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"We have passed from death to life..."

Text: 1 John 3:14

THE PROMISE OF LIFE

What did the Lord Jesus mean when He promised to give “life” to those who came to Him in faith? These are some very precious truths He taught.

1. The promise of eternal life (John 3:16).

2. The promise that the believer has passed from death to life (John 5:24).

3. The promise of abundant life (John 10:10).

AN EXPLANATION OF THE TEACHINGS OF JESUS

As we read 1 John we cannot help but appreciate that the Apostle John seemed to be explaining what the Lord Jesus taught His disciples. John was one of the original disciples and he remembered what he had been taught.

“We know that we have passed from death to life,
because we love the brethren.
He who does not love the brethren abides in death.”
1 John 3:14

1. “We know that we have passed from death to life”

a) This teaching certainly can be traced to the Lord Jesus Christ (John 5:24).

b) Death to life describes the following truths:-

i) Life is to be found in the Lord Jesus Christ.

ii) He regenerates all believers.

iii) He gives new life to all who comes to Him in faith.

iv) The believer is enabled by the power of the Lord to become a new creation.

c) The new life of the believer enables him “to know” for a fact that he has been given life anew.

2. “Because we love the brethren”

a) This new life enables the believer to be filled with God’s love.

b) He is empowered and enabled to “love the brethren”.

c) Practical Christian love well confirms the reality of this new life we have from the Lord.

3. “He who does not love the brethren abides in death”

a) This is a sobering statement to read and to digest.

b) Where there is no love for the brethren it must make us to ponder the following: –

i) Are we abiding in Christ at all?

ii) Are we still abiding in our old ways which may be described as “death”?

c) The believer is challenged to abide in Christ, His Word and His love (John 15).