i. ( 1 John 4:7-8) The call to love. So Rev. One may know the Word, may never miss a service, may pray fervently, and may demonstrate gifts of the Spirit. Love has been perfected: For perfected, John doesnt just use the Greek word teleioo (which has the idea of maturity and completeness); he writes teleioo teleioo speaking of love that is perfectly perfected or completely complete.. You are of God, little children, and have overcome them: The child of God need not fear the spirit of Antichrist, even though they should be warned of it, because they have the indwelling Spirit of God (1 John 3:24). Because of this, the excuse I just cant love that person (or other such excuses) is invalid. This means that there will be agreement and confirmation from the body of Christ, though perhaps (or probably) not everyone will agree or confirm. Pentateuch ii. Please see our Privacy Policy for cookie usage details. iii. The proper way to love God in response to His love for us is to go out and love one another. Love is by no means the root. There is love in many places, like wandering beams of light; but as for the sun, it is in one part of the heavens, and we look at it, and we say, Herein is light. He did not look at the Church of God, and say of all the myriads who counted not their lives dear unto them, Herein is love, for their love was only the reflected brightness of the great sun of love. (Spurgeon). He loved you when you could not have been worse or further from him than you were. He is glorified, justified, forever righteous and bold, sitting at the right hand of God the Father. GenesisExodusLeviticusNumbersDeuteronomyJoshuaJudgesRuth1 Samuel2 Samuel1 Kings2 Kings1 Chronicles2 ChroniclesEzraNehemiahEstherJobPsalmsProverbsEcclesiastesSong of SongsIsaiahJeremiahLamentationsEzekielDanielHoseaJoelAmosObadiahJonahMicahNahumHabakkukZephaniahHaggaiZechariahMalachiMatthewMarkLukeJohnActsRomans1 Corinthians2 CorinthiansGalatiansEphesiansPhilippiansColossians1 Thessalonians2 Thessalonians1 Timothy2 TimothyTitusPhilemonHebrewsJames1 Peter2 Peter1 John2 John3 JohnJudeRevelation, Use semicolons to separate groups: 'Gen;Jdg;Psa-Mal' or 'Rom 3-12;Mat 1:15;Mat 5:12-22', There are options set in 'Advanced Options', The Whole Bible 3. One might say, I want to love God more; I want to grow in my love for Him. Commentary on 1 John 4:7-13. ii. General Epistles c. His love has been perfected in us: Perfected uses the Greek word teleioo, which doesnt mean perfect as much as mature and complete. If we love one another, then the love of God is mature and complete in us. This is a fact for every true follower of Jesus. In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. d. He who is not of God does not hear us: Understanding just who hears what God has taught us through the apostles, as recorded in the New Testament, helps us to know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error. These verses are the equivalent of saying that a person cannot practice agape-love unless he can first practice philia-love. (Boice). This love will lead to practical action. We love him from a sense of obligation and gratitude. This pericope seems to be a review of what we have heard from 1 John over the previous two weeks. Our website uses cookies to store user preferences. The two people in the relationship are at the base of the triangle, and God is at the top. Certainly, this glory is in us now just in seed form; it has not yet fully developed into what it will be. 1:1-4 That essential Good, that uncreated Excellence, which had been from the beginning, from eternity, as equal with the Father, and which at length appeared in human nature for the salvation of sinners, was the great subject concerning which the apostle wrote to his brethren. We never have to draw God to us; instead, He draws us to Himself. The idea behind the word confess is to be in agreement with. We must agree with God about who Jesus is, and we find out what God says about Jesus through the Word of God. I stand here to preach illimitable love, unbounded grace, to the vilest of the vile, to those who have nothing in them that can deserve consideration from God, men who ought to be swept into the bottomless pit at once if justice meted out to them their deserts. (Spurgeon). Now remember, we never make ourselves love Christ more by flogging ourselves for not loving him more. This is a fact for every true follower of Jesus. Pauline Epistles Wisdom Literature i. It was a sacrifice for the Father to send the Second Person of the Trinity, and a sacrifice to pour out the judgment we deserved upon God the Son. Oh, if you do really believe that he has loved you so, sit down, and turn the subject over in your mind, and say to yourself, Jesus loves me; Jesus chose me; Jesus redeemed me; Jesus called me; Jesus has pardoned me; Jesus has taken me into union with himself. (Spurgeon). Pauline Epistles We use the term create to describe something that may come from someone, but isnt of the same essential nature or being. Love is the proof we are taught to look for. The problems in the churches were caused Historical Books a. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another (John 13:35). i. 1 John 4:18 "There is no fear in love. Afraid of being laughed at? Why did Jesus leave "Judea" (John 4:3)? iv. One may be a spiritual dwarf because one lacks love. iv. The thrust of these verses is not so much her conversion but that Jesus is Messiah (verse 26). The short book known as 1 John re-proclaims the message of John's gospel in a changed context. If we love one another, God abides in us, and His love has been perfected in us. 1. It might have shown enough love that the Father sent the Son, and not some lower-grade angel; but He sent the Son, not on a fact-finding mission or merely a mission of compassion He sent the Son to die for our sins. The Gospels Without God, there is no love because love . Jesus has a definite direction toward which he influences this dialogue between himself and the Samaritan woman. The gospel recognized that both Jesus' followers and his foes agreed that he was human, but not everyone could see God's work being revealed . The world hears them: The Christian always wants to speak to the world, and to bring the gospel of Jesus Christ to the world. It isnt a matter of deciding between love or truth; we must have both. ( John 4:1-4) Jesus travels from Judea to Galilee, passing though Samaria. The Gospels (Read John 4:1-3) Jesus applied himself more to preaching, which was the more excellent, 1 Corinthians 1:17, than to baptism. Explained: Does John Weir Contact His Team? Jun 2, 1985. ii. By this we know that we abide in Him, and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit. God is love. God gave His Son to die, and to die for sinners. Individual instructors or editors may still require the use of URLs. Love was the constant, greatest evidence of the presence and work of God in Jesus Christ. The New Testament This is not the only test, but it was the significant issue challenging the church in Johns immediate time. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error. b. c. He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world: This means the Christian has no place for fear. e. There is no fear in love: The completeness of love means we do not cower in fear before God, dreading His judgment, either now or in the day of judgment. GenesisExodusLeviticusNumbersDeuteronomyJoshuaJudgesRuth1 Samuel2 Samuel1 Kings2 Kings1 Chronicles2 ChroniclesEzraNehemiahEstherJobPsalmsProverbsEcclesiastesSong of SongsIsaiahJeremiahLamentationsEzekielDanielHoseaJoelAmosObadiahJonahMicahNahumHabakkukZephaniahHaggaiZechariahMalachiMatthewMarkLukeJohnActsRomans1 Corinthians2 CorinthiansGalatiansEphesiansPhilippiansColossians1 Thessalonians2 Thessalonians1 Timothy2 TimothyTitusPhilemonHebrewsJames1 Peter2 Peter1 John2 John3 JohnJudeRevelation, Select a Beginning Point 2 Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God: 3 And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye . As Paul puts it in Roman 8:16: The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God. He loved us when we were still sinners: Every man that ever was saved had to come to God not as a lover of God, but as a sinner, and then believe in Gods love to him as a sinner. (Spurgeon), ii. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love. These academics present their baseless opinions as if they were scholarly facts. 4. i. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. John adds that believers overcome the powers in this world because of God's Spirit within them (1 John 4:4). How is Jesus now? iii. Some people think the greatest evidence of Gods presence or work is popularity. Historical Books This language of fellowship transcends language, culture, class, race, or any other barrier. Anyone claiming to have seen God the Father is speaking at best from their own imagination, because as John plainly states, no one has seen God at any time. i. Pentateuch 4 You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. Even though the early church had a strong life and a large measure of purity, John still knew the danger false prophets and their message was real in the early church. As much as we can know the completeness of Gods love now, we will know it all the more in the day of judgment. This is one of the apostles citing the collective testimony of all the apostles and making that testimony the measure of truth and sound doctrine. (Boice). That we might live through Him: The greatness of Gods love is shown not only in saving us from the judgment we deserved, but also in wanting us to live through Him. (1 John 4:17-18) The perfecting of love, both now and in eternity. i. But it is no less important to say, Jesus is a man, because both the deity and humanity of Jesus are essential to our salvation. Verse 1 John 4:2. Our love for God is always in response to His love for us; He initiates, and we respond. The Gospels We know that we abide in Him: By beginning with the words by this, John connected the thought of this verse directly to the previous verse. Due to security reasons we are not able to show or modify cookies from other domains. Some respond with doubt (Can God really love even me?). He cannot hate, because he is love. To acknowledge that Jesus is the Son of God is not simply to make a statement about his metaphysical status but to express obedient trust in the One who possesses such a status. (Marshall), iii. Gospel: John 1:14-16 The Word became flesh. Everything God does, in one way or another, expresses His love. Jesus loved you when you lived carelessly, when you neglected his Word, when the knee was unbent in prayer. This job is to be done using the gifts of discernment God has given to Christians in general, especially the leadership of a congregation. Blue Letter Bible study tools make reading, searching and studying the Bible easy and rewarding. I have sometimes noticed that, in addressing Sunday-school children, it is not uncommon to tell them that the way to be saved is to love Jesus, which is not true. i. Share. The New Testament If love is of God, then those who claim to be born of God, and claim to know God, must be able to love one another in the body of Christ. 2018 David Guzik No distribution beyond personal use without permission, The Whole Bible Minor Prophets Major Prophets i. They knew the Father sent the Son as Savior of the world. Sally is obviously traumatized from killing a man, and she attempts to rehabilitate herself by going home, but the instant she gets to Joplin, she learns that Barry has been arrested for the murder of Janice Moss. Can you say, I love Jesus? Do not believe every spirit: John warned against believing every spirit; that is, we are never to assume every spiritual experience or every demonstration of spiritual power is from God. For those walking in this truth, victory is assured they have overcome them. We can think of someone paying a great price to save someone deserving, someone good, someone noble, someone who had done much for them. The first episode of "Barry" Season 4 established where Berkman, Cousineau, Fuches, Sally, NoHo Hank, and Cristobal are, both physically and mentally. According to 1 Corinthians 14:29 (let the others judge) and 1 Thessalonians 5:21 (Test all things; hold fast what is good), testing the spirits is the work of the body of Christ. We love him from the influence of his own love; from his love shed abroad in our hearts our love to him proceeds. This is unfortunate, since his works contain priceless gems of information that are found nowhere except in the ancient writings of the Jews. i. You cant truly grow in your experience of God without also growing love for one another. Minor Prophets Sometimes Jesus wasnt popular at all, but He was always full of love. Just as true as it is that we should abide in Him, it is true that He does abide in us. 1. He loved you when you were at hells gate, and drank damnation at every draught. i. We are of God. He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. Our website uses cookies to store user preferences. God is fundamentally and essentially LOVE: not merely is loving, for then John's argument would not stand; for the conclusion from the premises then would be this, This man is not loving: God is loving; therefore he knoweth not God IN SO FAR AS GOD IS LOVING; still he might know Him in His other attributes. . Though love springs forth from our abiding relationship with God and comes from our being born of Him, there is also an essential aspect of our will involved. One might say, I want to love God more; I want to grow in my love for Him. Great problems come when we try to say love is God. The one who fears is not made perfect in love." Explanation and Commentary of 1 John 4:18. Though it may not be perfected, it must be present and it should be growing. We might be satisfied to merely survive the day of judgment, but God wants to so fill our lives with His love and His truth that we have boldness in the day of judgment. ii. iii. He who abides in love abides in God, and God in him: The Christian who has this kind of relationship with God will be virtually immersed in Gods love; it becomes his environment, his place of abiding. i. ii. Simply and boldly put, we love Him. f. Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God: It isnt enough to know the facts about who Jesus is; we must confess the truth. Historical Books g. In this is love: Real love, agape love, is not defined by our love for God, but by His love for us. of Scripture. Some think they will go there and judge God (When I see God, theres a few questions I have for Him!), but that is nonsense. The Christian must know and believe the love God has for us. But how can I love a God who is invisible? God would say to us, Learn to love Me, Whom you cannot see, by loving My children, whom you can see.. He first loved us: This verse not only declares our love for Jesus, it also tells us when He loved us. But John rightly insists that our claim of loving God is false if we do not also love our brother, and that this love must be seen. He loved you when you were at hells gate, and drank damnation at every draught. God made love real and present by sending Jesus to live among us and to die for us. b. We need 2 cookies to store this setting. The day of judgment is as fixed in Gods eternal timetable as any other day in world history. (Boice). All prophecy is to be judged by Scriptural standards. Concerning Antichrist. Look through all the pages of history, and put to the noblest men and women, who seem to still live, this question, Who loves Christ? and, at once, up from dark dungeons and cruel racks there rises the confessors cry, We love him; and from the fiery stake, where they clapped their hands as they were being burned to death, the same answer comes, We love him. If you could walk through the miles of catacombs at Rome, and if the holy dead, whose dust lies there, could suddenly wake up, they would all shout, We love him. The best and the bravest of men, the noblest and purest of women, have all been in this glorious company; so, surely, you are not ashamed to come forward and say, Put my name down among them. (Spurgeon), v. Be out-and-out for him; unfurl your colours, never hide them, but nail them to the mast, and say to all who ridicule the saints, If you have any ill words for the followers of Christ, pour them out upon me but know this ye shall hear it whether you like it or not, I love Christ. (Spurgeon). Love believed is the mother of love returned. (Spurgeon), ii. Because of this, the excuse I just cant love that person (or other such excuses) is invalid. Check to enable permanent hiding of message bar and refuse all cookies if you do not opt in. If there was to be reconciliation between God and man, man ought to have sent to God; the offender ought to be the first to apply for forgiveness; the weaker should apply to the greater for help; the poor man should ask of him who distributes alms; but Herein is love that God sent. He was first to send an embassy of peace. (Spurgeon). His Commandments Are Not Burdensome. 'Succession' Season 4, Episode 4: Recap & Ending, Explained: Will Kendall Be The Man His Dad Wanted? Again, the true measure of maturity is not the image of power, or popularity, or passionate feelings but the abiding presence of Gods love in our lives, given out to others. Other tests already stressed in this first paragraph of the chapter were: (1) the test of confessing that Jesus was the Christ who came in the flesh; (2) the test of whether or not they were indwelt by the Father ( 1 John 4:4 ); and (3) the test of their life-style. If someone hears what God has said in the Bible, we know he has the spirit of truth. Poetical Books Oh, if you do really believe that he has loved you so, sit down, and turn the subject over in your mind, and say to yourself, Jesus loves me; Jesus chose me; Jesus redeemed me; Jesus called me; Jesus has pardoned me; Jesus has taken me into union with himself. (Spurgeon). 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