1 John 2:9-10 “Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates his brother is still in the darkness. Whoever loves his brother lives in the light, and there is nothing in him to make him stumble.”

 You know the number one complaint about Christians. It’s the same complaint people give as the number one reason for not going to church. “They’re all hypocrites.” Just where do people get that idea, anyway?

Sometimes it’s because prominent Christians have fallen into the very vices they condemn. A TV preacher preaches sexual purity but gets caught at a brothel with a prostitute. Another promotes being a teetotaler, but ends up checking himself into rehab.

A retired pastor once told me about serving a Lutheran church in a small town in Texas. There was one liquor store in town, so that is where he picked up the communion wine. After he had lived there a couple years and made several purchases, the store owner told him, “You know, you don’t have to park in front. I have parking spaces and an open door in the back.” My friend gave him a quizzical look, and thanked him, but asked him why he was sharing this information. “Well,” said the man who owned the store, “that is where all the ———– preachers come in.” You can fill in the blank yourselves. They preached against drinking, but didn’t mind having a little themselves sometimes.

Nothing gets people more upset with Christians than when Christians act mean. They talk gossip. They look down on other people. They are stingy and won’t help someone who has a need. Even the Apostle John admits this is a problem, not just for our reputation with others, but for the condition of our hearts, the state of our faith. “Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates his brother is still in the darkness.” A dark heart is not a believing heart.

Love defines the difference here. It’s the change you can see. God’s forgiving grace produces faith. And hearts full of faith produce love. And “whoever loves his brother lives in the light.” You know that God’s love has won in someone’s heart, and the light of truth is shining there, when that love comes spilling back out in acts of love for others.

Then another evidence appears, “…and there is nothing in him to make him (that is, his brother) stumble.” When we love, we aren’t putting roadblocks to faith and life in the way of other people. Instead, love can draw them closer to salvation.

 Our world is dark, and cold, and uncaring. Just watch the evening news. But do you sense in John’s words the rise of hope, hope that makes eager hearts swell as they see the old message become a new force and the light of God’s love pushes back the darkness to win even more hearts for the truth? Love is powerful stuff. It worked on you. Put it to work with those you know.