A LOVE OR HATE RELATIONSHIP (8 OF 12)
by Keith Krell
Scripture: 1 John 3:10-24
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A Love or Hate Relationship (8 of 12)
Series: Living in the Light
Keith Krell
1 John 3:10-24
A man was working on a crossword puzzle and asked, ''What's a four letter word for a strong, emotional reaction toward a difficult person?'' Someone standing nearby said, ''The answer is hate.'' A lady interrupted and said, ''No, the answer is love!'' What a response-love . . . a strong emotional reaction toward a difficult person. We're all working on that same crossword puzzle, but the way we answer is up to each one of us.
Today, I would suspect that there are some people in your life that are difficult to love. Perhaps it's your boss or a neighbor. Maybe it's your spouse, one of your children, a sibling, or a person at church. Whoever it is, God is calling you to love that person. Of course, one of the questions we all face is: ''What does it mean to love?'' In 1 John 3:10-24 John answers this fundamental question by explaining what love isn't, what love is, and what love does for us. All in all he presents three demands of biblical love.
1. Love rejects hatred (3:10b-15). In these opening verses John explains what love isn't. He begins with these words: ''Anyone who does not practice [lit. ''do''] righteousness is not of God, nor the one who does not love his brother'' (3:10b). Now this is a very sticky wicket! John says that the Christian who doesn't love his brother is not ''of God.'' What exactly does this mean? Some have come to the conclusion that if you're not loving other Christians you're not saved. The NIV contributes to this line of thinking when it inserts the word ''child'' into the translation, indicating that ''anyone who doesn't love his brother'' is not ''a child of God.'' Actually, the word ''child'' isn't in the original Greek text at all. The NIV has bypassed legitimate translation and moved to interpretation.
The interpretation of 3:10b-if you're unloving, you're unsaved-has a number of problems, not the least of which is the w ...
Series: Living in the Light
Keith Krell
1 John 3:10-24
A man was working on a crossword puzzle and asked, ''What's a four letter word for a strong, emotional reaction toward a difficult person?'' Someone standing nearby said, ''The answer is hate.'' A lady interrupted and said, ''No, the answer is love!'' What a response-love . . . a strong emotional reaction toward a difficult person. We're all working on that same crossword puzzle, but the way we answer is up to each one of us.
Today, I would suspect that there are some people in your life that are difficult to love. Perhaps it's your boss or a neighbor. Maybe it's your spouse, one of your children, a sibling, or a person at church. Whoever it is, God is calling you to love that person. Of course, one of the questions we all face is: ''What does it mean to love?'' In 1 John 3:10-24 John answers this fundamental question by explaining what love isn't, what love is, and what love does for us. All in all he presents three demands of biblical love.
1. Love rejects hatred (3:10b-15). In these opening verses John explains what love isn't. He begins with these words: ''Anyone who does not practice [lit. ''do''] righteousness is not of God, nor the one who does not love his brother'' (3:10b). Now this is a very sticky wicket! John says that the Christian who doesn't love his brother is not ''of God.'' What exactly does this mean? Some have come to the conclusion that if you're not loving other Christians you're not saved. The NIV contributes to this line of thinking when it inserts the word ''child'' into the translation, indicating that ''anyone who doesn't love his brother'' is not ''a child of God.'' Actually, the word ''child'' isn't in the original Greek text at all. The NIV has bypassed legitimate translation and moved to interpretation.
The interpretation of 3:10b-if you're unloving, you're unsaved-has a number of problems, not the least of which is the w ...
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