God Is Love

God Is Love

7 Beloved, jlet us love one another, for love is from God, and kwhoever loves has been born of God and knows God. 8 lAnyone who does not love does not know God, because mGod is love. 9 In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that nGod sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. 10 In this is love, onot that we have loved God nbut that he loved us and sent his Son to be pthe propitiation for our sins. 11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12 qNo one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and rhis love is perfected in us.[1]

Thesis: John describes the Love of God as the source, standard and motive for the saints’ love for one another.  Outline:

Introduction

Now it is easy to talk about love, etc., but what do the Scriptures mean when they talk of loving.  John leaves no doubt about it.  Love is what God is, what he does, and what he gives.  Let us consider this text as providing us with the divine definition of love.

First: it is not what we have for God.  I.e., not that we do not love God, but that we are not to define love by what we have for God, or for our spouse, or our friend or country, but by what God has for us.  In this is love, not that we love God, but that He loves us.  So, we ask first, what is the difference between our love to God, and his love for us. 

First, our love to God is altogether deserved and warranted by Him.

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j ch. 3:11

k ch. 2:29

l ch. 3:10

m ver. 16; 2 Cor. 13:11; [ch. 1:5; John 4:24]

n See John 3:16

o Rom. 5:8, 10

n [See ver. 9 above]

p See ch. 2:2

q ver. 20; John 1:18; 1 Tim. 6:16

r ch. 2:5

[1]The Holy Bible : English Standard Version. (Wheaton: Standard Bible Society, 2001), 1 Jn 4:7.