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  1 JOHN 2:9
  by John Gill
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Summary: The sermon emphasizes the inseparable connection between faith
and love, highlighting that true believers cannot harbor hatred towards
others.

Topics: "Love", "Spiritual Illumination"
Scripture References: Matthew 5:44, John 8:12, John 13:34-35, Romans 13:10, Galatians 5:22-23, Ephesians 5:8, 1 Peter 2:9, 1 John 2:9, 1 John 3:14, 1 John 4:20

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DESCRIPTION
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John Gill emphasizes that claiming to be in the light of Christ while
harboring hatred towards a brother is contradictory and reveals a state
of darkness. He explains that true faith is inherently linked to love,
and without love, one remains in spiritual ignorance and under the
influence of darkness. Gill also addresses the misconception among some
Jews that allows for hatred under certain circumstances, reinforcing
that love must prevail among believers regardless of the situation.
Ultimately, he asserts that genuine illumination by the Spirit of God
must manifest in love for others.

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CONTENT
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Ver. 9. He that saith he is in the light,.... Is in Christ the light, or
has the true knowledge of the light of the Gospel, or is illuminated by
the Spirit of God; for persons may profess to be enlightened ones, and
not be so: wherefore the apostle does not say, he that is in the light,
but he that says he is,

and hateth his brother; who is so either by creation, as all men are
brethren, having one Father, that has made them, and brought them up; or
by regeneration, being born of God the Father, and in the same family
and household of faith; and so regards such who are in a spiritual
relation, whom to hate internally, or not to love, is inconsistent with
being in the light, or having faith, which is always naturally and
necessarily accompanied with the heat of love; for as light and heat, so
faith and love go together: wherefore, let a man's profession of light
be what it will, if love to his brother is wanting, he

is in darkness even until now; he is in a state of nature and
unregeneracy, which is a state of darkness and ignorance; he is under
the power of darkness, and in the kingdom of Satan; who is the ruler of
the darkness of this world; he ever was so from his birth; he never was
called nor delivered out of it, but is still in it to this moment, and
so remains. This seems to be very much levelled against the Jews, who
make hatred of the brother in some cases lawful: for they say {d},

"if one man observes sin in another, and reproves him for it, and he
does not receive his reproof, wtwanvl rtwm, "it is lawful to hate
him";''

See Gill on "Mt 5:43".

{d} Moses Kotsensis Mitzvot Tora, pr. neg. 5.

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Source: https://sermonindex.net/speakers/john-gill/1-john-29/
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