Verse of the Day 10/31

Verse of the Day 10/31

1 John 3:12-13  We should not be like Cain, who yielded to the Evil One and brutally murdered his own brother, Abel. And why did he murder him? Because his own actions were evil and his brother's righteous.

¹³ So don't be shocked, beloved brothers and sisters, if you experience the world's hatred.    The Passion Translation (TPT)

The other day I raised the question of "why can't we hear of any good news"?  The world around us is too often focused on hate, retribution, getting even or getting leverage over someone.

As I was flying back from Seattle yesterday I was finishing up "Finally Alive" by John Piper.  In the closing chapters he took a look at these verses.  He mentioned that Johns concern in writing these verses was not that love doesn't kill a brother, but love doesn't feel resentful when a brother is superior in some moral or spiritual way.  Instead of dealing with his own shortcomings he'd rather get rid of the opposition, in this case his own brother.

Isn't that what we see going on in politics, not that someone is superior, but they may have won an election.  I'm not just talking about one side.  Instead of acknowledging any kind of accomplishment the opposition looks for something wrong with them.  Piper writes, "what would it be like for any of us to be like Cain?  It would mean that anytime some weakness or bad habit in our lives is exposed by contrast to someone else's goodness, instead of dealing with the weakness or the bad habit, we keep away from those whose lives make us feel defective.  We don't kill them, we avoid them.  Or worse, we find ways to criticize them so as to neutralize the part of their lives that was making us convicted.  We feel like the best way to nullify someone's good point is to draw attention to his bad point.  And so we protect ourselves from whatever good he might be for us.... John's point is that love doesn't act like that."

Verse 13 tells us that we shouldn't be shocked that the world hates the way it does, but instead of striking back, getting even or getting the edge, we are called to love; show grace; show mercy; have compassion.

Christians have to show that love has a better way.  We can disagree on things, but we shouldn't miss, shouldn't avoid the good things in others. 

Read the passage below.  What does the outworking of love look like in our lives?

--   In Christ,  Mike    Folllow the Verse of the Day blog at http://mikesvotd.blogspot.com  Ephesians 1:7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins,  in accordance with the riches of God's grace.  NIV    

1 John 3:11-18 New King James Version (NKJV)

¹¹ For this is the message that you heard from the beginning, that we should love one another, ¹² not as Cain who was of the wicked one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his works were evil and his brother's righteous.

¹³ Do not marvel, my brethren, if the world hates you. ¹⁴ We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love ^[a]his brother abides in death. ¹⁵ Whoever hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.

The Outworking of Love

¹⁶ By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. ¹⁷ But whoever has this world's goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him?

¹⁸ My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth.