Love Fulfilled
Notes
Transcript
6 For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
7 Of the increase of His government and peace There will be no end, Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, To order it and establish it with judgment and justice From that time forward, even forever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.
“Toward us”—the Direction of love (4:9).
“Toward us”—the Direction of love (4:9).
9 In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him.
16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.
This verse nearly replicates the well-known statement in John 3:16, thereby showing that John wrote both the fourth Gospel and this epistle. The main thrust of this verse, as well as of John 3:16, is that God was motivated by love for humanity when he sent his only Son to give eternal life to all who will believe.
We know what real love is because Jesus gave up his life for us. Christ’s example shows us that real love involves self-sacrifice.
16 By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.
This immeasurable gift was in no way a response to humanity’s love for God. Quite the opposite. It was initiated by God. We respond to him. Jesus died on the cross to pay for our sins. God solved our problem at his expense. He made Jesus our atoning sacrifice.
Not only is Love fulfilled “Toward Us” but also...
“To us”—the Intention of love (4:16).
“To us”—the Intention of love (4:16).
16 And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him.
In verses 13–16 the apostle discussed the relationship between love and the indwelling of God. He suggested that it is not enough merely to know that God is love. Believers must live daily in the sphere of divine love. In so doing they genuinely live in God’s presence and have God living in them.
God’s intention or plan in sending His Son was to reveal His love to us and those willing to receive His love in faith would be filled with His love. Which brings us to our third point.
Not only is Love fulfilled “Toward Us and To Us” but also...
“In us”—the Habitation of love (2:15; 3:17; 4:12).
“In us”—the Habitation of love (2:15; 3:17; 4:12).
12 No one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God abides in us, and His love has been perfected in us.
John says, “His love has been perfected in us.” The word perfected could be translated “Brought to full expression”
His (God’s) love is brought to full expression in us. This means that the believers’ love for each other, finding its source in God’s love, has ripened and matured so as to find expression in self-sacrifice.
God’s love is meant to inhabit the hearts of His people.
So how do we know if the Love of God is “IN US”?
15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
Do not love this world. In this verse, the “world” (kosmos) is the morally evil system that is opposed to all that God is. In this sense, the world is the satanic system opposing Christ’s Kingdom on this earth. It is the dominating order of things—a system and a people. It is activity apart from and against God. It is anything that arouses “the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life”
“for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you”.
God and the sinful world are such opposites that it is impossible to love both at once.
Not only is Love fulfilled “Toward Us and To Us and In Us” but also...
“With us”—the Perfection of love (4:17).
“With us”—the Perfection of love (4:17).
17 Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world.
4:17 as we live in God, our love grows more perfect. The word “perfect” here does not mean “that which is flawless” but that which is “mature and complete.” This perfection develops our relationship with God, who is love.
Look at 1 John 2:5,
5 But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him.
What this verse means is this, “has been perfected,” has reached its goal—i.e., has matured). This can mean
(1) the believer’s love for God is matured in keeping God’s Word, or
(2) God’s love for the believer is matured in the believer who is keeping God’s Word.
In this context, it seems to be that as the believer pursues fellowship and obedience, God’s love for him or her is more fully appreciated, and, in turn, the believer shows more mature love toward fellow believers.
Perfection in the Greek mind did not mean flawlessness, but rather, more fully developed, matured.
CONCLUSION
6 For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
By God sending us His son, He fulfilled
Hope, Peace, Joy and Love.
The greatest of all these things is LOVE.
And love is fulfilled
Towards Us - The Direction of Love
To Us - The Intention of Love
In Us - The Habitation of Love
With Us - The Perfection of Love
Let this Christmas season be all about God’s love that has been fulfilled in and through His Son, Jesus Christ.
PRAYER: