Are You a Lover or a Hater?

 “This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down His life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.” – 1 John 3:16

None of us want to stand before God on Judgment Day and discover that we weren’t really Christians. And in the meantime, during this life, we want to be able to distinguish real Christians from false Christians.

 

In 1 John 3:10, we read: “This is how we know … who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not a child of God; nor is anyone who does not love his brother.” Let’s examine the second distinguishing characteristic of God’s true children: God’s children love one another.

 

In verse 12, immediately after reminding us that children of God “should love one another,” John shines the spotlight on the first human being who did the exact opposite of that: Cain. Christians are to be lovers; Cain was a hater. John writes: “Do not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and murdered his brother.” God called Cain to love his brother, but instead, Cain hatefully butchered him. Why? John answers, “Because his own actions were evil and his brother’s were righteous” (v. 12).

 

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus makes it clear that when we harbor intense anger and hatred in our hearts toward someone else, God views that bitter anger and hate as murder. That’s because murder begins in the heart. But just as Cain was the trailblazer for hate and death, Jesus Christ is the trailblazer for love and life. The most famous verse in the Bible, John 3:16, tells us: “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life.”

 

1 John 3:16 is like the sequel to John 3:16: “This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down His life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. We who follow Christ also ought to, in love, “lay down our lives for our brothers.” John makes it clear that the essence of Godly love is self-sacrifice, which has been perfectly demonstrated by Jesus Christ.

 

Here are three Life Lessons we can draw from this passage:

 

Life Lesson #1: Don’t hate like Cain. If you harbor anger and hate toward another Christian, you are guilty of murder in your heart. So, get rid of all your lingering anger and hate. If you are a believer and follower of Jesus Christ, there is no room in your heart for harboring bitterness or hate against anyone, especially a fellow Christian.

 

Life Lesson #2: Love like Jesus. The essence of Christlike love is self-sacrifice. So, if you are a follower of Christ, you must sacrificially put others’ needs above your own. In humility, Jesus considered others’ needs more important than His own. That’s why He willingly died on the cross.

 

Life Lesson #3: When you walk in obedience and Christlike love, you can be confident that Christ lives in you and will hear and answer your prayers. In verses 21-22, John seems to be making this point: If we, by God’s mercy and grace, have a clear conscience before God, we can come confidently and boldly to God in prayer.

 

False Christians follow in Cain’s footsteps: They disobey God’s commands and harbor hate against others. But true Christians follow in Jesus’ footsteps: They do what is morally right, and they love others with a self-sacrificing, Godly love.

Dane Davis is the pastor of Impact Christian Church, meeting Sundays at 8:30 and 10 a.m. at 16209 Kamana Road in Apple Valley. For more information, visit www.GreaterImpact.cc.

What’s Wrong With My Veggie Tray?

“For I desire faithful love and mercy, not sacrifice, and acknowledgment of God rather than burnt offerings.” – Hosea 6:6

Most of us probably learned the story of Cain and Abel when we were kids. But this story – of the world’s first two brothers, and the world’s first murder – is worth a closer look. 

In Genesis 4 Cain and Abel, as grown men, both brought offerings to the Lord. Cain offered God “some of the fruits of the soil as an offering.” That makes sense, since he was a farmer. Meanwhile, Abel “brought some fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock.” That also makes sense, since Abel was a shepherd. But in verses 4 and 5, we read that God liked Abel’s offering and accepted it. But He didn’t like Cain’s offering and rejected it. And according to the Amplified Bible’s translation, “Cain became extremely angry (indignant), and he looked annoyed and hostile” (v. 5).

Why did God reject Cain’s offering? Some Christians believe that Cain’s offering was rejected because it consisted of vegetables instead of a blood sacrifice. But Leviticus 2 tells us grain offerings can be pleasing to God. Other Christians point out that Cain brought “some of the fruits of the soil,” but Abel brought “fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock” (vs. 3-4). In other words, Cain brought a generic vegetable tray, but Abel brought the prime rib. So, you could make the case that when Abel came to worship God, he offered God his very best. But when Cain came to worship God, he offered Him his leftovers.

We can’t be sure. But Hebrews 11:4 sheds more light: “By faith Abel offered God a better sacrifice than Cain did. By faith he was commended as a righteous man, when God spoke well of his offerings.” According to this verse, Abel’s offering was given in faith, but Cain’s wasn’t. In Hosea 6:6 God says, “For I desire faithful love and mercy, not sacrifice, and acknowledgment of God rather than burnt offerings.” From these verses we can gather that Abel gave His offering in faith, love and obedience to God, while Cain did not.

Here are three life lessons we can draw from this passage:

Life Lesson #1: When you bring an offering to God, bring Him your first and your best. If you really love God and desire to worship Him in spirit and in truth, don’t bring Him your leftovers. Bring Him the best of the best.

Life Lesson #2: When God offers you a second chance, humble yourself in His presence and take it. Cain was a fool. God gave him every chance to change course, but he refused to trust and obey. Don’t be like Cain.

Life Lesson #3: You must know Jesus Christ in order to be right with God and man. Answer the two questions that God asked Adam and Cain: “Where are you?” (when Adam was hiding after his sin) and “Where is your brother?” (after Cain murdered Abel). Where are you in your relationship with God today, and where are you in your relationships with the people around you?

If you’re not right with God or you’re not right with others, Jesus Christ is your only hope. He’s the only one who can restore your relationship with God AND your relationships with your family and friends.

 Dane Davis is the pastor of Impact Christian Church, meeting Sundays at 8:30 and 10 a.m. at 16209 Kamana Road in Apple Valley.