The Pulpit Commentary — 1 John — Section 102

we hR,·e n~ed ~.o be jealous over ourselves with a godly jealousy. Lot us not please ours,•l,cs with 11luswns, but let us keep close to reality. The apostle gives us II mnrk here by whkh we may be helped to classify ourselves. According to his manner, ho catches up the former idea of doing righteousness, but only to fix upon its most glorious forl'!l. He is not the child of God that loveth not his btotl1e1·. Lovincr onr brother then, is that by which we are marked off from the children of the devil~ This is th~ mark which we are to be helped to apply. 2. Commandment of brothe1·ly love. "For this is the message which ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another." It was of importance to consider brotherly love, because it was contained in the first message of Christianity. Did it announce the blessed fact that God made infinite sacrifice for us? Translated into a command that was that wo should love one another. We have the command, with all the :Master's authority. This contains the principle which is to operate in our life in our relations to one anothor. 3. J::xemplifi- catwn of the converse of 1Yrol11erly love. "Not as Cain was of the evil one and slew his brother. Ana. wherefore slew he him? Because his works were evil, and his brother's righteous." He goes back to the first manifestations of evil for his example. Cain was the child of the devil. It is said here that he was "of the evil one." He was under the influence of him who was evil affected toward men. Being evilly affected toward his brother, he slew him. "Aud wherefore slew he him? Because his works were evil, and his brother's righteous." He disliked Abel's piety, not so much purely, as because it gave him a better standing with God. When evidence was given, in the mo;t con- vincing manner, of what their relative standing was, Cain's dislike grew to hate and hot anger which could not be appca.sed.-R. F. Vers. 13-24.-The sign ef brotherly love. I. LoVE TO BE TRACED TO A SAVING CIU?-GE. 1. Not to be ezp~cted in the world. "Marvel not, brethren, if the world hateth you." Cain hated Abel; after the same fashion the world hates Christ's people. Our Lord, whom John here echoes, points to the fact of his being hated before his people, and then adds, "If ye were of the world, the world would love its own : but because ye are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you." Abel's tragic end was conclusive evidence that he was not to be classed with Cain ; so when the world hates us, there is this consolation, that we have evidence of not being classed with the world. 2. Its presence the sign of a saving change. "We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brethren." Here again John echoes our Lord, who describes the saving change in the same language (John v. 24). The passage out of death into life is to be interpreted in accordance with being begotten of God and having his seed in us. It is not simply ;'ustiflcation- a passage out of a state of condemnation into a state of acceptance. It is rather regeneration--a. passage out of a dead, abnormal state of our thoughts, desires, volitions, into their living, normal state. This is a passage which must take place in the spiritual history of every one of us who would come forth into the light of God's countenance. It is not effected without Divine help, which is offered in the gospel. To every one to vrhom the gospel offer is made there is granted the assistance of the Spirit, that he may lay hold on Christ as his Saviour. With Chri~t there is a new principle introduced into our life, which now needs full manifestation for our perfect health and happiness. It is a matter, then, of the very greatest importance for us to know that we have made the passage out of death into life. We are not to take this for granted, but to be guided by evidence. The test given by our Lord is-hearing his Word, and believing him that sent him. John's interpretat.ion of this is loving the brethren. We are to love those who are animated with the same Christian sentiment, not in the same way those who are animated with worldly sentiment. If we have the right feeling within the Christian circle, loving all who love Christ, then we may conclude that a saving change has taken place in us. 3. Its absence the sign of con- tinuance in an unsaved state. "He that loveth not abideth in death. Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer : and ye know that no murderer bath eternal life abiding in him." 'l'he apostle singles out him who is not under the influence of love (without any specilicotiou of object), and says of him, that he abideth in death, i.e. haR not made the pa$~agc-remaine where he was. In confirming this, he assumes that want of love is ~uivalen.t to hatred of a brother, It is only where love is active that 011. m. 1-24-.] 'l'HE J<'IIlS'l' EPISTLE GENERAL OF JOHN. 99