I work with computer programs fairly often, so there are plenty of times when there are multiple versions of a particular program, library, or module. Unfortunately, because I am a human being (and work with other human beings), there are times when someone else and I are talking about distinct versions of the same thing. It is almost comical how a missed word or two early in the conversation can lead to completely different interpretations of what comes later.
The good news, though, is that God is not a God of confusion, so when He spells things out, we can usually sort them out (with His help).
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 and in you, because the darkness is passing and the true light is already shining.
1 John 2:7-8 NIV
So, what’s going on? Is this an old command or a new one? Let’s go back to the Gospel of John, and see what Jesus taught His disciples at the Last Supper, in John 13:34-35. Is that the old command that John writes about in 1 John 2, or a new one? Regardless of whether it’s old or new, I think that we should follow it, so let’s keep reading (back in the letter of 1 John).
Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates a brother or sister is still in the darkness. Anyone who loves their brother and sister lives in the light, and there is nothing in them to make them stumble. But anyone who hates a brother or sister is in the darkness and walks around in the darkness. They do not know where they are going, because the darkness has blinded them.
1 John 2:9-11 NIV
Love your brother and your sister. If you love Jesus, you’ll obey His commands (because that’s a key way that we show that we love Jesus). And, if you keep Jesus’ commands, you’ll love your brothers and sisters. (By the way, I’m pretty sure that these brothers and sisters are fellow believers in the church: other followers of Jesus who love Him, who walk with Him, and who obey His commands.) After all, if we – as those who confess Jesus – can’t love each other, are we really walking with the Light of the World (Jesus Christ)?
So, maybe “Love your neighbor as yourself” is the old commandment; and “Love your brother or sister” (or, per Mark Scott in the study guide, “Love as Jesus loved”) is the new one. Maybe the old commandment was looked at as something external that we do to follow rules, while the new one was the natural outpouring of the love and light that we have in our heart as we follow Jesus.
Or, maybe trying to sort out which is “old” and which is “new” is secondary to a more important point: the actual commandment that we should be following!
Towards that goal (of following God’s commandment and remaining in the Light), perhaps today is a good time for some introspection.
- Does our life reflect the light of Jesus, or are we generally stumbling around in darkness?
- Do we struggle with animosity (or even hate) for a fellow believer, despite having been told both to love our neighbor and to love our brother or sister?
These aren’t trivial questions, and I hope that you have a few moments to really ponder them. Ask God to show you where you’re on-track, and where you could improve (with His help, of course).
If we find anywhere that could use improvement, let’s not start with a self-help book or the Internet to find a solution, though. Instead, let’s first look back at our love for Jesus.
- Do we honor Him so much that we accept His authority in defining right and wrong?
- Do we love Him so much that we want to obey Him?
- Do we trust Him so much that we will make changes in our lives at His direction, even if it doesn’t seem right to us?
Once we get that right, the rest should follow naturally, and where it doesn’t (because we still have issues, of course), we can ask Him for help.
One more question for today: Does our life reflect the righteousness of Jesus, or are we still living like the wrath of God is upon us? If so, remember that Jesus took God’s wrath for our sins, so let’s confess our sins and accept his “propitiation” (i.e., his sacrifice that paid for our sins, turning away the righteous wrath of God from us and taking that upon Himself).
Let’s live as those who are walking with Jesus, not living for our flesh. Remember, if we try to find the light anywhere except in God the Father, Jesus Christ the Son, and the Holy Spirit, we might still be in darkness and not even realize it!
May we walk in light and not darkness.
From Sunday School lesson prepared for February 16, 2025
References:
- 1717 Bible Studies, 1, 2, and 3 John, © 2025 Christian Standard Media.
- Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
- Scripture quotations taken from the NASB. Copyright by The Lockman Foundation.
- The College Press NIV Commentary – 1, 2 & 3 John, by Morris M. Womack. © 1998 College Press Publishing Co.
Those Who Sin Differently 