Actions Speak Louder Than Words

Sermon on 1 John 2:3-11

Today’s topic is “Actions speak louder than words” 事实胜于雄辩. I asked my wife if such a topic is even necessary. Shouldn’t everybody already know this simple truth? Surprisingly, she said it is indeed very necessary. “You should see these self-professed Christians in my workplace.” I have heard her stories before and so I know what she means. Sometimes the behavior of some people would make you wish that they wouldn’t keep going around telling people that they are Christians. I’m sure you have many experiences like this. Someone will describe to you some people in their family or in their workplace, and they will conclude, “So, that is what Christians are like? No thanks.” It is hard to argue that these are misconceptions of what Christianity is, because actions speak louder than words.

In the passage today, we also have many claims by self-professed Christians. “I’m the true Christian, I know Jesus.” “I’m the true Christian, I live in him.” “I’m the true Christian, I am in the light.” The reason that they are making these claims is because there is a conflict going on in John’s church. They are fighting over some issues, but primarily over some doctrinal differences in the doctrine of Christ. It is natural that in such a fight, both sides want to claim that they are right, and that they have the truth. This is a common struggle that happens in all communities, even in today’s churches. “I’m right and he is wrong.” “I am the true Christian.” When a conflict happens in a Christian community, everybody claims that they are the true Christian. How we resolve these claims is the lesson for today.

For the opponents of John, they sought to claim the upper hand by having secret knowledge and a greater mystical union with Jesus. They are later known in history as the Gnostics. They were a special group that thought that they had some special knowledge that will bring them closer to Jesus. With this knowledge, they thought that they were superior to others. They thought that they could use these secret teachings to know more about Jesus, and hence be united with him. It is this knowledge that will bring them into the light, which means the new world. This knowledge is their salvation.

Now, these claims to know Jesus, to live in him and to be in the light are very good claims. These are indeed marks of a true Christian. To be a true Christian is to know Jesus, to live in him and to be in the light. So, it is not just the Gnostics, those on John’s side would also be making such claims that they are the true Christians. But to John, making such claims is ultimately meaningless. Anyone can claim to be the true Christian, the one that is closer to Jesus. Fortunately, there is only one test that is needed. There is one test that will clear up all the verbal sparring over who is closer to Jesus. John spells out this simple truth: the one who really knows Jesus obeys his commands. Actions speak louder than words. That is the test that beats all the verbal claims and arguments. In John 13:34-35 Jesus says, "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."

Let’s look at the command of Jesus in greater detail since it is the main point of John. There are 3 points to what Jesus said. Firstly, Jesus states to his disciples that to love one another is his command. It is not a suggestion, it is not an ideal. It is a command that requires obedience. Compared to all other teachings, this command obviously requires greater adherence. Secondly, he concludes that this will be a universal identification factor. How does anyone know if someone is a disciple of Christ? You check if they love one another. Now, it is true that non-Christians can also love one another. It is not a quality exclusive to others. But loving one another is a core quality for Christians. So much so that, if you do not love one another, if others cannot detect that quality, then you are not a disciple of Jesus. Jesus himself states that this is the universal identification factor for his disciples. It is natural for Jesus to conclude this because he already has stated that this is his command. He presumes that all his disciples will surely follow it. If all his disciples do it, it will naturally be the most obvious identification trait for anybody. This is like how we use circumcision to identify Jews and fasting to identify Muslims. Thirdly, and perhaps most importantly, this command to love one another is built upon the foundation that Jesus loved his disciples. This command is not an arbitrary one, but based upon who Jesus is, and his mission in life. Jesus is a life characterized by obedience to God and service and sacrifice for mankind. So it must be the case that his disciples model themselves after Jesus, showing love as Jesus himself had demonstrated.

So if loving one another is a command, a universal identification factor and the very foundation of Jesus’ mission, John has absolutely compelling reasons to employ it as the test to see who the true Christian is. When there is a conflict in church, like what is happening in John’s church, and both sides claim that they are the true Christians, how can you tell who is speaking the truth? The test is simple, do you show love? Actions of love will speak much louder than words claiming to be true Christians. And in the case of John’s enemies, they are stirring up hatred and cajoling people to break away from the overall community. These people are not acting in love, and in the simple test, not the true disciples of Christ. Actions speak louder than words, and their behavior betray the falseness of their claims. They claim to know Jesus. But they do not follow his command to love one another. Obedience is the way to show that we truly love God. It is what it means for our love for God to be made complete. If we do not love God by being obedient to his command, how can we claim to know him? They claim to live in Jesus. They are thinking about a mystical union through secret knowledge. But John says if they truly abide in Jesus, then why are they not acting like Jesus? Jesus lived a life of love and sacrifice for his people, and his disciples must follow his footsteps. If we are truly united with him, we will walk as he walked. They claim to live in the light. Hence they must surely know what they are doing. But when they act in hatred instead of love, they themselves stumble because they have failed Jesus’ command. When others respond badly to their hatred, they are stumbling others as well. And when people see that self-professed Christians do not love one another; they are stumbled too in thinking that this is the true face of Christianity. From the stumbling, we know that they are hence not living in the light, but living in darkness. It is a simple test to verify any claims of being a true Christian. Action speaks louder than words.

Some might think that John was being too harsh in employing the test of loving one another so strictly here. No one is a saint, and we all make mistakes. And there are a lot of annoying people around. Loving one another is truly difficult when humanity is so unlovable. How can we apply so absolutely a test on something so unattainable? This is where versus 7-8 is key to our understanding. 7Dear friends, I am not writing you a new command but an old one, which you have had since the beginning. This old command is the message you have heard. 8Yet I am writing you a new command; its truth is seen in him and you, because the darkness is passing and the true light is already shining. How can the command of loving one another be old and new at the same time? The command is old because they all know that Jesus had given this command to them. Some would even say that this command is older because the law of Moses is about loving one another in the Israelite community. Some would even say that this command to love is as old as creation itself. But for John’s church, it is also a new command because the meaning of love is only fully expressed when Jesus died on the cross. The meaning of loving one another is only fully actualized when the Church is formed with the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. So the command is new because it is only in the new era, the new kingdom of God built upon the work of Christ and the Holy Spirit, in living together as a community of love, that we see the full meaning of loving one another. The ethic of love, the principle of love, will be the governing rule in this new era. The church is the new kingdom of God. The beginning of the church is like the night is finally over, and a new dawn breaks.

In this regard, I am therefore as uncompromising as John. The command to love one another is not an ideal nor a suggestion nor a wise saying from Jesus. It is the very reason the new kingdom, the church is built. You either get it and believe in it or you are out of it totally. For me, I look at Jesus’ life. I see the power of love in transforming lives in a community. And I buy the vision, and I am willing to obey the call. This is why I am a Christian. This is why I am in the Church. This is what makes me a disciple of Jesus. It is the only criteria. The Church is the place for us to love one another. If you take that out, and if it is compromised in any way, the entire foundation is gone. This kind of life is not easy. Love must be practiced and actions speak louder than words. This is why when Jesus gave the command, he asked Peter to lay down his life for it. Peter did not understand and he denied Jesus 3 times before the rooster crowed. But upon the sacrifice of Jesus and the experience of love in the new kingdom of God, he understood. And he gave his life for his community as a martyr.

So brothers and sisters, this is an old command. But it is also a new one I charge you with if you dare claim to be a Christian. You must accept this command with courage as I have if you have experienced the love of Jesus. Jesus says, “As I have loved you, you must love one another.” This Christian brotherly love is modeled after the love of Jesus. It is not telling you to be a doormat to be abused by everybody. It is certainly not asking you to be totally non-confrontational such that everybody in the community can say and do anything they like. This is not the love of Jesus. Jesus rebukes those who taught falsehoods, calling Peter a Satan when he tried to restrain the mission of Christ. Jesus also demands full commitment from those who follow him even though he loved them. The call to love one another is built on the love that Jesus demonstrated in his life. We love one another with this love by studying how Jesus loved. We have many mature Christians in our Jubilee community. We can also learn from them what is Christ-like love.

It is normal to have struggles and conflicts within the Christian community. But if it is done in love, if you care more about the other person than yourself, if you are willing to sacrifice your life for the cause, then the conflict and struggle will be done very differently. And the opponent will know it. Who is right and who is wrong can be debated using the merits of the arguments, and certainly that is important. But in today’s passage, we see that who is the true Christian can only be known with the one critical test: Who is acting in love? Whenever a conflict arises, I observe. The contents of the argument aside, I look at the behavior. The one who acts in love is the true Christian. That is the one who knows Jesus. That is the one living in him. That is the one living in the light. His actions have spoken.