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John reminds the church that the command to love one another was part of the message believers heard from the beginning. Cain’s hatred of his brother shows what grows from a heart set against God. Love for fellow believers bears witness to the new life God gives. John says that we know we have passed from death to life because we love the brothers.
Jesus Christ shows us what such love looks like by laying down His life for us. John brings that truth to bear on an ordinary decision. When you see a brother or sister in need and have the means to help, what will you do? The sermon also considers why loving in truth sometimes means saying something difficult for the good of a fellow believer.
The sermon closes with Corrie ten Boom’s account of forgiving a former concentration camp guard who told her he had become a Christian. Her response illustrates how Christ’s mercy changes the way believers treat one another, even when forgiveness comes at great personal cost.
Manuscript length — 17 pages including the title page, with 20 pages in the complete PDF
Included materials — Complete sermon manuscript, sermon outline, fill-in-the-blank listening guide, and seven reflection questions
Series title — 1 John Series
Scripture passage — 1 John 3:11–18
PDF format — One downloadable 5.5 × 8.5-inch PDF for digital reading or printing. Scripture quotations are from the English Standard Version (ESV) unless otherwise noted.
