1 John 3:11-12

1 John 3:11-12

Because this is the message that you all heard from the beginning: in order that we should love one another.  Not as Cain, who was out of the evil one and who slaughtered his brother.  And for what reason did he slaughter him?  Because his works were evil and the works of his brother were righteous.

Thoughts for Today

First Thought:

John places emphasis on the message that was heard from the beginning.  What is the root message of Jesus?  God so loved the world that He sent His only Son to die for us.  God loved.  God’s action is rooted in love.  If we are in God, we will love rather than hate.

Do you love or hate more?  When is it easier for you to love?  When is it easier for you to hate?

Second Thought:

Immediately after speaking about God’s character from the beginning, John speaks about Cain and the beginning of humankind.  John doesn’t just say that Cain is evil because he acts unlovingly towards his brother.  John actually says that Cain is out of the evil one.  But here is an interesting point that up to today I never connected with this passage.  Remember that in Genesis Cain isn’t presented as an atheist.  Cain brings a sacrifice to God.  When his sacrifice is rejected he is angry and takes it out on his brother.  This is the brilliance of John’s use of the example of Cain in this passage.  John is telling his audience that of course the world will hate us.  But the world often creeps in and masquerades as people of faith.  But when we see their hatred, we will know that they are like Cain.  When we see people – any people, even those within the church – acting in ways that are not love, we know that they are not out of God but rather that their actions come from the evil one.

Have you ever experienced hatred?  Have you ever experienced hatred by people who should have loved?  How do you overcome this and not retaliate in anger as Satan would desire us to do?

Third Thought:

What was the difference between Cain and Able?  The difference was submission.  It was obedience.  It was a faithful response to God.  Able listened to God and gave God what God desired.  On the other hand, Cain did what he thought was best.  Able’s submission is righteous; Cain’s selfish thought is not.  Cain hates Able because in Cain’s sacrifice he shows that he cannot be submitted as Able demonstrates in his sacrifice.  Cain hates Able because he is faithless when Able is faithful.  We need to be careful when dealing with people.  When people prove they are capable of submitting before God, then we will also know that they are capable of godly and brotherly love.  On the other hand, when we see people thinking selfishly and following their own agenda we should be careful.

Are you able to submit before God and love as He loves?  Does it surprise you to unfold John’s theology and find submission and humbleness at the core of his thoughts?

Passage for Tomorrow: 1 John 3:13-15