1 John 4:13-21

Last week we looked at 1 John 4:7-12 and in these verses we can see John compelling his readers to “love one another” (vs 7) and then gives three reasons why,

Love is the essence of God -

1 John 4:8 “But anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is love.”

Love is manifested by Jesus Christ -

1 John 4:9 “God showed how much he loved us by sending his one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him.”

Love is our testimony -

1 John 4:12 “No one has ever seen God. But if we love each other, God lives in us, and his love is brought to full expression in us.”

In todays text we are going to see three more reasons we should love one another.

1 John 4:13-21

13 By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. 14 And we have seen and do testify that the Father has sent his Son as the Savior of the world. 15 God abides in those who confess that Jesus is the Son of God, and they abide in God. 16 So we have known and believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and those who abide in love abide in God, and God abides in them. 17 Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness on the day of judgment, because as he is, so 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 reached perfection in love. 19 We love because he first loved us. 20 Those who say, “I love God,” and hate their brothers or sisters, are liars; for those who do not love a brother or sister whom they have seen, cannot love God whom they have not seen. 21 The commandment we have from him is this: those who love God must love their brothers and sisters also.

We see here that we are to love one another because

1. Love is the assurance of our salvation!

By this we know that we abide in him and he in us (our salvation), because he has given us his Spirit.

When we are saved we are given God’s spirit, the Holy Spirit. If it were not for the spirit’s work, our spiritual blinders would not be removed, but once removed and we accept what God has done we have the spirit.

We have confidence that we abide in God and him in us because he has given us his spirit.

it is through this same spirit that we are able to “confess that Jesus is the Son of God” apart from the Spirit we cannot believe this gospel.

So there is a test for us that the spirit is in us,

Do we confess that Jesus is the Son of God? - vs 15

Do we believe the love that God has for us? - vs 16

We believe the love that God has for us when we abide in love!

John McArthor says it best when he says

How do i know I’m a Christians? Because God gave me His Spirit. And he only gives His Spirit to those that are His. He only takes up residency in those that are his.How do I know He gave me His Spirit? Because I believed the Father sent the Son to be the Savior of the world, and I confess that Jesus is the Son of God. In other words, I believe the gospel which I can’t believe apart from the work of the Spirit. Furthermore, not only do I believe the gospel, but I have come to know and believe that all of this is because of the love which God has for us. I have come to understand the eternal love of God for us. God is love…And so verse 16, “God is love and the one who abides in love abides in God and God abides in him.”

We are to love one another because…

2. Love is our confidence in Judgement!

1 John 4:17

 Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness on the day of judgment, because as he is, so are we in this world.

We are to love one another because…

3. Love is the only reasonable response!

1 John 4:19

 We love because he first loved us.

When we are loved reasonable response is to love back.

The test of our salvation is our love, love for God and love for one another!