Mensa Otabil - Back to the Basics
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1 John chap 2:7 Brethren, I write no new commandment to you, but an old commandment which you have heard from the beginning. The old commandment is the word which you heard from the beginning.
So the Apostle John is reminding the Christians, and by extension he’s speaking to us, because God’s word is the same at all times, reminding Christians of their commitment to the Lord. He tells them that the commandment of the Lord is both old and new. Isn’t that interesting? God’s commandment is both old and new. It is old because it’s been there for a very long time and it never changes, and it is new because every time we read God’s commandment, it speaks to us now. So it is old because it’s been there for a long time; it’s new because every time we read it, it’s fresh to us. And that’s how the Apostle John conveys this truth about God’s word.
Now the commandment he’s talking about here is not the entirety of all of God’s commandments, but he’s talking particularly about the commandment from Jesus Christ to his disciples: to love the Lord, to love one another, and to love even those who hate them. The foundation of the commandment that Jesus gave to his disciples is love. So John now says this is the same commandment; this is what we had from the beginning, and this is what we have to do now. Now, why did he have to say that? Because people were tired. You know, many times Christians want something new; they want to hear something fresh. These days, people will call it a fresh word or a fresh revelation. They want to hear something exciting. John says it’s the same thing: you have to love. You cannot outgrow love; you cannot grow beyond that. You can’t improve it; this is it! Get to the basis, get to the fundamentals, and live by it.
There are some Christians who think that the word of God in its entirety was even written for an older generation because it was written for the Jews or some other people who lived in the past. What about the times we live in? God’s word doesn’t speak to us? God’s word is fresh all the time; it is applied every day. It is applied to every quest of ours because God, who is ancient, is also present. He’s a God who is a present help in time of need; he’s here all the time. And so, whilst you are eager to find some new commandment to obey, John says go back to the old one: love God, love your neighbor, and love even your enemies. And he says you can’t beat that.
And that’s what I want to tell you. You know, you can talk about all kinds of things; unfortunately now, Christians sometimes hear a lot of preaching to the extent that teaches hatred and enmity and fighting your enemy and destroying your enemy and God destroying your enemy. But that’s not the old commandment; that’s not what Jesus taught us. Jesus said the opposite of that. So if somebody says he’s gotten a new word and a new revelation, and by this new revelation Christians can curse their enemies and destroy them and call fire on their enemies, that’s not the commandment we received. The commandment we received is to love the Lord, love your neighbor, and love your enemy. That’s it; that’s Christianity. We can’t go beyond that; we cannot reinvent a new word for ourselves. So John says go back to the fundamentals.
And so today, I just want to encourage each one of you: go to the fundamentals, stick with Jesus Christ, stick with his command. And as difficult as it may appear for us to obey him, if we are Christians we have no choice but to get back to Jesus and love even those who despitefully use us. Let us pray. Say with me, Heavenly Father, your command to love never grows old. I commit myself to live my life in your love. In Jesus' name, amen and amen.