SERIES: “LOVE” Part 1:
February 5, 2023
1 John 4:16b - “God is love…”
So what are some reasons why we should love?
1. WE SHOULD LOVE BECAUSE GOD FIRST LOVED US! (1 John 4:16-21)
God Loved us PERFECTLY.1 John 4:16-21 - 16 So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. 17 By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as He is so also are we in this world. 18 There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love. ESV
Verse 16a - We absolutely know and trust inthe benevolent, charitable love God has (holds as a possession) for (in a fixed position of rest) us BECAUSE GOD’S SON JESUS DIED FOR US! Note: “So” points back to this: 1 John 4:10 - “In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” ESV 1 John 4:14 - “And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world.” ESV
Verse 16b - God IS benevolent, charitable love, (WHICH HE PROVED THROUGH JESUS) so ABIDING in the fixed position of rest in His Love (THROUGH FAITH IN JESUS) means we are ABIDING IN (a fixed position of rest) HIM and HE IN (a fixed position of rest) US! (THROUGH JESUS)
Verse 17 - By this - Through God’s Love…through Jesus…His love is perfected (completed, consummated) in us…WHICH GIVES US CONFIDENCE (boldness; assurance) FOR THE DAY OF JUDGEMENT! (“…because as He is (just as He is) so also are we (we exist) in this world.”). Verse 18- Because God has loved us with Hisbenevolent, charitable love; perfectly, (completely)…through Christ…THERE IS NO (absolute negative) FEAR IN (in a fixed position of rest) LOVE (God’sbenevolent, charitable love). God’s PERFECT LOVE (completed benevolent, charitable love) casts out (throws out in an intense way) fear!
God Loved us MOTIVATIONALLY. 1 John 4:19 - “We love because He first loved us.” ESV “love” - to love in a social or moral sense; root word to breath after; Greek tense is plural; first person (I or we) present (now); active (doing so); indicative (straight forward assertion or statement of fact). We (emphatic) thus love…we are motivated to love…given the capacity to love…BECAUSE GOD FIRST (foremost in place, order or importance) LOVED US! GOD’S LOVE TOOK THE INITIATIVE TOWARD US AND WE ARE TO TAKE THE INITIATIVE IN LOVING OTHERS!
Then John, under Divine inspiration, drives this truth about love in a practical way: 1 John 4:20-21 - 20 If anyone says, "I love God," and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seencannot love God whom he has not seen. 21 And this commandment we have from Him: whoever loves Godmust also love his brother. ESV.
2. WE SHOULD LOVE BECAUSE JESUS COMMANDED US TO LOVE!
Christians Are Commanded To LOVE EACH OTHER. John 13:34-35 - 34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. 35 By this all people will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another." ESV
Christians Are Commanded To LOVE GOD. Mark 12:28-30 - And one of the scribes came up and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well, asked him, "Which commandment is the most important of all?" Jesus answered, "The most important is, 'Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.' ESV
Christians Are Commanded to LOVE OTHERS. Mark 12:31 - The second is this: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no other commandment greater than these.” ESV
3. WE SHOULD LOVE BECAUSE LOVE SHOULD BE PRODUCED IN US!
Galatians 5:22-23 - But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. ESV