Episode Transcript
Week 8: Hate: The Absence of Knowledge
1 John 3:11-24
Let’s open our Bibles together
Our title, This We Know, comes straight from the book of 1 John. 39 times in 33 verses, in the ESV, a form of the word Know is used. Let’s take a few minutes to think about this word knowledge.
Epistemology - Study of Knowledge. Can we know anything? How do we obtain knowledge? How do we know what we know?
According to the Bible:
God has ultimate and absolute knowledge.
Man has second-hand and dependent knowledge.
God knows everything and nothing in this universe exists outside of the plan and will of God.
Theologians say that God is all-knowing or omniscient.
This world has many theories about knowledge, but for us, as believers… “knowledge consists in understanding the relation of any fact to God as revealed in Scripture. I know a fact truly to the extent that I understand the exact relation such a fact sustains to the plan of God.
Van Til, Survey of Christian Epistemology, pg. 15
... knowledge is a matter of reflecting the mind of God, by allowing His special revelation to inform man’s interpretation of every other matter...
Bosserman, The Trinity and Vindication of Christian Paradox, pg. 108.
Does the mean that unbelievers can not know anything? No, but it means they have no basis for their knowledge. All knowledge comes from God.
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction. Proverbs 1:7, ESV
Matthew Henry provides the following commentary: [Solomon] lays down this truth, that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; it is the principal part of knowledge; it is the head of knowledge; that is, of all things that are to be known this is most evident, that God is to be feared, to be reverenced, served, and worshipped; those know nothing who do not know this.
For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding; Proverbs 2:6, ESV
We should not expect to gain any knowledge or understand apart from God.
[Christ] in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
Colossians 2:8, ESV
Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."
John 14:6, ESV
Christian theism's fundamental contention is just this, that nothing whatsoever can be known unless God can be and is known, and by God we mean the triune, self-sufficient God and his revelation of himself to man and his world - Cornelius Van Til
Our text has strong words for those who do not know God and strong warnings for those of us who do.
11 For this is the message that you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another. 12 We should not be like Cain, who was of the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own deeds were evil and his brother's righteous. 13 Do not be surprised, brothers, that the world hates you. 14 We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers. Whoever does not love abides in death. 15 Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.
16 By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. 17 But if anyone has the world's goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God's love abide in him? 18 Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.
19 By this we shall know that we are of the truth and reassure our heart before him; 20 for whenever our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and he knows everything. 21 Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God; 22 and whatever we ask we receive from him, because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him. 23 And this is his commandment, that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us. 24 Whoever keeps his commandments abides in God, and God in him. And by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit whom he has given us.
Week 8: Hate: The Absence of Knowledge
1 John 3:11-24
1. Children of Cain - murdered, murder, deeds were evil, hates, death, does not love, abides in death, hates, murderer, murderer
- This is how God describes those who hate their brothers.
- Cain, who was of the evil one - lost, enemy of God, child of the devil
- Murdered his brother - acted based on his nature
- This is not thousands of years after man’s sin… First child of Adam and Eve
- We have a sin nature. We sin because we are sinners. We can not control it
- Because his own deeds were evil and his brother's righteous.
- The reason he killed Abel, his brother, is because he was jealous and angry. He hated him.
- If we hate our brothers, we are children of Cain… worse than that… children of the evil one, not God - Murderer - no eternal life in him.
2. Children of God - If we are children of God, we will love like God.
- We should love one another - 11 this is the message that you have heard from the beginning
- Jesus showed us what love looks like - 16 By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us,
- We should look like Jesus - 16 and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers.
- Love produces actions - 17-18 But if anyone has the world's goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God's love abide in him? 18 Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.
- If we are children of God, this world will hate us!
- Because we passed from death to life
- Because we love the brothers
- They abide in death
- Does this mean that individual unbelievers hate us?
- No. It means that the - Kosmos - world system, worldview, that is anti-christ and against God.
- Our unsaved neighbors may not hate us, but they are part of a system that is led by Satan.
- All that is in the world:
- The desires of the flesh - Selfish lusts
- The desires of the eyes - Greed
- The pride of life - Self-centered
- These are not from God, but from the world.
- Assurance of Salvation - 19
- We can know
- If we don't know, God is greater than our doubt
- Confidence leads to a fruitful life
- This is how we have assurance
- If we believe in the name of His Son Jesus Christ!
- If we love our brothers!
- If we keep His commandments!
- If we abide in Him!
- If the Spirit indwells us!
- Our lives testify of the truth!
- Do you have confidence in your relationship with God?
Application:
1. Some people have Assurance, but No Salvation - Some people are confident, but lost because they are trusting in the wrong things.
Matthew 7:21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ 23 And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’
We are not saved by good works or saying the right things, but by believing in Jesus. 23 And this is his commandment, that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ
2. Some people have No Assurance, but they are Saved - Some people have doubts, but they are truly saved - 20 for whenever our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and he knows everything.
3. Some people have Assurance / Saved - Some people are confident and bear much fruit - 21 Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God; 22 and whatever we ask we receive from him, because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him.
We are called to be mature believers who grow in grace, obedience, love, and who walk according to the Spirit of God as revealed in the word of God. If you know you are saved, surrender to God's will and begin growing in these areas. If you do not know you are saved, believe the Gospel and live. God created you in His image, but sin has separated you from God. He sent Jesus, His Son to live a perfect life, die for your sin, rise from the grave, and ascend as King of kings and Lord of lords! All who repent of their sin and trust in Christ alone by grace (you don't deserve it) through faith (you could not earn it) will be saved and receive forgiveness of sins, be set free, and have Eternal Life!
