1 John 4:13
Last week we saw that “No one has seen God, but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.” You remember we said that people will see God through you. Reading the gospel of Arthur. Seeing how God works through Arthur and how Arthur handles life’s daily adventures with God.
John then went on to tell us that faith produces love to one another. Then he defined God’s great love. 1JN 4:10 This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for n our sins.
Now in vs. 13 and 14 John is talking about himself and the rest of the Apostles.
1JN 4:13 We know that we live in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit.
Now this thing that the Spirit has given us is the love that we are to share. Some people take the verses that says we are to be the “Salt and the Light of the world”, They take those verses to mean that we are to go and evangelize the entire world, and certainly we should. But what good would that be if we didn’t show love. You can’t evangelize the world without first showing love.
Vs 14 goes on. 1JN 4:14 And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world
First look at what it does not say. It does not say that Jesus came to save the world. Rather the Bible tells us that Jesus came as the Savior of the world.
JN 3:16 "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, n that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
Yet Jesus said,
JN 5:39, 40 “You diligently study n the Scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life. These are the Scriptures that testify about me, yet you refuse to come to me to have life.”
John now goes on tell us the accomplishments of this love.
1JN 4:16 And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him.
1JN 4:17 In this way, love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment, because in this world we are like him.
This love has then made a complete circle. God showed His love to you by sending His Son. By faith you have accepted Jesus. Then that love that is manifested in you by the Spirit , causes you to lead a life that is pleasing to God. The time of the judgement comes, and you have confidence. Because…
1JN 4:18 There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.
Fear has a way of robbing us of life. It binds us, captures us, and keeps us from experiencing the true life that God has for us.
The love of God in our life will cast out that fear.
Finally look at these last verses of chapter 4.
Notice how John pulls no punches. Anyone who says they love God yet hates his brother is a LIAR.
You see your brother’s need, his problems. Yet you say that you can’t love him. You say you love God yet you have never seen him.
It is not that we cannot love, we choose not to love.
Let us open ourselves to God’s word and God’s love, and truly start to live the life of love that Jesus gave us an example of. Let us have the courage to share the Love of God.
