Elements City Church
Understanding "God is Love" - 1 John 4:7-21
In this short, yet powerful book written by the the disciple John, we can prepare to be challenged to live out our faith in obedience towards God and love for others. Throughout the chapters, he implores his readers to "walk in the light" in a world that is increasingly dark. We trust God will whisper to each of us as we spend some time examining His truth and study 1 John together.
Locations & Times
Elements City Church
1825 N Alvernon Way, Tucson, AZ 85712, USA
Sunday 5:00 PM
Welcome to church!
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https://share.fluro.io/form/6329f633da0feb00250cbd5fLast week we talked about Spiritual Discernment in 1 John 4:1-6.
How do we "test the spirits"? These verses help provide the answer for us.
How do we "test the spirits"? These verses help provide the answer for us.
Additional Content:
(Save these notes to read through 1 John 4:7-21 and read through these thoughts later this week)
vs 9 -
His love for us depends not on what we are, but on what He is.
God’s nature is love. That love has nothing to do with us and everything to do with the beauty of His character.
vs 10 -
This tells us the nature of His love.
The real meaning of love and the real source of life are understood only in the cross. It is not that we loved God. We will never find what this love is if we start from the human end. We find it in that God loved us and sent his Son as "the one who would turn aside his wrath". To see what love means we must see ourselves as sinners, and thus as the objects of God’s wrath, and yet as those for whom Christ died.
It is one of the New Testament’s resounding paradoxes that it is God’s love that averts God’s wrath from us, and indeed that it is precisely in this averting of wrath that we see what real love is.
Earthly paradoxes are Heaven’s principles.
vs 12 -
“His love is perfected in us” - His love fulfills its purpose in us when we love others as He loved us;
We need an understanding of HOW God loves us, so that we might love others the same. This is how His love is perfected in us, and how we walk in the light.
vs. 17
Here John said that God's love reaches perfection with us, whereas in 4:12 he wrote that His love reaches perfection in us. When it reaches perfection in us, a proper relationship to other people exists, namely, no hate. When it reaches perfection with us, a proper relationship to God exists, namely, no fear.
Dr. Constable’s notes on 1 John
vs 19 -
John is telling how we come to love AT ALL, not how we come to love God.
vs 20 -
Love for God is shown by love for people; if the latter is lacking then so is the former. John goes so far as to say of anyone who does not love his brother that he cannot love God. To affirm one’s love for the unseen while failing to love the seen is the very definition of loving in word and talk, and not in deed and truth, as John told us one chapter before in 1 John 3:18
vs 21 -
Love is not an option. It is a positive command for us to follow.
(Save these notes to read through 1 John 4:7-21 and read through these thoughts later this week)
vs 9 -
His love for us depends not on what we are, but on what He is.
God’s nature is love. That love has nothing to do with us and everything to do with the beauty of His character.
vs 10 -
This tells us the nature of His love.
The real meaning of love and the real source of life are understood only in the cross. It is not that we loved God. We will never find what this love is if we start from the human end. We find it in that God loved us and sent his Son as "the one who would turn aside his wrath". To see what love means we must see ourselves as sinners, and thus as the objects of God’s wrath, and yet as those for whom Christ died.
It is one of the New Testament’s resounding paradoxes that it is God’s love that averts God’s wrath from us, and indeed that it is precisely in this averting of wrath that we see what real love is.
Earthly paradoxes are Heaven’s principles.
vs 12 -
“His love is perfected in us” - His love fulfills its purpose in us when we love others as He loved us;
We need an understanding of HOW God loves us, so that we might love others the same. This is how His love is perfected in us, and how we walk in the light.
vs. 17
Here John said that God's love reaches perfection with us, whereas in 4:12 he wrote that His love reaches perfection in us. When it reaches perfection in us, a proper relationship to other people exists, namely, no hate. When it reaches perfection with us, a proper relationship to God exists, namely, no fear.
Dr. Constable’s notes on 1 John
vs 19 -
John is telling how we come to love AT ALL, not how we come to love God.
vs 20 -
Love for God is shown by love for people; if the latter is lacking then so is the former. John goes so far as to say of anyone who does not love his brother that he cannot love God. To affirm one’s love for the unseen while failing to love the seen is the very definition of loving in word and talk, and not in deed and truth, as John told us one chapter before in 1 John 3:18
vs 21 -
Love is not an option. It is a positive command for us to follow.
What does it mean that “God is love”?
We see the answer when we see what the Bible says about God's love.
The following points come from Nathan Finochio's teaching, "Is God love?"
We see the answer when we see what the Bible says about God's love.
The following points come from Nathan Finochio's teaching, "Is God love?"
1) The Father loves the Son . . .
Providential love -- He provides what we need.
Revealing love -- God’s loves us by revealing His plan to us. Things aren’t hidden. This is a love that communicates.
. . . and the Son loves the Father.
Obedient love - Jesus models how we can love the Father through His obedience to the Father’s plan.
2) God loves His creation
- Gen 1, it’s called good
- Matthew 6:25-34, God’s loving provision for GRASS and BIRDS
Enjoy the world that God has created. There’s beauty in nature, and God wants us to experience His glory as an inspired Creator!
He loves His creation so much that He provides for their needs.
- Gen 1, it’s called good
- Matthew 6:25-34, God’s loving provision for GRASS and BIRDS
Enjoy the world that God has created. There’s beauty in nature, and God wants us to experience His glory as an inspired Creator!
He loves His creation so much that He provides for their needs.
3) God’s loving desire that His fallen world would receive salvation
How is God’s love displayed?
God stands in judgment of the world, and yet He still invites rebellious sinners to receive salvation.
God stands in judgment of the world, and yet He still invites rebellious sinners to receive salvation.
God loves those who reject Him and His glory so much that He invites them to repentance and to receive forgiveness.
We are to be people who invite people to repent and to extend forgiveness to those who have wronged us.
We are to be people who invite people to repent and to extend forgiveness to those who have wronged us.
4) Jesus loves the Church, His Body
Christ sacrificed Himself to present the church as holy and blameless.
What is God asking you to sacrifice in order to be holy and blameless?
What is God calling you to sacrifice so that others might know Christ and become holy and blameless themselves?
What is God asking you to sacrifice in order to be holy and blameless?
What is God calling you to sacrifice so that others might know Christ and become holy and blameless themselves?
5) A Provisional Love based on Obedience
When we obey God, we experience the fullness of His love.
When we disobey, we are no longer abiding in Him, and we are limited in how we can experience the love of God.
So how do we abide in His love?
When we disobey, we are no longer abiding in Him, and we are limited in how we can experience the love of God.
So how do we abide in His love?
All of these things are summed up in John’s command here in 1 John 4 to do one thing:
Love others as you have been loved by God.
This is
1) how you love God by being obedient to Him,
2) proof that you are abiding/remaining in God’s love,
3) what gives us confidence to stand unashamed before the Father.
Love others as you have been loved by God.
This is
1) how you love God by being obedient to Him,
2) proof that you are abiding/remaining in God’s love,
3) what gives us confidence to stand unashamed before the Father.
Thank you to all of our financial partners!
Thank you for giving your tithes and offerings. They enable us to be the church in our city, and they help fuel the mission of Elements City Church. Our capacity to function as a church on a daily basis is directly impacted by your support, and we are so thankful for it! You can give online at the link below, or through the Elements app.
http://elementscitychurch.org/giveWe hope you're glad you came to church tonight!
Make plans to join us for the Easter Family Festival at the church this Saturday, March 23rd, from 10a-1p. More info available in the Events section of the Elements City Church app.
Easter at Elements is March 31st! Join us as we celebrate the risen Savior, King Jesus.
Want to get baptized? Baptism Sunday is April 7th. Let us know if you want to get baptized by emailing info@elementscitychurch.org. We're so excited about it that we're throwing an Afterparty to celebrate after service. We'll have food trucks, fellowship, and inflatables for the kids.
See you next Sunday!
Make plans to join us for the Easter Family Festival at the church this Saturday, March 23rd, from 10a-1p. More info available in the Events section of the Elements City Church app.
Easter at Elements is March 31st! Join us as we celebrate the risen Savior, King Jesus.
Want to get baptized? Baptism Sunday is April 7th. Let us know if you want to get baptized by emailing info@elementscitychurch.org. We're so excited about it that we're throwing an Afterparty to celebrate after service. We'll have food trucks, fellowship, and inflatables for the kids.
See you next Sunday!