Evil isn't merely an Annoyance (1 John 3:11-15)

The epistle writer John speaks in binary language. He continually puts two things at opposite ends from one another. In today’s passage we see John’s encouragement and challenge regarding love, and hatred. 

John taught and challenged his audience regarding hate with an example in the first murder, the murder of Abel by Cain. And John taught and encouraged his audience regarding love with the example of Christ Jesus.  

1 John 3:11-25

11 For this is the message that you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another. 12 We should not be like Cain, who was of the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own deeds were evil and his brother's righteous. 13 Do not be surprised, brothers, that the world hates you. 14 We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers. Whoever does not love abides in death. 15 Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.

John has used a ton of family language throughout his epistle. He refers to God as the Father several times in Chapter 1, he proclaims Jesus as the Son of the Father, he refers to his audience as “my little children”, continually naming them his “beloved”. He counts his audience and himself as those who have been given love from the Father and are now the children of God. When making a family comparison, John compares the children of God with the children of the evil one. 

With all this family language, it shouldn’t shock us that John brings up the first family. The first family is given to us as a lesson on what not to do. If we were to imagine this chapter as road signs, we might imagine this example of Cain and Abel as a “wrong way” or “do not enter” sign. John paints a picture for us in no uncertain terms what the family of the evil one prioritizes and the way in which the family of the evil one behaves. 

The family of God is marked by love for one another (1 John 3:16-24). The family of the evil one is marked by hatred (1 John 3:4-10). 

Cain hated his brother. He hated his brother's actions. John's recounting of this event focuses on the evil of Cain’s deeds. Cain’s actions, his verbs, were evil. Cain was evil, and therefore, his actions were evil. Evil begets evil. The family of the evil one is evil. John is stating the unwavering reality that evil is evil. 

Note that the reason the world hates the children of God is the same reason why Cain hated Abel. The evil deeds of Satan seed, hates the righteous deeds of the seed of the Lord. John brings up the first murder as an example of the senselessness of evil. You might be wondering if this is too straight forward, too simplistic, too rigid of a teaching. Where is the reasoning, where is the backstory, where is the motivation or the explanation or the justification. Where is the “humanizing factor” of Cain’s story? The humanizing factor is clearly on display. It’s not ignored, it’s not removed, it hasn’t been edited out. It’s on full display for all to see. Cain’s backstory, his motivation, his explanation, his justification, is that he hated Abel. The scriptures do not teach, or allow for any sort of moral dualism. Evil is not an aspect of balance in the universe. Righteousness is not an impersonal force. Evil is real, and it is manifest in rebellion against righteousness. 

There is no reasoning that justifies Cain’s murder of Abel. There is nothing in Cain’s conduct that ought to make us desire to follow his lead. John is making it painstakingly clear that Cain hated his brother, that his hatred was evil, and that in his evil hatred Cain murdered his brother Abel. 

The murder of Abel by Cain isn’t brought up because John is teaching on the moral lessons regarding when taking a life is justified, or when taking a life isn’t justified. John isn’t articulating the finer parts of just war theory, or expounding on how and when self defense may be applied to protect persons or property. John didn’t bring up an ambiguous story, or make a reference to a confusing example without clear understanding. John’s intention, and the Holy Spirit of Christ through inspiring John, wanted the truth proclaimed that evil is evil. 

Evil isn’t merely an annoyance, a disturbance, an inconvenience, an agitation, or a disruption.

Evil is a menace, a hazard, a danger, a threat, a storm, a crisis, a cosmic emergency. 

This whole teaching by John stands like a road sign, giving warning to all who may take heed. John is teaching this to those whom he has called “children of God”. Remember the audience John is writing to are believers in Christ Jesus. Followers who have heard of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. These believers are who John calls in 3:7 “Little Children”. He wants them to know some things, to learn some things from the example of Cain and Abel and these two families. 

There is nothing that Abel could, or should have done differently. His actions were righteous. He lived and loved in deed and in truth. For his righteousness, Abel was betrayed, and murdered by a family member. 

In verse 13 John first wants his audience to know that the world is like Cain. Don’t be surprised by it. Don’t be surprised by the hatred of the world towards you. Don’t let it catch you off guard, don’t let it shock you, don’t let the hatred of the world towards you bewilder you. John wants the expectation clearly set for his beloved. He wants his family, the family of God, to be equipped with expectations that will allow them to live in a manner that befits their family, the family of God. 

In verse 14 John encourages the family of God by giving assurance - this is how we know we have departed, or left, or been removed from death. The Greek word here used is “Thanatos”. This word was used to describe when the soul of a person left the body. When a person dies, that separation and eventual journey to the dwelling of the afterlife, was known as “Thanatos”. John encourages the family of God by stating that we know we’re not dead, but are rather truly alive, because of our love for the family of God. For anyone who does not love, that person remains, abides, or continues in death. Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him. 

This is a truth of God’s Word that today has been nearly unilaterally surrendered in public discourse. The lie of this world is found in the belief, as my pastor said last week, that we are the “good guys” in the story of our lives. The Truth of God’s Word may be a rude wake up call on this point. And it may be one which causes the World to hate us. So let’s not forget what John said in verse 13. Don’t be surprised that the world hates you. No one enjoys having their problems pointed out. No one wants their dirty laundry aired. The teaching that we are all sinful, fallen, and dead in our trespasses is one mountain of filthy laundry that is forever stained. We can never clean up our mess, left to ourselves we will forever be filthy and clothed in our disgusting evil. Left to ourselves, we would be lost in our hatred of Righteousness. We would have nothing showing us how glorious, wondrous, and magnificent love is.