The Love of God

John's Letters • Sermon • Submitted 4 years ago

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The love of God is not something that is to be obtained in the future, but is a characteristic of the believer because of the finishing work of Jesus.

Notes

Transcript

Introduction

PRAY AT BEGINNING

The love of God

What the world needs now is love…

Jackie DeShannon

quote the song… talk about the time that it was written

What the world needs now is love, sweet love It's the only thing that there's just too little of What the world needs now is love, sweet love, No not just for some but for everyone

1 John 4:7-12 Dear friends, let us love one another, because love is from God, and everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. 8 The one who does not love does not know God, because God is love. 9 God’s love was revealed among us in this way: God sent his one and only Son into the world so that we might live through him. 10 Love consists in this: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice, for our sins. 11 Dear friends, if God loved us in this way, we also must love one another. 12 No one has ever seen God. If we love one another, God remains in us and his love is made complete in us.

Agapao vs Agape

the word love is used 13 times in this passage alone

7 times the greek word agapao is used

a verb the refers to a kind of love that expresses personal will and affection rather than emotion or feelings

we say that we love things…

we say that we love food… steak

but we love our spouse or children in a different way

a way that we do things to express how much we love them

agapao is the expression of that love

6 times the word agape is used

many refer to this word as the unconditional love of God

it is the benevolent love of God and carries a sense of affectionate

illustrate - many times we will do things for people that are in need

sometimes we do these things because we know this person is in need and we want to help

think of person at a soup kitchen, donating to a charity

this is not agape…

sometimes we have somebody that we love that is need, a family member or close friend

we help them out of a true sense of love for them

that is agape

The love of God is not something that is to be obtained in the future, but is a characteristic of the believer because of the finishing work of Jesus.

The Transforming Love of God

1 John 4:7-8 Dear friends, let us love one another, because love is from God, and everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. 8 The one who does not love does not know God, because God is love.

Our love for others is proof that we have been born again

unless you are born again you cannot enter the kingdom of Heaven

we are sinful selfish people

We are so self centered, I actually heard somebody say that if the election doesn’t go right, that is proof that the Lord is returning… As if the United States is so important that if we are not here, the Lord says, “Ok, that is it, I have to go back now”

as if all of eternity hinges on the Untied States… we better humble ourselves quick!

we do not need a republican heart, a democrat heart, and American heart, or a European heart, we need a renewed heart

one that is born in the spirit, with the Holy Spirit dwelling inside

one that is led by the spirit of God and not the desires of our flesh

as believers, that is who we are

Galatians 2:20 I have been crucified with Christ, and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

this is evident in how we love other people

a born again heart understands the love it has received and it reflects that love to others

Our love for others is proof that we know God

anyone can create new habits and do some good things

but your good works do not save you

Isaiah 64:6 All of us have become like something unclean, and all our righteous acts are like a polluted garment; all of us wither like a leaf, and our iniquities carry us away like the wind.

what is your motive for these good deeds

are you simply trying to be better… better than a standard that the world has put forth

a little self help book

a new years resolution

good habits

these things are simply means to an end...

thus the people that we are doing things for, they are not because we love them, but because we love ourselves and want to look better to the world, to the mirror

God says this is disgusting in his sight

but a sacrificial love of God only comes when we know God

this is the word ginosko - the intimate knowledge of God

1 John 3:16 This is how we have come to know love: He laid down his life for us. We should also lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters.

The Love of God transforms us by renewing our hearts, causing us to be lovers of God and lovers of people

The Complete Love of God

revealed

gender reveal parties… what is the purpose

really to have another reason to get together and eat food I think

but at the end of this, everyone knows what the gender of this baby is

we have an understanding, a knowledge about this child

1 John 4:9-10 God’s love was revealed among us in this way: God sent his one and only Son into the world so that we might live through him. 10 Love consists in this: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice, for our sins.

God’s love has been made known to us through the birth, life, death and resurrection of Jesus

the love of God does not have to be a mystery

so many people do not know the love of God because they do not know Jesus

different religions simply lead you to hope in yourself

they do not know this love,

but God’s love has been revealed… made known

God God’s love has been revealed so that we might live

what kind of living is John talking about

there has been nothing in the text that would make us think that John is overly concerned with the here and now

there are times that we here about false teachers and things happening in this world, but it to recognize them and know that we are saved for the world to come

John, or God through John, is concerned about your eternal life

Romans 3:23 For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God;

Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

this is the news that so many do not believe

oh they believe that they are not perfect,

but so many do not believe that they truly deserve Hell

we all deserve hell… on our best day

But God desires for us to live… and not just barely

John 10:10 A thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I have come so that they may have life and have it in abundance.

God sent his son so that He might die

we needed the sacrifice on our behalf

the gift of God had to come at a price,

it had to be a perfect sacrifice, it couldn’t be like the leaders of Israel in the OT who began to offer their leftovers, sick or injured lambs

we cannot go to the one we think is the worst in our society and say, we will sacrifice that one for our sins

it had to be somebody that was perfect, who fulfilled the law of God

only one person matched that description, God himself

so the son came for the reason of dying

this translation uses the phrase “atoning sacrifice,”(CSB, NIV, NLT “atonement for sins”) but some others uses the word propitiation (ESV, NASB, KJV)

atonement = reparation for wrong

meaning I have paid something and you are satisfied for the wrong I have done

think of a settlement

typically not everyone is happy, but everyone can agree that is what we will do

Propitiation - is to put you in a right standing

God did not settle on Jesus on the cross

there was not a time, when he wanted something more, and decided that would be good enough

the full wrath of God has been satisfied for your sin

We have not simply come to an agreement with God concerning out sin. God's wrath has been satisfied through the death of Jesus on the cross. Jesus is our propitiation!

The Perfect Love of God

1 John 4:11-12 Dear friends, if God loved us in this way, we also must love one another. 12 No one has ever seen God. If we love one another, God remains in us and his love is made complete in us.

God’s love for us inspires us to love others

Matthew 5:7 Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy

understanding Jesus as our propitiation, leaves us with a merciful heart

and in the same way, that sacrificial love of God, we begin to love other people

a renewed heart is not one that can simply sit back at that point and not love other people

I think that we sometimes look at the second greatest commandment like it is a choice

something that we have to try and do better at

if you want to love other people more, do not try to love other people more, instead, focus on the love God has given you

at this point your renewed heart cannot help… it must love others the way that it has been loved

Our love for others, brings his love to perfection

I believe that John is talking about our sanctification

the process of remaking us into the image of his son Jesus

God uses everything in this life, the good and the bad, the joyous times and the times of heartbreak, to grow our love and faith in him

Paul, Peter and James all talk about this process of growing our faith

that this should be something that we do not shy away from, but rejoice in, because our faith in Christ is growing

John is telling us, that when we begin to truly love people, the way that Christ loves people

if we have an active affectionate love for people (agapao) then his benevolent love for us (agape) is complete

May we continue to grow in our love of God, that our love for people would grow, that we would be found to be mature in our faith.