1 John 3:11-13

God is love.  Be born of God.  See Who God is; then we shall be like Him.  We shall love others.

1 John 3:11 "For this is the message that you heard from the beginning, that we should love one another."  This is a reference to John 13:34, "A new commandment I give to you, that you should love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another."  We are only able to love others properly when we have received His love for us.  Our love for others is a response to His love for us.

The first and primary way that we love others is to offer grace and forgiveness to them.  The second way is to walk unselfishly, not hurting others or ourselves.

1 John 3:2  "Beloved, now we are the children of God (born of God); and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be (until later in 1 John chapter 4), but we know that when He is revealed (as love), we shall be like Him (we will walk in love), for we shall see Him as He is (He is love)."  John will now give us a negative example or the antithesis of this principle in the next verse.

1 John 3:12 "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." In other words, we should not react the way Cain reacted.  Why did he commit the sin of murder?  It was because his view of God, or his response to God's love and grace, was wrong and distorted.

Genesis 4:1-8  The story of Cain and Abel.  Read.

Vs. 2-5  Cain was a tiller of the ground, and brought an offering of the fruit of the ground.  Abel was a keeper of sheep, and brought the firstborn of his flock and offered it to the Lord.  It would appear at first glance that they both brought an offering from their own particular area of work or effort.  But God told the what kind of offering to bring.  Hebrews 11:4  "By faith Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts; and through it he being dead still speaks."  Faith comes from hearing and understanding the Word of God.  Romans 10:17 

So we can see that God, in His grace and love, told them which offering to bring to cover sin: a first born lamb whose blood would be spilled.  Cain heard this as well as Abel.  Abel responded in faith to God's offer of grace.  Cain ignored God's offering of grace, and instead presented an offering to God from his own work or efforts.  This came from a motive of pride and independence from God.  God spilled the blood of an animal in the garden of Eden and covered Adam and Eve.  This pattern was institutionalized in the Law and sacrifices of the Old Testament.  The sacrifices represent the work of Jesus on our behalf.

Vs. 5-6  When God did not accept his offering, Cain became angry, and his countenance fell.  When we reject God's offer of grace and approach Him by our own works through pride and independence, our view of God or response to God is distorted.  We will not be at peace, which only comes from His grace.  We then become angry and frustrated.  Our view of ourselves then becomes distorted.

Vs. 7 "If you then do well (offer the right offering), will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door.  And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it." This explains 1 John 3:12.  Why did Cain commit murder, the outward sin toward another human?  It began with his view of God or response to God's grace.  When 1 John 3:12 says that his works were evil, it means from a wrong motive, from pride and arrogance or independence from God. 

When our view of God is distorted, it distorts our view of ourselves and others.  Our actions then become either self-destructive or hurtful to others.  When we see how great God's love is for us, and that He has forgiven the sins of our entire lifetime, we are at peace.  Then we can properly love ourselves and those around us. 

1 John 3:13 "Do not marvel, my brethren, if the world hates you."  Cain hated Abel because Abel received God's grace, and was dependent upon Him.  Abel was at peace.  Cain approached God in pride, through his own works.  Because of this, he was not at peace.  He blamed Abel and lashed out at Abel in anger and jealousy.

John 8:12  "Then Jesus spoke to them again saying, "I am the light of the world (love, grace).  He who follows me (in love, offering grace) shall not walk in darkness (judging and condemning others), but have the light of life."

Read John 3:16-18

John 3:19-21 "And this is the condemnation, that the light (grace, love) has come into the world, and men loved darkness (judging and condemning others) rather than light (grace) because their deeds were evil (motivated from pride or independence from God).  For everyone practicing evil (independence from God and His grace) hates the light (His grace and love) and does not come to the light (grace), lest his deeds should be exposed (his pride and independence from God).  But he who does the truth (believes the Word) comes to the light (His grace and love), that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God (in union or dependence upon God and His grace)." 

Keith Oliver