09-12-2021 What is Love

Our First Premise is that Love - that is Agape Love, Self-Sacrificial Love, Others-focused Love finds its ORIGIN in the GOD OF THE BIBLE

Then Read 1 John 4:7-9

1 John 4:7–9 ESV

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.

Thesis: “For Love is of God” “and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God…”

Antithesis: “He who does not love does not know God…”

Thesis: “for GOD IS LOVE”

PROOF: “In this the love of God was manifest toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world…”

PURPOSE: That we might live through Him

Our Second Premise is that TRUE BELIEVERS SHOULD LOVE Because GOD HAS LOVED US

1 John 4:10–11 ESV

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.

1 John 4:19–21 ESV

19 We love because he first loved us. 20 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. 21 And this commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother.

Note: There is a chiasm with 1 John 4:10-11 through 1 John 4:19-21 - In this case the book-end is Love in our Life ORIGINATES BECAUSE the Father Loved us… Then read 1 John 4:10-11 AND 1 John 4:19-21

In other words, We do not understand or exhibit Love toward God until God loves us,

Paul likewise states But God demonstrates His love toward us in that while we were still enemies, Christ died for us.

The Apostle John, and the Apostle Paul are consistent - GOD INITIATES LOVE and THAT enables us to RESPOND

THESIS “In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son, the propitiation for our sins”

EXPECTED RESULT of This Truth: Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to Love One Another

THESIS 2: “We Love BECAUSE He first loved us… (v. 19)” (Development of Love in us”

Antithesis: “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

THUS/CONCLUSION: If we are failing to Love, Go back and understand it is not an option - “And this commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother…”

SUPPORT in the Words of Jesus, in his final verbal testing by the religious leaders as recorded in Matthew Chapter 22 “34 But when the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together. 35 And one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question to test him. 36 “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” 37 And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. 38 This is the great and first commandment. 39 And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. 40 On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.”

Our Third Premise is that When We Exhibit TRUE LOVE it PROVIDES PROOF

Proof of our Claim that We Love God, and

Proof that God Abides in Us Then read 1 John 4:12-16

1 John 4:12–16 ESV

12 No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us. 13 By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. 14 And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. 15 Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. 16 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.

CASE POINT: v. 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”

This is important… One good PROOF that of God’s General Existence is the Love of God “perfected in us” that is MATURING LOVE MANIFESTED

CASE POINT: v. 13 “We have INTERNAL PROOF of SALVATION - His Spirit “Jesus said, I will give you another advocate…”

Paul declares in 1 Cor 1:20-22 “That is why it is through him that we utter our Amen to God for his glory. 21 And it is God who establishes us with you in Christ, and has anointed us, 22 and who has also put his seal on us and given us his Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee

CASE POINT: v. 14 - We Have EYE WITNESS PROOF - John TESTIFIES that the Father has sent his son to be the Savior of the world

Remember how John Opens the Letter? “That which was f the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon and touched with our hands, concerning the Word of liFe

PROOF: v. 15 “15 Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God.”

How? v. 16 So we have come to know and to believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God and God abides in him.”

When John says “believed the love that God has for us…” All we need to do is look back to vv. 9-10 “God’s love is Jesus sent and Jesus become our appeasement (propitiation) for sin” THUS: believed in Jesus!

Our Final Premise is that GOD’S LOVE is a MATURING LOVE

Then Read 1 John 4:17-18

1 John 4:17–18 ESV

17 By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as he is so also are we in this world. 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.

THESIS: v. 17 “By This Love is PERFECTED with Us”

WHY?: v. 17b “So that we may CONFIDENCE for the day of judgment

SUPPORT: v. 17c “because as he is so also are we in this world. He is in a place of SaFety and Security where the World Cannot Hurt Him and there is NOT JUDGMENT for He was Obedient

SUPPORT of THESIS: v. 18a “There is no fear in love

Antithesis proof: “but perfect love casts out fear, FOR FEAR HAS TO DO WITH PUNISHMENT

Result of THESIS REJECTION [acceptance of antithesis] = : “Whoever Fears has NOT BEEN PERFECTED IN LOVE”

CONCLUSION: If you Fear Judgement From God, IF Fear HOLDS YOU, HAMPERS YOUR ABILITY TO MOVE FORWARD and DEPLETES Your LOVE Then Your Love is Immature and needs to be strengthened by obligatory returning to the commandments - LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD; LOVE YOUR BRETHREN

A(4:7-8)

4:8 Whoever is without love does not know God, for God is love. (4:8)

B(4:9)

4:9 God sent his only Son into the world so that we might have life through him. (4:9)

C(4:10-11)

4:10 In this is love: not that we have loved God, but that he loved us (4:10)

D(4:12-13)

4:12 Yet, if we love one another, God remains in us, and his love is brought to perfection in us. (4:12)

D'(4:14-16)

4:16 God is love, and whoever remains in love remains in God and God in him. (4:16)

C'(4:17-21)

4:19 We love because he first loved us. (4:19)

B'(5:1)

5:1 Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is begotten by God (5:1)

A'(5:2-5)

5:3 For the love of God is this, that we keep his commandments (5:3)

A  (7-8a)  Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not God;

B  (8b)  for God is love.

C  (9a)  In this was manifested the love of God toward us,

D  (9b-10)  because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

E  (11)  Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.

F  (12a)  No man hath seen God at any time.

E’  (12b)  If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us.

D’  (13-15)  Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit. And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world. Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God.

C’  (16a)  And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us.

B’  (16b)  God is love;

A’  (16c-21)  and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him. Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world. There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love. We love him, because he first loved us. If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen? And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also.