Smoodock's Blog

John told his readers that the message they had heard from the Beginning was that they should love one another (1John 3:11). In other words they were told the message came from Jesus (John 15:12). Keep in mind that John wasn’t referring to time, when he mentioned the beginning. Rather, he pointed to the source or authority of the matter being discussed. In this case, it was Jesus who was the Authority (the Beginning; cp. Colossians 1:18; see also Revelation 1:8; 3:14; 21:6; 22:13)[1] for what they heard, namely love one another as Christ had loved us (John 15:12; cp. 1John 3:16).

In contrast to believers imitating Christ, i.e. loving one another as he has loved us, John mentioned Cain who murdered his brother, simply because his works were evil, and his brother’s were righteous (1John 3:12). Cain’s works were born out of that of the slanderer (the devil), who was Adam, Cain’s father. Cain took the life of his brother, but Christ is a life-giving Spirit (1Corinthians 15:45). It is impossible for death to imitate life. Therefore, Cain bore the image of the earthly, the slander who was also a murderer (John 8:44), but believers, through their good works, bear the image of the heavenly (cp 1Corinthians 15:48-49), the life-giving Spirit (1Corinthians 15:45).

It seems so illogical that some people would hate folks who are only trying to do good. Yet, this kind of thing characterizes the history of mankind. Evil people take advantage of the innocent. The wicked persecute the righteous. Therefore, John told his readers not to be surprised that the world hates them for their seeking to do good. The world will listen to the antichrists and find reasons to oppose the good the children of God do. This is simply how things are (cp. John 5:43), because the world simply has no context into which they could place the children of God (cp. 1John 3:1-2).[2]

We need to keep in mind that the Bible often refers to the life man lives in the world as death. It is from this death that we must be born again and enter into life, which Jesus referred to as the Kingdom of God (John 3:3). On the other hand, Paul said the Lord had raised us up from the dead, which state was characterized by the fact that we practiced sinful behavior (Ephesians 2:1-6). Therefore, passing from death to life refers to passing from a life of rebellion against God to the life lived in the Kingdom of God.

In other words, when John told his readers they had passed from death to life in that they loved one another (1John 3:14), he was pointing to the fact that their behavior imitated that of Jesus (1John 3:16; cp. John 15:12). They were able to know they had passed from death to life, because Jesus is the Beginning of the new creation (Revelation 3:14), and, if the believers are practicing good works (cp. Ephesians 2:10), they are demonstrating that they had passed from death (rebellion against God) to life in Christ.

In contrast to the children of God, anyone who hates his brother could never be abiding in life, which is the Kingdom of God, as interpreted by Jesus (John 3:3). We are able to say this, because hate is the seed for murder. No one murders out of love. Therefore, he who hates his brother is, ultimately, a murderer (1John 3:15). To take life is the opposite of giving life. One cannot take life and give life at the same time. This is illogical. Therefore, if Jesus is the giver of life (John 1:4, 9, 14), the taker of life is the very antithesis of Jesus’ works, so the unbeliever couldn’t be imitating Jesus and couldn’t be dwelling in him (John 15:4-6).

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[1] See my previous studies: That Which Was from the Beginning and Children of God & Children of the Devil.

[2] See my earlier study: Bearing the Image of Christ.