the way I Survive who I am as a person. I offer to you and worship and adoration. The entirety of my being is lifted up our lives and Livelihoods and all that we are belong to him.

You remember the famous passage didn't we think about? The example of Jesus and his instruction those two go hand in hand in Matthew 25 He says for I was hungry and you gave me something to eat. This is not possible without Energetic diligent hands.

I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink. I was a stranger and you Invited me in. I needed clothes and you clothed me. I was sick and you looked after me. I was in prison and you came To visit me.

In this book that we're in First John chapter 3 we'll be getting this in a few weeks hereby perceive the love of God because he laid down his life for us and We ought to lay down our lives For the brethren and I have to pause and ask the question Do you love these people in this room?

Not just your family we know you love them that way. Do you love the people in this room with this kind of love Christ lays down his life for us? We did lay down our lives for the brethren. I'm here to tell you this is a rare and precious commodity on the earth.

There is very little of this in the world. We don't love each other in this way, we're commanded to it's the best thing for us. But you have to acknowledge today that you do not love your brethren in this way.

Wouldn't take much for you to leave the church. What if I went a little deficient on my post-millennial ism? It's not gonna happen. I became an amillennialist. Would you leave the church because of that?

Wouldn't take much to drive you away. Because our commitment is not as strong To one another as it could be. First Peter 4 says use hospitality one to another without grudging. As every man has received the gift even so minister one to another As good stewards of the manifold grace of God.

Colossians 3 as the elective God holy and beloved put on tender mercies kindness humility meekness long-suffering. Bearing with one another and forgiving one another if anyone has a complaint against another if anyone Has a complaint even as Christ forgave you.

So you also must do. How's your forgiveness? Do you hold a grudge? Keep a record of wrongs, you know and remember all the slights Christ has forgiven you of all of your sins. So you ought to forgive one another that verse section Very much echoing the theme of our text says but above all these things put on love.

Which is the bond? Of perfection do nothing through selfish ambition or conceit. But in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. I think Paul Peter James and John Arrive at this. I don't think they started there.

I Think they arrived here in sanctification. Do you esteem the people in this room better than yourself. Let each of you look out not only for his interests But also for the interests of others. Be kind to one another.

Ephesians for tenderhearted forgiving one another even as God in Christ forgave you. How's your kindness? How is your tenderheartedness? How is your forgiveness? 2nd Corinthians 1 blessed be the God and father of our Lord Jesus Christ the father of mercies and God of all comfort.

Here I want you to listen to this. This is a very important lesson very underserved in the church today. Why do we go through what we go through? Why do we suffer the way that we suffer? Why do we have these trials that seem to have very little Tangible purpose in our understanding.

Why does it happen? Scripture gives an answer the God of comfort who comforts us in our tribulation. It seems to have this kingdom growth and building each other up and loving one another end the text again.

That we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble. With the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. Your trials May be that you may be better suited to minister to others. It's not just about you.

Maybe about others.

Now I have more and certainly this is not an exhaustive list. I'll move quickly on this last one. 1st Thessalonians 5. Now exhort you brethren warn those who are unruly comfort the faint-hearted. So look at the the very spectrum of this.

What kind of man are you fathers and husbands? Do you? Warn those who are unruly. Are you willing to stand up for the truth? We warn them in the body. Will you tell another man who's being unruly in the body of the church?

Will you tell them to? Repent and turn from their ways. Get to have that kind of strength. But also you are to comfort the faint-hearted. So the prideful the unruly you pop them. The faint-hearted you lift up.

You uphold the weak you're characterized by patience with all and You are seeing not only for yourself But for everyone else in your the church that you have been covenanted to. You are to see that no one renders evil for evil.

But always pursue what is good both through for yourselves your family. But the text says and for all. So we're not living in isolation. We don't view the church. Hey, it kind of Gives me what I like in these particular Distinctives it lines up with I'm thinking.

Our love and commitment for one another is much more expansive. Maybe than we understand the last thing. I'll just touch on very quickly is the idea of feet and.

In.

Order to walk as Jesus has walked to walk in the light. We have to use our feet and by metaphor, of course. We understand that We visit orphans and widows in their need. We have a duty and an obligation to be the heralds.

How beautiful are the feet of those who bring the good news? I think of that passage. I think about The messenger sent from the conquering king and he's running up the hill to Zion. To say let's say of David's great exploits and I imagine The dusty dirty feet of the messenger kicking up the dust.

I can see it in my mind's eye. I can picture the man running and the dust being kicked up and his feet aren't actually clean. But but the people of God say look how beautiful his feet are. They carry the good news of Jesus Christ and his salvation in his kingdom glory.

We have a great privilege to With our feet with our hands with our hearts our heads our mouths to declare the arrival and the victory and the triumph of the king.

Well.

Got one other thing to consider really quickly. In verse 10 it says. He who loves his brother abides in the light and There is no cause for stumbling in him if we walk in the light as he is in the light.

We have fellowship with one another and the blood of Jesus Christ his son cleanses us from all sin. That's earlier in.

The book.

But this question of abiding. Staying never leaving so the light of Christ has shown in our hearts. We've been made alive in Christ. We are at war with sin. We are walking in his righteousness. We are engaged with the whole person our head our hands our feet our mouths our hearts.

But we have to abide. We have to stay. It's a drawing from John. I wanted to close From his gospel and I alluded to this last week in John chapter 15 you don't need to turn there. But just listen to this idea of abiding and you and your own on your own power make the connection.

Connect the dots of all of these things that we've talked about today. John chapter 15. I Am the true vine. My father is the vinedresser. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit. He takes away and Every branch that bears fruit he prunes that it may bear more fruit.

If you're being pruned take heart today, you're being made to love God and his people more. That you might bear more fruit. You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you and this idea of abiding is very Yohanni, and it's very deep in his book in the gospel and in the epistle verse 4 Abide in me.

We lay hold of Christ. We grab him by the collar in Love and affection we cling to the hem of his garment and we will never let go. We're like Jacob Wrestling with God and saying I'm not going to leave until you bless me.

That's a Christian life. We're abiding in Christ. Hold on to him. The branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine. Neither can you Unless you abide in me. I am the vine. You are the branches.

He who abides in me and I in you bears much fruit. Without me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered. And they gather them and throw them into the fire and they are burned.

Think about our text in first John and this verse if you abide in me and My words abide in you you will ask what you desire and it shall be done for you by this. My father is glorified. That you bear much fruit.

So you will be my disciples as the father loved me. Let's pause here for some Intertenitarian theology how much does the father and that perfection love the son? And how much the son loved the father.

It boggles the mind the.

Almost.

Incomprehensibility of the love of God for the persons of the Trinity but Jesus says. That love that the father has of me. I have shown and I demonstrate. I live. I have this love for you. Abide in my love if you keep my commandments.

You will abide in my love just as I have kept my father's commandments and abide in his love. These things I have spoken to you that my joy may remain in you and that your joy may be full. That's the purpose of John reading writing his epistle.

The fullness of joy. So I'm saying to you today you are wretched sinners. You do not love as you ought to love. Repent mortify it put it to death. But that for you that message you should receive as joy.

Because your father loves you and he wants you to go in the right direction. This is good news for us. We've been made aware of our problems and our deficiencies that we might turn again in Faith to Christ and we will lay hold of him and we'll cling to him and never again.