We'll turn, if you will, in your Bibles to 1 John, chapter 2. 1 John, chapter 2, found on page 1302 of your pew Bibles. 1 John, chapter 2, beginning with verse 7 through verse 14. Here again, the word of the Lord. Beloved, I am writing you no new commandment, but an old commandment that you had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word that you have heard. At the same time, it is a new commandment that I'm writing to you, which is true in him and in you, because the darkness is passing away. And the true light is already shining. Whoever says he is in the light and hates his brother is still in darkness. Whoever loves his brother abides in the light. And in him there is no cause for stumbling. But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks in the darkness. and does not know where he is going because the darkness has blinded his eyes. I am writing to you, little children, because your sins are forgiven for his name's sake. I am writing to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning. I am writing to you, young men, Because you have overcome the evil one. I write to you, children, because you know the Father. I write to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning. I write to you, young men, because you are strong and the word of God abides in you. And you have overcome the evil one. May God be pleased to add his blessing to this, his word and guide us by his spirit. What was interesting, we recently started a Bible study at the Franciscan Manor and one of the practices in that Bible study is that I take a worksheet with me and I give it out to those who attend that Bible study. And so on the first day I was handing out that worksheet, that that test for them, and it was amazing. Kids, when your teacher gives you a test or a worksheet, do you remember what your typical first response is? Oh, homework or worksheet? Well, you'll be pleased to know that those that are in their 80s and 90s respond the same way. Oh, we have to do homework? Well, today we're looking at a portion of God's Word in which John, that apostle, that one who once even laid his head upon the breast of Christ himself, that beloved apostle, is giving to us, the servants of Christ, a test. Now's when you can say, oh. It's a necessary test. And it's a test given by the Apostle. It's a test given by God as a demonstration of His love that He might know, even as it is when your teacher gives to you a test, children, that they might have the confidence of knowing that you've paid attention in class. And that which they've labored to teach you now resides in your mind it has been imprinted upon it and going forward you'll remember that lesson because it will do you well as you move forward whether it's math class or history class or English class. Here the Apostle is wanting to make sure that as we have been walking through this loving epistle of 1st John that you've been paying attention. that you've heard the questions that have been put before you and that you've learned the lessons that John has so carefully put before you. And so as we begin, a bit of a reminder. Do you remember the first two questions that John laid out before you in 1 John? those things that he wanted to be sure that you knew. And the first of those was, do you know? Do you know God? Do you know the Lord Jesus Christ? Were you attentive when he said that Christ was with God in the beginning, that he has always been, that he dwelled with the Heavenly Father even at that time of creation? He was with God. And if you recall, we were reminded at how it was that when man was created, God spoke to the persons of the Godhead and said, let us make man in our image. An example, a witness of this truth that Christ was there, that the Son was present, that the Word dwelt with God. That word whom we know to be the Lord Jesus Christ. And so he began this epistle by reminding us of these truths, the importance he wanted to impress upon us that a key to our being able to live a life that is honoring to God is that we would first know him. There is no way that we can walk in a fashion that would be glorifying to God if we do not know nor do we seek to know our Lord and Savior. A reminder of how pivotal it is that these facts, these important truths are written upon our hearts and our minds. that we might know and be directed by him. And if you recall, when we were looking early at the first chapter of Proverbs, there we read in Proverbs 1.7 that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge or wisdom. The key to our understanding these things is that we know that one who came, that we have begun to plumb the depths of and the significance of the work of the Lord Jesus Christ. The importance of his coming bodily to dwell among us. The importance of his being both truly God and truly man, that he might represent us. and accomplish what our first representative head, Adam, was unable to do. Living his life in obedience to God, Christ, could then be that perfect and most necessary, unblemished sacrifice that God's wrath may be turned away from us. He's described as our propitiation That one who took upon his shoulders that wrath that was due to us for our sins. Lest we be utterly and eternally destroyed and condemned by God. So the first test that he lay before us is that we know him. Next, if you remember his second test, was to break us of the thought that our Christian life is only a measure of knowing. That it's sufficient to just have a grasp of the facts of Christ's life and ministry. That it be a mere head knowledge. We were remembering how the Pharisees had great pride in their knowledge of the commands of God. They knew them to the number and could recite them, but they didn't understand them or else they wouldn't have sought to work around them and to come up with countermeasures that would offset the onerous weight of God's commands as they viewed them. which testified to the fact that their hearts were not right with God. They didn't walk that which they talked. Their life wasn't manifesting the fruit of the transformative power of those truths within them. And so we have been reminded by John in this epistle That it isn't what we say that is important. It's whether what we say is in agreement with the life that we lead. That those things that we say that are in accord with what God has commanded find expression in a life that has been transformed. Otherwise, what we say is hypocritical and it means nothing. If it hasn't yielded the evidence of the life-giving work of Christ within us, if we continue to love our sin far more, if we continue to seek to be for ourselves God and our own determiners, we don't understand the message, nor do we understand those things that we profess. Rather, we continue to walk in darkness and aspire to remain in darkness. We're like those little cockroaches that I described to you last week that were residing behind that paneling that poured forth when light flooded in, that they might find another dark place to reside and continue their lives in darkness. So those are the two tests, the two questions of the exam that John has put before us thus far within this little epistle that we would know and that we would walk in accord with God's commands. And then he brings us to the third question. A third question, which brings to our mind Matthew 22 verses 36 to 40, where you recall that that young man came to the Lord and said, what is the greatest commandment? And Christ understood that a trap was being laid for him. They wanted to see if he would pick and choose the law of God that he thought was best from among the commandments of God. And Christ, knowing their hearts, answers in a fashion that rightly upholds all of God's law perfectly. He says, these are the two greatest commandments. That you would love the Lord your God, recalling that command given in Deuteronomy 6, verses 4 and 5. And that you would love your neighbor as yourself. For in these two commands are all of God's laws bound up. In the accomplishment of these two things is God's law most perfectly upheld. And so the third test that John puts before us today, he describes in verse 7 as saying, I'm writing to you no new commandments, but an old commandment. Meaning this is something that God has attested to from the very beginning. It is not new. It is not novel. And it is not a shortcut by which all of the other commandments may be superseded or accomplished, but it has always been this way. And there's importance to this that he reiterates this isn't a new command. Because this helps to reinforce in our thinking the God whom we serve, the character of the God whom we serve. that our Heavenly Father is truly and demonstrably unchangeable. You see, if the commands changed, it would cause us to think that God has changed or that He's taken a new course in His wisdom. And that would betray the confidence he wants us to have in him as an unchangeable God. And that his word does not change. His commands remain the same forever. He says, this is no new commandment, but an old commandment that you had from the beginning. And we look today at Genesis chapter four, that we might understand the need from the time of the fall for this command has been ever before us. For we saw in our first siblings, Cain and Abel, a manifestation of the absence of love, of the division, the disunity that sin causes amongst the people of God. Even those who are closest. Those who are brothers. An example which should put us on our guard because we who are gathered here today who call upon the name of the Lord Jesus Christ exist in this place as brothers and sisters. Made so by Christ and grafted into that glorious vine by Christ that we might be co-heirs with him. And yet John sees this as important enough that he puts this matter of the need for love before this young church because, again, there's still sin within us. Those things that led Cain to raise his hand against his brother still can manifest itself Amongst those who are near and dear brothers and sisters in Christ within the body of Christ. And so he goes on and says at the same time, it is a new commandment that I'm writing to you, which is true in him and in you. Because the darkness is passing away and the true light is already shining. This command that he is putting before us, this old new command that is here being spoken of, this third test given to you as brothers and sisters in Christ. Do you love? Is the manifestation of Christ's love to be found in you? Do those who know you best Describe you as a man, a woman or a child who is loving. Is that what you're known for? Or do those around you see you rather like Cain? Self-absorbed, self-interested, Eager for success at all costs, no matter the pain that may be inflicted on those around us? Does the love of Christ manifest itself within the inner workings of your home? I've spoken before of our tendency when we are in the presence of those who are nearest to us to not necessarily shine. But instead, we have a tendency to ease those filters or perhaps put the filters away and speak the most directly to those who are nearest to us unfiltered. When I say unfiltered, that doesn't mean that we use a filter to block the things that would be Christ-honoring, but rather we use filters in order to hamper those expressions of sin, those candid words that we would speak in haste. In an unloving fashion, those ways in which we demonstrate the contents of the deepest recesses of our hearts where sin resides and where we've not done our due duties. To cry out to God to cleanse those corners of our hearts. To remove that residue from it. that our lives might more readily reflect the light of Christ than the darkness that once was our home. Do you love? Do you demonstrate not only a love for your spouse and your children, your extended families, your grandchildren? But does your love extend to those who have been the recipients of God's grace through Christ? Now, he raises this question of love because he says there's no way to feign this love. This is a love that is bore out of the accomplishment of those preceding questions. This is the love that only emanates and exists within the hearts of those whose eyes have been opened, whose hearts have been enlivened by Christ, whose minds now can comprehend the truths of God's word. Because any other manifestation of goodness that may exist within our life. that isn't the result of and the response to the saving work of the Lord Jesus Christ is done for sinful motivations. Either out of respect for what other people will think of us and so we feign love and care for those who are near and dear to us or we do kind acts or we give to the poor or we give our wealth away in an effort to please men rather than out of a heart that is inclined to the things of God and whose aspiration is one to love him and two to love those upon whom he has stamped his image. So here John says this is a key and necessary element of what must exist within the church of the Lord Jesus Christ. And we love and care for and support one another because we have been loved, cared for, supported, renewed. Invigorated, guided by, taught by Christ, by our loving Heavenly Father, by his spirit that dwells within us. That love that John is here seeking to see within us. Stems from his glorious light. So how do you see your brothers? What are the ways in which our love for one another will manifest themselves? Do we seek to associate with one another? If you think back, those of you who are married to when you were courting or dating your spouse, Would that one whom you loved have understood your love if you were willing to go days or weeks without speaking to that beloved one? Would that have relayed any sense to anyone who observed you that you truly were interested in that other person? No, your friends knew you were smitten when it appeared that you had a one-track mind, didn't you? When every conversation in some fashion consisted of an expression of your amazement that that other person could love you and would want to spend time with you and would make time for you to spend time with them. See, we recognize what love looks like between two individuals, don't we? But then we're kind of humbled when we think about what should be the manifestation of our first love. Do you find in your life that same transformation of your conversations because of your love of your husband Christ? Does he occupy your every waking thought? Does he direct your conversations? Does he fill your heart with glee when you think of the opportunity to spend time with him and the study of his word and hear his voice? Engage with him in conversation as you would speak with him in prayer. Were you late for your own wedding? And yet, as we come to gather every Lord's Day to worship. To reflect upon that which he has done for us. Do we find it hard to get out the door? Do we just need five more minutes? Did you show up late for date night? You see, John is shining a light on us right now. relative to this matter of love. How does the love of Christ truly impact your life? Do you find yourself taking off your wedding ring when you leave the presence of your wife or your husband? In the same way, do you take off That fruit that marks you as one that has been lovingly set apart by Christ when you leave this place. Such that those who know you Monday through Saturday. Would be hard pressed to identify you as. A bride of Christ. A possession of God. A part of the visible as well as invisible church. You see, this third test is important. Because it affects everything. Our love of Christ affects everything. It affects what we say. It affects whom we will correspond, where we'll spend our time. And to what end? It doesn't mean we don't have a care for the world. But our care for the world and those who are presently in the world is that they might also know that one whom we love, Jesus Christ, that we might be a shining example to the world of that great new life that has been so lovingly given to us, that new hope that is ours in Christ, that hope of an everlasting future with Him, where we'll never be late. that we'll always be with Him. What was one of those things that we loved most about being married, but that we got to dwell with that one whom we loved evermore? Every day of my life I get to spend with my wife. That's ours in Christ today. Because that great chasm of sin has been overcome by Christ. No longer are we separated from God. No longer do we only know the wrath of God directed toward us for our sin. But he's taken us from that condition of of being the rightful recipients of his wrath to now being his beloved sons and daughters. But we begin today to reside with him. And if you haven't called upon the name of Christ. This is an opportunity today to cry out to him. To confess your sins and to ask him to take mastery over your life. To open your eyes that you might see and truly understand what Christ has done. To shape your thoughts, your speech and your actions in a fashion that he would be most glorified as that one who made you new, that one who took you from being covered in filth and made you abundantly radiant in Christ. And he makes it clear. That if instead. Our life is marked with hate. If we hate our brothers. If we hang on to old offenses. Because we aspire to look for that opportunity where our case will be able to be made where we will be able to make right those prior offenses. His warning to us is very clear. Whoever hates his brother is in darkness and walks in darkness and does not know where he is going because the darkness has blinded his eyes. Kids have you ever been so angry? That you saw red. You've seen the cartoons where there is the matador and he holds up that red cloth in front of the bull and you see the bull gets angry and his eyes turn red and then he charges the matador. Have you ever been so angry you saw red? Where you couldn't think right. You were so consumed in your anger. will be comforted, it doesn't only afflict the young. It happens to us, doesn't it parents? It happens to us who are older as well. And John knew that this is a real danger. He understood the enemy that is crouching outside the door, looking for someone to pounce upon. And this is one of those areas that Satan finds some of his greatest, even if they're fleeting victories, is by maligning our emotions, by feeding on our anger, by driving wedges between brothers and sisters, spouses and children and their parents. He says it's incompatible. With those who truly love Christ. So we have a challenge put before us, if there is anger, frustration that has crept up between us as brothers and sisters, husbands and wives, children and parents, grandparents and children and grandchildren, neighbors. We have a responsibility to Christ to address those things. Not in a self-seeking way, but in a way that would bring honor and glory and which would attest to that work which he has done within us. He finishes this section with some words of encouragement. And he speaks to us at the various stages of our spiritual development. You'll see here he addresses twice children and twice fathers and twice young men. To your peace of mind, women, he doesn't mean here to be overlooking you. This isn't him only having a care for, but rather this is to speak to us at our various stages of our spiritual development. Those of us who are new converts, he treats as and speaks to as children. Those of us who are perhaps in those vigorous years, he speaks to us as young men and those of us who are older. whose life is largely in our rearview mirror. He speaks to us as fathers, those who have been tested in the faith. And he describes them. By those things that are important for those who are new converts. What is it that is most precious to us at that early stage of our life in Christ? But that we have come to recognize the forgiveness secured by him. And so he puts that first and foremost before them. He says, I'm writing to you little children because your sins are forgiven for his namesake. He did it not for you, he did it for his namesake that he forgave our sins and he was glorified by the Father for this that we might enjoy the full benefits of having God's wrath turned to you who are fathers because you know him. What do we say about those who are older? They have wisdom. They have so much life experience, so many things that they can draw from that save them from some of the pitfalls that we tended to fall into as very zealous young men and women. And so he here commends to them. To recall those things that you know, that you know, God, that you've experienced his faithfulness in your life is a blessing. And he leaves that for your encouragement. And then for those who are young and able. He describes as the young men, those who are in the so-called active years. Because you have overcome the evil one, because you are strong and the word of God abides in you, you have overcome the evil one. A reminder to us to be about that, to give ourselves to the study of the word that we might be made strong, not physically strong, spiritually strong, unable. to withstand the temptations of this world, to be a shining example. This may be well suited for those who now are out in the public sphere more often than those who are retired. That you might stand firm in the workplace, that you might stand firm in the classroom, children, able to withstand those other influences and to maintain a consistent witness for Christ. So even though John knows that when we hear of a test that is coming, our first response may be to give an ugh. He leaves us with the encouragement that we might see and understand the benefits that come from having these truths securely written upon our hearts and our minds and living our lives in accord with these things that we might live our life in his glorious light and be effective ambassadors for that one whom we love. The Lord Jesus Christ, that we might uphold those two great commandments manifesting by the obedience demonstrated in our life of our love and aspiration for God, our heavenly Father, God, the Son, who laid down his life and took it up again. God, the Holy Spirit, who dwells within us, that he might guide and direct our steps and bring about abundant fruit within our life. and that we might love our neighbor, testifying to them, reminding them of that one whom we love, Jesus Christ, that his church may grow and multiply, that his renown throughout the world may grow, and that we may see those whom we love. Come to a saving knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ and into his glorious light. And into that peace and security that is found only under his wings. Let's pray. Dear Heavenly Father, again, we thank you. We thank you for these needed reminders. For Lord, it is so easy for us to compartmentalize our lives such that We would think of you only when we gather in your name or we would think of you in those short moments that we spend within your word or engaged in prayer around the table. And miss out and misunderstand the significance of what it means to love Christ as our first love. Lord, we pray that as you would be pleased to work within us. That the loves of this life would fall away. And instead, Lord, our love for you would grow and abound. And that from a love of you, we would grow in our obedience to you, we would manifest great fruit wrought by Christ. In our lives, transformed by him. To the benefit of those around us, first, our brothers and sisters in Christ for their encouragement. But also, Lord, for the world around us. Presently walking in darkness, seeking after things that rot and fade and fade away and are destroyed. Things, Lord, that they treasure. that have no ultimate or eternal significance. And Lord, where those things occupy an unholy place within our lives, Lord, we ask that you would remove those idols from us. Lord, that those who are nearest to us would be the first to see and give and know the evidences of your transformative effect upon us. So, Lord, we pray you would help us to love our spouses better. That as you have shown to us your abundant, long-suffering nature, Lord, that we would be long-suffering with those who have been long-suffering with us. Lord, that we would demonstrate love in our dealings with them, with our children, with our neighbors, with our co-workers and with our fellow classmates. Lord, that we would demonstrate love to those who have loved us as parents, grandparents. Lord, that we would not lay the filters aside That we might speak bluntly. But rather, may your word so transform us. That our words reflect his work in us. That it would become so second nature as you renew our nature in Christ. We pray these things in his matchless name, that of Jesus Christ, amen.