1-3 John - 1st John 2:9-11 Light vs. Darkness
1 John 2:9-11 · Bob Eckel · Mar 13, 2011
1, 2 & 3 John, No. 11
Holly Hills Bible Church
https://hollyhillsbiblechurch.org/teaching/messages/4926228354162

Transcribed from the recording by SermonAudio, so expect the occasional misheard word.

Alright, we're culminating three weeks of study on this kind of concept of ultimately recognizing God's fullness in the life of a believer. And this is manifested in a life, not a series of deeds or acts. I like going back here because this is in the condition of fellowship. This is not written to the unbeliever. And just like John, we've got to remind ourselves as we continue to study the first epistle of John, second and third, it's all about fellowship. This is not about being saved and not being saved. And John's pretty harsh.

And that's why I think we have to carefully dissect his word here to assure that we're not put back into into the closet of permanent darkness. Darkness is the theme today. Today's lesson is entitled Light vs. Darkness. So we're going to look at what this light and darkness are all about and it relates to fellowship.

So I'd like someone to begin reading at 1 John 1. Verse 6, and we're going to read all the way down to 2.11. And the reason we're reading this all again is because we've got to put what we're studying today, 9 through 11, in context. Roy, could you please read that for us?

1 John 1.6 down.

If we say that we have fellowship with Him and walk in darkness, we lie and do not the truth. But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ, His Son, cleanses us from all sin, If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us. My little children, these things I write unto you, that you sin not. If any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ, a propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only, but for the sins of the whole world.

By this we know that we know Him if we keep His commandments. He that saith, I know Him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whosoever keepeth his word, in him verily the love of God is perfected. By this we know that we are in him. He that saith that he abideth in him, ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.

Brethren, I write no new commandment unto you, but an old commandment, which ye had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word which you have heard from the beginning. Again, a new now shineth. He that saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother, is in darkness even until now. He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is no occasion of stumbling in him. But he that hateth his brother is in the darkness, and walketh in darkness, and knoweth not where he goeth, because the darkness has blinded his eyes. Great, thanks very much Roy. So let's begin and kind of begin by looking back at what we dealt with last week.

You know this contradiction of I'm going to write you no new commandment then I'm writing you a new commandment seems like an oxymoron. Is John just leading us down a rabbit trail here and then coming back to home plate afterwards? No, I don't think so because the old commandment really sets the stage for the new commandment.

So let's first not forget that the new commandment that is to be in fellowship with Him, and that's a life filled with His love, immersed in light. So this contrast of light and darkness. The New Commandment is all about fellowship with the Lord Jesus Christ.

We can't love one another as ourselves in the power of the sinful nature, or in the Adam nature. In fact, our love for one another, the Brethren, is entirely contingent on the new commandment, which is fellowship with the Lord Jesus Christ, which is manifested in the light as He is in the light, and our light is in fact that light being manifested into the darkness around us. And when we fall back into old ways, our sinful nature, we in fact are in darkness. We're existing in darkness because that fellowship is broken.

But again, remember John's about fellowship. This is not losing your salvation or not being saved. This is, in fact, the life being manifested. That's the New Commandment. By the way, the Old Commandment wasn't Christ's life in them. Christ had not been crucified at the time the Old Commandment had been given. But he said the Old Commandment was from the beginning. God's love has never been changed in terms of his eternal love for those who, in fact, respond by faith. So the New Commandment, in fact, is a life. And that life is filled with light and filled in fellowship.

So let's use that as we look forward in terms of light versus darkness. 1 John 2, 9, he who says he's in the light and hates his brother is in darkness until now. All right, what does it mean to say we are in the light or in darkness? Just kind of partially answered that myself. Okay, since we got that answer, let's go on. Talk about identification. I mean, is this anything but identification? How else could we define this? Anybody have any other thoughts about light versus darkness other than identification? Who are you identified with?

Christ. He is the light. Back to the New Commandment, right? The commandment of loving one another as He has loved us. Impossible in human ways. We're going to look at a number of verses here because I think we really need to contrast light and darkness.

So first are John 1. This is the Gospel of John. Donna, 3 through 9. Margaret, 1 John 1, 5 through 7. We've read it. I'm going to repeat it again. And then, Nora, could you read 1 John 2, 8, please? So lots of text here, but we need to visit the light and I've got more verses to follow.

In John 1 through 9, all things were made by him, and without him was not anything made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness, and the darkness comprehended it not. There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the light, that all men, through him, might believe. He was not that light, but was sent to bear witness of that light. That was the true light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world. Nothing but light here in John 1, right? Okay, 1 John 1, 5-7. This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.

If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth. Notice the condition is fellowship. Light is fellowship. Darkness is the absence of fellowship. 1 John 1. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another. And the blood of Jesus Christ, his Son, cleanses us from all sin. Thank you. Nora? Again, a new commandment I write unto you, which is true in him and in you, because the darkness is past, and the true light now shines. Alright, good. So let's look very briefly at other verses.

And by the way, these are just, I shouldn't say a few, but these are many of many that relate to the truth of the light. John 8, 12, Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, I am the light of the world, and he who follows me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life. Remember, this is before the crucifixion. Now, in fact, we've been crucified with Him, buried and risen with Him.

So we are, in fact, that light shining into the darkness of the world around us. John 12, 46, I have come as a light unto the world that whosoever believes in me should not abide in darkness. There's this fellowship again. John's all about fellowship. Second Corinthians 4, 6, Paul doesn't ignore it either, for it is God, who commended light to shine out of darkness, who hath shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

Ephesians 5.8, for you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light. How's that for identification? We walk as children of light. 1 Thessalonians 5, 5, you are all sons of light and sons of the day. We are not of the night, not of darkness. Wow. Onward. Peter even gets into this psalm.

But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, his own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. And even Revelation, there shall be no night there. They need no lamp nor light of the sun, for the Lord God gives them light, and they shall reign forever and ever. So here's the eternity, you know, balming in the light of the Lord Jesus Christ. No darkness. I mean, can this be anything other than a life? I mean, if we're in him and positioned in him, our condition needs to reflect our position. Fellowship. Light.

Alright, what does it mean to hate your brother? Let's think about this for believers now. By the way, I guess we should define brother. Who's a brother? Who's your brother? I think so. Brother here is in the singular tense and it's generic, but in context it applies to the brother.

This is not the brother next door who could care less about the Lord Jesus Christ. Not that you shouldn't care, but he doesn't care. The point is we're talking about the body of Christ here. So what's it mean to hate your brother? So I just say in context, could it mean anything other than those in the body of Christ? No, I don't think so. This is clearly directed towards the brethren.

And we're to love the brethren. Right. just like we've been born of the Father. I don't know if we need to say that, but it's sort of an obvious. Well, and back under the light, we're sons of God. Right? I mean, we're all sons. You women, you're sons too, like it or not. Sometimes we think of brothers as being, you know, my physical brothers. Right. But this is a heavenly birth. Right. Good. And that's consistent with identification too. Other thoughts? There's another thought about that word brethren and one of the translations I read indicate that it's from the same womb. From the same womb? Yeah. Okay. Okay, Jack. Good. All right. Hate's a strong term. We say, hate my brother. Do I really hate my brother? I had to ponder this a little bit as I was studying in terms of one relationship. I finally concluded I hated the behavior. not the individual.

You've got to be careful here. The love of Christ is unconditional. The behavior, you don't have to love. We have to contrast that. Vine calls this a malicious and unjustifiable feeling of someone else. malicious. I think that kind of adjective is anything but simplistic. It's pretty pejorative. This is really behavior that reaches out. Is this a matter of degree? What do you think?

We talk sometimes about you don't have to like your brother. I think there are many people in the body that maybe I wouldn't choose them as a friend or seek them out. But because they're a brother or sister in Christ, I have another view of them. And maybe they're not somebody I would hang out with all the time. So I don't know about how hate... I think it's such a strong term. Let's look at it. In context here, I think hate is equated with darkness. It's an attitude that really stems from the unsaved nature, the sinful nature. Physical, spiritual, which implies moral, could take on any form. Is it simply the absence of love? And is the absence of love a sign of unbelief then? Your thoughts. Lots of questions.

I think of Good Samaritan where it says, love your neighbor. And it wasn't a believer. It was like he commanded to love everyone. So it seemed like to separate out the brethren, to love them and not love If you look at love and hate as kind of the same issue, different sides of the same issue, then it seems like you really shouldn't hate anybody, whether they're a brother or not. I agree with that.

Again, it comes back to the issue that the Scriptures are repeatedly informing us that we're to love the brethren. We can find that in multiple places. Do we love the world outside of the body of Christ? the nature of the Lord Jesus Christ has love for everyone, right? But I think what God calls us to, the love for the brethren, is a spatial kind of relationship that clearly is on the same grounds as our love for the world around us. But yes, I mean, in fact, as we carry his life within us, there has to be a love that extends beyond that. Roger?

I was just thinking, you know, maybe one of the reasons why he has the word hate in here is that If you think about sometimes when a person, a brother in the Lord that you're close to, as being a brother in the Lord, does something, it actually hurts you more than if it's a stranger, someone you don't know. And I'm just saying, it's like your family. When you have a disagreement with someone in your family, that hurts so much more and you have a tendency to have much stronger feelings for that. So I wonder if that's not why he contrasts that with the brother and being within the body saying, you know, hitting your brother in the body is inconsistent with Christ's life. It can be so much more because you're part of the same. You're both born again. And I think Margaret kind of knocked on that door a bit. I sensed that I think everybody in the room can identify with this a little bit.

You can actually like a non-believer sometimes more than there are certain people in the body in terms of just having oneness of recreational kinds of desires and things like this. But the love is the new commandment. This love is of the nature of the Lord Jesus Christ. It's unconditional. My love for Jill or John goes beyond any love that I could possibly have that means that I like somebody on an earthly level.

There's a person we know, Donna knows, Margaret knows well, who hated when we said that you don't have to like somebody to love them. You know who I'm talking about. He used to get really upset about this, but I think it's correct that liking somebody is not loving them as Christ loves them. It's a whole different When I think of love, agape love or whatever, in the body or God's love for me, I think of it as being active.

You try to benefit. You fellowship with each other. You care about one another. Those kinds of things. And maybe, like Myra said, you wouldn't choose that person as your best friend, but you still have a relationship of being in Christ and in that sense, you care about the other person and you would fellowship with them readily.

But, so is, where I'm going is, the word hate, is that also active, and I'm picking up on that word malicious of Vine, doesn't that mean to, in an active sense towards someone, maybe to wish them ill or to be happy if something happens that's difficult for them or bad for them? It's more than just, well, I don't like you, or I don't really care about you. Isn't it more active? The verb tense here is, I think, a present active participle, which means it's an ongoing kind of state of mind.

Yes. I mean, it really is inconsistent with the believer's life in Christ. Donna, was that it? I was thinking here, the contrast, too. You know, light and darkness. There's no gray there. Love and hate. I mean, they're totally opposite from each other. The life that we have in the Lord Jesus Christ is a heavenly, supernatural, spirit-driven life that cannot be duplicated by anything that is on the earth.

And I think he's setting out that contrast, because like you talk about a matter of degree, the first thing we go to is that I didn't. You know, we're all about the latter, right? And placement. And he's making it very clear that you're either in Christ or you're not. And let me give you an example of how profound what you just said is. In 1 Thessalonians, I think, or is it in 2? I think it's 1.

How does Paul describe sin? I mean, we all kind of know what sin is. We've been there, done that, continued that. Sin is anything outside of faith. Yeah. The absence of faith is sin. And in a sense, that's darkness, is it not? So the fellowship of this darkness, I think, manifests itself. Hate's a strong term. But when we're in darkness, we're in fact separating ourselves from the fellowship the Lord has with us and one with one another, is it not? So this is no matter of degree, it's light and dark. And I really think, again, sin is the absence of faith.

And that faith is entirely placed by God's great grace in the Lord Jesus Christ. Entirely. Everybody okay with that? All right. 1 John 3, 13-17. Let's put this to task. Wendy, could I get you to look at that for us? 1 John 3, 13-17. We're going to get there. I hope Roger's teaching this. Or Randy. Anybody with yours truly. 1 John 3, what? 13-17, please.

Do not be surprised, my brothers, if the world hates you. We know that we have passed from death to life because we love our brothers. Anyone who does not love remains in death. Anyone who hates his brother is a murderer. and you know that no murderer has eternal life in him. This is how we know what love is. Jesus Christ laid down his life for us and we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him?

Okay, we'll delay a detailed discussion on that section. Anyway, again, I think here, in really kind of very succinct language, to hate is to murder, effectively. And this is all about darkness. But in the body, either you're in light or you're in darkness. There's no gray zone here, right?

And that's totally consistent with the life of Christ. You're either abiding in Christ or you're not abiding in Christ. And Roger, just in terms of the practical application of that, I think we go schizophrenic and say, gee, was that a belurder? I mean, the life of Christ lives by faith. It's not a matter of us keeping a metric.

Gee, 14 times a day I lived in Christ. And there were 23 times I was in God. No, we go absolutely crazy here. I mean, God has set the platform that is fully complete. for us to dwell on it. And the question is, are we responding by faith that that's true? And when we respond by faith, that life becomes, forgive me, kind of automatic. It's by faith the Spirit leads and that life is manifested. That's light, not darkness. And anything that falls short of that, I think, falls into this, if you will, maybe buying this militia. Anyway, darkness is darkness. Light is light. There's no gray zone. Roger.

You know, another thing that kind of comes in, that 1 John really focuses on, if you don't accept we have two natures, you have an almost impossible task of deciding how to handle this, because you say, well, wait a minute. He's always telling me that I'm going to be over here doing these awful things. If I don't have two natures, how does that happen?

Notice what you just led to this beautifully. You read my notes. The alternative to darkness is not an option. In other words, we can say, well, I'm going to do good things today. That's not wood, hay, and stubble. No, the alternative is a life to darkness and hate. It's a life.

That's what makes this part of scripture so difficult, because if you don't understand that you have two natures, then you are schizophrenic, and that's how you get to the point where you say, well I must not be saved, because I'm living in darkness so much of the time, so I must be unsaved. Oh, so important. You can't take on 1 John with any type of understanding until you're in depth in Paul. That doesn't mean you can't read it and the Lord may not have some benefit for you, but I don't know.

This is about the fourth time I studied 1 John. I increasingly realize this is not a book of milk. This is about meat. Milk and meat are kind of two different forms of nutrients. Milk is good. But when a baby grows, he or she becomes meat lovers, unless they're vegetarian, of course.

We're going to get to it, but one of the things that John goes into next is If you take it in that context, John goes right into what Paul taught. He goes into it from a different perspective in that he's saying the Holy Spirit teaches us these things. Yeah, and remember the purpose of the Spirit is to reveal Christ in us, right? I mean, that's summarial, but that's really what the Spirit's all about. Isn't it neat the way the Lord has complemented New Testament Scripture with people like John, and people like Peter, and people like James, and people like Paul?

Same truth. Different perspective. It's kind of like feeling the elephant. Some people feel the tusk, others the tail, some the body. The elephant's still the elephant. Our life is still Christ. The way we describe it may be somewhat different based on our experience. Remember, John was a very special apostle to the Lord Jesus Christ. Okay, good. I think we're on the same page here.

Colossians 1.13, He's delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed unto us the kingdom of the Son of His love. So again, it's not an option to work harder to be in this light. It's in fact the light itself that's been delivered from the power of darkness. Do we believe God for what He's revealed?

Okay, 1 John 2.10, Remember, when we fall into darkness, and we all do that, Right, Steve? We all find ourselves there at times. We profess, not confess. We tell God, gee, I'm kind of out of fellowship. Thank you. And we're back in. It's as automatic as the sun coming up in the east. Probably more automatic in terms of the truth of the Word of God.

First John 2.10, he who loves his brother abides in the light and there's no cause for stumbling in him. The second part is kind of interesting. Let's look at the first.

Why doesn't the verse say he who abides in the light loves his brother? Rather than he who loves his brother abides in the light. And I'm going to say, is this equally true? Class? No response. Jack, the verse says, again, he who loves his brother abides in the light. The alternative would be he who abides in the light loves his brother. Contrasts are always not true when you reverse the order. Is it equally as true?

No. If you're dwelling in the light, you love your brother. I'm sorry, Jack, I missed that. If you're walking in the light, you naturally love your brother. Okay, so he who abides in the light loves his brother. I think that's a true statement, is it not? I would say they're both equally as true. and it could have been written in the alternative way. Because the love for your brother is indicative of the light being manifested. But in fact, if we abide in the light, we love our brother.

This, I think, could be stated either way. It's stated the way it is. But in a sense, I think if we abide in the light you know, as he is in the light, ultimately this happens. But here, this is, I think, maybe you can interpret a little bit differently.

If we really love our brother, we're in the light, but I couldn't see... The only way we can be, we can't love our brother unless we're in the light. Because we don't have Christ in us. I mean, we do have Christ in us, but conditionally. We are, if we're not abiding, there's no way we can love our brother. Because we're you know, we're then acting out of the flesh. And the flesh isn't capable of that kind of love.

You're right. Jack? You disagree? No. Okay, we're all agreeing. I have to do that often. I agree with her on that. In love here, the present participle indicates that this love is not sporadic or occasional. This is a state or continued action. The love of Christ doesn't come and go. It's kind of who we are in him is in fact a continuum of love being extended to our brothers. Now our brothers may not always sense this love. Ask Margaret about this. But it's there.

Moreover, this love is not an act of emotions or the will. I mean essentially you could say it's a will. It depends on how you define will. But it's not like I'm going to will myself to love my brother. I'm going to try harder to love Roy and Gail. I mean, I love them to death, but my love for them is not the kind of, you know, earthly love. I'm not willing this, but in a sense, if the spirit controls the will, I mean, we could get into... I don't want to discuss the will today, in terms of where the will's coming from. A will is not a fleshly act. It's the life that manifests that. Roger.

This is just twisting on the same way we've been talking about, but If we truly love our brothers, we'll want to abide in Christ. So we can love our brothers. Otherwise, it's out of the flesh and we don't want to do it. So in a way, by walking with the Lord, it's by faith, that guarantees we'll love our brother. So the focus, once again, is on Christ first. Then it naturally flows to our brothers and sisters out of that.

You know, I think when we have trouble with this concept in terms of loving our brother as Christ loved us, we've got to return to us being the chief among all sinners, right? If you start sensing that this is not capable, then you've got to start thinking about what your nature was before the cross of Calvary, right? I mean, Paul, after most of his life, says, I'm the chief among all sinners. is again, this is light, you know, that's ultimately revealing darkness for all that it is. And I think as we grow in grace, the darkness gets more revealed for what it really is. And so if we ever think we can't love our brother, as he's called us to, then think about ourselves in terms of where we stand before God unsaved.

I mean, there's no other choice. but to allow, to step back, develop that perfect rest and peace and believe that that love is of him, not of yourself. All right. OK, the result of this, he who loves his brother, there's therefore no cause of stumbling in him.

Alright, so this comes from the Greek noun skandalon, which means offense. It's a fairly strong term actually. It's used in Matthew. The Son of Man will send out his angels and they will gather out of his kingdom all things that offend and those who practice lawlessness. The contrast here is exemplary in the Gospel of Matthew. all things that are offend is the same word that's used here in terms of stumbling, no cause in stumbling. Another interpretation could be to be entrapped or ensnared.

Now this implies, in fact more than implies the state of darkness. Because that's where this term stems from, is an atmosphere of darkness which is offensive to the Lord and ultimately offensive to the brother. So, when we love our brother and abide in the light, there's no cause for stumbling in him. Now the question I have for the class is this, and is it we're causing others to stumble here, or is it we ourselves are being stumbled?

What are your thoughts? Is this when we love one another as he has loved us and his life is being manifested, the result of that is we're not causing this offense to occur or the stumbling. Is that stumbling Gail or is it stumbling Winnie when I in fact don't have a love for them that is of his nature or is it myself who's stumbling? What are your thoughts?

By the way, there's a difference in opinion here if you read the commentaries, and I think the commentaries are useful to bring your own thoughts into clarity. Let's look at a text. I think this addresses this. Winnie, could you look at that please? John 11, 9 and 10. And I agree with what you've said. That doesn't make it right, but I think this two verse section in the Gospel of John, I think helps us look at this. John 11, 9 and 10. Correct.

Jesus answered, Are there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world. But if anyone walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him. Boy, it deals with this light and darkness. I was going to challenge the scripture, because today there's only 23 hours, right?

Here's a potential other interpretation. Bengal says, whoever Bengal is, he who hates his brother is both a stumbling block to himself and stumbles against himself and everything within and without. He who loves has an unimpeded path. So this gives you an option of saying you're stumbling others too. I think really it's we ourselves. that are part of this stumbling block.

The focus seems to be on our fellowship with the Lord. Because it says, he who loves his brother abides in the light. So if you're in the light, you're not going to be stumbling someone else, because you're in the light. But you could, because you're loving your brother, and maybe your brother, by the way, is not in the light. Maybe he's not abiding in the light. He's doing something pretty carnal, but you're in the light. So you're not going to be stumbled by his bad behavior.

I agree. This is our own consequence. So why does this occur? Well, Romans 9, Paul says, why? I mean, in a sense, Paul asked the same question. I'm taking it a bit out of context in Romans 9. But he says, why? Because they did not seek it by faith. But as it were, by the works of the law, for they stumble at that stumbling stone. And my point here is by position, we're the stumbling stone. When the life of Christ, when the cross is what offends, and it's the Christ life in us that offends, not we ourselves, we're the stumbling stone. And that's all identification. Now, you know, this is in an atmosphere of cockiness. There's no room for lack of humility here. This is all grace.

But in fact, in Christ, we are in fact, that could be and often could manifest ourselves as the stumbling stone. He's the stumbling stone. But the reason the Jews under law fell under this is that they stumbled at the stumbling stone. So, again, position of truth. Okay, last verse in this section.

1 John 2.11 states, But he who hates his brother is in darkness. and walks in darkness and does not know where he is going because the darkness has blinded his eyes. Again, this is a state. This is the present active participle, not simply a single act of the moment. I think, you know, the state of darkness in terms of hating your brother is kind of not something you hate him for a moment. The point is, this is kind of a constant ambiance of the view of a believer, potentially, about his brother.

It seems like that happens sometimes when there's a severe disagreement or something severe happens among brothers and sisters in Christ. And it's so hard, it was so Difficult that you have a difficult time saying, okay Lord, you know you wrestle with that for a long time maybe you go back and forth and He's addressing that something that's there and it's just not a not a casual thing. It's something that's really has hurt you deeply and you're wrestling with that.

In our Bible study on Friday night, in fact, an issue was brought up that wasn't related indirectly to some people in this room, but it was an issue where, in fact, I think this, in the way of parting of ways between two Christian organizations, reflected this lack of agreement on an issue.

And whether that's an atmosphere of hatred, I can't state that. I mean, only the people who are involved know this. But it was a disagreement over something that parted ways. And ultimately, I sense in some people's mind and heart, there's some animosity about that. Is that truly hatred? Or is that just disagreement with both people or both parties feeling they were correct? I don't know. But I'm just saying that this This is not simply, oh, I hate for a minute kind of deal. Remember, we said before that this is white and black.

But he who hates his brother is in darkness and walks in darkness as a state. This is not simply a falling short of faith and just not living in the true nature. This is really something that's an ongoing issue. has blinded as a first act of aorist indicative, which simply says it's something that is to be blinded, has occurred in the past, and it's actual, and is continuing to be manifested. 2 Corinthians 4, whose minds the god of this age has blinded. who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine in them."

Let me go back here just a second. So in any way, it's kind of putting us into this atmosphere in darkness of the gods of this age. I mean, Satan, the world system, the flesh, all exist in darkness. And so the being blinded is really in fact the purpose of all three of those non- you know, godly factors in our life. I keep it saying, I don't need Satan, I don't need the world system, I'm good enough in the flesh to be separated from God. I don't need these other things, but we got all three working against us.

The verb know here is head knowledge. This isn't kenosis or epigenosis. This is just knowing that in fact that we are being blinded. So what's it say? It says, and knows not where he goes because darkness has blinded his eyes. So this is kind of like, do you know your way home today from church? So, the power of the flesh, the old man, the sinful nature is never eliminated. The fact that our fellowship could be broken by this atmosphere of darkness can't occur in the believer. And again, this is a state of the walk. I read something in one of the commentaries that I thought was kind of cute.

In the Mammoth Cave, which was close to where I grew up actually in Kentucky. I didn't grow up in Kentucky. I grew up in Cincinnati, but Kentucky is right across the way. In the Mammoth Cave of Kentucky, the fish in Echo River have eye sockets, but no eyes.

I thought that was kind of an interesting They live in darkness. They've been blinded. Use it or lose it. Tom, welcome to the class. So this concept of having been blinded really is the way of the world system. Blinded to the truth and walking in darkness in fact is an ability to manifest hatred to your brethren.

Again, we're talking about lack of fellowship here. We're not talking about lack of salvation. But we ourselves were also once foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving various lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful and hating one another. That's where we came out of before we were saved. In a sense, when we walk in darkness and hate our brother, however you want to define it, state of mind, falling short of God's great grace and faith, we in fact return, at least not positionally, but conditionally into the ways from which we've been saved. not where he wants us. And even today I think this could be equated with the church at Laodicea.

I mean, Revelation 3.17, because you say I'm rich and have become wealthy and have need of nothing and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind and naked. I mean, John is right into the church here. Right?

And so this atmosphere of darkness can in fact prevail in the minds and hearts of believers. It's unfortunate. And you've got to believe the Church of Laodicea is a church in which there's this loss of fellowship in terms of the way they walk. Before you came today, we were kind of contrasting hate and love in that it's black and white. There's not kind of a gray zone here. And it's not that we've become, and I'm repeating myself, class, I forgive me. We're not schizophrenic. We're not kind of measuring everything we do. What God calls us to is a life that is in fact positionally based and conditionally influenced by the power of the Spirit. Alright, our task is a response of and by faith.

That's how the love of the brethren and the absence of hatred, either the state or even transitive acts occurs. Romans 6, 10, and 11 are good here. For the death that he died, he died to sin once and for all, but the life that he lives, our life, He lives to God. Likewise, you also need to consider yourselves or reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Then this love for the brethren becomes automatic. It's not emotions or intellectual will to better yourself. In fact, it's taking a step back, reckoning the truth that we've been crucified, buried, and risen, and the life we have now is the life of Christ. Paul said it beautifully, for me to live is Christ.

Of course, I like the second part of the dice game. Either way you win with that one. And when we live below, when we're down here in darkness, we have a prevailing state of disbelief or lack of faith. What are the consequences of such behavior? And I think in context, it's simply this.

It's loss of fellowship, it's not loss of salvation. And boys, I don't know about you, but being at a fellowship is really darkness. And I think the Spirit reveals in us that darkness when it occurs and returns us, by His great grace, to an atmosphere of fellowship. Does He not?

He does if we believe Him. But a receiver of the Church may not have believed those things that John wrote about Him, about that Church. That's why I emphasize here our task is a response of and by faith. The point is, it's so easily restored. by believing his word. I don't want to leave people on a negative note. Loss of fellowship is a big bull. But in fact, so easily restored. And that's the purpose of the Spirit in our lives. Excuse me, would you put up third page?

Because it did not copy off. It didn't? No. There's a lot of it that's lost. Yeah, it didn't copy it all off. The font looks like it's too big, you know, on these pages. The third slide. Mine? Of course, mine's my home printer. I copied it. So, but, you know, why? Because that's what should have been copied. I have no clue. I mean, I bought what I copied from home to be copied here, so I don't know why it would selectively... This wasn't copied directly from the USB, but copied from the copies that I brought. It's just page 3? It's just slide 3. Look at your slide 3. My slide 3?

It got cut off. When one had made a box, that would be the slide you would cut it off, because it's outside. It only goes about halfway down. Well, this is slide three. Right, and that's not what's printed. Look on your page. This is page two. It's on page two, slide three. When you use PowerPoint to make these squares, you've got to recognize that the squares could cut off part of the content. Because you can see the font is a lot larger on that particular slide than it is on the following bit. That's true. Do you see that? That's the problem. This is what this was copied off of. You know what happened?

I think what I did is I printed one off the USB and one off the hard drive. So maybe one of the copies is the one you write. So those who want, we can copy off here. Okay, well anyway, if you want this corrected, Is it the one that says 1 John 3, 13-17 is the title? That's what you're talking about. So anyway, anyone who wants the completed copy, let's just re-copy this. How many people would want a correct copy of this? Just make 10 of them or 12 of them or something. Alright, so you've had enough of me for the last three weeks and next week. I understand Randy's teaching next week. So let's close in prayer. Roger, please. Dear Heavenly Father, we thank you for our time this day, Lord. We thank you for the blessings we have. And Lord Jesus, Father, thank you for your marvelous Word. In Christ's name, Amen.