Living the Life of Authentic Christianity 1 John 4:7-21 Transformed Living the Life of Authentic Christianity 1 John 4:7-21

1 John 4:7-13 7 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. 8 The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love. 9 By this the love of God was manifested in us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world so that we might live through Him. 10 In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12 No one has seen God at any time; if we love one another, God abides in us, and His love is perfected in us. 13 By this we know that we abide in Him and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit.

1 John 4:14-18 14 We have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son to be the Savior of the world. 15 Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. 16 We have come to know and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. 17 By this, love is perfected with us, so that we may have confidence in the day of judgment; because as He is, so also are we in this world. 18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love.

1 John 4:19-21 19 We love, because He first loved us. 20 If someone says, "I love God," and hates his brother, he is a liar; for the one who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen. 21 And this commandment we have from Him, that the one who loves God should love his brother also.

True believers love God and each other. Big idea: True believers love God and each other.

RECAP John’s letter gives several marks or proofs of genuine faith. So far we’ve seen that believers must: maintain a right understanding of the historical reality of Jesus Christ, obey God’s Word, love God’s people, reject worldliness, and persevere in faith and in good works. the spiritual condition of the believer has a direct effect on his lifestyle.

Basic outline: True believers love one another (by word and by deed) because of God’s great love for them (4:7-13); True believers maintain a correct Christology (4:14-16); True believers love one another (4:17-21).

I. True believers love one another (4:7-13) How is “love” to be defined/understood? A one-way, unconditional act of the will (volitional) and motivation of the heart (compassionate) that seeks the highest good for another, regardless of the cost (sacrificial), and all to the glory of God. ~Ed Godfrey

John 15:19 If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, because of this the world hates you.

Matthew 5:46 For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same?

I. True believers love one another (4:7-13) Four reasons we are to love one another (7b-8): for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love. Love is from God Everyone who loves is born of God Everyone who loves knows God Anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is love.

Thought John says “God is love” (1 John 4:8) John says “God is light” (1 John 1:5); and John says “God is Spirit” (John 4:24); so… When John says “God is love,” he’s making an assertion about the character of God. One of God’s attributes is love - it is God’s nature to love.

“Only begotten” By this the love of God was manifested in us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world so that we might live through Him. (1 John 4:9) The Greek word is “monogene,” which literally means “one and only” or “only one of a kind.” The word was used of an only child or of something unique (the only one of its kind). This word speaks more of quality (unique) than quantity (only one) or origin. Whenever John uses the word he’s referring to Jesus. While all Christians are children of God, Jesus is God’s Son in a unique, one-of-a-kind sense.

I. True believers love one another (4:7-13) How did God demonstrate His love for us? (9): By this the love of God was manifested in us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world so that we might live through Him. By sending His Son into the world to save us

1 John 5:12 He who has the Son has the life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have the life.

I. True believers love one another (4:7-13) What is the marvel of God’s love? (10): In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. That He loved us and provided for us even when we did not love Him.

“Propitiation” The NIV calls it an “atoning sacrifice.” To propitiate means to satisfy one’s anger, to placate or to appease one who is hostile toward you. Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross propitiated; it satisfied/appeased God’s wrath against our sin. Jesus turned aside God’s wrath against us by absorbing it Himself.

I. True believers love one another (4:7-13) What out to be our response to God’s love? (11) Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. We ought to love one another. God’s children ought to display their Father’s love for others. His love is the example as well as the stimulus. Because Christians are the recipients of God’s love, they are obligated to show that SAME kind of love to other believers.

I. True believers love one another (4:7-13) What is true of those who love one another? (12-13) 12 No one has seen God at any time; if we love one another, God abides in us, and His love is perfected in us. 13 By this we know that we abide in Him and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit. God abides (dwells, lives, resided) in us, and His love is perfected in us. “perfected” - is most fully expressed, reaches the highest point

1 John 3:23 This is His commandment, that we believe in the name of His Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, just as He commanded us.

True believers maintain a correct Christology (4:14-16) Why did God send Jesus into the world? (14) We have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son to be the Savior of the world. To be the Savior of the World! What does it mean to “confess”? (15) Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. To say the same thing as another, i.e. to agree with, assent.

True believers maintain a correct Christology (4:14-16) What is true of those who confess Jesus Christ is the Son of God? (16) We have come to know and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. God abides in them and they abide in God.

True believers love one another (4:17-21) 17 By this, love is perfected with us, so that we may have confidence in the day of judgment; because as He is, so also are we in this world. 18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love. 19 We love, because He first loved us. 20 If someone says, "I love God," and hates his brother, he is a liar; for the one who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen. 21 And this commandment we have from Him, that the one who loves God should love his brother also. “By this…” (17) What is the judgment? (18) Why are believers able to love God? (19) How does one demonstrate that he does NOT love God? (20-21)