God is Love
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Introduction
Introduction
If I mention the Word “love”, what comes to mind? What is the first thing you think of, be honest?
Love is a tricky topic....
And it is one we wrestle with at times… why?
Here is what i think.....
Because our definition of love and God’s definition doesn’t always match up…
What do I mean by that?
We love because they are good to us.. Jesus says love your enemies....
35 But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil.
And with that verse we could say this.... We love because it is expected? Jesus says
Love always
We love because it is expected? Jesus says Love always
We love for the wrong reasons? Listen to this passage in Romans 12:9-11
9 Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. 10 Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. 11 Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord.
Those are just a few thoughts about love, but lets look at our text today and go from there.
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7 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. 8 Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. 9 In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. 10 In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.
Listen to where John starts here.. Beloved, let us love one another.....
John begins by addressing those he is writing too… Beloved… speaks to those people whom John loved. Beloved, it is those whom He cherished....
So with that verse I am reminded that we are to encourage each other, encourage those you love to … be loving to all others.
Now moving on....
And then we come to this phrase, “...let us love one another, for love is from God....”
You see, we know who God is, we know His attributes, and because He is love, and we are the ones who identify as the children of God, thusly, we are to be love as well… to all, everyone.
Being His children says his ways must be our ways… children are to have the characteristics of their parents.... right?
And do you want a chemical marker if you will, something that reveals you are a “true Christian”.... Then act as God would… WWJD. love, that is the end of verse 7
But on the same token, if you do not love others ( Ver 8) , how can you love God or even know God?
Listen to verse 8
8 Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.
Why do you think John says that?
Why do you think John says that?
So lets stop here for a second and answer the question… answer this question...
What does it mean to love one another...
Who is the one another?
Everyone .....
It is amazing to me that the God who is powerful enough to create all things is also intimate enough to love what He created.
It is amazing to me that the God who is powerful enough to create all things is also intimate enough to love what He created. That love, though, is so far beyond our human understanding of love that it’s almost impossible to explain it. It’s a deep, deep love evidenced in God’s sending His Son to die for us after we had rejected Him – but it’s also a love that demands we show our love for Him by obedience to His commands. It’s an undying love, a love without end, but it’s also a holy love that disciplines us when we fail to live up to His expectations. It’s a love that frees us from bondage to sin while also establishing standards and commandments to protect us from bad choices. It both pursues us in our fallenness and allows us to suffer the consequence of our rebellion in order to woo us back to our Creator.
And he loves us personally.... and calls us to love
One way we fulfill his commands is to love, and yes we are to love one another.
Now verse 9
9 In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him.
I john 4:
That love, its so far beyond our human understanding of love that it’s almost impossible to explain it.
It’s a deep, deep love evidenced in God’s sending His Son to die for us after we had rejected Him – but it’s also a love that demands we show our love for Him by obedience to His commands.
Let me ask you a question… How do we demonstrate His love? one is by Obedience, but in what other ways can we demonstrate his love.
Now look at verses 10-11
10 In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.
I
Who loved first? us or God?
Well of course God loved us first… and this is why we understand love the best way we can…
There is a great old word
propitiation....
“propitiation n. — the means of appeasing wrath and gaining the good will of an offended person; especially with respect to sacrifices for appeasing angered deities.”
It’s an undying love, a love without end, but it’s also a holy love that disciplines us when we fail to live up to His expectations.
It’s an undying love, a love without end, but it’s also a holy love that disciplines us when we fail to live up to His expectations. It’s a love that frees us from bondage to sin while also establishing standards and commandments to protect us from bad choices. It both pursues us in our fallenness and allows us to suffer the consequence of our rebellion in order to woo us back to our Creator.
It’s an undying love, a love without end, but it’s also a holy love that disciplines us when we fail to live up to His expectations. It’s a love that frees us from bondage to sin while also establishing standards and commandments to protect us from bad choices. It both pursues us in our fallenness and allows us to suffer the consequence of our rebellion in order to woo us back to our Creator.
It is amazing to me that the God who is powerful enough to create all things is also intimate enough to love what He created. That love, though, is so far beyond our human understanding of love that it’s almost impossible to explain it. It’s a deep, deep love evidenced in God’s sending His Son to die for us after we had rejected Him – but it’s also a love that demands we show our love for Him by obedience to His commands. It’s an undying love, a love without end, but it’s also a holy love that disciplines us when we fail to live up to His expectations. It’s a love that frees us from bondage to sin while also establishing standards and commandments to protect us from bad choices. It both pursues us in our fallenness and allows us to suffer the consequence of our rebellion in order to woo us back to our Creator.
It’s a love that frees us from bondage to sin while also establishing standards and commandments to protect us from bad choices.
It both pursues us in our fallenness and allows us to suffer the consequence of our rebellion in order to woo us back to our Creator.
That is, God is indeed love, but His love cannot be separated from His holiness and justice. To talk about His love without talking of His other attributes is to risk failing to see God for the entirety of who He is.
Now let me share just one last verse with you… verse 18
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 been perfected in love.
Fear has no place in love. Bold confidence (1 Jn 4:17), based on love, cannot coexist with fear. Love, which, when perfected, gives bold confidence, casts out fear (compare Heb 2:14, 15). The design of Christ’s propitiatory death was to deliver from this bondage of fear.
I
Perfect love is incompatible with such a self-punishing fear. Godly fear of offending God is quite distinct from slavish fear of consciously deserved punishment. The latter fear is natural to us all until love casts it out. “Men’s states vary: one is without fear and love; another, with fear without love; another, with fear and love; another, without fear with love”
When we “remain in Him” by following Him fully and loving others, though, we need not fear His judgment: “There is no fear in love; instead, perfect love drives out fear, because fear involves punishment” ().
When we “remain in Him” by following Him fully and loving others, though, we need not fear His judgment: “There is no fear in love; instead, perfect love drives out fear, because fear involves punishment” ().
ACTION STEPS:
Rejoice over God’s love today, and love others in turn.Because you love Him, do all that He commands.