Welcome to the Kerwin Baptist Church broadcast today. Our desire is for the Word of God to be spread throughout the world so that all may know Christ.
Join us now for a portion of one of our services here at Kerwin Baptist Church located in Kernersville, North Carolina. The assessment of our condition, this passage just came alive to me. Now, I had to read verses 1 all the way down through verse 8 before we began with verse 9, because it's literally a study of the fact that, you know, we're a new creature in Christ, and we can't say we love God if we don't obey Him, if we don't keep His commandments. Do you agree with that?
Say, amen. We can't sit here and say, oh, I love the Lord with all my heart, but we don't obey His Word. And so it literally is based on that principle, and it comes all the way down to where we're finally talking about hating a brother, hating a person, or having resentment towards a person. We have to understand that we're basing that on feelings, but what we should be basing it on is this.
If I love God, I've got to obey His Word, and that's what makes the difference. So I want you to notice, number one, just some observations from this passage, and I don't want to read the whole thing again. But notice, number one, notice the reason for the resentment is not given. Now look at verse 9. It says, He that saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother. Look at verse 11, but he that hateth his brother is in darkness.
Now let me make this very clear. We're never told in this passage why this person hated his brother. We're not told what happened. So what is the principle here? Well, you and I have to understand, we can't just sit here and say, listen, you shouldn't have resentment towards somebody unless they do such and such.
Well, then I'm justified. You see, there was never any reason given for the resentment. The scriptural principle is this. If you hate your brother, have resentment towards an individual, you're walking in darkness.
If you love your brother, you're walking in the light. It doesn't matter the reason for the resentment. It doesn't even come down to what they did because it's not about them and it's not about you.
It's about Christ. So the reason for the resentment here is never given. We're not told that, well, he hated him because he did this.
And may I say, God doesn't tell us that because we don't need to know that. It doesn't really matter what somebody may have or haven't done to you. What matters now is how you react towards it. Notice number two, we see the principle of forgiveness is not new. Notice what he says here in verse seven. Brethren, so we're talking brethren here, I write no new commandment unto you, but an old commandment which ye had from the beginning. This isn't new. It's not like all of a sudden, oh, I didn't know I was supposed to forgive.
I didn't know that I'm not supposed to hate my brother. No, it's not new. Notice what he says, the old commandment is the word which you had from the beginning.
This isn't new. And just because something has happened in your life now that has thrown you for a loop, it doesn't mean now that we don't have to acknowledge God's word. Now let me tell you something about us Baptists. We are really good at using the word of God in other people's lives.
Well, let me tell you why you're wrong. The Bible says, but we are horrible at using it for ourselves. The principle of forgiveness is not new. Notice number three, the principle of forgiveness is not natural.
Look at verse eight. Again, a new commandment I write unto you which thing is true in him and in you because the darkness is past and the true light now shines. This isn't going to come natural for you because darkness is our flesh. That's what comes naturally. What naturally comes is somebody did this, this is why I'm mad at them.
Somebody did this, somebody injured me, somebody did me wrong, somebody treated me wrong, somebody said whatever the case might be. And so our natural reaction might end up being resentment, but this principle of forgiveness doesn't come natural. That's the natural is to not forgive, but a true light now shineth. Now we have the truth.
Now we have what is supposed to happen. It doesn't come natural. And may I say this, resentment is not… I don't ever want to preach up here in a way that you would feel as a listener that I'm sitting here saying, what is your problem? Why do you have resentment? Of all things, you must be an absolute idiot.
No, no, no, no. Can I tell you, it's the absolute opposite of that. I fully understand why some people feel resentment. Why, how it can happen.
I've been there, done that, bought a T-shirt, horrible T-shirt, and none of my T-shirts fit now. But anyway, that's another whole story. But the principle of forgiveness is not a natural one. Number four, just because we say it doesn't mean it's true. Okay, look at verse four. He that sayeth, I know him, speaking of the Lord, and keepeth not his commandments is a liar. Just because you say it doesn't mean you are.
Notice if you would here in verse nine. He that sayeth he is in the light and hateth his brother is in darkness. Just because you say it doesn't mean it's true. Just because you say, well, hey, I'm right with God doesn't mean you are right with God. Just because you say, well, hey, I — listen, it doesn't even matter what we say about ourselves or even what we think about ourselves. What matters is what God sees in our life. You might say you're in the light, but you might be in darkness. You might say you love God, but you're not even obeying His Word. And we've got to be gut honest with ourselves about this subject. Notice number five, and these principles are very clear in this passage.
I think it's great. Number five is this. This is not about loving your enemy. It is about loving God. Now, you've got to get this principle tonight with this matter of resentment. Resentment and fixing resentment is not about you loving your enemy.
That's really not the priority of this. The priority of this is you loving God. Look at this passage. Look at verse four. He that saith, I know him and keepeth not his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoso keepeth his word in him verily is the love of God perfected hereby know we that we know him. Let me tell you how we know God is when we love God, and we know we love God because we obey His Word. So this isn't about you trying to somehow learn to love your enemy. This is about you and me learning to love God. We don't get rid of resentment and choose to forgive because we love our enemy.
That's just not going to happen. We do this so that the love of God can be perfected in us. May I say this? You're going to struggle with the resentment your entire life if you think that the pivotal point here is that you've got to learn to love your enemy.
No, no, no, no. This goes way deeper. It's about us loving God. It's about us wanting to do what we do because we love God. It doesn't matter about the person.
It doesn't matter whether they deserve it, whether they don't deserve it, whether they've ever gotten right with us, whether they've apologized or whether they haven't apologized. It has nothing to do with that. It's not about my love for Him. It's about my love for God. And that's the root of this.
Number six, please write this down. Resentment is based on a lie. Resentment in its nature is based on a lie.
Let me explain. Look at verse eight. Again, a new commandment I write unto you, which thing is true in Him and in you? Because the darkness has passed and the true, notice, the true light now shineth. You see, God wants you to get rid of resentment in your life and He wants you to get rid of it because of the truth. You know, you and I, why does resentment happen in our life? Well, because somebody did me wrong.
That's right. But why does resentment end up settling? Because somehow we believe this thing that as long as I keep resenting them, they're not going to get a free pass. As long as I still have resentment, they're going to pay. As long as I don't let this go, I mean, if I forgive them and I let this go, they're going to get away scot-free. And they're never going to answer for it. That, dear friend, is a lie.
It's a lie. But oftentimes, resentment is based on a lie. If I stay mad at them, this will hurt them.
But, dear friend, if you stay mad at them, it's going to hurt you. We have a true light now shining. The truth is in him and you now. Notice this verse. You see, Satan's going to tell you a lie. Satan knows that if resentment builds and it harbors in your life, he's convinced you that that's going to work somehow.
He's convinced you that you're still holding them accountable. And that's just a lie of Satan. Resentment is based on a lie. And it's a lie that Satan has told you. Number seven, and this is our last one before we talk about the answer to these issues, but notice number seven. And let me just say, resentment is a thought that turns into a lifestyle. Resentment is a thought that turns into a lifestyle. Preacher, please explain this one.
Okay. Notice verse nine. He that sayeth he is in the light and hateth his brother is in darkness. Now what does the next phrase say?
Even until now. So what happened in an instance has turned into a lifestyle. This person did it, but you have been in darkness even until now. Notice, if you would, look at verse 10. He that loveth his brother, loveth his brother abideth in the light. That means that's your lifestyle, abiding in the light. Notice this. And there is none occasion of stumbling in him, but he that hateth his brother, notice this, is in darkness and walketh in darkness. What does that mean? A person that has resentment not only is in darkness now, but they're going to be in darkness later. It's now and the future.
Notice what he said. You were injured. This person did you wrong, but you have now been in darkness even until now. It's turned into a lifestyle.
It's turned into something that is just part of you now. It has become such a habit to have this resentment, to feel this resentment, to put up those prison bars as Proverbs 18 says. It has become such a lifestyle now to keep people out, to keep yourself in, to guard yourself, to have these feelings, to have this resentment, to literally create this space. I'm the victim. They're the ones that — it literally, it was a one-time thing or it happened here, but it's turned into a lifestyle in your life. You see, we're all going to have bad days and we're all going to have things that happen that knock us for a loop. The problem is when it becomes a lifestyle. The problem is when we stay there. And this hatred brought darkness into the life, but now they're walking in it.
Now they can't go through life without it. Let me give you this last principle. It's actually number eight, but I think in the outlines I gave John, I've got two number sevens. I was trying to get lucky. And I thought that was funny. I just thought of that. Nobody — OK.
Please get this. Resentment clouds your ability to have discernment. Resentment clouds your ability to have discernment. I have not made one statement up here tonight that I cannot back up with a verse. Look at verse nine. He that saith he is in the light and hateth his brother is in darkness. Look at verse 10. He that loveth his brother abideth in the light and there is none occasion of stumbling. Look at verse 11. But he that hateth his brother is in darkness and walketh in darkness, look at it, and knoweth not whither he goeth, because darkness hath blinded his eyes.
Can I say something? When you allow — you and I allow resentment to harbor in our life, it blocks our ability to have discernment. We're now blind. That resentment will blind us. It'll get to the point that we're not going to make good decisions.
It'll get to the point that we won't do the right kind of things. I mean, it's to the point that we can't discern what I should do here and what I shouldn't do there, because resentment has become such a part of my life that now it's blinded me. I don't even — it says this person doesn't know whither he goeth, doesn't know what's going on.
May I say something? The greatest tool that a Christian has is discernment. Discernment is your ability to determine right from wrong what you should do and shouldn't do, what you should say and shouldn't say. Everything in your life is built around discernment, and we've got to get discernment, wisdom from God. But resentment hides that. It blocks it. The darkness comes in and just literally gets us to the point that we just don't know what to do.
We don't know where we should go, and now all of a sudden we're making very bad decisions. I've seen this happen. A person gets resentment towards somebody, what are they going to do? Well, preacher, I think I need to do this now. I've seen people get out of church because of resentment. Well, I just need to — you know, I'm tired of going to church with hypocrites. Well, you still go to Walmart.
That's right. There's hypocrites everywhere you go. Resentment ruins your discernment.
All of a sudden now you'll make decisions that alters your life, that are horrible decisions. But it's because you have no discernment, and you have no discernment because we're harboring resentment. Listen, I'm not saying it's fun, but if you understand from the Bible what I've said tonight, would you say amen?
It's true, isn't it? Aren't you glad that God's Word doesn't just give an assessment, but it gives us answers? Let's look at what he says, the answer for our condition. Number one, I want you to notice in verse 9, number one is realize. You need to come to realization about something, and first is this, realize that resentment is a sin. Resentment is a sin.
He that sayeth he is in the light and hateth his brother is in darkness. Listen, it's not fun to hear, wait a minute, this person sinned, did wrong to me, this is why I feel like this. Yes, but you allowing yourself to stay there has turned into sin in your life. You and I need to realize this isn't a grudge we need to get over. It's a sin that is hurting our life. Resentment can hurt your relationship with God. Resentment can hurt your relationship with your family, with your husband, with your wife. It can hurt relationship with people at church.
It can hurt your relationship with people at work. Resentment can literally flood almost every area of your life. It's a sin that has to be dealt with, and you and I need to realize that.
This is about light and darkness. Okay, number two, we need to repent. First, we need to realize. Second, we need to repent, which means this. Ask God to forgive you for your resentment. You say, well, I don't even know if I'm ready to let go of it yet.
That's okay. The first step is to acknowledge that it is a sin. God, I don't know that I can help how I feel right now, but I know it's wrong, and I'm asking you to forgive me. Now, notice, look, the first part of the passage that we read, He gives these principles before even talking about hating your brother.
God knows how this can get to you. Look at verse one. My little children, these things write unto you that ye sin not. He's like, I'm writing you these things so that you can keep sin from coming into your life, so you can stop this before it starts. But thank God for this verse.
Look what He says. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father. Jesus Christ the righteous. Jesus Christ the righteous is our advocate with God the Father.
And it means this. Listen, I've given you my word, He says, so that you don't sin. But if you do sin, we have an advocate.
It's not, okay, you do sin, we're done with you. No, we have an advocate. Jesus Christ became our advocate.
Notice what it says here. And He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world. It means this, we've got to recognize first and foremost, we've got to realize that resentment is sin. And second, we need to repent.
We need to admit it, and we need to go to our advocate, Jesus Christ, and say, I shouldn't feel this way. It's wrong. Now, what they did is wrong. But the way I'm feeling, the way I'm harboring this is wrong also. And I can't ask you to forgive them.
That's their business. But God, I'm asking you to forgive me. Okay, number three, we have to refuel. You say, what do you mean by that? Look at verse one. My little children, these things I write unto you that ye sin not. What are these things? What things did Jesus write unto us?
A little hint here. It's called the what? It's called the Bible. Look, if you would, at verse five. But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected. Everybody know we that we are in him. What do you mean refuel?
Refuel. Get back in God's word. Can I tell you the best thing you need to do for resentment in your life is to get into the Bible.
And here's what I'm going to tell you. Resentment and reading the Bible don't go real well together. Odds are, if you are harboring resentment, you don't really just enjoy reading your Bible. And it just might be that you've really gotten out of the habit of reading it at all.
It's just the way it works. Because it's impossible to read the Bible and not be convicted about resentment. So what you've got to do is I've got to realize it's a sin, I've got to repent, but I've got to refuel. I've got to get back in God's word. Listen, there will be no further help with you getting rid of resentment if you're not in the Bible. We got to start there.
First step. Get back in the Bible. Get back in the Bible. You need the word. You need, He says, I've written you these things that you sin not. It's here.
We need this. You've got to get in the word of God. Number four. Let me say this before we go on to number four. I came up with this phrase and I'm very proud of myself about it. And I say that in all humility.
I'm very proud of myself for, that was a joke by the way. Please get this. I have a statement and I wanted to give it to you here. Be more impacted by what God said than what people have done. You and I have got to get to the point in our life that we are more impacted by what God has said than what people do. So we've got to get back in the word of God.
You know what's interesting? You and I are more impacted by what somebody says or does to us than we are by what God has said to us. We're more impacted by what somebody else has done than what God's done for us. Hey, I don't know about you, whatever somebody's done to you, God's done way more good for you.
So we've got to get to the point that we're more impacted by His word than what people do to us. OK. Number four. Renew.
Renew what? Your love for God. It's the only way we're going to get through this resentment thing. Look at this passage. Look at verse five.
But whoso keepeth his word in him verily is the love of God perfected. Guess what? You're not going to have much love for this person.
They did you wrong. That's why we have resentment in the first place. So we don't need your love.
Your love's not going to work here because you and I don't love perfectly. What we need is the love of God perfected in us. It's the love of God in us and through us. It means this, that OK, I've got to — I've got to realize this resentment's a sin. I've got to repent. I've got to get back in God's word.
I've got to refuel. But it also means this, I've got to renew my love for God. You say, well, my problem's not with God, my problem's with the person.
That's where you're wrong. Yeah, your problem is with the person, but you've got a problem with God right now, too. And we have got to renew that love.
Guess what? When we have resentment toward somebody, it hurts our relationship with God. And we've got to get that love strong again, OK? Number five, remember, remember what? God loves them even if you don't.
You need to get a hold of this. That idiot, even if you don't love them because of what they did, God still does. And the more I love God, the more I'm going to have to love the things that He loves. Look at verse five, but whoso keepeth his word in him verily as the love of God perfected, hereby know we that we are in Him. How do we know that we're in Christ? How do we know that we're walking in the light when we love our brother?
It means this, that my love for a person starts with my love for God. That's where I'm missing it here. This person messed you up, but guess what — guess where it's messed you up? Your relationship with God. There's a block there.
There's something in the way there. And you and I need to remember, even if we don't love them, God sure still does. And they're His, not ours. Number six, please get this.
Remember God loves them even if you don't. Number six, return. So if you think about it so far, we've had to realize we have to repent, we have to refuel, we have to renew our love for God, we have to remember that God loves them even if we don't. And notice number six, we have to return.
Return to what? To abiding in Christ daily. Love this passage. Number six, he that saith he abideth in Him ought himself also to walk even as he walked.
What's the whole key here? Abiding in Christ. That's the key to the Christian life. We are to abide in Christ every day, all day.
We can't do anything without Him. It's about abiding in Him, and what happens is, resentment comes in, now we are no longer abiding in Christ. He says this, if we say we abide in Christ, then we ought to be walking as He walked. It means this, that I've got to get back to abiding in Christ. What happens is this resentment made us take a detour. Resentment has now made me process, resentment has made me now act according to my thinking instead of acting according to God's Word. I've taken control of my life. I've decided now that people have done me wrong. I've decided that it's not been fair to me. I have decided, do you hear me?
I've decided, guess what, you've now taken over your life. And we've got to be back, get back to abiding in Christ. He's the vine, we're the branch. We're abiding in Him. And that's what has stopped during this process. Here's, listen, what you and I want, we want things fixed with people and then we'll get back to abiding in Christ, then we'll get back to loving Him, then we'll get back to getting in His Word, then we'll get our relationship with God fixed, but I can't do any of that preacher till this gets fixed, till that person apologizes, till I get that right, dear friend, that's a lie from Satan.
It's the opposite. You've got to start with Christ, you've got to get things right with God first before you ever hope to get it right with Him. Abiding daily with Christ.
Number seven, this is our last point. Rest in the power of Christ. Rest in the power of Christ.
Let me tell you why resentment is still there because you've been trying to fix it on your own. You've been trying to somehow in your own mind work this out, and it hasn't worked. What does He say, verse one, He says, My little children, these things write unto you that ye sin not, and if any man sin, notice this, we have an advocate with the Father Jesus Christ.
Do you know what? He is our advocate not just because of our sin. He is our advocate as our help.
Look at verse three, and hereby do we know that we know Him if we keep His commandments. Do you understand the whole purpose of this is to rest in the power of Christ and not you? Thank you for listening today. We hope you received a blessing from our broadcast. The Kerwin Baptist Church is located at 4520 Old Hollow Road in Kernersville, North Carolina. You may also contact us by phone at 336-993-5192 or via the web at kerwinbaptistchurch.com. Enjoy our services live and all our media on our website and church app. Thank you for listening to the Kerwin broadcast today. God bless you.
