all verses unless otherwise specified are found in 1 John.
light - 1:5-7; 2:9-11
- God is light
- outside of God is darkness
- can't walk with God and walk in darkness
- love for your brother is walking in the light
- hate for your brother is walking in darkness
*WHO IS YOUR BROTHER?
- we are all children of God, any Christian is your brother/sister - 3:1
- obviously your nuclear family (parents and siblings)
- I would hazard a guess that it also means you "neighbour" - see Luke 10:25-37
Therefore... everyone.
... What would it mean to love everyone?
love - 3:1, 11-23; 4:7-12, 16-21; 5:3
- God is love
- outside of God is hate
- can't walk with God and walk in hate
- again with the loving your brother thing... maybe this is important?
- lay down our lives for our brothers, following Christ's example
- be generous with what God has given you... love with your actions, not just your words
- to love is to know God
- not to love is to not know God
- our love for God is only a shadow of His love for us
- His love is the example for ours, and ours shows His
- fear and love cannot coexist
- fear has to do with punishment, it isn't the reason we obey God - we obey Him because we love Him, not because we fear Him
- you can't love God and hate your brother
- to love God is to obey Him
...How can we show God our love through obedience?
life - 1:1-2; 2:17, 24-25; 3:13-15; 4:13-15; 5:9-13, 20
- God is life
- outside of God is death
- can't walk with God and walk in death
yet AGAIN with loving your brother (It MUST be important)
- obey God and you will live... eternally!
- we have passed from death to life
- we live in God, He lives in us
- to have the Son of God is to have life
- not to have the Son of God is to not have life
...What would it mean to be without life? How can we show others life so they can have it too?
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