In this wonderful little book of First John, the apostle John has been sharing about God's desire to have fellowship with people. John has shown us how God removed the barrier of sin that keeps man from having fellowship with Him, and he has been encouraging us with ways to know whether we really have a relationship with God or not. He has emphasized, especially in this third chapter of John, the importance of loving others, and he used Cain in the Bible as an example of how not to love. He's even told us that we should not marvel if the world hates us for this, and today he turns his attention even more pointed toward ways that demonstrate when a person does not have fellowship with God and has no eternal life living in him. He says in verse fifteen of the third chapter:
Whosoever hates his brother is a murderer: and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.
John says whoever hates his brother is a “murderer?” That's what he said. If there is hatred toward another person or group of people within our hearts, it's as if we murdered them. Hatred toward others is the spirit of murder. Cain hated his brother Abel because Abel's offering was accepted and Cain's was not, and if we hate others for some particular trait or ability, fault or imperfection, we most likely have the spirit of murder dwelling within us too.
Now most who read this may wonder, what's the big deal if I hate someone? Doesn't everybody hate somebody? The answer is, it is a big deal if there is hatred within us. John the apostle says “no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.” In other words, if we allow hatred to remain in our hearts, we have the spirit of murder toward that other person or group. The result is we do not have eternal life living within us. That's a great cost, and it isn't worth all the hatred in the world to be without eternal life.
God loves us. God loves you, and He desires to have fellowship with us. God is the only one who can remove any hatred that we may have toward others. We know that we are loved by God because we love others, and the spirit of God dwells within us. This spirit of God is filled with love toward people, God's love toward us was shown by Jesus' death on the cross. Jesus could have “hated” us, but He didn't. Jesus could have said, “Oh forget it. They are not worth it,” but He didn't. No, rather than “hate” us, He loved us, and gave His life so that we might have eternal life. Jesus said,
“Greater love has no man than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do whatever I command you.” (John 15:13,14)
As a bonus, Jesus has promised eternal life to all who accept His demonstration of love. Today, if we have hatred, the spirit of murder in our hearts, toward any person or group in the world, we must go to God with it. Ask Him to forgive us for our hatred, and ask Him to remove this barrier to our eternal life.
Next time we will discover how we know if we have eternal life living within us, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.
Until tomorrow...there is more...
Look for the new devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation” in all major bookstore sites, www.amazon.com ; www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore
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