For this is the message that ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another.
The message heard from the beginning is to love one another, which is the old commandment and the holy law spoken from Sinai to love God with all the heart and the neighbor as self. This love to fellow believers expresses the second great precept on which with love to God hang all the law and the prophets, so that loving one another is the perpetual life of the church. Love for the brother marks the children of God and separates them from the children of the devil, proving a passing from death unto life and an abiding in the light, while not loving leaves one abiding in death and hating a brother is murder with no eternal life abiding in him. The opposite is Cain, who belonged to the wicked one and killed his righteous brother because his own works were evil and his brother's were righteous. The commanded love must be real and active, not in word or tongue only but in deed and in truth, moving a person to help a needy brother from this world's goods and even to lay down life for the brethren as Christ laid down His life.
Message From the Beginning
The message heard from the beginning is to love one another, and that message is the old commandment, the word held from the beginning. It is the holy law spoken in majesty and glory from Sinai. Keeping that law means loving God with all the heart, soul, strength and mind, and loving the neighbor as self. Loving one another in that sense means being reconciled to the law of Jehovah and to those who magnify that law as holy and just and good.
This love to fellow believers expresses the second great precept of the law, love to neighbor, which joined closely with love to God holds all the law and the prophets. Law and gospel belong together as one united whole, and love to one another belongs with them as part of that whole. Received from God, whose love was shown in sending His Son so that people may live through Him, this love is to appear in life and character in the treatment of fellow men, showing that God dwells in believers and that His love is being perfected in them. It is the perpetual life of the church, a work God's message is meant to accomplish in hearts and minds.
The message carries the principles and very words of the Saviour's teaching in divine beauty, kept in John's memory. It was made the burden of his testimony to the churches to his latest days. There he calls believers little children and exhorts them to love one another, even as Christ commanded His disciples to love one another and made their love the identifying mark of His disciples.
The verse reveals the wonderful love the Lord has shown for the human family and the sinful race. That love is shown in sending His only begotten Son into the world that people might live through Him as the propitiation for sins. It is given as instruction to be received and profited by, to be dwelt upon and shared. Believers are to speak of Jesus' goodness, love and compassion rather than dwelling on gloomy pictures or the power of Satan.
Two Families Contrasted
Love for a brother marks the children of God and separates them from the children of the devil, for whoever does not do righteousness and does not love his brother is not of God. Doing righteousness and loving the brother belong together, and loving one another is doing righteousness, joined to abiding in Christ, being born of God, and knowing God, for God is love and love is of God and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. Loving the brethren proves passing from death unto life and being born of God, while not loving leaves one abiding in death. Loving the brethren proves abiding in the light, while hating a brother is abiding in death and walking in darkness blinded by darkness.
Hating a brother is murder, and no murderer has eternal life abiding in him. Hatred toward a brother is contrary to God's Word and displeasing to Him, brings spiritual and eternal harm, and leaves a person unacquitted before God. The opposite of this love is Cain, who belonged to the wicked one and was of the wicked one and killed and slew his righteous brother because his own works were evil and his brother's were righteous. He acted from jealousy cruel as death.
Cain's evil was disobedience in bringing a self-chosen offering without the required lamb, while Abel brought the sacrifice God directed. God respected Abel's offering and consumed it with fire from heaven but did not respect Cain's, and Cain responded with anger and jealousy, refused to correct his wrongdoing when warned, was angry that his younger brother was accepted while he was rejected, and hated Abel for holding that God is just, which led to the first death in the world. His righteous obedience condemned Cain's self-chosen offering and moved Cain in envy, jealousy and hate to kill him.
That same spirit of Cain still works in the children of disobedience and has grown strong in the world, forbidding the love that accuses not, condemns not, imprisons not, and puts not fellow men to death. Transgressors of God's plain commands are inspired by the spirit of Satan to harm fellow men, having no right to injure their bodies because of religious faith, and are moved to accuse, condemn, imprison, injure in body, and put fellow men to death for religious faith and for difference in religious belief. Being unreconciled to the law produces bitterness, malice and hate toward the obedient who are reconciled to the law of Jehovah and magnify that law as holy and just and good. This is seen especially against those who obey God's plain command, including the fourth commandment to keep the Sabbath as the memorial of creation, while disobedient professed Christians set it aside for a spurious day and offer what God never commanded, giving them treatment like Abel received from Cain.
These two parties represented by Abel and Cain follow opposite leaders to the close of this earth's history, with the persecutors following their leader who accuses God and oppressing those made perfect through obedience. The well-doer made perfect through obedience does not war against the transgressor of God's holy law, but those who do not respect God's law oppress and persecute their fellow men. Those who pass sentence of pain and death on fellow men for differing in belief, while continuing to disregard God's law, exalting man-made laws, and by cruel inventions trying to compel men to blaspheme God, will have the same sentence passed on them. By their works they show that if Christ came the second time as He came the first time they would reject Him and put Him to death.
Loving in Deed and Truth
The love commanded is real and active, not in word or tongue only but in deed and in truth, moving to help and bless others with kindness, fairness and practical compassion. It opens the hand to a needy brother from this world's goods instead of shutting up compassion, and it follows Christ who laid down His life by being ready even to lay down life for the brethren, for otherwise the love of God does not dwell in the one who withholds. Such loving marks the children of God and proves passing from death unto life, while lovelessness and hatred leave one abiding in death. This love in deed assures the heart before God and gives confidence toward God in prayer through believing on the name of Jesus Christ and keeping His commandments and doing what pleases Him. Keeping that commandment shows that Christ dwells in the believer by the Spirit and that God dwells in them with His love being perfected in them.
It proceeds from a heart loving God supremely and neighbor as self without compromising with sin. It does not consider own pleasure, convenience or advantage but loses sight of self for Jesus, loving a brother as Christ loved, exercising His meekness and gentleness without jealousy and bringing the best offering in the spirit of the Lamb slain. It is shown in a life of Christlike character and conduct as true, pure and holy Christians who let sympathy and love into the heart and remain in the light. They think no evil, are not puffed up, believe and hope all that is pure, good and of good report, think well and speak well of brethren and sisters instead of an accusing, tearing-down spirit, and keep harsh traits and human defects from words and disposition. Profession amounts to nothing unless Christ is revealed in actions and works of righteousness, which is the genuine evidence of true conversion.
The verse is to be studied by youth, students in schools and sanitariums, and workers in printing offices, and is especially to be believed and practiced by instructors and leaders. Love is shown by learning meekness and lowliness from Christ so His yoke is easy and His service a pleasure not a task, by witnessing daily to the keeping power of grace, and by keeping hereditary and cultivated tendencies under control. Character is to be daily refined, sanctified and purified, carrying God's sacred fire and not common fire. Harsh, passionate, rash words that ruin souls are never to be spoken, but speech is to be as Christ spoke, courteously and respectfully, so youth see the possibility of becoming sons and daughters of God and walking uprightly in a crooked and perverse generation in the contrast between the principles of Christ and the principles of Satan.
Love for others as proof of personal piety is obtained only by unconditional surrender to God, by asking God in private prayer apart from people, and by measuring duty by the Word of God. It is believed and lived by persevering faith that holds to God, coming to Christ when weary and heavy laden, drawing nigh to God so He will draw nigh, crying aloud for the Comforter, and working together in harmony with answered prayer. Those so kept from evil while left in the world become full of goodness and truth with heavenly speech while looking for the Saviour, their religion known by its influence in loving personal deeds. This mutual love makes a heaven below that prepares for heaven above. The verse shows the love of God and calls each person to know on whose side he is standing, the side of the adversary or the side of Christ who kept His Father's commandments, a decision taught to Sabbathkeepers old and new and pressed upon candidates before baptism as the mark of the obedient.
It calls for manliness and firmness in Christian character, since a shallow Christian character does greater harm than a worldly character by misrepresenting Christ. It belongs with abiding in Christ through the anointing that teaches all truth, doing righteousness as one born of Him, and not committing sin because His seed remains, so as to have confidence and not shame before Him at His coming.
The message heard from the beginning is to love one another, which is the old commandment and the holy law spoken from Sinai to love God with all the heart and the neighbor as self. This love to fellow believers expresses the second great precept on which with love to God hang all the law and the prophets, so that loving one another is the perpetual life of the church. Love for the brother marks the children of God and separates them from the children of the devil, proving a passing from death unto life and an abiding in the light, while not loving leaves one abiding in death and hating a brother is murder with no eternal life abiding in him. The opposite is Cain, who belonged to the wicked one and killed his righteous brother because his own works were evil and his brother's were righteous. The commanded love must be real and active, not in word or tongue only but in deed and in truth, moving a person to help a needy brother from this world's goods and even to lay down life for the brethren as Christ laid down His life.
Message From the Beginning
The message heard from the beginning is to love one another, and that message is the old commandment, the word held from the beginning. It is the holy law spoken in majesty and glory from Sinai. Keeping that law means loving God with all the heart, soul, strength and mind, and loving the neighbor as self. Loving one another in that sense means being reconciled to the law of Jehovah and to those who magnify that law as holy and just and good.
This love to fellow believers expresses the second great precept of the law, love to neighbor, which joined closely with love to God holds all the law and the prophets. Law and gospel belong together as one united whole, and love to one another belongs with them as part of that whole. Received from God, whose love was shown in sending His Son so that people may live through Him, this love is to appear in life and character in the treatment of fellow men, showing that God dwells in believers and that His love is being perfected in them. It is the perpetual life of the church, a work God's message is meant to accomplish in hearts and minds.
The message carries the principles and very words of the Saviour's teaching in divine beauty, kept in John's memory. It was made the burden of his testimony to the churches to his latest days. There he calls believers little children and exhorts them to love one another, even as Christ commanded His disciples to love one another and made their love the identifying mark of His disciples.
The verse reveals the wonderful love the Lord has shown for the human family and the sinful race. That love is shown in sending His only begotten Son into the world that people might live through Him as the propitiation for sins. It is given as instruction to be received and profited by, to be dwelt upon and shared. Believers are to speak of Jesus' goodness, love and compassion rather than dwelling on gloomy pictures or the power of Satan.
Two Families Contrasted
Love for a brother marks the children of God and separates them from the children of the devil, for whoever does not do righteousness and does not love his brother is not of God. Doing righteousness and loving the brother belong together, and loving one another is doing righteousness, joined to abiding in Christ, being born of God, and knowing God, for God is love and love is of God and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. Loving the brethren proves passing from death unto life and being born of God, while not loving leaves one abiding in death. Loving the brethren proves abiding in the light, while hating a brother is abiding in death and walking in darkness blinded by darkness.
Hating a brother is murder, and no murderer has eternal life abiding in him. Hatred toward a brother is contrary to God's Word and displeasing to Him, brings spiritual and eternal harm, and leaves a person unacquitted before God. The opposite of this love is Cain, who belonged to the wicked one and was of the wicked one and killed and slew his righteous brother because his own works were evil and his brother's were righteous. He acted from jealousy cruel as death.
Cain's evil was disobedience in bringing a self-chosen offering without the required lamb, while Abel brought the sacrifice God directed. God respected Abel's offering and consumed it with fire from heaven but did not respect Cain's, and Cain responded with anger and jealousy, refused to correct his wrongdoing when warned, was angry that his younger brother was accepted while he was rejected, and hated Abel for holding that God is just, which led to the first death in the world. His righteous obedience condemned Cain's self-chosen offering and moved Cain in envy, jealousy and hate to kill him.
That same spirit of Cain still works in the children of disobedience and has grown strong in the world, forbidding the love that accuses not, condemns not, imprisons not, and puts not fellow men to death. Transgressors of God's plain commands are inspired by the spirit of Satan to harm fellow men, having no right to injure their bodies because of religious faith, and are moved to accuse, condemn, imprison, injure in body, and put fellow men to death for religious faith and for difference in religious belief. Being unreconciled to the law produces bitterness, malice and hate toward the obedient who are reconciled to the law of Jehovah and magnify that law as holy and just and good. This is seen especially against those who obey God's plain command, including the fourth commandment to keep the Sabbath as the memorial of creation, while disobedient professed Christians set it aside for a spurious day and offer what God never commanded, giving them treatment like Abel received from Cain.
These two parties represented by Abel and Cain follow opposite leaders to the close of this earth's history, with the persecutors following their leader who accuses God and oppressing those made perfect through obedience. The well-doer made perfect through obedience does not war against the transgressor of God's holy law, but those who do not respect God's law oppress and persecute their fellow men. Those who pass sentence of pain and death on fellow men for differing in belief, while continuing to disregard God's law, exalting man-made laws, and by cruel inventions trying to compel men to blaspheme God, will have the same sentence passed on them. By their works they show that if Christ came the second time as He came the first time they would reject Him and put Him to death.
Loving in Deed and Truth
The love commanded is real and active, not in word or tongue only but in deed and in truth, moving to help and bless others with kindness, fairness and practical compassion. It opens the hand to a needy brother from this world's goods instead of shutting up compassion, and it follows Christ who laid down His life by being ready even to lay down life for the brethren, for otherwise the love of God does not dwell in the one who withholds. Such loving marks the children of God and proves passing from death unto life, while lovelessness and hatred leave one abiding in death. This love in deed assures the heart before God and gives confidence toward God in prayer through believing on the name of Jesus Christ and keeping His commandments and doing what pleases Him. Keeping that commandment shows that Christ dwells in the believer by the Spirit and that God dwells in them with His love being perfected in them.
It proceeds from a heart loving God supremely and neighbor as self without compromising with sin. It does not consider own pleasure, convenience or advantage but loses sight of self for Jesus, loving a brother as Christ loved, exercising His meekness and gentleness without jealousy and bringing the best offering in the spirit of the Lamb slain. It is shown in a life of Christlike character and conduct as true, pure and holy Christians who let sympathy and love into the heart and remain in the light. They think no evil, are not puffed up, believe and hope all that is pure, good and of good report, think well and speak well of brethren and sisters instead of an accusing, tearing-down spirit, and keep harsh traits and human defects from words and disposition. Profession amounts to nothing unless Christ is revealed in actions and works of righteousness, which is the genuine evidence of true conversion.
The verse is to be studied by youth, students in schools and sanitariums, and workers in printing offices, and is especially to be believed and practiced by instructors and leaders. Love is shown by learning meekness and lowliness from Christ so His yoke is easy and His service a pleasure not a task, by witnessing daily to the keeping power of grace, and by keeping hereditary and cultivated tendencies under control. Character is to be daily refined, sanctified and purified, carrying God's sacred fire and not common fire. Harsh, passionate, rash words that ruin souls are never to be spoken, but speech is to be as Christ spoke, courteously and respectfully, so youth see the possibility of becoming sons and daughters of God and walking uprightly in a crooked and perverse generation in the contrast between the principles of Christ and the principles of Satan.
Love for others as proof of personal piety is obtained only by unconditional surrender to God, by asking God in private prayer apart from people, and by measuring duty by the Word of God. It is believed and lived by persevering faith that holds to God, coming to Christ when weary and heavy laden, drawing nigh to God so He will draw nigh, crying aloud for the Comforter, and working together in harmony with answered prayer. Those so kept from evil while left in the world become full of goodness and truth with heavenly speech while looking for the Saviour, their religion known by its influence in loving personal deeds. This mutual love makes a heaven below that prepares for heaven above. The verse shows the love of God and calls each person to know on whose side he is standing, the side of the adversary or the side of Christ who kept His Father's commandments, a decision taught to Sabbathkeepers old and new and pressed upon candidates before baptism as the mark of the obedient.
It calls for manliness and firmness in Christian character, since a shallow Christian character does greater harm than a worldly character by misrepresenting Christ. It belongs with abiding in Christ through the anointing that teaches all truth, doing righteousness as one born of Him, and not committing sin because His seed remains, so as to have confidence and not shame before Him at His coming.