3:11
John reminds them of the message they received, there are also several allusions to the gospel of John in these verses. In this verse we are reminded of Jesus’ words in John 15:12, “this is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you”. We need to appreciate that part of the gospel is that we should love one another. The world is based on division, on splitting into “tribes”, be they ethnic groups, political groups, sexual groups, national groups, social groups or whatever. God’s plan is that we live together as one. Crucially, when we follow the world’s way we end up losing our identity. The more individualistic we become, the less of a people we become. Conversely, when we follow God’s ways we become more ourselves.
3:12
John goes right back to Genesis 4 with Cain and Abel to point out the converse of v11. If we just look after ourselves we end up hating, even killing, each other. Abel offered an acceptable sacrifice, Cain an unacceptable sacrifice. If Cain had been sensible he would have learnt from this what was good and pleasing to God and then adjusted his behaviour. But sin isn’t like that! It takes a hold of us, and so Cain killed his brother. But how would this solve the “problem”? His behaviour was still evil, he still had God’s judgement to face. Yet we see this very same behaviour today, though usually without the killing. Men seek to shut up those who speak the truth of God’s word, thinking that this will solve the “problem”. This is foolish thinking.
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