Title:
Christ’s New Law
Text:
John 13: 34-35
Date:
June 14, 2018
Place:
SGBC, NJ
Something
happened this week that saddened me and got me thinking on John 13. Wherever God grants repentance there will be a
broken and contrite spirit which reigns instead of flesh puffed up in knowledge.
Where God creates a new spirit there will be love for brethren reigning instead
of a holier than thou, legal and divisive spirit. After Judas went out, Christ spoke to his
eleven disciples. This applies to all his true disciples today.
John 13: 34: A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as
I have loved you, that ye also love one another. 35: By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if
ye have love one to another.
Christ
Jesus is not only the Savior but also the
Lord of every sanctified child of God.
We are all under some law, some rule, all the time. Romans 6 is very
clear on that. Either we are slaves of
sin, under the law, under the prince of the power of the air or we are servants
of righteousness, under grace, under the rule of our Lord and Savior Jesus
Christ. There is no middle ground. All men are slaves of the devil under the law
of sin and death or we are the servants of Christ under grace and truth.
Proposition: Christ
Jesus himself says that all his disciples are under his new law of love.
Subject: Christ’s
New Law
Divisions: 1)
Why does our Lord call this “A new commandment”—John 13: 34: A new
commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; 2) The new motive of
this new commandment—John 13: 34: as I
have loved you, that ye also love one another 3) How our Lord says that all
shall know we are his disciples—John 13:
35: By this shall all men
know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.
A NEW COMMANDMENT
John 13: 34: A new commandment, I give, unto you, That ye love one another;
Why does
our Lord call this a new commandment? This commandment is new because of who gave it, to whom it is given, what
is given and how it is given. The old commandments of works at Sinai were
given by Moses. He was a sinner who himself was in need of salvation. But the
one who gives this new commandment is Christ, the Word made flesh, God with us.
John 1:14: And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among
us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,)
full of grace and truth…
Moses gave
the law only to Jews, to the outward flesh of man, to sinners guilty and unholy
in heart, incapable of keeping the law. Christ
gives his commandment unto his friends, his disciples, Jew and Gentile, who he
has reconciled unto God by his own blood and given a new spirit. We receive it
from Christ.
John 1: 16: And of his fulness have all we received, and
grace for grace.
Moses only
gave the letter of the law written on
tablets of stone. Christ’s commandment is not law but grace and truth, which is written on the new heart.
John 1: 17: For the law was given by Moses, but grace and
truth came by Jesus Christ.
So Christ
writes his new commandment of love, not on tablets of stone, but on the new heart
which he gives in the new birth so that in our new spirit, we believe on Christ
and we love the Lord and our brethren with unfeigned faith and love.
1 John 3:23: And this is his commandment, That we should believe
on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us
commandment. 24: And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he
in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath
given us.
1 John 3: 14: We know that we have passed from death unto
life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth
in death. 15: Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no
murderer hath eternal life abiding in him.
1 John 4: 7:
Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth
is born of God, and knoweth God. 8:
He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.
1 John 4: 12: No man hath seen God at any time. If we
love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us. 13: Hereby know we that we dwell in
him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit. 14: And we have seen and do testify
that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world. 15: Whosoever shall confess that Jesus
is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God. 16: And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God
is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him…21: And
this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother
also. 5: 1: Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every
one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him.
Christ does
command us to love all men. But this new commandment is concerning brotherly
love—everyone that loveth him that begat
loveth him also ttha is begotten of him.
We believe on Christ, and we love God and our brethren, because in
the new spirit, God the Holy Spirit creates the fruit of faith and love
Galatians 5: 22:…the fruit of the Spirit is love…faith…
2 Timothy 1:7: For God hath not given us the spirit of
fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.
Christ
does not give his new command in the letter for us to obey in our flesh by our
own strength. His saints are taught effectually by God in our new spirit.
1 Thessalonians 4: 9: But as touching brotherly love ye
need not that I write unto you: for ye yourselves are taught of God to love one
another.
The same
as we begin so we are made to increase and abound in love by the effectual,
inner working of the Lord.
1 Thessalonians 3: 12: And the Lord make you to increase
and abound in love one toward another, and toward all men, even as we do
toward you:
Do you
see why Christ calls this a new commandment?
It is given of Christ, given to those he reconciled and created anew
inwardly and it is given in spirit and truth. This is what it is to be under
grace rather than law.
Now, do
you and I have a heart to obey Christ? Do we care whether or not we obey
Christ? Obedience to Christ matters greatly
to every sanctified child of God for whom Christ spilled his precious blood. Scriptures are crystal clear. It is only
those who are not born of God who yet
hate their brethren, who are opposed to Christ’s command, saying it does not
apply to believers. Obedience to Christ
means everything to those born of God and taught of God.
A NEW MOTIVE
John 13: 34: A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as
I have loved you, that ye also love one another
The
motive Christ gives is entirely new—“as I
have loved you, that ye also love one another.” Some insist this is the same law given by
Moses. But if that were so then Christ would not call it new. The motive is
entirely new. Moses gave the law which
said,
Leviticus 19: 18: Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any
grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbour as
thyself: I am the LORD.
The new
motive of Christ’s new commandment is not “love thy neighbor as thyself” it is “as I have loved you, that ye also love
one another.” “As I have loved you”
— Christ is our pattern from whom we learn love. He is the example of loving
brethren. We learn everything we need to know by looking to Christ.
The thing
that makes something law or grace is the motivation of the heart. If I am trying to save myself, earn a righteousness,
earn holiness, add to Christ, indebt God, exalt self or get a better reward
over others then those are all legal, mercenary, fleshly motives and God hates
it. The love of Christ for his people is the
motivation under grace.
2 Corinthians 5:14: For the love of Christ constraineth
us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead: 15
And that he died for all, that they which live should not
henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose
again.
How did
Christ love us? He says “as I have loved
you, that ye also love one another.” How did Christ love his people?
He loves
us without end.
John 13: 1: Now before the feast of the passover, when
Jesus knew that his hour was come that he should depart out of this world unto
the Father, having loved his own which were in the world, he loved them unto
the end.
Christ
knew his hour was come. Think of all he must have had on his mind. When we have
a huge job before us, we become self-absorbed. Our love for one another is put
on the back burner. Not with our Redeemer.
The shame of the cross, the weight of being made a curse, nothing could
turn Christ from loving and caring for his own in the world. Charity never fails. His people are
members of his body and he is the Head.
How could he ever stop loving his own body? Likewise, every believer is a member in
particular of the body, our brethren are members of our body. How can we cease
loving our own body?
1 Corinthians 12: 26:
And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be
honoured, all the members rejoice with it. 27: Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular.
Christ
loved those the Father gave unto him in divine election by laying down his life for us under the shame of our sin and the suffering
of God’s unmitigated justice.
John 15: 12:
This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you. 13: Greater love hath no man than
this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.
He
illustrated it by condescending to wash the disciple’s feet. In those days in that land they traveled in
sandals in the hot sand. So washing the feet of your company was customary. But
it was performed by the lowliest servant in the house because no one wanted to
wash the dirty feet of weary travelers.
In
amazing love and humility the GodMan condescended that night to literally wash
the feet of his apostles. But far greater is what he illustrated by it, which
is his amazing love and humility to come down from glory to the lowest possible
position to wash us in his blood on the cursed cross.
John 13: 4: He riseth from supper and laid aside his
garments; and took a towel, and girded himself.
The Son
of God “who being in the form of God,
thought it not robbery to be equal with God: but made himself of no reputation,
and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:
and being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient
unto death, even the death of the cross.” (Php 2: 6-8)
John 13: 5: After that he poureth water into a bason…
He poured
out his precious blood on the cross for God-hatting maggots like us.
John 13: 5…And began to wash the disciples’ feet
Christ
purged his people from our sins justifying us on the cross (Rom 3: 24-26). He
washes us in regeneration by the Holy Spirit (Titus 3: 4-7). God continually
cleanses us of all sin because of our Advocate with the Father (1 Jn 1: 9-10;
2: 1-2).
John 13: 5: And to wipe them with the towel wherewith he was girded
Christ
robes us in his righteousness through faith. Christ says love one another as I
loved you by laying down your lives for one another. Paul said,
Philippians 2: 1:
If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love,
if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies, 2: Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be
likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. 3: Let nothing be done
through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other
better than themselves. 4: Look
not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others. 5: Let this mind be in you, which was
also in Christ Jesus:
Romans 12: 10: Be kindly affectioned one to
another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another;
Christ
loved us and continues to love us by
forbearing with us in our ignorance.
I hear men claiming that believers have to know this doctrine or that
doctrine and believe every word of God or they cannot be saved. Do you really want God to judge you by how much of his word you know and
believe? Do you really? There is far more of God’s word that we do not even
understand than that we do. There is far more of God’s word that we have never
even learned than that we have. There were things Christ did not even teach his
disciples because they could not bear them.
How slow we are to learn and how quick we are to forget what he has
already taught us! He told the apostles that his kingdom was not of this world,
repeatedly. Then before he ascended he told them to go to back and wait on the
Spirit of God. They asked “Are you going to restore the kingdom now?” Christ
loves us by forbearing with our ignorance and suffering long with us, even as
believers.
Psalm 103: 13:
Like as a father pitieth his children, so the LORD pitieth them
that fear him. 14: For he
knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust.
I believe
all of God’s word because it is God’s word but I dare not imagine I know and understand
even the half.
1 Corinthians 8:2
And if any man think that he knoweth any thing, he knoweth nothing yet
as he ought to know.
1 Corinthians 13:12
For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I
know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.
So I dare
not love my brethren any less because they have trouble with some truth in
God’s word. If I do the problem is my own.
1 Corinthians 8: 1: Knowledge puffeth up, but charity
edifieth.
Christ
loves us by keeping us united in Spirit.
Psalm 133: 1: Behold,
how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!
It cost
God’s his own only begotten Son to bring us from the separation of sin into the
unity of the Spirit. Therefore, God hates those who divide brethren.
Proverbs 6: 16:
These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an
abomination unto him: 17: A
proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, 18: An heart that deviseth wicked
imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief, 19: A false witness that
speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren.
Christ
says through the apostle Paul, love as I have loved you, by endeavoring to keep
the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
Ephesians 4: 1:
I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the
vocation wherewith ye are called,
A
vocation is a lifelong work that requires absolute dedication. Every believer’s
vocation is to use every gift God has given to hear, support and send forth the
gospel of Christ. This is the vocation wherewith we were called.
Illustration: The church at Taylor and Ashland and Danville.
Ephesians 4: 1: I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that
ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called, 2:
With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love;
3: Endeavouring to keep the
unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace….31: Let all bitterness, and wrath,
and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all
malice:32: And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another,
even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you. 5: 1: Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children; 2: And walk in love, as Christ also
hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God
for a sweetsmelling savour.
HOW CHRIST SAYS ALL SHALL KNOW WE ARE HIS
DICIPLES
John 13: 35: By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if
ye have love one to another
Is by
being so dogmatic that once I think I have grown to know more than the brother
who taught me the gospel, that I push him away and call him a heretic? Is it by
separating mself from brethren who sacrificed to give me the gospel until I
imagine I am the only one left who preaches the gospel? Is it by rejecting all
who do not walk as holy as I think they should walk? No! Christ says, “By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to
another.”
It would
be comical if it were not so sad. Men who think they are really taking a stand
for truth, have no idea they are making themselves naked, revealing what they
really are, by their total absence of love for brethren.
1 John 3: 10:
In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil:
whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his
brother. 11: For this is the
message that ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another. 12: Not as Cain, who was of
that wicked one, and slew his brother. And wherefore slew he him? Because his
own works were evil, and his brother’s righteous. 13: Marvel not, my brethren, if the world hate you. 14: We know that we have passed from
death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his
brother abideth in death.
Amen!