Pure Love In An Impure World

John reveals somethings about his audience in these verses of scriptures…

• In verses 12-14. John is writing to "little children” of God because their sins are forgiven.

• He refers to them as “Little Children” because spiritually they have not been saved very long.

In verses 12 and 13 he uses two different words for “Little children”.

1) Verse 12 refers to all believers as the words “Little children” means literally "born ones." That is these are young converts that recently have been born into the Kingdom of God.

• That is to enjoy living in this life on earth, we have to be born in this life

• To enjoy living in the kingdom of God, we have to be born in the Kingdom of God.

This is why God’s Word teach “Ye must be born again” if you are going to live in God’s Kingdom.

2) Verse 13 he uses a different word for “Little children” to describe those just starting out in the Christian life. They have been born again but are still immature in the faith but they have known the Father.

• So, John is addressing a congregation of young converted immature Christians.

• To all of God’s children, in whatever stage of spiritual development they are in, John gives a strong warning!!!

Look at verse 15. "Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.”

In verse 15 the word LOVE is used 3 TIMES in 3 different ways.

Have you ever thought about HOW IMPORTANT THE WORD LOVE IS TO US CHRISTIANS?

Is there anything more important than LOVE?

• What would it be like to live in a world where there is NO LOVE!

I WOULDN’T WANT TO LIVE IN SUCH A WORLD.

• What would it be like to have a home where there is NO LOVE!

I WOULDN’T WANT TO LIVE IN SUCH A HOME.

• What would be like to attend a church where there is NO LOVE!

I WOULDN’T WANT TO BELONG TO SUCH A CHURCH

There is not anything more important than LOVE!!!

Illus: All the problems in the WORLD, in our HOMES, in our NEIGHBORHOODS AND IN OUR CHURCHES mostly come from two things…

(1) LACK OF LOVE

(2) MIS-UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT LOVE IS

In this IMPURE WORLD we need to make sure we really know what the word LOVE REALLY MEANS?

The apostle John agrees with me and this is why he is addressing these young converts.

Why?

As new born babes in the Lord we all have different meaning of the word LOVE.

Illus: For example, teenagers develop a definition of the word love as a teenager when they fall in love. ALL OF A SUDDEN YOU CANNOT TELL THEM ANYTHING ABOUT LOVE, THEY KNOW ALL ABOUT LOVE!!!

They know more about love than their parents and grandparents put together…THEY THINK!!!

However, most of the time their love is an EMOTIONAL LOVE,

Illus: For example they can believe in this kind of emotional love and have ten different girl friends in ten months.

And what a shame about this kind of love some adults grow up and still all they know is an EMOTIONAL LOVE!!!

To know what love is we have to know God, because the Word of God tells us…

I. GOD IS LOVE

LOOK AT “Romans 5:8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

God’s love is an everlasting love

JEREMIAH 31:3 “The LORD hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee. '”

Illus: God loves me today and I do not have to wonder if God will love me tomorrow. GOD IS LOVE!!!

Illus: God love is not a Love like a spike” that turns “On and off”!

Illus: It is like when a man truly falls in love with his wife and she no longer have that school girl figure and her smooth skin is replace with wrinkles, if he TRUL LOVES he will love her till the day she dies.

Illus: The Billy Graham movie "A Vow to Cherish" illustrates the COMMITMENT of PURE LOVE in a powerful way.

• The lead character’s wife contracts Alzheimer’s at a very young age, devastating the family and threatening to destroy a long-standing marriage.

The husband is reduced to a caregiver for a wife who can no longer physically or mentally fulfill him.

• She doesn’t even know his name.

• In the meantime, he strikes up a friendship with an attractive woman he meets while jogging.

• The climax of the movie takes place when the husband, on the brink of compromise and close to walking away from it all, renews his COMMITMENT to his wife.