The Challenge Of Love Series

Text: 1 John 4:1-11

(1) Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world. (2) Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God: (3) And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world. (4) Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world. (5) They are of the world: therefore speak they of the world, and the world heareth them. (6) We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error. (7) Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. (8) He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. (9) In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. (10) Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. (11) Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.

Today, “The Challenge to Love.”

A challenge issued by the Holy Spirit through the Apostle John which helps us see how to fulfill the Great Commandments “Love God and Love Others” and the Great Commission.

The Context: 1 John 4:1-21

John warns about false doctrines concerning Christ’s words and work.

Throughout the Epistle, he has issued several tests to help show the difference between the Believer and the Non-Believer.

John issues a Great Challenge in our text with “A Test of True love.”

NOTE: God’s people must be ever cautious concerning false teachers that may arise to deny the incarnation, deity, and atonement of the Lord Jesus, and must accept none of their claims without testing them by God’s Truth in the light of the Holy Spirit’s teaching.

The spirit of truth is known not only by doctrine, but by love.

God’s LOVE “Agapa” is the natural fruit of the Spirit.

God’s love witnessed through the Believer’s life provides a true and just testimony of salvation, and such love can never deny the Lord Jesus.

A quick glance at this chapter reveals several tests of true doctrine, 1 John 4:1-15.

The litmus test of True Bible Doctrine:

1. Does it confess Christ’s true humanity? 1Jn_4:9, 1Jn_4:15.

2. Does it support His vicarious atonement? 1Jn_4:10, 1Jn_4:14.

3. Does it tend to worldliness? 1Jn_4:4, 1Jn_4:5.

4. Does it find agreement with spiritually minded people it? 1Jn_4:6.

5. Does it witness to the spirit of divine love? 1Jn_4:7, 1Jn_4:8.

6. Does it accord with the teaching of the Holy Spirit? 1Jn_4:13.

Notice the truths about Love that John teaches: 1-11

I. The Confession of Truth about confessing Christ, (4:1-3)

II. The Contrast of Spirit of Truth to spirit of error, (4:4-6)

III. The Clarity about God’s Love, (4:7-10

IV. The Challenge of Love, (4:11)

I want to focus primarily on verse 11 and “the Great Challenge of Love” as given by the Apostle John.

We shall look at this Challenge in two parts.

I. John’s Love Challenge, part one… 1 John 4:11

(11) Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.

The first part of John’s challenge: “Beloved, if God so loved us…”

Does God love us?

Question: This may seem silly, but Does God love us?

One passage we never grow tired of hearing.

These few verses sum up so much about God’s Love.

Let’s them again… Joh 3:16-19

(16) For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (17) For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. (18) He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. (19) And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.

Word Study: In John 3;16, “Loved” agapao¯, a noble word used for the highest form of love.

God’s Love is what brought Redemption! John 3:16, notice the couplets…