1 John 3:11-15
"This is the message you heard from the beginning: We should love one another. Do not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own actions were evil and his brother's were righteous. Do not be surprised, my brothers, if the world hates you. We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love our brothers. Anyone who does not love remains in death. Anyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life in Him." 1 John 3:11-15
I can just hear Cain saying to himself, "That brother of mine thinks he's better than me. What a brown noser, holy roller, and religious fanatic! His relationship with God sickens me!" Of course I don't know what Cain was saying, but it seems clear that his issue, relative to Abel's relationship with God, was a one of jealousy. How did he respond to this jealousy? He eliminated the very thing that made his relationship with God look bad...his brother. Of course that didn't solve the issue, and he continued to have a strained relationship with God. John uses this illustration to make three points. First and foremost, he makes the point that we should love one another! Second, he points out that the world will react the same way as Cain did relative to our relationship with God. Many are bitter about the relationship we have with God through Jesus and will hate on you simply because your lifestyle seems like you are saying, "I am better than you." Don't be surprised about this! Third, hating another person is as equally offensive to God as murder and will recieve the same punishment. If a person claims to be a believer in Christ, he will demonstrate that relationship by the way he loves people. He will not hate them! Hate has no room in the heart of a Christ follower. There is a group of "christians" in a baptist church in Kansas (Westboro Baptist Church) whose website is "godhatesfaggots.com". These people apparently never read 1 John or choose to ignore the fact that God calls us to love Him and other people. While I agree that practicing homosexuallity is sin and against the design of God, I also know that I have been called to love them as Jesus would. These people have allowed their hatred for sin (which is a good thing) to bleed over to a hatred for the people (which is a bad thing). Can these people truely know and understand what it means to be a Christ follower? I would go so far as to say NO! Loving others is a benchmark of true Christianity!
God, I certainly don't have this love thing mastered and I continue to battle my own self-intentions, but You have continued to enlarge my heart for people as I have grown in my faith. Thank You for that! Help me to love as you would love! Help me to not be surprised by the hatred from the world toward me simply because I follow You. Remind me that my love for them is not based on whether they love me. Give me a spirit of cooperation with your Spirit as to how I can tangibly show love to others! Thanks God!
I can just hear Cain saying to himself, "That brother of mine thinks he's better than me. What a brown noser, holy roller, and religious fanatic! His relationship with God sickens me!" Of course I don't know what Cain was saying, but it seems clear that his issue, relative to Abel's relationship with God, was a one of jealousy. How did he respond to this jealousy? He eliminated the very thing that made his relationship with God look bad...his brother. Of course that didn't solve the issue, and he continued to have a strained relationship with God. John uses this illustration to make three points. First and foremost, he makes the point that we should love one another! Second, he points out that the world will react the same way as Cain did relative to our relationship with God. Many are bitter about the relationship we have with God through Jesus and will hate on you simply because your lifestyle seems like you are saying, "I am better than you." Don't be surprised about this! Third, hating another person is as equally offensive to God as murder and will recieve the same punishment. If a person claims to be a believer in Christ, he will demonstrate that relationship by the way he loves people. He will not hate them! Hate has no room in the heart of a Christ follower. There is a group of "christians" in a baptist church in Kansas (Westboro Baptist Church) whose website is "godhatesfaggots.com". These people apparently never read 1 John or choose to ignore the fact that God calls us to love Him and other people. While I agree that practicing homosexuallity is sin and against the design of God, I also know that I have been called to love them as Jesus would. These people have allowed their hatred for sin (which is a good thing) to bleed over to a hatred for the people (which is a bad thing). Can these people truely know and understand what it means to be a Christ follower? I would go so far as to say NO! Loving others is a benchmark of true Christianity!
God, I certainly don't have this love thing mastered and I continue to battle my own self-intentions, but You have continued to enlarge my heart for people as I have grown in my faith. Thank You for that! Help me to love as you would love! Help me to not be surprised by the hatred from the world toward me simply because I follow You. Remind me that my love for them is not based on whether they love me. Give me a spirit of cooperation with your Spirit as to how I can tangibly show love to others! Thanks God!
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