“He who loves his brother abides in the light, and there is no cause for stumbling in him.”

There is no twilight in divine love between love and hate.  The contrast is stark and unqualified between human love and divine love.

This verse shows the true claim to fellowship with God.   

He who loves his brother

The believer who can love all believers under any circumstance is a believer who walks or abides in the light; that is, he fellowships with God.  He fellowships with any Christian anywhere.  He may not agree with every Christian, but he fellowships with him nevertheless. 

abides in the light,

To abide in the light is more than being in the light.  The person who loves walks in fellowship with the Lord.  The world will sit up and take notice of this kind of love.  This person may be shy, introverted, or extroverted, but he loves his brother without condition.  He takes no excursion from loving his brother, for he abides in the light. 

“Walking” addresses behavior, and “abiding” speaks to the proviso that determines behavior. 

and there is no cause for stumbling in him

The word “stumbling” means stumbling, block, or trap.  The Christian who loves does not cause others to stumble or fall.  Christians who love are not obstacles to others.  They do not say thoughtless things to others. 

PRINCIPLE: 

A great obstacle among Christians is a lack of love. 

APPLICATION: 

Loving members of the family of God involves commitment.  Biblical love goes beyond the profession of love; it reaches into the act of love.  Showing care about the needs of fellow Christians demonstrates love.  Love costs something.  If we refuse to help a Christian in need while having the capacity to help them, we do not love them.  Is there any brother who you do not love?  You may say, “Well, I love most of them, but there are a few that I don’t love.”  God says we are to love all of them all the time.  You may retort, “But some will not let me love them.”  God says, “Love them, anyway.” 

1 Jn 3:14, “We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love his brother abides in death.”

Loving other Christians does not mean that we must initial everything they do or say.  We are not responsible for that.  We are not responsible for how they behave.  Our only job is to love them.  We do not have to like a Christian to fellowship with him.  We do not have to agree with a Christian to fellowship with him.  All we owe him is love. 

Ro 13:8, “Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law.”

Love is free from jealousy, envy, or malice.  Love does not run other Christians down or criticize them.  If there is one ounce of hatred, hostility, or judgment toward another believer, we cannot walk with God in fellowship.