The document discusses the commandment to love one another that Christians have received from Christ. It notes that in John 15:9-17 and 13:34-35, Jesus explicitly commands his followers to love one another, establishing it as the central commandment. The document argues that in 1 John 2:7-11, when John refers to an "old commandment," he is referring back to this command from Jesus to love one another. The motivation for Christians to love one another stems from their desire to love and serve God, who showed his grace through Jesus' life, death, and resurrection.

1. Everlasting Mercy Fellowship

2. 1st John 2:7-11 (ESV)
 7 Beloved, I am writing you no new
commandment, but an old commandment that you
had from the beginning. The old commandment is
the word that you have heard. 8 At the same
time, it is a new commandment that I am writing to
you, which is true in him and in you, because the
darkness is passing away and the true light is
already shining. 9 Whoever says he is in the light
and hates his brother is still in darkness. 10
Whoever loves his brother abides in the light, and in
him there is no cause for stumbling. 11 But whoever
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.

5.  What is a Christian?
 What does a Christian look like?
 How are they identified?
 What motivates a Christian?

7.  John starts out by saying, this is not a “new
commandment, but an old commandment that you
had from the beginning”.
 What is he talking about?
 Let’s go to John 15:9-17

8.  John 15:9-17
 9 As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide
in my love. 10 If you keep my commandments, you will
abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s
commandments and abide in his love. 11 These things I
have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that
your joy may be full. 12 "This is my commandment, that
you love one another as I have loved you. 13 Greater love
has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for
his friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I
command you. 15 No longer do I call you servants, for the
servant does not know what his master is doing; but I
have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my
Father I have made known to you. 16 You did not choose
me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go
and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that
whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it
to you. 17 These things I command you, so that you will
love one another.

9.  John 15:9-17
 9 As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide
in my love. 10 If you keep my commandments, you will
abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s
commandments and abide in his love. 11 These things I
have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that
your joy may be full. 12 "This is my commandment, that
you love one another as I have loved you. 13 Greater love
has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for
his friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I
command you. 15 No longer do I call you servants, for the
servant does not know what his master is doing; but I
have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my
Father I have made known to you. 16 You did not choose
me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go
and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that
whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it
to you. 17 These things I command you, so that you will
love one another.

10.  John 13:34-35
 34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one
another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one
another. 35 By this all people will know that you are my
disciples, if you have love for one another.”

11.  Biblical Hermeneutics is the study of interpretation
as it relates to scripture.
 Prescriptive vs. Descriptive
 Prescriptive means we are to imitate it (see John 13:34-35)
 Descriptive means we should take note of it (see Jonah 1:17).
 Is John 2:7-11 descriptive or prescriptive?
 In closing:
 Our motivation to love one another derives from our desire to
love and serve God, who revealed His grace to us by entering
human history as the God-Man, Jesus Christ. He lived a life we
could not live, died a death we could not die and resurrected
from the grave 3 days later to make propitiation for us. The
Lawyer (Jesus) took the place of the defendant (us) and paid
the perfect price for our crime (sin). He gives us His life in
exchange for ours thus making it possible for us to stand
before a Holy and righteous God. He is the ONLY reason we
are allowed into His heaven. Blessed be His name. Amen.

12. Next Week
 Encouragement to the Faithful (2:12-14)
Next Month
 Warnings Against Unfaithfulness (2:15-17)
 Warnings Against Antichrists (2:18-27)
 The Privileges of the Children of God (2:28--3:3)
 Remembering Who We Are: The Children of God
(2:28--3:24)