What Is Real Love? A Guide to 1 JohnSample

1 John 4:14-19

14 Furthermore, we have seen with our own eyes and now testify that the Father sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. 15 All who declare that Jesus is the Son of God have God living in them, and they live in God. 16 We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in his love. God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them.

17 And as we live in God, our love grows more perfect. So we will not be afraid on the day of judgment, but we can face him with confidence because we live like Jesus here in this world.

18 Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love. 19 We love each other because he loved us first. 1 John 4:14-19 NLT

Pray: Heavenly Father, thank you for sending Jesus to be the savior of the world. Thank you for loving us enough to die for us even when we had turned our backs on you. I trust you. I trust that you love me. Help me to build my life on your love. I want to live my life for you. Make me more like Jesus. Help me to experience your perfect love and share it with others. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Yesterday, we read seven verses where love was mentioned thirteen times. Today’s passage is only six verses, but the word love still shows up ten times! More than anything, John wants us to know how much God loves us and he wants us to live our lives centered on the love of God. Let’s jump in.

14 Furthermore, we have seen with our own eyes and now testify that the Father sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. 1 John 4:14 NLT

John once again reminds us that he didn’t come up with this stuff on his own—he saw Jesus with his own eyes and watched this wandering rabbi from Galilee lay down His life on the cross as the perfect sacrifice for our sins. It was through this act of self-giving love that Jesus sealed the fate of sin, death, and the devil and paved a path for us to be rescued from the darkness and be adopted into the light.

15 All who declare that Jesus is the Son of God have God living in them, and they live in God. 1 John 4:15 NLT

When you put your trust in Jesus, He joins you to Himself. God begins to live in you, and you begin to live in God. Jesus doesn’t just bring us close, He makes us one.

The relationship we have with God is less like moving into the house next door to your best friend and is more like moving in with someone when you get married. When you’re living next door to someone, your stuff is your stuff and their stuff is their stuff. Where their yard ends, your yard begins. There are clear boundaries between the two of you. But, when you get married to someone, their stuff becomes your stuff and your stuff becomes their stuff. Your yard is their yard and their yard is your yard. The boundaries between the two of you become a lot less clear because your two separate lives are being joined into one new life.

It’s not an accident that one of the primary images throughout the Bible for the relationship that God wants with us is the image of marriage. Check out what the Apostle Paul wrote to the Church in Ephesus:

31 As the Scriptures say, “A man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one.” 32 This is a great mystery, but it is an illustration of the way Christ and the church are one. Ephesians 5:31-32 NLT

Another common image is that of a human body, where Jesus is the head, and we are the torso, arms, legs, hands, feet, elbows, knees, and so on.

15 Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church. 16 He makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love. Ephesians 4:15-16 NLT

Think about this idea for a minute. The God of the Universe wants to be united with you. He wants to know you like a husband knows his wife. He wants to be joined together with you like a head is to a body. How? By putting our trust in Jesus. By declaring that He is the Son of God. He did all the work. We just have to accept the invitation of the God who became one of us so we could be one with Him.

16 We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in his love. God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them. 1 John 4:16 NLT

How do we know that God loves us? Here’s just a few: We know God loves us because He created us in His image to partner with Him as He rules over the universe. We know God loves us because even when we turned our backs on Him, He never gave up on us. We know God loves us because He placed His Spirit inside of us to guide us into the truth and to make us more like Jesus.

Because of those reasons (and so many more), we trust in His love. We are living in His love, and He is living in us. Where we end and He begins isn’t as clear as it used to be. Once, we were separated by sin. Then, Jesus brought us close. Now, we are becoming one with God.

And as we live in God, our love grows more perfect. So we will not be afraid on the day of judgment, but we can face him with confidence because we live like Jesus here in this world. Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love. 1 John 4:17-18 NLT

Through our union with God, our love is becoming more perfect. Which, according to John, means we will not be afraid on the day of judgment.

What is the day of judgment? It’s the day when Jesus, now sitting on the throne of Heaven, will decide the final destiny of all people. Those who have put their trust in Jesus will live forever in the New Creation with God. Those who have rejected Jesus and remained in their sin, will be sentenced to the second death (Revelation 20:14, Revelation 21:8).

God is love. He is gracious and He is true. He is merciful and He is just. All of those qualities are true of God. And because He is just, He is not going to let sin and evil make it out alive. There is no room for death and wickedness in the New Creation. God has set the date when He is going to deal with the darkness, once and for all. Until that day comes though, God is giving everyone everywhere every opportunity possible to accept Jesus and escape the consequences of their sin. Because God is love. He is gracious and He is true. He is merciful and He is just.

John is telling us that making our home in the love of God actually makes our love more perfect and whole. To the point that, we will be so confident in our relationship with God that we will not be worried at all on the day of judgment. We will know that our relationship with Jesus is secure. How can we know that? By looking at our faith. Faith is trust, based on evidence, that produces obedience. When we are living like Jesus (obedience), then that is proof (evidence) that our trust in Him is real.

However, John warns us that if we are afraid, then that’s an indicator that we have not fully experienced the perfect love of God. If that’s where you find yourself today, instead of letting your worries and fears trap you in the darkness, do what John taught us to do in the beginning of this letter: Confess and repent. Admit your fears to God. Ask Him to be merciful towards you. And then commit to aim your life towards Him. When you do, you will witness your hope growing and your faith strengthening because the light of His love will be pouring into your life. As His love fills us, it will naturally begin to flow through us.

We love each other because he loved us first. 1 John 4:19 NLT

God is the source of all love. It all starts and ends with Him. Before we were ever born, God put a plan in motion to unleash His love into the world. Through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, the love of God has been made available to all of us. We receive His love through faith, firm trust in the person of Jesus.

Once we’ve received His love, we respond in love. We respond to the love of God by loving God back. We respond to the sacrificial service of Jesus by sacrificially serving others.

So today, receive God’s love. Remain in His love. And respond with love. When you do, His love will displace our fears and misconceptions. In their place will be a confidence that no one can take from us because God is living in us, and we are living in Him.

Application: Showing real love hinges on knowing God and His incredible love for us. What would it look like for you to make your home in God’s love by living in radical obedience to Him? Our love for others grows more and more perfect as we live in God’s perfect love for us. What step can you take to follow the example of Jesus and remain in God’s love?