The Children of the Devil: Like Cain

Sermon Outline:

Introduction

• Hate Expressed at a Death Clinic, which gave evidence of being born of the Devil

• The distinction between the Children of God and the Children of the Devil (1 John 3:10)

I. The Message Heard from the Beginning (v. 11)

• Love One Another – fruit of the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23)

• Commanded by Christ Himself (John 13:34-35)

• The Primary Standard of the True Believer (Colossians 1:4; 1 Thessalonians 1:3-4; 4:9; 1 Peter 1:22)

II. Loving the Brethren – A Key Factor in Determining the Child of God and the Child of the Devil in two Ways: (vs. 12-15)

A. In How it Affects the Relationship between the two Types of Children (vs. 12-13)

• Not as Cain (v. 12; Genesis 4:3-15; Hebrews 11:4)

• Cain – The Poster Child of the World’s hatred toward those born of God (v. 13; John 15:19; 7:7)

B. In How it Would Evidence the Extreme Difference in the Spiritual State of the Two Types of Children (vs. 14-15)

• The True Believer has Passed from Death to Life (v. 14a; Romans 11:6)

• Those That Do not Love His Brother “Abide in Death (v. 14b; 1 John 3:9 “remains”; John 3:18; Psalm 51:5; Ephesians 2:1-3)

• Those Who Hate his brother in Christ is a Murderer – Does not have Eternal Life Abiding in Him (v. 15; Matthew 5:21-22, 28; John 4:14)

Conclusion and Application

• Does Your Heart and the Conduct of Your Life Reflect that of being a Child of God or of the Devil, like Cain’s?