Title: Authentic Christianity
Text: 1 John 2:7-11

We mentioned a couple of weeks ago how people have a misperception of what Christianity really is. That perception that Christianity is primarily a religion concerned about behavior, that it is a legalistic religion do's and don'ts, can's and can't's.

That same kind of mis-perception believes the foundation on which Christianity rests - the virgin birth, the miracles, the death and the resurrection of Jesus Christ, are mere stories, legends gathered around the figure of Christ in the early church, which Christians must accept by blind faith without any confirmation or support.

It also perceives Christianity as a "Pie in the sky when I die" religion. That Christians are concerned more about the future than the present and heaven is a psychological ploy to distract from the reality of life's disappointments and troubles.

The truth is that perception of Christianity is totally erroneous. Authentic Christianity is about a relationship to God through Jesus Christ, it says behavior follows relationship, that in Christ we are discovering the secret of the fullest, freest, most satisfying life that could possibly be experienced by anyone. Authentic Christianity is founded on faith, but believes the actions of God in history can be tested by the normal means of testing evidence and that they form a solid rock of faith based on historical reality. Authentic Christianity teaches and believes insistently the reality of heaven and eternal life with God after death. But, Jesus said, "For the bread of God is that which comes down out of heaven, and gives life to the world."(John 6:33) He said, "The thief comes only to steal, and kill, and destroy; I came that they might have life, and might have {it} abundantly." (John 10:10) (NAS) Authentic Christianity just as insistently believes and teaches the Christian faith is to make a difference now, that Christians are to be salt and light in here and now.

In verse 5 John wrote, "but whoever keeps His word, in him the love of God has truly been perfected." (NAS)

John wrote in verse 7 Beloved, I am not writing a new commandment to you, but an old commandment which you have had from the beginning; the old commandment is the word which you have heard." (NAS)

When commenting on the book The Gospel of Yeshua, two weeks ago I made the comment like much of the postmodern world the writer focuses solely on God's love. We're talking about God's love in the sense of our application or our living out God's love in life. The problem is that post moderns, although using the God's love are not really talking about God's love. For them God's love is an ambiguous term, in other words it's open to more than one interpretation so it becomes like much of post modern theology subjective. God's love becomes a transient term that changes in meaning rather than just in application. In truth the meaning of God's love doesn't change but it has many different applications.

Remember what we're talking about here is God's love being perfected in us. When John writes that the commandment he is giving isn't new, what is he referring to? It is, John wrote, an old commandment you have had from the beginning. Jesus called it the first and greatest commandment. It was given in Deut 6:4-5 "Hear, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD is one! "And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might." (NAS) What you have from the beginning is the command to love God.

Jesus repeated this command in Matt when question about the greatest of the commandments. He also quoted from the Old Testament Lev 19:18 declaring the second commandment was love of neighbor as self.

When we hear of a person talking about God's love as something that redefines sin, disregards sin or accepts sin you know right away there is something wrong with that definition of God's love.

John then indicates that in some sense this old commandment is also new. We look to John's gospel to find an explanation of what John is alluding to. In John 13:34-35, Jesus said, "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. "By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another." (NAS)

Love is lifted to a new degree, we are now to love as Jesus loved and demonstrated. There is a new standard by which we define love. How did Jesus love us? Well he loved us when we didn't deserve His love, He loved us when we didn't want His love, while we were still sinners, He loved us because we needed His love and He loved us sacrificially. He loved us to the extent He was willing to give Himself completely for us. True love, God's love reached it's truest and fullest expression in the life of Christ.

That means we must practice that same kind of love. But, there is only one way we can do that, if the love of God first indwells us. We can never love in that way unless we are first in relationship and fellowship with Jesus Christ. By His death and resurrection Jesus has enabled us to demonstrate that same kind of selfless love. That what John means when he says the darkness is passing away and the true light is already shining.

How do we measure the progress of this in our lives?" How do we know how far we've come, or whether we've even begun? John answers that in Verses 9 and 10. From the context brother in this passage refers to fellow believers. You can test yourself by asking, "What is my attitude toward my fellow Christian, my brother in Christ, the person who, like me, professes faith in Jesus Christ?"

The darkness in this world is great. This past week there were a number of ceremonies to commemorate the Holocaust. I read in last Tuesday's Lincoln Journal Star an article about the mass murder in the polish town of Jedwabne (Yed BAB-nay) in 1941. Where 1600 Jews were burned to death in a barn not by the Nazis, but by their own neighbors. The article tells of a number of others murders that took place before these 1600 were herded into a barn and then the barn was set on fire. That demonstrates how great the darkness is. A darkness that can only be conquered by the Light of Christ.

John tells us that we can't love our neighbors, we can love our enemies we can't love those who persecute us, and spite us and say all sorts of things about us unless we can first love our brothers and sisters in Christ.

For John hate is the absence of deeds of love. To walk in the light is to love one's brother, and that love expresses itself in concrete ways.

Perfect love is defined in 1 Cor 13:4-7 "Love is patient, love is kind, {and} is not jealous; love does not brag {and} is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong {suffered,} does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things." (NAS) That kind of love is active.

Love unexpressed is not love and when love is absent hate is present.  Hate is the failure to deny oneself, the unwillingness to lay down one's life for a brother (John 5:13). It considers it's own situation first (1 Cor 13:5); disregards the robbed and afflicted (lk 10:30-37); depised the little ones (Matt 18:10); withholds the cup of cold water from the thirsty (Matt 25:42); and makes not effort to welcome the stranger, clothe the naked, or help the sick (Matt 25:43). When ever a brother has a need and one does not help him, then one has despised and in fact hated his brother. (Glen W. Barker, EBC, vol 12, p317)

John declares the one who hates his brother is in the darkness and walks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going because the darkness has blinded his eyes." (NAS)

The problem with hatred is that it completely blinds a person, they can't see their own condition, they can't discern the extent of their hatred. The person who exhibits this attitude towards his brother in Christ has never come out of the darkness, his or her conduct being a proof of that condition.

There are obviously still times of weakness in our lives. There are times when we get angry, and even hateful toward one another. But, if we have truly placed our faith in Christ as Lord and Savior this kind of darkness is beginning to pass away we begin to recognize the error of our ways as the light of the nature of our Lord, the light of the character of God, is being perfected in us as we grow in grace and fellowship with him. That's authentic Christianity - obedient to God, walking in His light, living out His love.

We must look into our own lives and examine ourselves to see which character is evidenced by our lives, whether it is love or hate. If love is absent we must turn to the light, if love is present we must strive to manifest it completely living for Jesus. Our hymn of commitment says; "Living for Jesus who died in my place, Bearing on Calvary my sin and disgrace; such love constrains me to answer His call, follow His leading and give Him my all. Will you give Him your all this morning?