In the Light: A Study Through 1 John; Week Three

IN THE LIGHT

A Study Through 1 John

Lesson 3: “God Is Love—and What That Really Means”

Text: 1 John 2:7–11 (ESV)

Opening Prayer

Father, thank You for loving us first. Teach us what real love looks like— not the world’s version, but Yours. Help us walk in the light with You and with one another. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Introduction

Up to this point in 1 John, we have seen that:

God is light → truth matters

God is holy → holiness matters

Grace restores fellowship → confession matters

Now John moves to a truth that tests everything else:

How we love one another reveals whether we are truly walking in the light.

John does not allow us to separate:

theology from behavior

belief from relationships

love for God from love for people

If truth shapes what we believe and holiness shapes how we live, then love reveals who we really belong to.

Scripture Reading

1 John 2:7–11 (ESV)

“Beloved, I am writing you no new commandment, but an old commandment that you had from the beginning… Whoever says he is in the light and hates his brother is still in darkness…”

Main Idea

Love is not optional in the Christian life. It is the evidence that we are walking in the light.

POINT 1 — God Is Love: The Whole Path, Not a Partial Picture

Before John talks about loving others, we must understand who God is.

Scripture does not say:

God acts loving

God sometimes loves

Scripture says:

“God is love.” (1 John 4:8)

Love is not something God turns on and off. Love flows from His very nature.

That means:

God’s love is not emotional

God’s love is not reactive

God’s love is not conditional

God does not love us because we are lovable. God loves because He is love.

God Is Love Revealed Through His Gift

John later explains:

“In this the love of God was made manifest… that God sent His only Son.” (1 John 4:9)

God’s love always moves first.

He did not wait for:

repentance

improvement

understanding

He gave His Son while we were still sinners.

Love gives what is most precious, not what is convenient.

If anyone ever asks, “Does God really love me?” the answer is not a feeling. The answer is the cross.

God Is Love Expressed Through Grace

Grace is love applied to sinners.

Grace says:

You don’t deserve this

You can’t earn this

You can’t repay this

Grace is not God lowering His standards. Grace is God paying the price Himself.

John already told us:

“The blood of Jesus cleanses us from all sin.”

Grace does not deny sin. Grace deals with it fully.

God Is Love Even in His Judgment

(This is where many struggle—but where clarity brings freedom)

Many people assume:

Love forgives

Judgment destroys

But Scripture never separates love from holiness.

Here’s the truth:

Judgment is not the opposite of love. Judgment is what love looks like when evil threatens what God loves.

A God who never judges:

ignores injustice

abandons victims

allows evil to reign

That is not love. That is indifference.

Even God’s Destruction Is Rooted in Love

This is important to say carefully and clearly:

God never judges impulsively. God never judges unjustly. God never judges without warning.

Throughout Scripture:

God warns before He judges

God delays judgment

God calls people to repent

Think of:

the Flood (120 years of warning)

Sodom (investigation and intercession)

Israel (centuries of prophets)

God’s judgment comes after patience, not before.

You can say this plainly:

“God does not judge because He hates people. God judges because He loves righteousness, protects His creation, and refuses to let evil rule forever.”

The Cross: Where Love and Judgment Meet

At the cross:

love is displayed

judgment is satisfied

sin is punished

grace is released

God did not ignore sin. He absorbed it.

No cross → no justice No justice → no real love

This is why God can be both:

perfectly loving

perfectly just

POINT 2 — An Old Command That Is Also New

John says the command to love is:

Old — “from the beginning”

New — fulfilled in Christ

Love was always God’s design. But Jesus raised the standard:

“Love one another just as I have loved you.” (John 13:34)

Love is now measured by:

sacrifice

humility

forgiveness

Not by feelings.

POINT 3 — Light Reveals Our Relationships

John gives a clear test:

“Whoever says he is in the light and hates his brother is still in darkness.”

Hatred here is not a bad day or a struggle. It is:

ongoing bitterness

refusal to forgive

settled resentment

cold indifference

You cannot claim intimacy with God while harboring hatred toward people.

POINT 4 — Love Is Evidence of Abiding

“Whoever loves his brother abides in the light…”

Love is not perfection. Love is direction.

Abiding love:

forgives

restores

seeks peace

refuses bitterness

Light brings clarity. Love brings stability.

POINT 5 — Hatred Leads to Spiritual Blindness

“Whoever hates his brother walks in darkness…”

Darkness blinds.

Bitterness distorts judgment. Unforgiveness clouds truth. Resentment stunts growth.

A believer living in hatred:

loses direction

stumbles repeatedly

damages fellowship

Application for Sandy Springs

You can say this plainly and pastorally:

“You cannot walk closely with Christ while refusing to love Christ’s people.”

Ask yourself:

Is there unresolved bitterness in my heart?

Am I walking in the light with others?

Does my love reflect Christ’s love for me?

Closing Challenge

Walking in the light means:

truth in belief

holiness in conduct

love in relationships

Light always reveals what is real.

Closing Prayer

Lord, search our hearts. Remove bitterness. Heal broken relationships. Teach us to love as You have loved us. In Jesus’ name, Amen.