Love is the Greatest Weapon

Text : I John 4 : 7 - 12

Introduction : Ontario NDP government will change family law.

Changing the definition of "spouse" to include same-sex

relationships and adjusting 78 other laws to accommodate

homosexuality is now heading toward a free-vote in the Ontario legislature soon.

What is happening to our society?

Do you find it hard to live as a christian ? Are you struggling that Your

faith is shaken and confused? Especially, young people I feel for you.

It's much easier to live 30 years ago than to live at present generation.

Don't you find that, young people?

How can we be a strong, healthy christian?

How can we stand against this evil world?

How can we glorify God in this wicked society?

How can we expose false teachings among so called christians?

Proposition:

God's Love is the greatest weapon we can have.

Interrogative:

How can we use God's Love to fight against evil?

Transitional:

This morning I would like to observe 3 elements of love through Apostle John.

Please turn you Bible to the First Epistle of John.

There are 4 obvious reasons that Apostle John wrote this epistle.

1. And these things we write, so that our joy may be made complete. 1:4

III John 4 says,"I have no greater joy than this, to hear of my children

walking in the truth." This is the pastor's joy.

2. My little children, I am writing these things to you that you may not sin.

2:1

3. To inform christians concerning those who are trying to deceive people. 2:26 4. To inform christians that those who believed the Lord Jesus may know they

have the eternal life. 5:13

What necessitated Apostle John to write on these themes?

Answer is in 2:19 : "They went out from us, but they were not really of us; for if they had been of us, they would have remained with us; but they went out, in order that it might be shown that

they all are not of us.

also these people tried to recruit (deceive) other believers. 2:26

Gnosticism : A system of belief combining ideas derived from Greek

philosophy, Oriental mysticism and ultimately, Christianity, and

stressing salvation through intuitive knowledge in spiritual

matter.

They denied: Divinity of Jesus as the Son of God. 2:22,23

This is the most important teaching of the Bible. Out of this denial massive

false doctrines branch out into all directions.

As you read this epistle you will pick up the warnings of the Apostle John

against false teachings.

It is interesting to notice that John starts his argument with contrast

between light and darkness. 1:5,6 2:9 Light is the matter.

When you witness, affirm what they believe and then show him how

it contradicts God's teaching.

They did not believe in personal God that as long as you confess your belief

in god, your life; behavior, life style, conducts do not matter. î¡ 2:4

Of course they denied their own sinfulness. î¡ 1:8

They denied the responsibility to live as Jesus had lived. î¡ 3:7

They denied that Jesus has come in the flesh. î¡ 4:2

Because they believed in the matter, they were in difficulty with incarnation.

How could God, who is the creator and sustainer of the whole creation, cloth

Himself with a body? Moreover, how could He, who is the light,

live in the body of the believers?

So rather than search into the Scripture, they believed what seemed reasonable to them. Exactly what happening in our days.

So now let us look at God's solution for us to stand firm and fight against the false teaching of the world.

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Please turn to your Bible to chapter 4:7 to 12.

I. Origin of Love. 4:7,8

My Friend got married yesterday. Where does love come from?

Is it a man's invention?

The reasons we are commanded to love is because;

A. Love is from God (Source) vs.7

B. God is Love (Origin) vs.8

All true love is derived from God.

Because God is source and origin of true Love," everyone who loves is

born of God and knows God." Because we have this same nature given to us.

Ill. A Japanese student who came to study English dyed his hair in gold color. But Japanese is Japanese. We do not resemble to white people. If we

do, there is something wrong.

So are the christians, we love because we are born of God, from whom is love

and who is love. î¡ 2:29 5:1

False teachers pursued knowledge and they thought they knew God, but they did

not realize the difference between knowing God and know about God.

Love is the external/internal evidence of knowing God. Because God is the

source and origin of Love.

II. Outflow of Love 4:9,10

Now in order to stand firm in this ungodly world we must know another

aspect of LOVE.

In verses 9,10 John informs us that God is not only SOURCE and ORIGIN of

LOVE, but also the Essense of God's love overflowed to us.

See, Love is not defined in terms of what it is but it is defined in terms of

what it DOES. I Cor. 13 List of actions GOD IS ....

3:18 says,"Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue, but in

deed and truth.

A. Manifested in Us. vs.9

God Himself showed us the example of how love leads into actions.

B. Sent His only Son. vs.9

Ill. Canadian cardiology doctors in Russia

Russian doctors; "give this one up and try another one."

Even an earthly mother long for her child, how much more with God.

Isa.49:15 says,

"Can a woman forget her nursing child, and have no compassion on the son of her womb? Even these may forget, but I will not forget you."

This God gave up His own Son for us. Such is the Love of God.

Ill. Cofucius : Consequence of stepping off the way of men

Buddha : Consequence of cruel inhumane action

Christ : Jumped into the well

The sending of His Son was the revelation of His love

and very essence of love itself.

Love is self-sacrifice, seeking the another's positive good

at one's own expense.

C. Live through Him vs.9

This great love of God is living in us. î¡ 4:4 3:8

D. God took initiative vs.10

4:19 says,"We love, because He first loves us."

Do you remember the garden, after Adam and Eve committed sin, they

turned around from God and went their own way. Who came into the garden?

Who called ? Adam and Eve? No, it was God. He knew exactly where they

were but God called the man. "Where are you?" God took initiative.

The same is true about our salvation.

We "were dead in trespasses and sins" î¡ Eph. 2:1 But God sent His Son

to die in our place.

III. Obligation of Love 4:11,12

A. Ought to love vs.11

The gift of His Son not only assures us of His undying love but also

obligates us to love one another. No one who went to the Calvary's

cross wants to go back to the old life of selfishness, and

self-centeredness.

"Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another."

Shall we refuse to love those whom the eternal God has loved?

Christian love is at its best when practiced on your neighbor

at his worst.

B. Make God's love perfect vs.12

We learned about love but we still don't know why love is the greatest

weapon with which we can battle against evil society.

The answer is in the verse 12.

It is bit odd to read "No one has beheld God at any time;"

Many comentators believe that false teachers were claiming they

have seen the vision of God. John refute that in this verse.

Even God is visible, no man can see Him and live.

But he goes one step further to say, "If we love one another,

God abides in us and His love is perfected in us."

Is it impossible to see God? John says, "It is possible if you love one another, then God in us stays and God's characters become visible.

See, When we love one another, invisible God becomes visible among us. And the

world can not deny the existence of God. This is true evangelism.

Now you can see why love is the greatest weapon we can have not only to stand

firm in the wicked world but also be able to influence the world, because

no one can defeat God.

But there is another catch to this verse. Because this verse is a problem

verse to the translators.

The phrase "His love is perfected in us." literally means

"the love of Him having been perfected is in us."

If we love one another, God shapes His love into perfection and give it to us.Is God's love something to work out to make it perfect?

Absolutely not. Do you see the problem ?

Some translate this as "our love for God is perfected in us." or

"godlike love is perfected in us."

But I don't think this is right either. What is the right understanding then? Ps. 18:25,26 say

"With the kind Thou dost show Thyself kind;

With the blameless Thou dost show Thyself blameless;

With the pure Thou dost show Thyself pure;

And with the crooked Thou dost show Thyself twisted."

God allows us to understand Him the way we would like to understand.

Love is not an exception. When we are not born of God but pursue love the way

we would like to see it, God will let us go that way. 1960's Hippy movement

is the typical example.

God's Love is perfect because God is love and God is perfect but depend on how we love, He will allow us to have distorted image of God which has non impact

whatsoever in the society, on the contrary it damages the God's reputation.

Therefore John says, in 3:16 "We know love by this, that He laid down His life

for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren."

This is not a wishy washy kind of love. î¡ Ananias and Sspphira

Acts 5:13,14

God's love which originates in Him (vss.7,8)

and was manifested in His Son (vss.9,10)

and is perfected in His people. (vss. 11,12)

This is GRACE in purist sense.

Are you born of God? Do you love one another? It's up to you.

Ill: Wise man and little bird.

Titanic and 3 orenges