Three Loves

THREE LOVES (1 JOHN 2)

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Quotes on love:

Love is like a rumor. Everyone talks about it, but no one truly knows. Anonymous

The more I learn about people, the more I like my dog. Mark Twain

I love mankind... it's people I can't stand!! Charlie Brown

Love is telling someone to go to hell and worrying about them getting there safely.

Love people. Use things. The opposite never works.

Love people better, not love better people. Victor Yap

Angry people want you to see how powerful they are. Loving people want you to see how powerful you are.

Love people, but put your trust completely in God.

Who is the most loving apostle of Jesus? John, hands down. John was loving enough to take care of Jesus’ mother be with Jesus at the cross when He was crucified (John 19:25). In chapter 1 John used the word” fellowship” more than anyone else in the Bible because of John’s warm and intimate fellowship with Jesus. John was known as the “disciple whom Jesus loved” (John 13:23, 20:2, 21:7, 21:20). He has that exclusive relationship with Jesus that made others envy him. Now in chapter 2 he’s using another word based on his special status; we call John “the apostle of love” - the word “love.” Here in chapter 2 he called them “my dear (agapetos) children” (1 John 2:1, 3:18) and dear children “(1 John 2:12, 2:28, 3:7, 4:4, 5:21) in the epistle – his special stamp, similar to his gospel (13:22). More importantly, he used love thrice in chapter 2 (vv 5, 10 (verb), 15).

What is love? How do you know if somebody loves you? Why is love considered the greatest in the Bible, greater than faith and hope or joy?

Obey God’s Word

1 My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. 2 He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world. 3 We know that we have come to know him if we keep his commands. 4 Whoever says, “I know him,” but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in that person. 5 But if anyone obeys his word, love for God is truly made complete in them. This is how we know we are in him: 6 Whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did

A businessman well known for his ruthlessness once announced to writer Mark Twain, "Before I die I mean to make a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. I will climb Mount Sinai and read the 10 Commandments aloud at the top (of the mountain)."

"I have a better idea," replied Twain. "You could stay in Boston and keep them." (Moody Bible Institute's Today in the Word, September, 1991, p. 3

The first love in the chapter is love for God – to keep His commandments. Love is in your attitude and action. What is the purpose of the chapter in verse 1 (KJV, My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin)? The purpose is to sin not, according to the “hina” purpose clause, where the emphasis is. John did not say believers cannot sin, but his purpose is that they will not sin out of love for God. The presence of the Father prevents us from being drawn into sin, defeated by sin or be deadened by sin. Most versions – NASB, RSV and ESV – translate this so “may not sin” and KJV is “sin not” in the present tense, but only NIV uses the future tense – will not sin.

God has given us three most precious gifts to help us in our relationship with the Father to fight sin and not fear sin, including His advocacy, His atonement and authorship. Advocacy is to the Father for believers, atonement by Christ is for the world – the past, and authorship is our adherence to His word, of which the last part is his emphasis in the present, to keep his commandments – the present. He is faithful but are you faithful to His word?

There is more mention of “commandments” in 1 John (14 times) than any book in the Bible - next is John’s gospel (10 times over 21 chapters) - and there is more mention of “know” (vv 3 twice, 4, 5, 13 twice, 14, 18, 29) in this chapter than any chapter in the Bible. Keep his commandments (v 3) means obedience – confession, conformity to Christ and conversion of the heart. The clause “keep his commandments” (1 John 2:3, 3:22, 3:24, 5:2) occurs more in 1 John than all other books put together (John 14:15, 1 Cor 7:19). Jesus said, "If ye love me, keep my commandments.” (John 14:15). It is contrasted to knowing (2:11, 20, 21) versus keeping, hearing versus heeding, and professing versus practicing.