What is Love?
1 John 3:11-18
Here we see again how John’s method of teaching brings clarity by using both simple and complex antonyms or contrasting opposites.
Simple antonyms:
- Light vs darkness
- Love vs hate
- Life vs death
More complex antonyms:
- Children of God vs children of the devil
- This world system vs the brethren/believers/children of God
- Abandoning Christ vs Abiding in Christ
- Talk only vs Talk plus Walk
John makes it unequivocally clear: Loving one another is one of the marks of real faith in Christ.
“The Gospel deals, not just with our alienation from God, but the Gospel also deals with our sinful preoccupation with ourselves and our lack of loving concern for other people. And one of the marks of the Gospel is that Christians are united in their care for one each other.”
David Jackman
“Hatred characterizes the world, whose prototype is Cain. It originates in the devil, issues in murder and is evidence of spiritual death. Love characterizes the church, whose prototype is Christ. It originates in God, issues in self-sacrifice, and is evidence of eternal life.”
John RW Stott, The Letters of John
