1 JOHN 4:7-21 LOVE ONE ANOTHER2010 Teaching by Jerry B Simmons

Teaching Transcript: 1 John 4:7-21 Love One Another

You are listening to FerventWord, an online Bible study ministry with teachings and tools to help you grow deeper in your relationship with God. The following message was taught by Jerry Simmons in 2010. So raise your hand if you're here for first service. Anybody? I don't know if the time change messed you up, but man, I really got worked on this morning. I always...

try to take some certain precautions in order to make sure the time change really doesn't adjust me or affect me that much.

And so, you know, me, I live off of my phone. And so my phone is my clock and my phone is my alarm system. And so what I do is I turn off the automatic synchronization. You know how the phone automatically checks with the server and gets the right time. And whenever it comes to daylight savings, I don't trust it because I'm fearful of, you know, what's going to happen and is it going to work appropriately. And so, you know, me being my clever self, I turn off the synchronization.

And then I set the clock manually. And so last night, about 8 o'clock, I did that. I turned off the synchronization. I set it to the appropriate time for today. And then later, when I set my alarm, it was based on that new time. And so I go to sleep and I wake up when my alarm goes off. And I get up and I start to get ready. And as I'm getting ready, I'm thinking to myself,

Something just doesn't seem right here. I'm not sure what it is. I look and double check, you know, it's the right time. But I don't feel, I feel still a lot tired, like I really didn't sleep that long. And I'm thinking, what in the world's going on? And so I open up my browser, I start to look, I check out a website, what time is it? You know, I Google that and it comes up and it turns out it's actually one o'clock in the morning. Okay.

And I'm looking at my phone time and I'm looking at the website and I'm saying, "What's happening here? How did this happen? I turned off the synchronization. I'm all confused. I'm half asleep." And so finally I just figure, "Okay, well, I guess it's the wrong time." So this time I turn on the synchronization, like might as well trust them, and I go back to sleep. And then the alarm goes off again.

But I'm still not certain it's the right time. And so I'm trying to get a grip on what time it is. I'm checking the websites again and some of them are giving me different times and I'm so confused. And so I think, well, I'll just sleep for 30 more minutes and it'll probably become more clear. So I sleep for 30 more minutes. I get up. It's not more clear. I'm still confused. What time is it?

And so finally I get up, I get ready, and I head out the door. And my usual routine is I, you know, go to Jack in the Box and got a fuel up in the morning. And so I'm on my way to Jack in the Box, and I look down at the time in the truck, and it's not the time that I'm expecting to see on the clock. And I'm going...

"Well, it says 6 o'clock and that means it's 7 o'clock. How did it get to 7 o'clock already?" And I'm starting to panic and I'm freaking out and again trying to figure out and rewinding and trying to comprehend, you know, all of the different times I've seen this morning. And I'm, you know, going, I'm on my way, I'm almost here and then I realize, "Oh, that's right. I set the clock forward yesterday in the truck so that I wouldn't get confused in the morning when I got in, but I forgot."

It's been that kind of morning. I don't know about you, but for me, I've just been all out of sorts this morning. So if I get a little confusing, you'll please forgive me and understand, alright? This morning we're talking about the subject of love. Here John deals with it pretty extensively, and it's not the first time that he's talked about love here in this letter.

We dealt with it back in chapter 3 verses 10 through 18. And even in chapter 1 he mentioned love versus hating our brother. And so we understand that John considers this to be something we need to pay attention to. This is the third time he's talking about it. He spends a good deal of time talking about it here that we would understand that this is an important subject and one that we must pay attention to.

In fact, not just the Apostle John, but virtually every New Testament writer deals with the subject of love and gives us the same command to love one another.

Back in the Gospels, they record the account of Jesus as He was declaring the importance of love. You remember when He was asked what the greatest commandment is? And He replied that the greatest commandment is to love God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength.

And then he went on to elaborate and he said the second command, the second greatest command is like it, that you are to love your neighbor as yourself. And so Jesus says these are the two great commands, love God and then love one another or love your neighbor. Then in John chapter 13 verse 35 says,

Jesus tells his disciples that it's by love that the world will know that they're his disciples. He says, the world will know that you're my disciples. They'll know that you're my followers if you have love for one another. Clearly, to Jesus, the subject of love and the command to love one another is very important. It's one that we need to pay attention to.

As we go into the rest of the New Testament, all of the authors deal with the subject of love. The Apostle Paul writes about love and carries on the command to love one another. He gives us a big long description of love in 1 Corinthians chapter 13. Again, focusing heavily on this subject. The Apostle Peter as well.

gives us the command to love one another. Back in 1 Peter 1, verse 22, Peter says, Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit and sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart.

So Peter tells us we're to love one another. Paul tells us we're to love one another. Jesus tells us we're to love one another. James tells us we're to love one another. In the letter of James, chapter 2, verse 8, he says, if you fulfill the royal law according to the scripture, you shall love your neighbor as yourself, you do well.

And so James brings up this command again and says, this is what you ought to do. This is what you as a Christian are to be involved in. The author of Hebrews tells us in Hebrews 13.1 to let brotherly love continue. And so in virtually every book here in the New Testament, starting with Jesus' command, we have this repetition of the subject of love and the command to love one another.

Now, why do you suppose that all throughout the scriptures here, we have this same subject and same command repeated over and over and over again? Could it be that God really wants the church to pay attention to this command? Could it be that it's an area that we really lack?

Although we might think, and if we would just kind of read it, we'd discount it and say, oh yeah, we already do that. But could it be that there's, well, there's something that God desires to speak to us. Could it be that there is a real lack of the kind of love that God desires in our own hearts and in our own fellowship? God wants to speak to us. This is a subject that's very important to Him, near and dear to His heart.

And so he commands us to love one another. And he gives us some good insight here. Five things I'll share with you this morning about love, that we might learn to love one another.

But first, let's talk a little bit about love. The word love, as we're dealing with it here in the scriptures, here in 1 John, it's the word agape, or it's based upon the word agape, which is the love that we're familiar with as Christians. It's the love that God has towards us. It's a love that is divine.

done by act of will. It's not based upon emotion or feeling, but it's a choice. God has loved us, agape love towards us, in that He has chosen to love us. And we'll see that in the passage here. He chose, He made the decision to love us. It's not because we loved Him that He loves us. It's not because we're so good or lovely or wonderful that He loves us. But He has chosen to love us.

He's made that decision. It was an act of will.

As we look at the command here to love one another that's given to us throughout this portion, the command is given in the present tense in the Greek language, which, as we've covered before, means more than just the present tense in the English language. The present tense of this command means that it's to be done continuously or repeatedly, that it's not a one-time or on-occasion type of love that we're to have, but that our lives are to be filled with love

us fulfilling this command that continually and over and over again it's to be our lifestyle that we love one another.

We also see this word love or the command love is in the active voice, which means that we are involved in it. It's not something that's just done to us that we receive, but we are the doers of this command. We are the ones involved in accomplishing this love. And so we need to take initiative and put this love into practice. And we need to love one another continually, repeatedly.

Agape love has been described this way. It's a love that loves without changing. This is the kind of love we're to have towards one another. One aspect of it is that it does not change. It's not hot and cold off and on. It's not back and forth. It's a love that is consistent throughout time. Agape love is a self-giving love that gives without demanding or expecting repayment.

The kind of love that God commands us to have for one another is a love that gives, not based upon the condition that you give back to me, but without expecting anything in return. Without expecting repayment, this love gives love or gives of itself freely, willingly. Agape love is a love so great that it can be given to the unlovable or unappealing.

And sometimes we have those kinds of people in our lives that seem to be unlovable. They're not the favorites of the world. You wouldn't pick them as the person that you want to love. But agape love, the love that you and I are commanded to demonstrate to one another, is a love that overcomes those things, that it can love the unlovable or the unappealing. Agape love is a love that loves even when it is rejected.

Even when that love is rejected, even when that person is rejected, even when that person refuses to receive, agape love still is given. Agape love gives because it loves. It does not love in order to receive. It's not manipulation. It's not based upon conditions. That's the kind of love that you and I are commanded to love one another with. A love that does not change. Now, if you consider...

the love that God has demonstrated towards us, you'll recognize that this is the way that God has loved us. He loves us without changing. He doesn't love us sometimes and then not love us sometimes. He's not hot and cold with us. Sometimes He likes us, sometimes He doesn't. You know, you hope you catch Him on a good day and ask for what you want on that day because then He'll be nice and give it to you. No, God is not like that. He loves us without changing.

He's not back and forth in His love towards us. He loves us with a self-giving love without expecting repayment. We talk continually about the grace of God, His goodness towards us. We don't earn it, we can't deserve it. He just gives it. God loves us even when we are unlovable or unappealing. And that's a good description of us, especially when we see ourselves through God's eyes.

And yet God has chosen, He's made the decision to love us. God loves us even when we reject Him or reject His love. And He gives because He loves. He does not love us in order to receive from us. This is the kind of love that God has demonstrated and given to us. And in turn, He calls us now to love one another in the same way. We've received this kind of love, so we know how to give it.

He's not calling us to do something without any insight on how to do it, without any example of how to love one another in this way. He says, no, look at me, look at my example, and now love one another in the same way. We have received this kind of love, and so you and I know what it's like to be on the receiving end. We know what it's like to experience this love being poured out upon us.

And that should be somewhat of a motivation for us. That others might experience the love of God through us. That they might be recipients of this agape love. As Christians, this is something we need to pay attention to. This is a command that's repeated over and over again. Because it's something that the church desperately needs. Instead of getting upset with one another. Because we are human and we fall short...

We get caught up in sin. We fall short. We rub each other the wrong way. We hurt each other. Sometimes we mess up each other's lives. Instead of getting upset and bitter and angry with one another as believers, God says, have compassion. You've been there. You know what it's like. And I loved you. So love that person in the same way that I have loved you. He commands us to love one another.

Again, five things I want to share with you about love. The first we find in verse 7 and 8, and that is that love is of God. Look at verse 7 with me. It says, Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God, and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. Here we find, as John starts talking about the subject of love, that he starts by saying,

Calling us beloved, which is so appropriate. As he begins the subject of love, he reminds us that we are beloved. It's based upon the same word agape. He says, look, you are the beloved. You are loved by God in this way.

And because you are loved by God in this way, he says, let us love one another. Since this is how God loves us, since you are beloved, recipients of love, let us love one another. God has loved you unconditionally, without changing. He has laid down his life for you. You are a recipient of that love.

So let's love one another. Let's agape one another because we are recipients of agape love. He says, let us love one another. And so he's talking specifically here about love among believers. The one another, as we love one another, as we serve one another, the one another's of the New Testament are particular things that the Bible describes as things that we're to do as the body of Christ.

And so we find in the scripture that we're to love our enemies, we're to love the lost, we're to love those who persecute us, and so on and so forth. But specifically here he's dealing with the subject of love between Christians. And you would think or you would hope that this would not really be an issue or something that needs to be addressed. But again, all throughout we find this command repeated over and over again because, well, it's a need and there is a lack.

God wants us to love one another. We've been recipients of His love and now we're to turn around and share that love with one another. He goes on to say, for love is of God. And that's the first point this morning. Love is of God. We need to understand, we need to recognize that God is the source of love. Love is not something that we produce. It's not something that

Man made up. It's something that God has originated. Love is of God. He is the source. He is the fountain and we are just kind of the conduit. We carry through the love that He pours out on us. We continue it on. We pass it on to those around us. Love is of God.

You know, we're so funny sometimes as Christians because we get in those situations where we know that, well, God is speaking to us, but we try to deny it as much as we can.

You know, you're there at work and there's that person that you kind of see out of the corner of your eye and you can tell something's going on with them and you know God's telling you, hey, why don't you go pray for them or minister to them or share my love with them or tell them about Jesus. He begins to speak to your heart or you're at the grocery store and you see that person and there's that need or you're off over here and you see that there's this prompting in your heart to go and to minister to someone.

And so many times, maybe it's just me, but so many times, you know, you're there and it's like, you begin to try to, you know, use some reason, some logic. Now, is this really God speaking to me? Is this really something that He wants me to do? Or am I just crazy? You know, am I just making this up? I just have these weird feelings, you know? I just, you know, my socks are too tight or something. And I just think that...

I'm supposed to go minister, but that's not really what God wants me to do. And we begin to think all these weird thoughts and try to have these justifications for why we don't go and talk to that person or pray for them or minister to them or whatever God is prompting us to do. But listen, love is of God. And so when you are prompted to love somebody, understand that God is the source of love. Does the devil tell you to love people?

You think the devil shoots that fiery dart? Why don't you go pray for that person? Tell him how much Jesus loves him. No. And I can tell you for sure, your flesh doesn't prompt you to love people like that either. To tell them about the things of God and pray for them and go out of your comfort zone. That's not the devil. That's not your flesh. Love is of God. And so when you're prompted to have compassion upon somebody, to show mercy, to reach out to them,

Understand that God is the source of love. Love one another for love is of God. That's God's work. That's God's doing. And so you can rest assured that God is with you, that He is the source. He's placing that love upon your heart. He's the one prompting you to have compassion, to show mercy, to reach out to that person who's in front of you. He goes on to say, everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.

The kind of love that John is dealing with here is a kind of love that requires that you be born again. This is not a love that can be accomplished with our own strength.

It's not a love that can be accomplished through our natural selves. This is a love that is supernatural, that requires that we be born again. Everyone who loves is born of God, and not only born of God, but also, he says, knows God. This means to know God intimately by experience. He's talking about a relationship with God. He's saying, look, everyone who loves God,

has been born of God, has been born again and is walking in, is involved in a real relationship with God. Because God again is the source of love.

And so everyone who loves is in contact with the source. They've been born again. They've been regenerated by the Holy Spirit. They're empowered by the Holy Spirit. They're walking with God. God is filling them with love that they are then able to pour out upon others around them. Everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.

And in contrast to that, verse 8, he who does not love does not know God, for God is love. And so, everyone who loves is born of God. Whoever does not love, that person does not know God, for God is love. To love requires that we be born again and walk in a relationship with God. And it's a kind of love that cannot be accomplished without being born again and walking in relationship with God.

And so, if a person does not love, that person does not know God. If we're not able to love one another as believers, the reality is we do not know God. Why? Because God is love. And as we walk in relationship with God, as we grow in our relationship with Him, we become more like Him. He fills us with more of Himself. And love is of God. And God is love. So that those who know God...

are able to love one another. And those who do not know God will not love one another. All throughout the passage this morning, we'll see time and time again that God is our example of love. He's the one who has modeled it, He has demonstrated it, and as we are with Him, as we see His example, we learn and we're empowered to follow His example and to love one another in the same way.

And so we start out seeing that and understanding that love is of God, that love is originated by God. He is the source. And by walking with Him and knowing Him, we're filled with love, that we can obey the command because we're recipients. We are the beloved. Let us love one another. The second thing we find as we go on in the passage is that love initiates. Look at verse 9. He says, In this the love of God was manifested toward us.

that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. He says, look, this is what love looks like. In this, the love of God was manifested toward us. In this, the love of God was demonstrated towards us. In this, the love of God was revealed toward us.

Here's how God has shown and proved and demonstrated His love. This is what love looks like. That God has sent His only begotten Son into the world that we might live through Him. And so He's talking about the work that Jesus did for us there upon the cross. It's the proof, the demonstration,

Again in verse 10, Again he says, That word propitiation means appeasement.

Meaning that the wrath of God that was due to you and I because of our rebellion against God, because of our sin against God, that wrath has been appeased. It has been fulfilled. It has been poured out. But not on us who deserve it. Jesus received it.

there upon the cross. He is the propitiation for our sins. He received the judgment. He received the punishment. He received what was due to us. And John is saying, that's what love looks like. Here's how God's love is manifested towards us. That God sent His only begotten Son into the world to be the propitiation for our sins that we might live through Him.

The Father sent the Son to pay the price, to receive the penalty on our behalf that we might have life. Now consider that kind of love for a moment. The Father sending the Son on our behalf. Consider what it must have been like for the Father and what kind of love for you the Father must have in order to send Jesus, the only begotten Son, into the world.

Consider how much God must love you. When Jesus is there in the garden saying, Father, if there's any other way, three times He goes before the Father, He says, God, if there's any other way, if there's another way, if it's possible, if you can live without this person, Lord, if there's any other way, take this cup from me. Consider how much love that God must have for you, for Him to...

Well, to endure the suffering of His only begotten, Jesus Christ, there upon the cross. Suffering and pain that you and I can't even begin to imagine. Jesus cries out, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" How much love for you does the Father have? Picture for a moment someone that you love. Maybe it's a child like the Father and the Son. Maybe it's a grandchild.

Maybe it's a spouse or a parent or a friend. But who do you love the most? And play out this scenario in your head. You love them dearly. They're precious to you. How difficult is it to see them in pain? How hard is it to watch them endure? Especially if you have the capacity to deliver them from that difficulty or pain. How tough is it?

Can you picture yourself saying to that person, I know this hurts. I know it's the hardest thing you've ever had to do in your life. I know it's painful. You're screaming out in agony. But you have to endure this because I love Jerry. What kind of love for us does the Father have that He would allow, that He would endure, having the capacity to deliver Him, having the capacity to say, forget these people. I'm holding on to my son. No, He says...

Son, you're going to have to endure. And it's going to hurt. It's going to hurt you. It's going to hurt me. But I love these people. And I want them to have life through you. Jesus demonstrated his love and his willingness to be obedient, to follow through with this. The Father demonstrates his love by sending his only begotten Son. God loves you so much. He loves you so much.

And this is how He has manifested His love towards you. This is how He has shown. This is how He has proven. This is what love looks like. Not that we loved God and so then God responded. No, God initiated. He started it. He is the one who began this loving relationship. He loved us first. When we were still enemies against God. In Romans chapter 5 verse 8,

It tells us that God demonstrates His own love toward us and that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. While we were still against God, while we were still wicked and vile and in sin, Christ died for us. He initiated. He started it. He resolved the conflict by submitting Himself and providing appeasement, propitiation there upon the cross. He bore the punishment due to us

And he who knew no sin became sin, that we might have life. Verse 11 says, Beloved, again, recipients of love, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. He says, hey guys, recipients, remember, this is how God loved us. This is what he's done for us. This is how he's revealed his love and demonstrated it to us. You're the recipient of that love. And if God has loved us this way, we also ought to love one another.

He is the model for us. He is the example. As He has demonstrated His love towards us, we are to love one another. As God initiated the loving relationship, He sacrificed. He went way out of the way to meet our needs. He took the burden upon Himself. In that same way, we are to love one another. Even if the people don't love us back,

We're not to wait and then respond. No, we are to initiate, to go out of our way, to sacrifice, to take the burden upon ourselves, to reach out in love to one another. Because that's how God has loved us. Love initiates. So many times, we just want to reciprocate. We just, okay, you love me, okay, now I'll love you. But that's not the love that God commands us to have for one another. He commands us to love one another even when others don't love us.

Even when they don't receive it, even when they don't ask for it, even when they don't deserve it, love reaches out. Love initiates. Number three, love is proof of God abiding. Love proves that God is abiding in us. Look at verse 12. He says, no one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God abides in us and his love has been perfected in us. Love is the proof that God abides in us.

No one has seen God at any time. So you don't see me walking down the street and you don't see God right there next to me. You haven't seen God. But you can see God in me and in my life by my love for others. If we love one another, God abides in us. In the same way you've heard the saying, you know, we don't see the wind, we see the effects of the wind. We've not seen God. He's real. He exists. But we haven't seen him.

But we can see the result of Him in a person's life. We can see the result of Him in our own lives by the love for one another that is produced. He says, if we love one another, God abides in us and His love has been perfected in us. If we love one another, it's because God abides in us. The result of God abiding in us is love. The result of that abiding relationship with God is

Him in us and us in Him. It produces love for one another in our lives and in our hearts. And John says, this is the proof, this is the evidence that God abides in you. There's a lot of other things that we might think to look at in a person's life to see if they abide in God and God abides in them.

David Guzik puts it this way. He says, And so he's saying, look, we can look at all kinds of evidences in our life

Oh, look how I read the Word, or look how I never miss a service, or look how I pray fervently, or demonstrate gifts of the Spirit. I must abide with God, and God must abide with me. But John says, that's not the evidence. The evidence of God abiding is love one another. We can do all of those other things, and many more things, and be offering to God the product of our hands. We can be offering to God our works, and we can be saying to God, look how faithful I am.

No, the proof that God abides in us is love. Not works, love. If we love one another, God abides in us. And His love has been perfected in us. Look at verse 13. By this we know that we abide in Him and He in us because He has given us of His Spirit. He's given us of His Spirit. And that's how we know that He abides in us and that we abide in Him. Because the Spirit is at work within us. The Holy Spirit transforms us from the inside out.

And you know what the Spirit produces in our life? You know what the result of the Holy Spirit being within us accomplishes? You know what happens? Galatians chapter 5, verse 22 and 23, Paul tells us, the fruit of the Spirit is love and joy and peace and long-suffering and kindness and goodness and faithfulness and gentleness and self-control. But the first thing he lists, the primary evidence, is love.

By this, we know that we abide in Him. Here's how we know that we have that relationship with God, that intimacy. The word abide means to endure or remain. Here's how we know that we're abiding, we're enduring, we're remaining in Him and He's remaining in us. Here's how we know. The Spirit that He has given to us produces in us love and we love one another.

Verse 14. And we have seen and testified that the Father has sent the Son as the Savior of the world. 15. Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him and he in God. Verse 16.

And we have known and believed that the love that God has for us, God is love. And he who abides in love abides in God and God in him. He says, we've seen and we testify the Father has sent the Son as the Savior of the world. Again, reminding us of the love that God has manifested or demonstrated or revealed to us. John says, I saw it. We testify of it. The Father sent the Son. And whoever confesses

that Jesus is the Son of God. Whoever confesses that Jesus is the one that the Father sent, that we might have life in His name. Whoever confesses that Jesus is the propitiation for our sins. He says, God abides in Him and He in God. Now to confess means more than just making your mouth say the words. Confess means to agree with.

It's an agreement that we agree with God. This is who Jesus is. Not that we just acknowledge it, but that we agree with it. It's demonstrated by not just our mouth, not just our lips, but by our life. Whoever confesses, whoever agrees with God that Jesus is the Son of God. Jesus being the Son of God does not make him inferior to God, as some would suggest. But being the Son of God...

requires that he be equal to God because Jesus is God. Remember back a couple of verses that John described him as the only begotten son. To be only begotten, it's a particular word that doesn't mean birth as we might think of begotten, but it means the unique, the one and only of his kind. He is the son of God in a unique way. He is the one and only begotten

Son, in that relationship. Now, you and I are children of God. We have the right to be children of God, those who believe in Jesus. John tells us in the Gospel of John chapter 1. But Jesus is the Son of God in a completely unique and different way, in that He is God, the second person of the triune nature of God, God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.

And so we see that those who confess, whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, that Jesus being God became man. He added humanity to his deity in order to be the propitiation for our sins. The person who confesses agrees with God regarding that. He says that person abides in God and God abides in him. So he says we've known and we believed this love that God has for us.

He says, look, God is love. Again, God is love. And he who abides in love abides in God and God in him. And so you see John wrapping these two things together. He's intertwining them together. Love and abiding, they go together. They cannot be separated. Whoever abides in God...

well, that person has believed in Jesus Christ, confessed that He is the Son of God, and God abides in Him, and when God abides in Him, it produces love. And so the person who loves, loves because they abide in God. The person who does not love, does not abide in God. The person who does not abide in God, cannot love, but the person who does abide in God, loves because that's the product, that's what abiding in God produces in us. And so love is the proof.

Number four, love gives boldness and not fear. Look at verse 17. He says, Here we see another aspect of love. Love gives us boldness, confidence, and openness, security, and love.

He says, love has been perfected among us in this, or completed or matured among us in this, that we may have boldness. As love comes to maturity, as we grasp and understand really what love is, it gives us a boldness in the day of judgment. What happens in your heart when you think about the day of judgment? You know that day where the Bible describes that all of us will stand before God and give account?

And we will receive, according to what we've done, what happens in your heart. As you picture yourself standing there before God, do you have boldness or fear? Look at verse 18. He says, And so we see this contrast between boldness and fear.

And as it regards to the day of judgment, he says, love produces in us, love gives us boldness for that day. As we understand the love that God has for us, we have boldness. When love is matured or perfected among us, we have boldness as we look forward to and when we stand in the day of judgment. Because as he is, so are we in this world.

Because we're identified with Christ. We're wrapped up in Christ. We are in Him. And so we have this boldness because we understand, because we've learned about the love of God. And there's no fear in love. Because fear involves torment. We don't fear the day of judgment. We don't fear God tormenting us. Because we know what love is. And we know how much He loves us.

The word fear here is the idea of terror, something that terrifies you and makes you run away. And that's really the key there, the running away from. There's no fear in love. In a loving relationship with God, there's nothing that causes you to run away from Him. Nothing about love will ever cause you to run away from God.

Love will never ever push you away from God. When you understand how much God loves you, it will not cause you to run or to flee. It will cause you to draw near. In Romans chapter 8 verse 1 it tells us that there is now therefore no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. God is not looking to beat us down, to torment us. No, He is reaching out to us with open arms, inviting us.

All who will may enter. He tells us, whoever comes to me, I will in no wise cast out. He's reaching out with love. And so love casts out fear. There's no fear in love. Because we understand that God's not out to get us. But as we understand what He's done for us, and the great extent of the love that He has for us, fear is driven away and we have now a boldness, a confidence, a security,

Not because we're worthy or not because we're righteous or not because we're so good, but because God loves us so much. As you think about that day, as you stand before God, as you think about the end of the world, what happens in your heart? Is there fear or is there boldness? You know, if there is fear, sometimes a Christian will be bound up and tormented with the fear, the anxiety. And it's because...

They don't know how much God loves them. I want you to know, God loves you so much. He's not out to get you. He's not trying to torment you. He sent His only begotten Son. He endured the pain, the suffering. He endured the watching and the allowing it to happen because He loves you, that you might have life in His name. So He says in verse 19, we love Him because He first loved us.

We loved Him because He first loved us. Again, He initiated it. He loved us so much, He went out of His way, He took the burden upon Himself, He took the punishment, He took the wrath. He received it on our behalf so that we might have relationship with Him, that we might have life in His name. And because He has loved us in this way, we respond by loving Him. His love

prompts us and causes us to love Him back. And so now we walk in a loving relationship with God. Him loving us and us loving Him. And in this loving relationship, as love is perfected, as we grow in this love, understanding God's love for us and growing in love for Him, it gives us boldness. Fear is cast out. It's put aside. Because we know Him whom we have believed.

As Paul said, I know Him. And I know that He is able to hold on to that which I've entrusted to Him. I've given Him my life. I've given Him my heart. I've surrendered completely to Him. He loves me and I love Him. And so it produces this boldness, this confidence, not fear. Finally, number five. Love for God is for others also. Love for God is for others also. Look at verse 20.

He says, This is pretty significant. Pay attention here. John says, look, if someone says, I love God, but at the same time hates his brother, he says that person is a liar. It cannot happen that you love God and hate your brother. It's just not possible.

And so to make the claim to love God while you hate someone else, he says that makes you a liar. He goes on to explain, for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen? He asks this question to make an understanding in our minds or in our hearts so that we would understand that it is easier to love what is seen. That's what John is saying. It's easier to love that which is right in front of you.

And so to claim to love God whom you've not seen, when you're not able to love the person that's right in front of you, that claim makes you a liar because it's easier to love what is seen, what is right in front of you. So it's easier to love what is seen, but check this out, it's easier to say or to make the claim that you love what is not seen because it's not really verifiable. And so you can say, I love God, then I say, well,

Well, what about this? Look at how you hate your brother. And then you say, well, don't judge me. You don't know what's going on in my heart. You don't know the relationship that I have with him. I love God. It's not verifiable. It's easy to say, I love God, because, well, it's hard to quantify. It's hard to verify. But John says, look, if you hate your brother whom you've seen, then you don't love God. How could you love God whom you've not seen? It's easier to love the one that is right in front of you.

And a lot of people say that they love God. They make that claim because it's an easy claim to make. And if it's challenged, you just say, you don't know my heart. You don't know the relationship that I have with God. But I love God. John says, whether you really love God or not is demonstrated by how you love other believers. And now we're in trouble, right? Uh-oh. I can tell you, I love sushi. And it would be hard for you to verify that statement

right now in this moment. But if you were to put a plate of sushi in front of me, you would very quickly and easily verify that is a false statement. I can't stand this stuff. I wouldn't be able to pretend to like it. I wouldn't be able to swallow it. And so I can make the claim all I want, but when you put it right in front of me, it shows, it proves whether or not that claim is true. In the same way, I could say, I love God, and you could verify that statement by putting Avi right in front of me.

Right in the front row. And then you can see, does he really love God or not? Let's see how he deals with this guy. Let's see how he relates to these people. Let's see how he loves the person that's right in front of him. John says, how can you love God when you can't even love the person who's right in front of you? The one you can see. The one who's right there with you. It's easier to love what is seen. Now what we know is that love is demonstrated to us by God.

And so we know what love looks like. We know how we're to love one another. And so I can look at my life and say, do I lay my life down for others as Jesus laid down his life for me? Is my life about serving others? Or is my life about others serving me and fulfilling my needs and my wants and my desires and wishes and commands? Do I love others the way that God has loved me? It's easy to say I love God. But if I really love God, it means that I will love others also.

Right? In the same way, it would be easy for you to say, I love everyone in the world, except for this neighbor that's right here next door to me. Man, I can't stand that guy. So you say, I love everybody in the world, but it's the one who's right in front of you. That's really the test. That's really the evidence. In the same way, in the church, as Christians, the way that we love one another is the evidence. It shows.

If we love God, we will love others also. So he gives us verse 21. And this commandment we have from him that he who loves God must love his brother also. Here's the commandment that we have. Love one another. He says, he who loves God must love his brother also. It's not an option. It's not a choice. It's not when you get around to it. It's not when you feel like it. It's a command. And if you love God, Jesus said, if you love me, you'll keep my commands.

And so here's the command that you have from Jesus. And if you love Jesus, then you are going to love one another as He commanded. If you love God, then you're going to love His children. Because God loves His children so much that He sent His only begotten Son. And so this is the command that we have, that whoever loves God must love his brother also.

It's a command, it's a willful choice. It's not a feeling. And so if you're waiting to have the feeling to love one another before you start loving people, it's never going to happen. You have to make the decision. God will help you. He's the source, He's the originator. But you have the responsibility to make the choice. It's like having a power tool. Having it along with you as you're doing a project is great.

But it will not build anything for you. You have to make the choice. And if you make the choice, if you put it to use, well, the power is there. It still takes work. But it's much, much easier in the same way. God has given us what we need. In our relationship with Him, He's demonstrated love for us. He's filled us with love that we are able now to extend to one another. But He commands us to love one another.

He calls us to make the choice, to make the decision to be obedient to Him. And as we do, He's got the power. He'll fulfill it. He can accomplish it. He's got the resources.

But we can't wait for the feeling to happen. We need to choose to decide to obey. Which means it's not going to be easy. And there's going to be people that we don't care for particularly too much. And there's going to be people that irritate us and rub us the wrong way. But we, because of the relationship that we have with God, because we abide in Him and He in us, we have the capacity to love unconditionally, without changing, to lay our lives down.

To look out not only for our own interests, but also for the interests of others. To love one another. Love is of God. Love initiates. Don't wait so that you can pay back when someone loves you. No, you start it. Just as God did in the relationship with you. Love is proof that God abides in you. And love gives boldness and not fear. Love for God means that you love others also.

And so I conclude by exhorting you, by asking you, love one another. You know, I had you greet one another this morning after the reading by saying, hey, I love you. And maybe some of you did it, maybe you didn't. Maybe you did it in jest. But I would encourage you in sincerity, let them know that you love them. Let them know that you really do care. Let them know that as God has loved you, you love them. Not just in words, as we saw back in chapter 3,

not just in word, but in deed, in action. Live it out. Show compassion. Be merciful. Love one another. It's what God commands you to do. And He gives you everything that you need to obey as you walk in relationship with Him. Let's pray. Lord, as we consider these things, Lord, we're challenged, convicted. Lord, there's areas in all of our lives where we need to take this step of obedience to love one another as You have loved us.

I pray, Lord, that you would help us. Show us, Lord, those areas that we are not loving one another. God, that we might turn and respond and be obedient to you, not relying upon our own resources, our own strength, but saying like Paul, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Lord, knowing that you will provide. You're the originator. You're the source of love. And so, God, I pray that you would draw us near to yourself.

Help us, God, to walk in relationship with you. Help us to call out to you, to rely upon you. Lord, that as we draw near to you, we might be filled with your love. As we see over and over your love for us, teach us, God, to demonstrate that same love to others around us. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

We pray you have been blessed by this Bible teaching. The power of God to change a life is found in the daily reading of His Word. Visit ferventword.com to find more teachings and Bible study resources.