1 John 4:19-21

1 John 4:19–21 ESV

We love because he first loved us. If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. And this commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother.

Context

Author

1 John is believed to be authored by the Apostle John

Though there is some disagreement among scholars about its authorship.

Date

And scholars estimate its composition around the turn of the first century, 90-100.

1 John is actually considered to be the youngest of the letters John writes..

While the gospel account is considered to be the oldest.

This is well after the Synoptics Gospel accounts and even the writings of Paul.

Community

All four of the writings that contain Johns moniker are written for, or too, the community that John has both established and lead since his time with Jesus.

At this point in his writings John is an old man.

historians believe he lived to be 90-96 years old..

The only disciple to die of natural causes..

So a significant time frame has passed since Jesus Ascension

And during this time it is believed that John went to Ephesus and established a community of believers that existed for many decades.

At the time of these letters its believed that the community is 40-60 years old itself..

This community was full of believers and new converts..

Some believe that even mary, the mother of Jesus , herself came to live in this community with John after Jesus on the cross told the beloved disciples to care for his mother.

This was a thriving and healthy community of believers

centered around the testimony of John

and of which John had become the beloved Elder, as he is referred to in the Letters.

This is the community John writes too

Purpose letters

and John has written the letters with some purpose.

address certain issues within the community while he is not present in the community.

Two of these issues that come into play here in our passage are those of Love for the brethren and False Apostles

Reverse

if we start with the first letter John writes, 3 John, we see that the elder is warning the community that such types of people are coming as he writes a short letter

In 2 john we find that these false apostles have arrived..

and in 1 John, John is dealing with the fallout of these individuals being within the community.

False apostles

These false prophets were causing major issues and bringing confusion to the believers of the community.

They claimed to be of God..

but they did not hold to the same teachings that John, or even Jesus, put forth in the testimony of Jesus.

Denial

One of these issues was that these false prophets denied that Jesus was God.

They believed he was a good man but they did not believe him to be god.

Therefore they would not confess Jesus as lord..

Denying him as the savior and son of God.

The believed instead that Jesus, Through knowledge, could get them to God..

This was gnostic belief..

BUT SINCE THEY WERE TEACHERS AND CALLED THEMSELF APOSTLES

THESE INDIVIDUALS THREATENED TO DECIEVE PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY.

Love.

Another issue that arose from these false believers was that they did not followed the love command of Jesus

in Fact, this was such a big issue that much of 1 john is spent talking about the love command

and John uses the command as a litmus test for the community to be able to determine who are authentic believers and who are false believers.

The Love command.

We talked about this command a little bit on Sunday

This was the command from Jesus in

John 13:34–35 “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.””

The community, built around this testimony of Jesus

would have known this command well..

In Fact, John here in verse 21 reiterates it ..

That real believers love others..

1 John 4:16 ESV

So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.

This command, becomes a way for the community by which to determine who is of God and who is not..

This is the context we come into when we come to 1 John 4:19-21

The Scripture

1 John 4:19–21 ESV

We love because he first loved us. If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. And this commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother.

Love is grounded in our experience of God

John starts this passage out with the foundation for love..

1 John 4:19 ESV

We love because he first loved us.

We as believers have received Gods love..

We receive it through our salvation

We receive it through eternal life

We receive it through the daily walking with us..

Through his favor, grace, mercy, and blessing.

We have received love from God..

AND THIS WAS BEFORE WE WERE EVEN HIS..

Romans 5:8 ESV

but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

John 3:16 ESV

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

Before a single person accepted Jesus as savior we had been given love from God..

AND NOW..

WE ARE TO LOVE..

John 13:34–35 ESV

A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

JUST AS WE HAVE BEEN LOVED..

WE ARE TO EXPRESS LOVE..

ANd as we doo..

Love becomes our identity..

the way by which people know we belong to him..

These are Jesus own words..

John uses this as a starting point for what he is about to say..

Love is a test

So knowing that all believers are to love..

and love becomes the identity of the believer..

John issues a test for the community to use for those who come into the community..

and guess what it is..

its love..

1 John 4:20 ESV

If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar;…

John says..

If you encounter someone who refuses to love their brother

You can determine they are not of God..

They do not love god..

Because we are required by the God we love and serve to love others..

Conversely..

If you find people who say they love god, and love people.. You can be more assured that they are most likely authentic believers..

Practical..

1 John 4:20 ESV

…for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen.

John then makes the test practical by utilizing the sense of sight

He essentially says..

All you have to do is what..

And let their actions speak..

Action

why is john concerned with peoples action..

because the love John is advocating is an action word..

Its agapate.

the verb form of agape..

John says..

If they cant act with the brother they see..

How can they act with the God they cannot..

Faith.

We could swap action for faith as well..

If they cant have the faith to love the person they can see

how can they love the God they cannot see..

Proof

The act of loving the brother that you can see..

Becomes the witness to the inner love for God..

thus giving a practical test to the believers.

Sandwich

After giving the test..

John reiterates and reinforces his first line..

1 John 4:21 ESV

And this commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother.

John again points back to the love command from Jesus

And says.. THIS IS THE EXPECTATION OF JESUS FOR US..

Thus.. if it is the expectation..

They the failure to love is a proof of faulty relationship with God himself..

Us

So how does this relate to us today?

Called to love

First, we are called to love as Jesus loves us..

This is not optional..

Its is a requirement..

Its takes intentional action..

Test for us

Second, We can test ourselves as well..

So we love the people God sends out way?

Do we show this love to them?

Or do we just say we love people without action..

Love without action is not love afterall..

its simply an empty promise..

Prayer

third, I think its a point of prayer..

If we encounter others in the fold who refuse to love..

Then we should pray for them..

because their is something off with their relationship..

and they need god..