Bible Study - Beyond Belief (2) - GOD is Loving - 1 John 4:7-12 - June 8, 2014

Bible Study – Beyond Belief (2) – GOD is Loving – June 8, 2014

This is lesson two (2) in our series entitled “Does What I Believe about GOD Change Anything?”

Our focus scripture is 1 John 4:7-12.

GOD’S love empowers Christians to love. GOD’S love changes our lives when we allow HIM to come into our lives through faith in JESUS.

In the English language we have one word for love whereas in the Greek language they have four (4) words for love – agape (self-giving), phileo (brotherly), storge (familial), and eros (erotic). I think some people confuse erotic love or lust for true love or agape. Erotic love fades when the feelings are gone but agape love stays the course through tough times. Erotic love is fickle and seeks pleasure. Agape love is love that lasts and goes through thick and thin but this does not mean a person remains in an abusive situation because they have agape love for another.

Many marriages today are based upon feelings whereas they need to be based upon true love and commitment. When a couple begins their marriage relationship based upon feelings, it is usually headed for trouble. Some think if they have children, the children will hold them together. Dissolving a relationship impacts the children more than the couple splitting. Marriage is serious and GOD intended it to be permanent. But in most marriages there will tough times and even true love for each other is tested. When a couple gets beyond that test, their marriage is usually stronger when they are in unity and harmony. 

GOD is the source of love (agape). As we study GOD’S love, it helps us better understand agape love. It is not a love that implies that anything goes just to maintain a relationship. There are guidelines. Let’s explore!

The Apostle John wrote First John as well as Second and Third John, The Book of John and Revelation. John was a member of the inner circle of JESUS along with James and Peter. They witnessed things the other disciples did not.

Speculation is that John was in western Turkey or Asia Minor, likely Ephesus when he wrote this letter.

The Apostle John addressed his readers as “Dear Friends.” He was writing to encourage Christians to avoid sin, false teaching and to help them know and have the assurance of eternal life.

Christians were facing Roman persecution. To help them face each day they needed to focus on and understand the love of GOD. It was HIS love (agape) for them that they needed to understand, embrace and trust. When a Christian internalizes GOD’S love for them, it manifests into love for fellow Christians and the lost souls of the world. This love cannot be faked because it must come from a changed heart through natural Spiritual development produced by the right experiential relationship with GOD through CHRIST.

We can see in these verses that GOD is the source of love. Because of HIS love, HE sent HIS only Son to come to earth to pay the sin debt no one could satisfy except JESUS. All who receive that love personally through faith in CHRIST, in turn, love fellow Christians.

John recorded in John 13:43-35 the words of JESUS regarding love:

34 “I give you a new command: Love one another. Just as I have loved you, you must also love one another. 35 By this all people will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”

GOD is love.

Let’s read 1 John 4:7-8:

7 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.

The source of love is GOD and this scripture gives us a glimpse of GOD’S heart. John admonished Christians to love one another. Agape carries the mandate of keep on loving one another because through the miracle of rebirth, all true Christians have the same Father, GOD. Rebirth in a person’s spirit is the key. Without rebirth a person cannot understand the things of GOD as the Apostle Paul stated in 1 Corinthians 2:12-16:

12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. 13 Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. 14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. 15 But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man. 16 For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ. (KJV)

The Apostle John stated in the second part of 1 John 4:7 that rebirth resulted in an outflow of love which can only come from a person’s relationship with GOD and knowing GOD. Love comes from GOD and is a gift and confirms a person’s relationship with GOD. Love and Spiritual birth both have GOD as their source.

Knowing GOD is more than knowing about GOD but truly knowing GOD through a personal experiential relationship. The word used for “know” carries the idea of understanding, acknowledging and interrelating with another person which builds trust. When we love GOD through relationship and experience, we realize that fellow true Christians are family and are our brothers and sisters in CHRIST. How is love revealed? Through our actions as led by the Holy Spirit.

Just like most families, depending upon our Spiritual maturity, we may squabble. But as we grow and maturity Spiritually the knowledge of the love of GOD is manifested within. True love is the cement that bonds Christians together such that they live in unity and harmony within the Spiritual body of CHRIST. This body is made up of fellow believers and functions as one body although made up of many parts.

Genuine love for each other through our relationship with CHRIST results in living the abundant life upon earth in obedience to GOD through CHRIST.  

The Apostle John stated it well in verse 8 “The one who does not love does not know God, because God is love.”

GOD Demonstrated HIS Love Through JESUS CHRIST.

Let’s read 1 John 4:9-10:

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 • propitiation for our sins.

So how was GOD’S love revealed to mankind? The Apostle John stated it well in John 3:16-18:

16 “For God loved the world •in this way: He gave His •One and Only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world that He might condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. 18 Anyone who believes in Him is not condemned, but anyone who does not believe is already condemned, because he has not believed in the name of the One and Only Son of God.

JESUS was the example to HIS disciples and to the world in that:

-         HE willingly left HIS Glory in heaven to come to earth and live as a human and be subjected to all temptations as mankind.

-         HE spoke truth even when was opposed.

-         HE ministered to all from the poorest to the richest.

-         HE taught by example and through parables.

-         HE forgave.

-         The power of GOD was manifested through HIM as GOD the Father directed HIM.

-         HE was completely obedient to GOD, HIS Father, as GOD revealed actions and speech to JESUS. This revealed HIS complete trust in GOD to guide HIM according to the Father’s plan.

-         HE gave HIS life through the shedding of HIS blood to pay in full the penalty for sin, which opened the way to salvation for all who will place their faith in HIM. As proof, GOD raised HIM from the dead on the third day and HE received HIS Glorified body. This is proof that HE conquered both sin and physical death.

GOD first loved us and revealed Himself to mankind otherwise mankind would not know the existence of the One True GOD and Father of JESUS. HE did not hide HIS love and redemptive plan from mankind but HE made it known or revealed it to all peoples in various ways but HIS crowning revelation was through HIS Only Son, JESUS.

Notice in verse 9 that GOD “sent.” Sent carries the idea “to send out” from which the word “apostle” is derived. GOD sent HIS One and Only Son meaning “one of a kind.” There will not be another JESUS.

JESUS willingly came to earth in the flesh to reveal the love and care of GOD for all who will place their faith in HIM. JESUS had the full intimate knowledge of GOD that only comes through an intimate, personal relationship with HIM, such as a Father /Son relationship. The Son has the desire to be just like HIS Father. That is a human way of trying to visualize the representation CHRIST was revealing when HE was living upon earth. HE came to glorify HIS Father and reveal or make known the Father to the world.

JESUS revealed HIS relationship with HIS Father such that we might live through HIM and experience the abundant life while we dwell upon earth. The miracle of Spiritual rebirth is necessary because in our natural state we are dead to Spiritual matters and relationships. GOD sent JESUS for the purpose that Christians “might live through HIM.”

GOD so loved the world that HE sent HIS only Son to be the “propitiation” for our sins. Some Bible scholars do not like the word “propitiation” because it was a word used by those who worshipped pagan gods. The pagans made sacrifices to their false gods to appease their anger and earn their favor. But in reality, just as GOD is love, HE is also a GOD of wrath. HE had to go to the extent of allowing HIS only Son to come to earth and live as a human and give HIS life for the ‘propitiation”, “expiation” – putting an end to or extinguishing the guilt of the offense, or “atoning” for sin.

The use of “atoning sacrifice” paints a better picture because it encompasses the idea of atoning and reconciling, thus, forgiveness instead of appeasement. But “propitiation” reveals the seriousness of sin and atonement had to be made in order to satisfy GOD’S own justice system. Any way the shed blood of CHRIST paid the penalty for sin, opened the way to GOD and a person must either accept or reject CHRIST by faith as his or her Savior. No excuse.

We Can Love Because of GOD’S Love.

Let’s read 1 John 4:11-12:

11 Dear friends, if (can be read as since) 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 perfected in us.

The Apostle John was in essence saying, just pause and process what I have written to you. Since GOD went to such an extent to give every person an opportunity to experience HIS love through the miracle of rebirth because HE loved us in our sinful state, we should do the same toward others. Since, Christians have been redeemed from the clutches of Hell, they have no choice but to love one another through their relationship with JESUS.

No one has ever seen GOD. To believe in GOD is a matter of faith. When Christians love one another, GOD is reflected in their lives and confirms the presence of GOD. When Christians obediently follow GOD through the guidance and direction of the Holy Spirit, HIS love is perfected in them. GOD’S plan and purpose for them is fully realized.

How do you describe love? The Apostle John stated that “no one has ever seen GOD.” But HIS born again children can manifest HIS love to others as we obediently serve HIM and reach out to others because of HIS love indwelling us.

Does this mean Christians must be “mister or miss goody two shoes” regardless of circumstances or situations? Christians are to hate the things that GOD hates but love the sinner and the things GOD loves.

When we love one another, GOD remains in us and HIS love is “perfected” in us. The word “perfected” means “to bring to completion” or “to fulfill the purpose for which something was designed.”

Ephesians 4:1-16: (The Apostle Paul writing to the Christians in Ephesus.)

1 Therefore I, the prisoner for the Lord, urge you to • walk worthy of the calling you have received, 2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, accepting one another in love, 3 diligently keeping the unity of the Spirit with the peace that binds us. 4 There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to one hope at your calling— 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all. 7 Now grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of the • Messiah’s gift. 8 For it says: When He ascended on high, He took prisoners into captivity; He gave gifts to people. 9 But what does “He ascended” mean except that He descended to the lower parts of the earth? 10 The One who descended is also the One who ascended far above all the heavens, that He might fill all things. 11 And He personally gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, 12 for the training of the • saints in the work of ministry, to build up the body of Christ, 13 until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of God’s Son, growing into a mature man with a stature measured by Christ’s fullness. 14 Then we will no longer be little children, tossed by the waves and blown around by every wind of teaching, by human cunning with cleverness in the techniques of deceit. 15 But speaking the truth in love, let us grow in every way into Him who is the head —Christ. 16 From Him the whole body, fitted and knit together by every supporting ligament, promotes the growth of the body for building up itself in love by the proper working of each individual part.

What is our love quotient and how do we measures up to GOD’S goal for HIS children? First, a person must be born-again before he or she can know GOD’S love. HIS goal for all Christians is for them to be made into the image of CHRIST. Blessings!!!