How to Test your Faith (2) The Relationship Test - 1 John 2:7-11
Last time we saw that the Great Theme of John's First Epistle is the Doctrine of Assurance.
"I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God
so that you may KNOW that you have Eternal Life" (1 John 5:13).
The most Fundamental Question is this -
HOW can we Know that we Possess a Full Assurance of Faith?
How can we know that we are True Christians?
How can we know that we have True Fellowship with God?
John says that we can Know that we have Assurance by applying Three Tests of Faith
· TWO of these Tests of Faith are outlined in chapter 2 v 3-11.
Last time we looked at the First Test of Faith; the Obedience Test or the Moral Test (v3-6)
· There are Two Aspects of John's Test of Obedience.
Obedience to the Commands of God; & Obedience to the Example of Christ.
The Second Test of Faith is the Relationship Test or the Social Test of Love (verses 7-11).
"Dear friends, I am not writing you a new command but an old one, which you have had
since the beginning. This old command is the message you have heard. Yet I am writing
you a new command; its truth is seen in him & you, because the darkness is passing &
the true light is already shining. Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates his brother
is still in darkness. Whoever loves his brother lives in the light, & there is nothing in him
to make him stumble. But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness & walks around
in the darkness; he does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded him."
In v 3-6, John laid down the Main Principal of Testing our Faith, through the Obedience Test
He now comes to a More Particular Test of Faith, namely: The Relationship Test.
· Not only must we Obey God's Commands In General -
We must also Obey this Particular Command, to Love One Another.
John has already Defined a Christian as someone who has Fellowship with God.
· He has already told us that Two of the Biggest Hindrances to our Fellowship with God are Failure to Deal with Sin & Failure to Obey God's Commandments.
· John says: Another Big Hindrance to Fellowship with God is Failure to Love One Another.

There are several points we must consider regarding this Command to Love One Another.
Firstly, note how John says that this Commandment is BOTH 'Old & New' (verse 7).
· This command is OLD in this sense:
John, in effect, is saying: "You heard this Doctrine of Christian Love being emphasised from the time you first heard the Gospel. Therefore, I shall not add to the message you have already believed & received. I am simply reminding you of what you already know."
· The command is also OLD in the sense that you will find it in the Old Testament:
"You shall Love your Neighbour as yourself" (Leviticus 19:18).
John says that this Command is also a NEW Command:
John says: "I am writing you a New Command; its truth is seen in him & in you" (2:8).
There is no doubt that John is recalling the words of the Lord Jesus, in John 13:34:
"A New Commandment I give you: Love one another.
As I have loved you, so you must Love one another."
· In Old Testament Times they had this command, but they found it very Difficult to Obey.
However, the Lord Jesus Fulfilled this Commandment.
This is why John says: "Its truth is SEEN (OR its truth is Fulfilled) In Him".
The Lord Jesus has Fulfilled the Law of God in every detail.
Therefore, it has been found to be TRUE in him. It is NEW in him.
Jesus has proved, beyond doubt, that it is possible for Believers to Obey this Command.
He proved this, in an ultimate manner, when he "lay down his life for his friends" (Jn 15:13)
This Command is also NEW in the sense that, in the New Testament,
Jesus gives this 'Old Commandment' New meaning & New power.
· John says: "Its truth is Seen In YOU."
As a result of possessing 'New Life in Christ', & possessing the Power of the Holy Spirit,
you have been given a New Power to 'Love the Brethren' in the way that God intended.
· It is possible for Believers to Love in a way that it was never possible before.
Therefore, this commandment will ALWAYS be 'NEW',
because it is ALWAYS being realised & actualised in the Lives of Jesus' Followers.
This commandment is also 'New' because Jesus & John use it in a 'New Way'.
· Its newness is seen in its Relation to Faith.
Both Jesus & John use the 'Love Criterion' as the 'Test of Faith'.
Love is the authentic 'Yardstick of Faith.'
Jesus says:
"All men will know that you are my disciples IF you Love One Another" (John 13:35).
· Loving One Another is the mark of being True Disciples of Jesus Christ.

We are looking at John's teaching regarding the Command to Love One Another:
Firstly, John says that this commandment is BOTH 'Old & New'.
Secondly, John tells us that the 'Love Test' is a Reflection of the Believer's New Way of Life.
· This Test of Faith makes a clear distinction between
those who Walk in the Darkness & those who Walk in the Light.
John says in verse 8:
"I am writing you a New Command; its truth is seen in him & you,
because the darkness is passing & the true light is shining."
John is asking an Important Question:
Where can you see the Truth of this New Command being made manifest?
We have noted how John says: "Its truth is SEEN (or fulfilled) in HIM."
John also says: "Its truth is SEEN in YOU - in you Believers (verse 8).
· You can see This Truth among those who have passed from Darkness into Light.
· You can see it through the Lives of those in whom the True Light is Already Shining.
· Once again, John is making a CONTRAST between these Two Ways of Living:
"Those who Walk in the Light & those who Walk in Darkness."
· This contrast is made clear in verses 9-10:
"Anyone who claims to be in the Light but Hates his Brother is still in Darkness.
Whoever Loves his Brother Lives in the Light."
· The Apostle John is telling us the Difference between
those who Walk in the Darkness of Satan & those who Walk in the Light of God.

Look at what John says about those who Walk in Darkness, i.e. about Unbelievers:
"Whoever Hates his Brother is still in the Darkness & Walks around in the Darkness;
He does not know where he is going, because the Darkness has blinded him" (verse 11).
John uses a Metaphor here, which shows the difference between Two Ways of Living.
· John is saying that: "Unbelievers are people who are Walking in Darkness."
· Furthermore, he is arguing that Unbelievers have a Darkness Within Themselves.
Not only does 'He Walk around in Darkness', 'the Darkness has also Blinded him' (v11).
Do you see the meaning of this metaphor?
· The Unbeliever lives in 'Double Darkness' - He is in the Darkness because he is Blind.
Furthermore, this Blindness is compounded by the fact that he is Walking around in Darkness
· Even if you Place a Blind Person in the Light - he is Still in Darkness.
· Even if an Unbeliever tries his best to Obey this Command, he is bound to Fail Miserably.
The Apostle Paul makes the Same Point as John concerning Unbelievers:
"They are darkened in their understanding & separated from the life of God" (Eph 4:18).
They are "Foolish, disobedient, deceived & enslaved by all kinds of passions & pleasures. They live in malice & envy, being hated & hating one another" (Titus 3:3).
Both John & Paul say that those who Walk in Darkness are Characterised by Hatred.
· Paul says: "They live in malice & envy, being hated & hating one another" (Titus 3:3).
· John says: "Whoever hates his brother is in the darkness" (1 John 2:11).
Peter Barnes says of such people:
"A person full of hate is prickly, & his hate preys upon his imagination. He takes offence
at the smallest things, & maintains a long memory & an unforgiving spirit.
No matter what his profession, a person who is paralysed with bitterness & resentment
has no reason to believe that he belongs to Christ. So much professed love today is
nothing more than disguised selfishness - the aim is not the holy welfare of the other
person but the satisfaction of their own wants."

What about those who Claim to be True Believers but do NOT live up to their Profession?
· The Apostle John has a very Stern Message for these False Believers:
"Anyone who claims to be in the Light but Hates his Brother is Still in the Darkness" (v9)
Once again, John is using some very blunt language.
· If you say you Love God & Hate your Fellow Believer you are Living a Lie.
You are NOT Living in the Kingdom of Light; You are still in the Kingdom of Darkness.
· It is no good blaming your disposition or your environment.
Whatever you might SAY, IF you DO NOT LOVE your Brother in Christ
you CANNOT CLAIM to be a True Christian.
John leaves us in no doubt:
· If we Hate our Fellow Believers, we have No Grounds for any Assurance of Salvation.

In complete contrast: those who Walk in the Light are Characterised by Love:
"Whoever Loves his Brother Lives in the Light" (verses 10).
John is saying that there are Two interrelated Principles at work here.
Robert Candlish puts the point like this:
"Being in the Light begets Brotherly Love,
& Brotherly Love secures abiding in the Light."
· Those who Walk in the Light Follow their God, who is the God of Everlasting Light & Love.
· They Follow their Saviour, Jesus Christ, who gave the Greatest Example of Love:
"Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends" (John 15:13).

John says, Christians have gone through a Fundamental Change in their Way of Living.
· We have Turned from Darkness to Light. Therefore, we have Turned from Hatred to Love.
The Apostle Paul says (2 Corinthians 5:17):
"If anyone is in Christ, he is a New Creation; the Old has gone, the New has come."
Notice the similarity in the wording of Paul & John:
· John says: "The Darkness is passing & the True Light is shining."
· Paul says: "The Old Creation has gone, the New Creation has come."
Both of these Apostles give exactly the Same Definition of a Christian.
· Christians are people who possess 'New Life in Christ'; They are people who have Changed.
Christians are people who Live in the Kingdom of God, which is called the Kingdom of Light
Christians are people who desire to Obey the Command of God, to Love One Another.
Christians are people who have turned their backs on the Kingdom of Satan & Darkness. They will have nothing to do with the Command of Hatred, which comes from Satan.
When we become New Creatures in Christ, Two Things happen to us:
· Our 'Spiritual Eyes' are opened; & we Live in an entirely New World of Light.
We have been translated from the Kingdom of Darkness into the Kingdom of Light.
Not only has our World Changed, BUT we also Changed within Ourselves.
· Satan made our Eyes Blind; BUT, now, the Spirit of God has Opened our Eyes.
We can See the Truth of the Gospel. We can also See the Falsehood of Satan.
We know that we must Live by the Command of Love, instead of the Command of Hatred

John says that this New World of Light is Characterised by LOVE.
· If you have a Genuine Love for your Fellow Believers,
even though you may fail to express that love from time to time,
you have Positive Proof that you are a True Christian who is Living in the Realm of Light.
The Apostle Paul makes the same point:
· Because we have the Spirit of God within us, we will manifest the 'Fruit of the Spirit',
which is characterised by 'Love' (Galations 5:22-23).
John makes the Same Statement in Two Contrasting Ways, in verse 8:
"I am writing a New Command … Its truth is seen in him & in you …
The true light is already shining."
· John is saying: "If the True Light is Shining in us, it will be expressed through our Obedience to this 'New Command', to Love One Another.
It will be expressed in terms of our Love & Compassion towards our Fellow Believers.
Then John puts the Same Truth the opposite way round:
"Whoever Loves his Brother Lives in the Light" (verse 10).
When you show Love to your Fellow Believers, you are providing positive proof that
you are Living in the Light of God's Holiness.
Horatius Bonar expresses the two sides of this truth in one of his Hymn:
"Beloved, let us love: For they who love, They only, are his sons, Born from above.
Beloved, let us love: In love is light, And he who loveth not, Dwelleth in night.

We are looking at John's teaching regarding the Command to Love One Another:
Firstly, John says that this commandment is BOTH 'Old & New'.
Secondly, John tells us that the 'Love Test' is a Reflection of the Believer's New Way of Life.
· John makes a contrast between "those who walk in the light & those who walk in darkness"
· John says that, if the True Light is Shining in us, it will be expressed through
our Obedience to this 'New Command', to Love One Another.
Thirdly, John is laying down a Principle that is expanded by the Apostle Paul.
· Paul teaches us that Love summarises all the other aspects of the Fruit of the Spirit:
"Joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness & self control" (Gal 5:22).
Thomas Watson says:
"Love is the queen of graces; It outshines all the others, as the sun the lesser planets."
· Love outshines all the other Graces because it summarises all the other Graces.
· This is why Christian Love is called the 'Love of the Spirit' (Romans 15:30).
Love is Wrought in the Heart of the Believer by the Work of the Holy Spirit.

Note how Paul shows that Love summarises all the other aspects of the Fruit of the Spirit:
"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.
It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered , it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always truths, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails" (1 Corinthians 13:4-8).

This passage is a Great Love Song:
The Apostle Paul seems to be taken outside of himself, & is given a Vision of Ideal Love.
· Paul is given a Vision of Christian Love, the Love which was manifested in the Life of Christ.
· He crystallised the Qualities of True Love into a number of Simple Statements;
He actually makes Fifteen Statements, which describe Genuine Brotherly Love.
We need to read this passage often, & APPLY this 'Brotherly Love Test' to our own lives:
· I am NOT asking you to apply this Test of Love to the lives of your Fellow Believers.
It is far easier to find faults in others, instead of looking for faults in ourselves.
Ask yourself this fundamental question
· Do you have a Genuine Love for other Christians?
OR is your life characterised by selfishness, indifference, pettiness & pent-up resentment?

Go through Paul's Aspects of Love in 1 Cor 13, & put each one in the form of a question.
Firstly: Do you show Love by being Patient, or Longsuffering, toward your Fellow Believer?
· In other words, are you ready to bear innumerable injuries from others, like Jesus did?
True Brotherly Love is a Love that knows No Limit to its Patience.
· This is the type of Love being described by the Apostle Paul in Colossians 3:13:
"Bear with each other & forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another.
Forgive as the Lord forgave you."
· No matter how often you have a genuine grievance against your Fellow Believer,
if you have Genuine Christian Love, you will be willing to Forgive Time & Time Again.
· The Love which is characterised by 'Long-suffering' is NOT Spiteful or Revengeful.
It will never seek to injure the person who has wronged you, or to harm them in any way.
It will not seek to retaliate, either through evil deeds or through bitter words.

Secondly: Do you show Love by being Kind to others?
· The Greek word Paul uses here means to be good-natured, gentle, tender, & affectionate.
Being 'Kind' means to wish others well, in addition to doing good to others.
Being 'Kind' is the opposite to being harsh, morose & ill-natured.
To be 'Kind' does not simply mean to be 'Kind' to those who are 'Kind to you'.
· Rather, it means being 'Kind' in the face of provocation.
It implies that you will be gentle & mild with those who ill-treat you.
Paul is saying: "Be 'Kind', especially to those who irritate you & rub you up the wrong way.
· HATRED causes a person to be 'Unkind - to be harsh, severe, & angry.
Hatred causes a person to have a desire for revenge, when wronged by others.
But, KINDNESS, which emanates from Love, is the exact opposite to these things.
This was one of the main characteristics of the Ministry of Jesus -
· He dispensed deeds of kindness among all the poor & needy with whom he came into contact.
He went around doing good & healing the sick (Acts 10:38).

Thirdly: Do you show Love by NOT being Envious of the achievements of others?
· Scholars tells us that the word 'Envy' means to be Zealous For or Against another person.
It means 'to be eager, or anxious, For or Against' someone else.
The word implies that one person is 'jealous' of another, & will act against their interests.
The word 'envy' can be used in either a 'good sense' or a 'bad sense.'
· Paul obviously uses the word envy here in a BAD SENSE. He says: 'Love does NOT envy.'
· He is speaking about someone who is ZEALOUS to be AGAINST another person.
The sense is that Love does not Envy others the happiness which they enjoy.
· 'Envy' may be defined as: The spirit of dissatisfaction with, & opposition to,
the prosperity of others as compared with your own.
Instead of being 'Envious', True Christian Love delights in the welfare of others.
· True Christian Love will rejoice when another person's happiness is increased.
· Their happiness may be increased through the bestowal of a higher status in their employment, or through a better reputation than they once had.
Their happiness may be increased through increased wealth, or through
a vast improvement in their state of health or in their family home comforts.
· Whatever the improvement in the lot of the other person may be, True Christian Love will rejoice in that improvement; & will not be envious of the other person's good fortune.
· Someone who shows True Christian Love will not murmur or complain because
another person has been more highly favoured than themselves.

Fourthly: Do you show Love by NOT being Boastful of your own achievements?
This is the underlying meaning of the term 'vaunteth' in the AV.
The meaning of the Greek word, which is only used here in the whole New Testament,
is boasting, bragging & vaunting.
· Paul is saying - "Love is no braggart or wind-bag!"
The Braggart is a person who is Full of Conceit.
The braggart is always over-estimating his own importance, abilities & achievements.
This 'Boastful spirit' springs up from a feeling of Superiority over others.
This superiority complex is connected to a feeling of contempt & disregard for others.
· True Christian Love will correct this feeling of superiority,
because it will desire the genuine happiness of the other person.
This was the Biggest Downfall of the Corinthian Christians:
They boasted of the superior position of knowing Paul, Apollos, or Peter!(1 Cor 1:12)
They boasted of possessing the Greatest Spiritual Gifts,
whether it be tongues, prophesy, teaching, healing or giving (1 Cor 12:27-30).

True Christian Love is more concerned about Knowing God Himself.
· True Christian Love desires that others will have an even closer walk with God.
· Remember George Whitfield's reply when asked if he would see John Wesley in Heaven:
"No Sir! Brother Wesley will be so close to the Throne of God that I won't see him."
True Christian Love displays the Opposite Attitude to being Boastful & Superior.
· True Christian Love will hold other people in High Esteem, instead of oneself.
Love holds another person's Gifts & Talents in higher esteem than one's own.
If you hold the person in High Esteem, you will not be tempted to boast about your own gifts.
· Love receives Spiritual Gifts with a sense of Gratitude to God, rather than a boastful spirit.
· A Believer who is exercising True Christian Love will concentrate his efforts on
using those gifts in order to do good to others, rather than as a grounds for boasting.

Fifthly: Do you show Love by NOT being Proud or Puffed up?
· The Greek word translated as 'to Puff up' means to blow, to puff, or to pant.
In this context it means to be inflated with pride, & vanity, & self-esteem.
· The difference between 'boasting & puffed up' is this:
'Boasting' denotes the Verbal Expression of pride, vanity, & self-esteem.
On the other hand, 'Puffed up' refers to the sinful Feeling itself.
A man may be very proud & vain in his mannerisms & actions,
without actually expressing this attitude by word of mouth through 'boasting'.
· It is the mannerisms & actions which Paul is referring to when using this word 'puffed up'.
· Paul is saying that True Christian Love ought to destroy this feeling,
as well as destroying the outward expression of this kind of sinful attitude.
True Christian Love will display the Opposite Attitude to being Puffed Up.
· True Christian Love will teach you to that other people can possess good qualities.
Indeed, True Love will view the good qualities of others as being superior to your own.
True Christian Love will teach you that other Believers possess superior Gifts & Talents.
It is not even the nature of True Christian Love to be 'puffed up'.
· Pride & vanity tend to swell the mind with thoughts of superiority & self-importance.
But True Christian Love will show an attitude of humility, meekness, & modesty.
· A Truly Love-filled Christian who has a Great Passion for Souls & desires the salvation of a whole city, or even the whole world, will not be filled with pride & vanity because of it.
He will not show by his speech or mannerisms that he feels superior because of these desires.
· Never forget the example of Jesus: The One who had the Greatest Desire for the Salvation of Sinners. Instead of being boastful or puffed up, he showed Love with a spirit of Humility.

We don't have time to go through all Fifteen Aspects of True Brotherly Love.
· Go through them all at home. Meditate upon them & apply them to your own life.
Paul says that Love outshines all the other Gifts of the Spirit, because it is the 'Greatest Gift':
"If I speak in the tongues of men & angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love,
I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor & surrender my body to the flames,
but have not love, I gain nothing … And now these three remain: faith, hope & love.
But the greatest of these is love" (1 Corinthians 13:1-3 & 13).
APPENDIX - for anyone who asks the question about 'Stumbling'.

The identity of the one in whom there is No Cause for Stumbling is not really obvious (v10):
· Scholars tell us that the Greek wording leaves the meaning uncertain.
The NIV takes the meaning to be that the Loving Christian Himself will not Stumble.
The AV indicates that the Christian does not cause Other People to Stumble.
The context would seem to dictate that the NIV rendering is to be preferred.
· Verse 11 goes on to say that the person who hates his brother is walking in darkness.
· To 'stumble' means to 'fall into sin or apostacy'.
The Person who Loves his Brother is NOT going to succumb to this temptation,
because he has his principles right & will not be deflected from them.
Jesus teaches this truth in John 11:9-10:
"Are there not twelve hours of daylight? A man who Walks by Day will NOT stumble,
for he sees by this world's light. It is when he Walks by Night that he stumbles,
for he has no light."
· However, BOTH translations make good sense.
Loving others will mean that we will not cause them offence & cause them to stumble.
This truth is taught in Romans 14:15 in the context of Food Offered to Idols:
"If your brother is distressed because of what you eat, you are no longer acting in love."