We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers. Whoever does not love abides in death. 15 Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.
1 John 3:14-15
As Christ-followers, we have passed out of death into life. No longer is eternal separation from God our destiny, but eternal life, worshiping in the glory of His presence. In this week’s text, John indicates how we can know those who have achieved this passing by submitting our lives to Jesus Christ as Lord. Love. Love is the indication. We can know by the love Christ-followers have for one another. Whoever does not have this love, John says, abides in death.
Then John gives a staunch contrast. Whoever has hatred toward a brother is a murderer. I find it intriguing that John doesn’t offer any gray areas. There’s no middle ground. Do you either have a love for your brothers in Christ or hatred, making you a murderer? I don’t see an in-between. Next week’s text will look deeper into what it means to love your brother, but before we move any further, we best reconcile any relationships we’ve previously viewed as a gray area.