Bible Study 1 John 2:7-11

         

                                         (1 John 2:7-11 ESV)
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 am 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.


We now will look at verses 7-11

Verse 7-8  " 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 am writing to you, which is true in him and in you, because the darkness is passing away and the true light is already shining."

As I have read a few commentaries on this verse the passage is talking about love. No doubt the readers would remember Jesus words in Johns earlier writing:

                 (John 13:34)
‘A new commandment I give to you, That you love one another; even as I have loved you, that you also love one another’ 

Now we are told in Leviticus 19:18 to "love our neighbor as ourselves".  So in what way is this a new commandment. In the sense that Jesus took this commandment to a whole other level.

Jesus had given us an example as to how we were to love our fellow man (John 15:13).

We have a perfect example in Christ demonstrated his love for us:

      (Romans 5:6)

"For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly."

    (Romans 5:8 )

"But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us."

  (Romans 8:32 )

"He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all--how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? "

Verse 9-10 "Whoever loves his brother abides in the light, and in him there is no cause for stumbling. Whoever loves his brother abides in the light, and in him there is no cause for stumbling."

The word hate in the Greek carries the idea of  "practicing" or living a life characterized by hate. This of course is completely contrary to how a Christian should live and think. As a Christian we of ALL people should know God's grace and want to extend it to all. How can we who know the truth and know all of the sin we have done in our personal lives, refuse to forgive or choose to not love others? We have been forgiven so much and it was a free gift. We were not given what we are owed or we would all be damned in Hell. Christians should be dominated with the mind of Christ, and die to our selfish sinful evil desires.

Verse 11 "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."

One can not be a follower of Jesus Christ and hate his brother. If one is a Christian and hates his brother then he is failing to see the depth of his own depravity and he does not understand the depths of grace that God has bestowed to his own sinful life.  To be a Christian is to have a sense of our depravity and our need for a savior.

Think about God's love as you go through your day and the incredible mercy he has bestowed upon us. If you are a Christian and you have hate in your heart towards someone, then friends REPENT of your sin and ask God to help you love the person you are angry with. Meditate what He did for you on the cross and the sacrifice and lengths he went to so you could be justified.