Three Truths About God’s Love Series

Series: 1 John

Week: 17

Passage: 1 John 4:7-10

Title: Three Truths about God’s Love

Focus: Brotherly Love

INTRODUCTION: “Calvary shows how far men will go in sin, and how far God went for man's salvation.” -H. D. Trumbull

We hear it all the time, "God Loves You”. It’s a message that is easy to say. It’s written on barns, railroad cars, and bridges all across this country. “God loves you.” The message of God’s love is one that John would declare with passion, desire and boldness. He, along with all the other apostles, would shout it from the rooftops and jail cells whenever they could, “God loves you.” They experienced God’s love in ways that were unheard of to the people in their lives. Today we must take that message a step further and declare, just as John and the other disciples did, that God does indeed love you and the reason for this love is because God is love.

SCRIPTURE: “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. 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. 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.” 1 John 4:7-10

TITLE: THREE TRUTHS ABOUT GODS LOVE

POINT #1: God’s Love is Existent (1 John 4:7)

• Explanation: We can see the attributes of God throughout His work in His creation and in His written Word to us (the Bible). In our study of His footprints we see that we can come to appreciate God’s love and learn about how He is described through what we see and read. John states, “love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God.” (4:7) We see four traits of God in His love.

1. God’s Holiness (set apart/sacred – The Creator):

i. "In Him there is no darkness." 1 John 1:5

1. There is no sin and no darkness in God.

2. God’s Agape Love: Agape = Christ’s death on the Cross – The Son.

i. God’s love of giving us Jesus is a demonstration of good will (salvation) and concern for the fallen creation.

1. “God demonstrated His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8

3. God’s Gift of the Spirit (third person in the Trinity – The Holy Spirit):

i. The Spirit…

1. Dwells (1 Corinthians 3:16)

2. Gives instruction and warning (John 3:34)

3. Gives energy and power (2 Timothy 1:7)

4. Gives various gifts (1 Corinthians 12)

5. Manifests God’s glory (1 Peter 4:14)

• Illustration: C.S. Lewis wrote, "Do not waste your time bothering whether you 'love' your neighbor act as if you did. As soon as we do this, we find one of the great secrets. When you are behaving as if you loved someone, you will presently come to love him. If you injure someone you dislike, you will find yourself disliking him more. If you do him a good turn, you will find yourself disliking him less."

• Application: God did more for us than simply stating He loved us, He demonstrates His love for us in various ways. Therefore, knowing what we know about God, we are called to do the same. In this love we can

o Experience God's love

o Gain a greater appreciation for Him

o Appreciate the gifts He has given.

o Understand how He sustains and redeems us in our sinful state.

POINT #2: God’s Love is Extended (1 John 4:8)

• Explanation: The end of verse seven and verse eight literally say “everyone who loves is born of God and knows God (aka His love). The one not loving does not know God because God is love.» The believer knows God’s love and extends it as God did through Christ. The nonbeliever has not recieved God’s love and therefore does not experience God fully. This understanding shows us two more traits about God in His love for us.

• God’s love is Permanent: God did not make your salvation dependant upon you perfection but more through grace. In God’s grace we know God better because of Christ. God gives Jesus to die (extends love) then Jesus gives us the gift of the Spirit (more extension of love), which we take as an understanding of our eternal state with God for eternity.

o Ephesians 4:30 “Don't give God's Holy Spirit any reason to be upset with you. He has put his seal on you for the day you will be set free