Shownotes
Welcome to Day 2724 of Wisdom-Trek. Thank you for joining me.
This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom
Day 2729– A Discerning Life – Not Like Cain, but Like Christ! – 1 John 3:11-24
Putnam Church Message – 10/05/2025 Sermon Series: 1, 2, & 3 John “A Discerning Life – Not Like Cain, But Like Christ! " Last week, we continued through the letter of 1 John and explored how to have A Discerning Life: Discerning the Works of the Devil." This week, we continue through the letter of 1 John, and we will explore how to have A Discerning Life: Not Like Cain, But Like Christ!" from 1 John 3:11-24 from the NIV, which is found on page 1901 of your Pew Bibles. Love One Another 11 For this is the message you heard from the beginning: We should love one another. 12 Do not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own actions were evil and his brother’s were righteous. 13 Do not be surprised, my brothers and sisters,[a] if the world hates you. 14 We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love each other. Anyone who does not love remains in death. 15 Anyone who hates a brother or sister is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life residing in him. 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 and sisters. 17 If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? 18 Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth. 19 This is how we know that we belong to the truth and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence: 20 If our hearts condemn us, we know that God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything. 21 Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God 22 and receive from him anything we ask, because we keep his commands and do what pleases him. 23 And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us. 24 The one who keeps God’s commands lives in him, and he in them. And this is how we know that he lives in us: We know it by the Spirit he gave us. Opening Prayer Repeatedly, John urges his readers to love God and to love one another. He warns them against loving the world (2:15–16). And he underscores the danger of embracing a sinful lifestyle (3:10). All these subjects begin to wear on the consciences of Christians who desire to be like Christ but constantly fall short. If we allow the full impact of these words to weigh on us, it’ll make us squirm because all of us fall short of the perfect standard of love given to us in Jesus Christ. Considering these convicting truths, some believers might even begin to think, “Am I even saved? Have I loved the world too much? Have I not loved my brother or sister in Christ enough? Are there people in my life whom I hate?” Because these questions naturally begin pestering the consciences of believers who take God’s commands seriously, John applies a soothing balm to calm the disquieted conscience: the balm of grace. 3:11 John begins this section with a very familiar message. It’s a message that serves as a hinge on which much of the book of 1 John turns: “Love one another.” When Jesus spoke that simple command decades earlier at the Last Supper (John 13:34-35), John got the message. He never forgot it. That command filled John’s mind and heart, taking hold of his actions. It’s not the first time John’s readers had heard the command. John had already mentioned a variation of it to them in 1 John 2:10. And no doubt the “love one another” theme was a frequent refrain in John’s teaching and preaching over the years. The recipients of 1 John, in fact, had heard this message “from the beginning” of their life as believers in Christ. It’s clear, then, that loving one another is the heart of the Christian life. Along with loving God, it sums up what it means to observe the commandments (Matt. 22:36-40). It is a theme that emerges throughout the New Testament (e.g., Rom. 13:8; 1 Thes. 4:9; 1 Pet. 1:22). (Bulletin) And it’s a distinguishing mark of the authenticity of the disciples of Jesus (John 13:35). “Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.” As in our hymn this morning. But what does 'love one another' look like? 3:12–18 If you haven’t noticed already, the apostle John loves using contrasts to drive home his points:- truth vs. lies
- love vs. hate
- righteousness vs. wickedness
- obedience vs. disobedience
- light vs. darkness
- children of God vs. children of the devil
Transcripts
This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom
Day: /:Sermon Series: 1, 2, & 3 John
“A Discerning Life – Not Like Cain, But Like Christ! "
Last week, we continued through the letter of 1 John and explored how to have A Discerning Life: Discerning the Works of the Devil."
e NIV, which is found on page:Love One Another
11 For this is the message you heard from the beginning: We should love one another. 12 Do not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own actions were evil and his brother’s were righteous. 13 Do not be surprised, my brothers and sisters,[a] if the world hates you. 14 We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love each other. Anyone who does not love remains in death. 15 Anyone who hates a brother or sister is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life residing in him.
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 and sisters. 17 If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? 18 Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.
19 This is how we know that we belong to the truth and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence: 20 If our hearts condemn us, we know that God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything. 21 Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God 22 and receive from him anything we ask, because we keep his commands and do what pleases him. 23 And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us. 24 The one who keeps God’s commands lives in him, and he in them. And this is how we know that he lives in us: We know it by the Spirit he gave us.
Opening Prayer
Repeatedly, John urges his readers to love God and to love one another. He warns them against loving the world (2:15–16). And he underscores the danger of embracing a sinful lifestyle (3:10). All these subjects begin to wear on the consciences of Christians who desire to be like Christ but constantly fall short. If we allow the full impact of these words to weigh on us, it’ll make us squirm because all of us fall short of the perfect standard of love given to us in Jesus Christ.
Considering these convicting truths, some believers might even begin to think, “Am I even saved? Have I loved the world too much? Have I not loved my brother or sister in Christ enough? Are there people in my life whom I hate?” Because these questions naturally begin pestering the consciences of believers who take God’s commands seriously, John applies a soothing balm to calm the disquieted conscience: the balm of grace.
3:11
lier at the Last Supper (John:It’s not the first time John’s readers had heard the command. John had already mentioned a variation of it to them in 1 John 2:10. And no doubt the “love one another” theme was a frequent refrain in John’s teaching and preaching over the years. The recipients of 1 John, in fact, had heard this message “from the beginning” of their life as believers in Christ.
serve the commandments (Matt.:But what does 'love one another' look like? 3:12–18 If you haven’t noticed already, the apostle John loves using contrasts to drive home his points:
truth vs. lies
love vs. hate
righteousness vs. wickedness
obedience vs. disobedience
light vs. darkness
children of God vs. children of the devil
Not surprisingly, in these verses, John provides two contrasting examples to put flesh on the bones of the command to “love one another.” The first example illustrates the extreme opposite of loving our brother or sister in Christ (1 Jn. 3:12-15). The second example demonstrates the extreme ideal of love (3:16–18). By placing believers in the middle of these two examples, John tries to urge them away from the one /and toward the other.
In giving an example of brotherly hatred rather than brotherly love, John takes us all the way back to the original saga of sibling rivalry: the account of Cain’s murder of his brother Abel (3:12). Cain, John says, who belonged to the evil one.” This phrase parallels the phrase “belongs to the devil” in 3:8:
1 John 3:8 “When people keep on sinning, it shows that they belong to the devil.”
1 John 3:12 “Cain, who belonged to the evil one and killed his brother”
John sets Cain up as the original example of one who “belonged to the devil,” providing a smooth transition in his argument from 3:10. So now we can tell who are children of God and who are children of the devil. Anyone who does not live righteously and does not love other believers[a] does not belong to God. Cain is a perfect illustration of this category of person. Not only did he disobey God’s commands and fail to heed God’s warnings, but he also harbored hatred in his heart and took it to its extreme conclusion: the murder of his own brother Abel.
be Cain’s actions: sphazō [:But why? John asks this question: “For what reason did he slay him?” What stirred up so much hatred, anger, rage, and violence in Cain? Had Abel made Cain’s life miserable by constantly bullying his brother until he finally snapped? Did Cain have some sort of deep-seated derangement that made him delusional, believing he was doing what was right? The answer John gives should shock us: Cain killed Abel because he had been doing what was evil, and his brother had been doing what was righteous. (3:12).
To understand what John means by this, we need to look back at the original account of the slaying in Genesis 4. The narrative reveals that Cain, the firstborn, “cultivated the ground” while Abel, his younger brother, “became a shepherd” (Gen. 4:2). In other words, Cain was a farmer of produce, Abel a shepherd. But something happened that provoked Cain to envy, jealousy, and rage. Cain brought an offering to God—“presented some of his crops as a gift to the Lord” (Gen. 4:3). Abel, meanwhile, brought the best portions of the firstborn lambs from his flock (Gen. 4:4). On Abel’s offering of blood, The Lord accepted Abel and his gift, 5 but he did not accept Cain and his gift. (Gen. 4:4–5).
But why? Didn’t each brother bring an offering from the toil of his own hands? Why would God accept Abel’s animal sacrifice but reject Cain’s produce from the earth? The passage doesn’t clearly give a reason, but we can make a few observations. Both Cain and Abel likely knew what kind of sacrifice God required as an appropriate offering. It might be that a requirement of animal sacrifice was made clear immediately after the sin of Adam and Eve when “the Lord God made clothing from animal skins for Adam and his wife.” (Gen. 3:21). Think about it. To make coverings for Adam and Eve out of animal skins several animals had to die.
or animal sacrifice (see Lev.:But there’s another, related dimension to Cain’s rejected offering. Hebrews 11:4 says, It was by faith that Abel brought a more acceptable offering to God than Cain did. Abel’s offering gave evidence that he was a righteous man, and God showed his approval of his gifts. Abel presented his offering “by faith.” He trusted God at His word, and he believed that His demands were right, that He knew best, and that He deserved complete obedience. Cain, on the other hand, apparently thought the sweat of his labor was good enough and that he didn’t have to follow God’s specific requirements as long as he offered something.
What would it have taken for Cain to offer a sacrifice in faith and obedience? Some effort to capture an animal worthy of sacrifice to the Lord? Or a barter with his brother Abel, trading the produce of his fields for animals from Abel’s flock? Perhaps he could have joined his brother Abel in offering animals together. In any case, Cain revealed a self-centered, faithless, disobedient heart that was already predisposed to a sour relationship with his brother.
We know the rest of the story. Cain became angry, and he didn’t hide it, This made Cain very angry, and he looked dejected. (Gen. 4:5–6). God Himself confronted Cain with a choice at that pivotal moment in his life: Why are you so angry?” the Lord asked Cain. “Why do you look so dejected? 7 You will be accepted if you do what is right. But if you refuse to do what is right, then watch out! Sin is crouching at the door, eager to control you. But you must subdue it and be its master.” (Gen. 4:7). Instead of heeding God’s plea for repentance while the cauldron of anger in his heart had not yet reached the boiling point, Cain slaughtered his brother in the field (Gen. 4:8)! By slaying his brother with bloody violence, it was as if he were thumbing his nose at God and saying, in effect, “You want blood? Here’s your blood!”
This episode vividly illustrates that Cain was “of the evil one,” and this association determined his movement from what he saw (his brother’s deeds were righteous) to what he did (killed his brother). The implication for John’s readers in the first century (and for us today) is clear: Many people in the world are “of the evil one” just like Cain. Even when confronted with the truth, they will continue down the path of wickedness. John states: So don’t be surprised, dear brothers and sisters,[c] if the world hates you. (1 Jn. 3:13).
;:John’s purpose, though, is not to cast doubt on his readers’ salvation. Rather, unlike those who hate other believers and lack salvation, it proves that we have passed from death to life. (1 Jn. 3:14). How do we know this? Because we love the brothers and sisters. John intends that, as his readers consider the disposition and murderous actions of Cain, they will not see themselves as being like him. Just the opposite. Instead of behaving like Cain, who slew his brother to satiate his own anger, children of God ought to follow Christ’s extreme example of self-sacrificial love (3:16). We know what real love is because Jesus gave up his life for us. So we also ought to give up our lives for our brothers and sisters.
John has a practical application in mind to prove that we have passed from death to life: If someone has enough money to live well and sees a brother or sister[f] in need but shows no compassion—how can God’s love be in that person? (3:17). To follow Christ’s example, Dear children, let’s not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions. (3:18).
3:19–24
Right now, you may be wondering where you stand. None of us lives perfectly like Christ. None of us exhibits continual self-sacrificial love for our brothers and sisters in Christ. All of us have moments when we mistreat each other through our actions—neglecting them in times of need, lashing out at them with our words, and failing to minister to them as fellow members of the body. We may not be shedding blood like Cain did to Abel, but we frequently find ourselves failing to love fellow Christians as Christ loved us.
John knows that all of us are in this predicament, in which we know the good we ought to do, but we fail to do it. This is why he includes the essential words of encouragement in these verses. Genuine believers who waffle between Cain and Christ need to remember that they’re not made righteous by their works, but by faith in the name of the Son of God.
John says, “ Our actions will show that we belong to the truth, so we will be confident when we stand before God. ” (3:19). By what? By loving our brothers and sisters in Christ in deed and truth (actions). When we love as He loved, we demonstrate that a new nature dwells in us from above. However, when sin inevitably finds its way into our thoughts, words, and actions, we can still have assurance before God, who is greater than our self-condemning hearts. He knows us. He knows the genuineness of our faith and love. He knows all about our bouts with evil and our struggles against habitual sins. And He provides the strength to overcome them by His Spirit.
John desires to strengthen our assurance.
“You’re not like Cain!” he says.
That’s John’s main point in 3:19–24. He’s not trying to make true children of God doubt their salvation because of their sins, but to motivate them to return immediately to the way of righteousness and truth whenever they find themselves beginning to take even small steps in Cain’s direction.
In this process, John uses positive encouragement rather than negative warnings. He spells out the benefits of a life lived in such a way that such doubts aren’t able to creep into the believer’s heart. When we have a clean conscience before God because we keep His commands and please Him, we can have confidence before Him that our prayers will be answered (3:21–22). Dear friends, if we don’t feel guilty, we can come to God with bold confidence. 22 And we will receive from him whatever we ask because we obey him and do the things that please him. The term “confidence” is the same word John used back in 2:28 And now, dear children, remain in fellowship with Christ so that when he returns, you will be full of courage and not shrink back from him in shame. This term conveys the notion of boldness.
Because of this confidence brought on by a life of obedience, we don’t shy away from prayer. We don’t skulk in the margins while others go to God with their requests. Few things keep people from genuine prayer to their heavenly Father more than unconfessed sin and a resulting guilty conscience. Shame is a barrier to fellowship with God. But when we confess our sins, /clear the air, /and walk in the light, /we find ourselves going to God constantly and confidently, /thanking Him, /sharing with Him, /worshiping Him, /praising Him, /and letting our requests be known.
Finally, John turns our attention from our own hearts and good works/ to Jesus Christ and the Spirit. Ultimately, the lasting assurance of our salvation must come from God. Yes, we are urged to abide in Christ and to walk in His commandments, but John reminds us again that the only reason we’re willing and able to abide in Him is because He abides in us.| By works? /By good intentions? /By a life purified by constant discipline?/ NO, Christ abides in us by faith alone. John writes, We must believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and love one another, just as he commanded us. (3:23). That’s the first step, because it is impossible to please God without faith. (Heb. 11:6).
Genuine, saving faith that unites us to Christ also results in the permanent indwelling of the Holy Spirit. By the power of the Spirit, we’re able to keep His commandment to “love one another” (1 Jn. 3:23). And this mutual abiding—He in us and we in Him—produces an internal assurance that can’t be quantified. It can only be known by those who have an authentic saving relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. John writes, And we know he lives in us because the Spirit he gave us lives in us. (3:24). This Spirit produces in us assurance and confidence/—faith in the goodness of the Father,/ the perfect and complete work of the Son, /and the ongoing empowerment of the Spirit. The Holy Spirit inspires us to confess Christ. He empowers us to live righteously./ He prompts us to love others. /He teaches us all truth./ He convicts us of our sin./ He comforts us through trials.
And, thanks be to God, He holds us secure in the gift of eternal life.
APPLICATION: 1 JOHN 3:11–24
You and Your Conscience – Bulletin Insert
Who of us hasn’t looked at our lives at a low point and seen a little more Cain than Christ? This understandably leads many people to start questioning the genuineness of their faith and the prospect of their eternal life. “If I’m really saved,” they think, “why am I thinking and talking and acting like a lost person?” All of us have similar battles with a guilty conscience—especially those of us with very sensitive consciences or those who were raised in an environment that emphasized guilt, shame, and holding our mistakes against us.
On the other hand, most of us have also felt the reassurance of a clear conscience when we’ve reached “cruising altitude” in our Christian life and readily feel the Spirit working through us. Sometimes we turn away from temptations that typically drag us down … or we find ourselves saying and doing Christlike things in a way that surprises us … or we demonstrate a love for others we didn’t know we had in us!
Most of the time, though, the everyday Christian life is lived somewhere in between soaring in the clouds of spiritual triumph and dragging along the ground of spiritual defeat. It’s in this middle space that nagging doubts creep in, making us wonder whether we’re more like Cain or more like Christ. What do we do when we begin to have doubts about our salvation? How do we minister to others who lack assurance because of sin in their lives? Let me offer three thoughts in response to 1 John 3:12-24 to help us or those we know to have assurance.
First, when your conscience accuses you, look back and ask why. You’re going along pretty well, and suddenly your inner alarm goes off and says, “Stop right there. That wasn’t right.” Don’t just ignore that pricking of the conscience. It’s given to you as a gift, not to cause you to doubt your salvation, but to live out the salvation you have in a way that pleases God. When the alarm of your conscience is tripped, deal with it. Perhaps you spoke impatiently with someone, and you need to mend that relationship. Maybe you decided motivated by pride, greed, or envy, and you need to reconsider. Maybe you’ve been drifting from a close fellowship with God and His people, and your conscience is raising a red flag, prompting you to reflect on your priorities. Whatever the case may be, rather than ignoring your conscience, ask why. Let your conscience drive you to Christ. Your response should be confession and repentance.
Second, when your heart encourages you, look around and see why. You might see fellow believers in Christ who care for you and share with you. You might see those to whom you’ve ministered become fellow children of God. Or perhaps you’ll notice the blessings that are often easy to overlook: family, friends, a good job, a great church, health, and happiness. God answers prayer and keeps His promises. Your response should be praise and thanksgiving.
Third, when the Spirit assures you, look within and know why. The Spirit indwells you. This isn’t metaphorical language. He is truly present, imparting to you His life and producing in you the fruit of the Spirit: But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. (Gal. 5:22–23). The Christian faith is not merely intellectual, consisting of a list of propositional truths we affirm. It is also a living faith, in which our experiences can’t always be reduced to words. We have a mystical union with God through Christ by the indwelling Spirit. For his Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God’s children. (Rom. 8:16). Your response to this supernatural assurance should be wonder and awe.
Next week, we will continue our exploration of 1 John. Our message for next week is “A Discerning Life – Distinguishing Truth from Error Our Core verses for next week will be: 1 John 4:1-6 - Closing Prayer