Ep 213 – 1 John 3:11-24 PT 3

This is our third episode on 1 John, chapter three, verses 11-24 and we’ll be concentrating our attention on verse 12. Here, John brings up two Old Testament characters, two brothers, and uses them to describe what it means to love. I have called this episode “The Cain Mutiny” because it deals with the sin of Cain when he killed his brother in cold blood. This first murder in human history was motivated by hate. Cain hated Abel. But why? That is the important part of John’s message that we need to grasp. It would be easy to make the story of Cain and Abel about offerings, but it has far more to do with love. Cain lacked love for his brother, because he didn’t know what it meant to love God. He didn’t have faith in God. His offering didn’t measure up, because he didn’t measure up. His offering wasn’t given in love and out of faith. It was an attempt to placate God and keep Him happy. But when his offering was refused by God and his brother’s was accepted, the true nature of Cain was exposed. He hated. And his hatred led to murder. And it was all rebellion against God.