1 John | A Series About Abiding in Christ – The Not-So-New Commandment

1 John 2:7-11

The Christian faith will never consist of new teachings, just old teachings with a new covenant perspective and increasingly new depth of application.

1 Corinthians 4:6 // Ephesians 3:14-19

Mark 12:28-31 // John 13:34-35

Ref. Deuteronomy 6:4-5 // Leviticus 19:19

Christian love is a commitment to do good to others even at the expense of self, not because of their merit, but because of all that Jesus has done for us and them.

“What a wonderful Savior we have. It was not lovely people for whose sake He died; it was for ungodly people, for His enemies. It was for law breakers that He suffered. He loved us, [the Bible says], in spite of how unlovely we were. And, just as He loved us, the new testament insists we are to love one another.” — Jay Adams

The light of Christ in the gospel shines forth to reveal every person as either a fellow blood-bought child of God OR a fellow sinner in need of grace– we are under obligation to love both.

Romans 1:14

Ref. 1 Corinthians 13:4-7

A lack of love’s affections and actions towards others in the family of God is an indicator that we’re not in it ourselves.

No level of doctrinal knowledge or outward ability can substitute for the inward compassion and the outward care we are to have for one another.

1 Corinthians 13:1-3 // 1 Timothy 1:5

“Do you want to know that your [Christian] life is real? Commit yourself to a local group of saved sinners. Try to love them. Don’t just do it for three weeks. Don’t just do it for six months. Do it for years. And I think you’ll find out, and others will, too, whether or not you love God. The truth will show itself.” — Mark Dever