God Is Love

I. EXORDIUM:

Do you love GOD?

II. AUDIENCE PROFILE:

Believers

III. OBJECTIVES:

To show that loving GOD as living in Him, He continues to live in us.

IV. TEXT:

1 John 4:16 (Amplified Bible)

And we know (understand, recognize, are conscious of, by observation and by experience) and believe (adhere to and put faith in and rely on) the love God cherishes for us. God is love, and he who dwells and continues in love dwells and continues in God, and God dwells and continues in him.

V. THESIS:

Live in GOD, and GOD lives in us.

VI. TITLE:

GOD is Love

VII. EXPLICATION:

A. Author: Apostle John

B. Date written: Uncertain

C. Purposes:

1. To add to their joy

1 John 1:4 (Amplified Bible)

And we are now writing these things to you so that our joy [in seeing you included] may be full [and your joy may be complete].

2. To guard them against sin

1 John 2:1 (Amplified Bible)

MY LITTLE children, I write you these things so that you may not violate God’s law and sin. But if anyone should sin, we have an Advocate (One Who will intercede for us) with the Father—[it is] Jesus Christ [the all] righteous [upright, just, Who conforms to the Father’s will in every purpose, thought, and action].

3. To warn them against false teachers

1 John 2:26 (Amplified Bible)

I write this to you with reference to those who would deceive you [seduce and lead you astray].

4. To strengthen their faith in CHRIST and assure them of eternal life

1 John 5:13 (Amplified Bible)

I write this to you who believe in (adhere to, trust in, and rely on) the name of the Son of God [in the peculiar services and blessings conferred by Him on men], so that you may know [with settled and absolute knowledge] that you [already] have life, yes, eternal life.

D. To whom written: to us, the Church, the Believers

E. Main Themes: GOD is Life, Light and Righteous Love.

F. Keywords: fellowship, love, know.

G. Key verse:

1 John 5:13 (Amplified Bible)

I write this to you who believe in (adhere to, trust in, and rely on) the name of the Son of God [in the peculiar services and blessings conferred by Him on men], so that you may know [with settled and absolute knowledge] that you [already] have life, yes, eternal life.

VIII. MAIN BODY:

A. Whoever lives in love lives in GOD

"and he who dwells and continues in love dwells and continues in God,"

John 15:5 (Amplified Bible)

I am the Vine; you are the branches. Whoever lives in Me and I in him bears much (abundant) fruit. However, apart from Me [cut off from vital union with Me] you can do nothing.

GOD's Perfect Presence is embodied fully in CHRIST JESUS. If we remain in CHRIST, He remains in us.

Dwell means to stay, remain, stand, tarry, present.

1 John 2:10 (Amplified Bible)

Whoever loves his brother [believer] abides (lives) in the Light, and in It or in him there is no occasion for stumbling or cause for error or sin.

1 John 2:14 (Amplified Bible)

I write to you, fathers, because you have come to know (recognize, be conscious of, and understand) Him Who [has existed] from the beginning. I write to you, young men, because you are strong and vigorous, and the Word of God is [always] abiding in you (in your hearts), and you have been victorious over the wicked one.

Let GOD's Words abide, remain in you, by doing so, so you have dwell in His Promises for you.

B. GOD lives in him

"and God dwells and continues in him"

1 John 4:12 (Amplified Bible)

No man has at any time [yet] seen God. But if we love one another, God abides (lives and remains) in us and His love (that love which is essentially His) is brought to completion (to its full maturity, runs its full course, is perfected) in us!

1 John 3:24 (Amplified Bible)

All who keep His commandments [who obey His orders and follow His plan, live and continue to live, to stay and] abide in Him, and He in them. [They let Christ be a home to them and they are the home of Christ.] And by this we know and understand and have the proof that He [really] lives and makes His home in us: by the [Holy] Spirit Whom He has given us.

Our bodies are the temple of the HOLY SPIRIT, that's how GOD abides in us, by making our bodies His permanent dwelling place while we live on earth.

1 Corinthians 3:16 (Amplified Bible)

Do you not discern and understand that you [the whole church at Corinth] are God’s temple (His sanctuary), and that God’s Spirit has His permanent dwelling in you [to be at home in you, collectively as a church and also individually]?