Relying on the Love of God

PART I: KNOWING THE LOVE OF GOD (DOCTRINE)

God Holds the Copyright on Love.

God’s Love is Truthful (13-15).

It Isn’t Wishful Thinking, It Is Rooted in Truth (1 John 4:14).

The Greatest Act of Love was an Event that was Actually Witnessed.

The Greatest Example of Love was a Person that was Actually Known.

If You Are Unsatisfied with the Love of God, Your View of His Love is Probably Divorced from Truth.

It is Self-Authenticating (1 John 4:13).

When We Come to Know the Love of God, It Penetrates the Depth of Our Experience.

Sound Reasoning is Helpful, But Once We Know, We Know.

How? Through the Indwelling Presence of the Holy Spirit.

Jesus is Necessary (1 John 4:15).

We Can’t Know the Love of God Apart from Jesus.

We Don’t Get to Accept Jesus on Our Terms, We Accept Him on His Terms.

The Love of God Cannot Be Known apart from the Truth About Jesus.

God’s Love Isn’t Flimsy.

2. God’s Love Inspires Confidence (16-19).

i. Confidence Can Only Be Found in a Great God Who Loves (1 John 4:16b).

a. John Declares: “God is Love.” Not “Love is God.”

b. Love Comes from the Character of God: It’s What He is Like.

c. If We Don’t Have God, We Don’t Have Love. That’s a Bold Claim.

ii. Confidence is Maintained Through Our Union with God in Christ (1 John 4:16c).

a. Our Confidence is Sustained By Our Closeness to God.

b. The Reason for our Confidence is Found in the Cross, But Our Daily Source of Confidence Comes from Abiding with God.

c. ABIDING ILLUSTRATION

iii. Confidence for the Future is Often Avoided, But Desperately Needed (1 John 4:17).

a. Whenever We Discuss “Final Judgment,” People Get Freaked Out.

b. Just Because Something Freaks Me Out Doesn’t Make It Untrue.

c. If We Know the Love of God, We Have Confidence on the Day of Judgment, Not Fear.

The Greater the Person Giving the Love, The Greater the Confidence. If I Say “I Love You,” It Means One Thing, If God Says It, It Means Infinitely More.

3. God’s Love is Not Hypocritical (20-21).

i. John Isn’t Being Very Nice Here. He Tells It Like It Is (1 John 4:20).

a. I Typically Like When People Tell Me Like It Is. I Don’t Have to Guess.

b. John Shoots Straight: “If you say you love God, but you hate your brother or sister, you’re a liar.”

c. If I am a Liar & I Don’t Know It, I Would Want Someone to Tell Me Rather Than Avoid the Truth.

ii. Loving God & Refusing to Love Others is Not a Thing. All or Nothing (1 John 4:21).

a. John Doesn’t Allow for Compromise: He’s Black & White Here.

b. We Want Him to Be Black & White, Because We Desperately Need to Know, Rely on & Practice the Love of God.

PART II: RELYING ON THE LOVE OF GOD (PERSONAL)

Relationship Between Knowledge & Reliance: You Rely on What You Trust. You Trust What You Know. (establishing trust in business, in relationships, etc.)

How Can We Tell If We Are Relying on the Love of God?

Persistent Irritability.

Perpetual Misery.

Prisoner of Habits.

If We Aren’t, How Do We?

The Love of God is Dispensed By God.

Seek Him Like Your Life Depended On It.

Once You Get It, Don’t Stop Seeking Him.

The Power of Reliance.

Persistent Irritability Becomes Persistent Patience.

Perpetual Misery Becomes Perpetual Joy.

Prisoner of Habits Becomes an Unchained Overcomer.