"why We Have To Love"

Title: “Learning to Love” Script: I Jn. 4:7-12

Type: Expository Series Where: GNBC 7-28-24

Intro: The church father, Jerome, said that when the apostle John was in his extreme old age, he was so weak that he had to be carried into the church meetings. At the end of the meeting he would be helped to his feet to give a word of exhortation to the church. Invariably, he would repeat, “Little children, let us love one another.” The disciples began to grow weary of the same words every time, and they finally asked him why he always said the same thing over and over. He replied, “Because it is the Lord’s commandment, and if this only is done, it is enough” (cited by John Stott, The Epistles of John, p. 49) The world we are living in affords us Christians many opportunities to respond in love. The world needs to see our love on display. And, our Savior Himself said that it would be evidence to the world of our commitment to Him (Jn. 13:35). So with this in mind, we need to learn the importance of loving.

Prop: In I Jn. 4:7-11, the author gives us 3 Important Principles for Learning to Love.

BG: 1. W/o a doubt this section of John’s letter is focused on love. 11x the word or a variant of the word is used in only 5 verses. 2. What our world needs to see…what we need to practice as Christians… is love. 3.

Prop: Let’s look at I Jn. 4:7-11 to realize 3 Important Principles for Learning to Love.

I. God is Love, So We Can Love Each Other. Vv.7-8

A. God is the Source of all Love and it is a Part of His Very Nature.

1.Notice how John begins this section of his letter.

a. The Greek word for “love” or its variants are used as I said previously, 11x in 5 verses. That is too obvious for any of us to miss. Christianity is to be a religion of love. Illust: Some of you may be thinking, “But Chris, I remember the quote from last week’s sermon, where you said nearly every cult and false religion wants to emphasize love at some expense. How is this any different?”

b. Illust: We are all familiar with the expression: “Practice what you preach!” Interestingly, the Aged apostle does just that as he begins this portion of his letter. “Beloved, let us love…” (v.7 and again in v. 11) In urging his readers to love one another he begins by assuring them of his own love for them.” (Stott, p.163)

2. Love is an essential Character Quality of God, and it is entirely rooted in His Nature.

a. Illust: Author Susan Hunt wrote the following: “A friend gave me a plaque that proclaims: "Grandmothers are antique little girls." I don't know what the originator had in mind, but my spin is that the longer we live, the more we return to the simplicity of childhood. I am convinced that things are not as complicated as I made them when I was a young woman. I am in my sixties, so I tried out my life-gets-simpler theory on one of my spiritual mothers who is in her nineties. Her response was, “When I was a little girl I learned that God is love.” I waited for more, but she just smiled. She was done — she had said it all. As conservative Evangelicals we love doctrine and the complexity of the nature of God and Biblical Theology, however, every one of us needs to be enraptured with the simplicity and magnitude of the statement: “God is love!”

b. Look at both verse 7 & 8, John makes his case for why we are to love one another as believers. He states that it is based in God’s very nature. In fact, he states this 2x. In v. 7 he declares that “love comes from God” and then in v. 8 he states: “because God is love”. So, not only is God the source of all love, He is love in His inmost being!

B. God is the Source of Love. (Let’s explore this truth further.)

1. Love is God’s Very Nature.

a. Please note the way I stated that point. “Love is God’s very nature.” I did not say that “Love is an essential aspect of God’s nature…” I did not state that “Love is one of the important attributes that make up the nature of God.” Rather, I said: “Love is God’s very nature.” So, like I previously stated, “Not only is God love, but He is love in His inmost being.” The NT declares 4 statements of what God is in substance and nature. 1. He is Spirit (Jn. 4:24). 2. He is light (I Jn. 1:5). 3. He is a consuming fire (Heb. 12:29). And, of course, we are told He is love (v.8)! I find it interesting, the Gnostic heretics John denounced so vehemently NEVER taught that God WAS love! (W/o knowing the love of God, one only has the harsh legalism of Islam with no hope of relationship.)