Without God, there is no love because love . John 3:16, Jesus faith love), The Whole Bible We love him from a sense of obligation and gratitude. a. GenesisExodusLeviticusNumbersDeuteronomyJoshuaJudgesRuth1 Samuel2 Samuel1 Kings2 Kings1 Chronicles2 ChroniclesEzraNehemiahEstherJobPsalmsProverbsEcclesiastesSong of SongsIsaiahJeremiahLamentationsEzekielDanielHoseaJoelAmosObadiahJonahMicahNahumHabakkukZephaniahHaggaiZechariahMalachiMatthewMarkLukeJohnActsRomans1 Corinthians2 CorinthiansGalatiansEphesiansPhilippiansColossians1 Thessalonians2 Thessalonians1 Timothy2 TimothyTitusPhilemonHebrewsJames1 Peter2 Peter1 John2 John3 JohnJudeRevelation, Select a Beginning Point Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world. i. GenesisExodusLeviticusNumbersDeuteronomyJoshuaJudgesRuth1 Samuel2 Samuel1 Kings2 Kings1 Chronicles2 ChroniclesEzraNehemiahEstherJobPsalmsProverbsEcclesiastesSong of SongsIsaiahJeremiahLamentationsEzekielDanielHoseaJoelAmosObadiahJonahMicahNahumHabakkukZephaniahHaggaiZechariahMalachiMatthewMarkLukeJohnActsRomans1 Corinthians2 CorinthiansGalatiansEphesiansPhilippiansColossians1 Thessalonians2 Thessalonians1 Timothy2 TimothyTitusPhilemonHebrewsJames1 Peter2 Peter1 John2 John3 JohnJudeRevelation, Select an Ending Point These are those that acknowledge Jesus Christ's real incarnation. Now remember, we never make ourselves love Christ more by flogging ourselves for not loving him more. But how can I love a God who is invisible? God would say to us, Learn to love Me, Whom you cannot see, by loving My children, whom you can see.. 4. The New Testament Love describes the character and heart of God. Historical Books Pentateuch 1. He is glorified, justified, forever righteous and bold, sitting at the right hand of God the Father. Sometimes Jesus wasnt popular at all, but He was always full of love. Simply and boldly put, we love Him. Marvellous, O Christ, is thy strange love! (Spurgeon). f. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love: If our relationship with God is marked by this tormenting fear, it shows that we have not been made perfect that is, complete, and mature in His love. ii. We are of God. They are of the world: Those who are of the world are evident because they speak as of the world; the influence of the world is evident in their speech. We are called to take the love and grace God gives, to know it by experience and to believe it. 1. He first loved us: This verse not only declares our love for Jesus, it also tells us when He loved us. And in John 15:7, He said, If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you. Faith alone occupies that place. (Spurgeon). Great problems come when we try to say love is God. i. Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world. In the day of judgment: This is when the completeness of loves work in us will be demonstrated. Yet, if we abide in Him, and He in us (1 John 4:13), then our identity is bound up in Jesus: as He is, so are we in the world. Certainly, this glory is in us now just in seed form; it has not yet fully developed into what it will be. ii. In the Beginning Was the Word (John 1:1-18) I Have Called You Friends (John 1:35-51, John 15:15) Water Into Wine at the Wedding at Cana (John 2:1-11) Jesus Teaches Nicodemus (John 3:1-21) Jesus and the Samaritan Woman at the Well (John 4) Jesus Heals on the Sabbath (John 5) Jesus the Bread of Life (John 6) Jesus Heals a Man Born Blind (John 9) b. e. There is no fear in love: The completeness of love means we do not cower in fear before God, dreading His judgment, either now or in the day of judgment. ( John 4:1-4) Jesus travels from Judea to Galilee, passing though Samaria. Confession of faith and love for one's brothers and sisters Continue reading "Commentary on 1 John 4:7-21" There is love in many places, like wandering beams of light; but as for the sun, it is in one part of the heavens, and we look at it, and we say, Herein is light. He did not look at the Church of God, and say of all the myriads who counted not their lives dear unto them, Herein is love, for their love was only the reflected brightness of the great sun of love. (Spurgeon). God is love, and because we are made in God's image, we are to love God and love our brothers and sisters. a. Copyright Statement These files are public domain. 1 Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world. The mature Christian will be marked by love. This job is to be done using the gifts of discernment God has given to Christians in general, especially the leadership of a congregation. But John rightly insists that our claim of loving God is false if we do not also love our brother, and that this love must be seen. c. And knows God: There are several different words in the ancient Greek language translated know into English. Click to enable/disable _gid - Google Analytics Cookie. The provision of the gospel, for the forgiveness . But this will always prompt you to accept/refuse cookies when revisiting our site. b. Commentary on 1 John 4:7-13. ii. Christians are not just forgiven they are born anew by Gods Spirit. Never let it be thought that any sinner is beyond the reach of divine mercy so long as he is in the land of the living. Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. Previous: 1 John 4:7 Next: 1-John 4:9 Choose a Verse from 1 John 4 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 The Old Testament He loved you when you could not have been worse or further from him than you were. Let us love one another, for love is of God: Johns emphasis on love among the people of God (shown in passages like 1 John 2:9-11 and 3:10-18) is powerful. ii. But how can I love a God who is invisible? God would say to us, Learn to love Me, Whom you cannot see, by loving My children, whom you can see.. It comes from Him. Please be aware that this might heavily reduce the functionality and appearance of our site. The Samaritan woman. John can boldly say, He who does not love does not know God. Do we live through Him? The Bible says that one day, all of humanity will gather before Gods Great White Throne and face judgment. They face none of the rejection the child of God will face from the world (1 John 3:1), because they are friends with the world. It is up to us to respond to His command with our will and whole being. Johannine Writings If you do not want that we track your visit to our site you can disable tracking in your browser here: We also use different external services like Google Webfonts, Google Maps, and external Video providers. And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son as Savior of the world. ii. Of course, this love is not perfected in the life of a Christian on this side of eternity. He showed this life to us. Though love springs forth from our abiding relationship with God and comes from our being born of Him, there is also an essential aspect of our will involved. Though John has been writing much about love, he does not ignore the issue of truth. These verses are the equivalent of saying that a person cannot practice agape-love unless he can first practice philia-love. (Boice). You can also change some of your preferences. We can know by experience that we live in God, if His love has been perfected in us. i. (1 John 4:9-11) The meaning of love and its application. 2018 David Guzik No distribution beyond personal use without permission. As Paul describes it in 2 Corinthians 9:15, Jesus was the Fathers indescribable gift. i. i. These cookies collect information that is used either in aggregate form to help us understand how our website is being used or how effective our marketing campaigns are, or to help us customize our website and application for you in order to enhance your experience. But He needed to go through Samaria. Biblical Commentary (Bible study) 1 John 4:7-21 EXEGESIS: THE CONTEXT: This is a pastoral letter to churches in conflict--written to address the conflict and to prevent its spread. a. We watched it. You can check these in your browser security settings. Some respond with a sense of self-superiority (Im so great, even God loves me!). I cannot imagine a true man saying, I love Christ, but I do not want others to know that I love him, lest they should laugh at me. That is a reason to be laughed at, or rather, to be wept over. Minor Prophets 1 John 4:4, "You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world." 1 John 5:13, "I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life." How The best tests omit, and give the direct statement cannot love. Here, he shows why it is so important. i. Jesus said in John 15:4, Abide in Me, and I in you. i. People respond to the love of God differently. b. In Jesus' name I pray, AMEN. Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. 2. But here, in 1 John 4, that carefulness and hesitation is thrown to the side and John writes, "God is love.". The Word of life (1 John 1:1-4) v1 We declare this to you about the Word of life. He who abides in love abides in God, and God in him: The Christian who has this kind of relationship with God will be virtually immersed in Gods love; it becomes his environment, his place of abiding. i. b. No one has seen God at any time. First, it is the Spirit of God in us that is the abiding presence of Jesus the presence of His Spirit is how He abides in us. A number of scholars think of this as a sermon in written form. 1 John 4:4 ESV Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. As the two people draw closer to the top of the triangle, closer to God, they will also draw closer to one another. i. Afraid of being laughed at? As Jesus said, out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks (Matthew 12:34). in the resource materials are not necessarily affirmed, in total, by this ministry. The fear John writes of here is not the appropriate reverence we should all have of God, but the kind of fear which involves torment that agonizing kind of fear which robs our soul of all joy and confidence before God. John 4 It was, more than any thing else, the glory of the land of Israel, that it was Emmanuel's land ( Isa 8 8 ), not only the place of his birth, but the scene of his preaching and miracles. a. Love is the proof we are taught to look for. 4. This statement would be directed against some form of Docetism, the view that Christ was a spirit who only seemed to be a true man. (Boice). We abide in Him, and He in us: Our abiding in Jesus is not a one-sided affair, with us struggling to abide in Him, and Jesus trying to escape us. By proceeding, you consent to our cookie usage. These academics present their baseless opinions as if they were scholarly facts. John adds that believers overcome the powers in this world because of God's Spirit within them (1 John 4:4). Pentateuch The Old Testament Pauline Epistles In Johns day, the issue was about if Jesus had truly come in a real body of flesh and blood. 1. f. Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God: It isnt enough to know the facts about who Jesus is; we must confess the truth. Historical Books Our love for God is always in response to His love for us; He initiates, and we respond. It is up to us to respond to His command with our will and whole being. God the Father is not completely knowable by us; we cant completely figure out God, or know all His secrets. And this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God must love his brother also. i. The reason for discernment: Discernment is essential because Satan and his forces are at work in the world (4:1). The only way to have boldness in the day of judgment is to receive, and walk in, the transforming love of God today. God gave His Son to die, and to die for sinners. Since the text and audio content provided by BLB represent a Many, when first encountering the reality of the spiritual world, are too impressed and amazed to ask whether they are of God. General Epistles Wisdom Literature God abiding in us, as well as we abiding in Him, is essential to our having boldness as we anticipate the judgment seat of Christ (1 John 2:28; 1 John 4:17-18). Oh sir, this is indeed a cowardly fear! (Spurgeon), iv. c. We love Him because He first loved us: This verse tells us where our love for Jesus comes from. We can receive the healing power in our Fathers love. 2 By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, 3 and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. Concerning Antichrist. He causes the sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends his rain on the just and the unjust. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. Brother, do the same. Not only is this position ignorant (ignoring the confirmed historical validity of the New Testament) it is also arrogant. This day is coming! Error: Passwords should have at least 6 characters, Error: Usernames should only contain letters, numbers, dots, dashes, or underscores. But He loved us before that, and even before the worlds were created, when our only existence was in the mind and heart of God, Jesus loved us. Minor Prophets d. He who is not of God does not hear us: Understanding just who hears what God has taught us through the apostles, as recorded in the New Testament, helps us to know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error. We are human beings; He is a God-being who added humanity to His deity. 'Succession' Season 4, Episode 4: Recap & Ending, Explained: Will Kendall Be The Man His Dad Wanted? Changes will take effect once you reload the page. Prophets Sometimes Jesus didnt inspire passionate feelings in people at all, but He was always full of love. Individual instructors or editors may still require the use of URLs. That we might live through Him: The greatness of Gods love is shown not only in saving us from the judgment we deserved, but also in wanting us to live through Him. We use cookies to let us know when you visit our websites, how you interact with us, to enrich your user experience, and to customize your relationship with our website. When Jesus washed the feet of the disciples, and showed such great love and servanthood to them, we might have expected Him to conclude by gesturing to His own feet and asking who among them was going to do to Him what He had just done for them. ii. 1. The Gospels He loved some of you when you were in the dancing saloon, when you were in the playhouse, ay, even when you were in the brothel. Love believed is the mother of love returned. (Spurgeon), ii. ii. (1) The fact of false prophets and the need to test the spirits. (1 John 4:13-15) Assurance of the work of the Triune God in us. His Commandments Are Not Burdensome. We come to love those better whom we love by knowing them better If you want to love Christ more, think more of him, think more of what you have received from him. (Spurgeon), e. He first loved us: This means that it is true that He loves us now. Ben stitches the wound while Homm drinks from the single-malt whiskey bottle that Ben had been drinking from earlier. c. He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world: This means the Christian has no place for fear. This day is coming! And we have known and believed the love God has for us: This is the Christians proper response to who God is, and how He loves us. Pauline Epistles Usernames should only contain letters, numbers, dots, dashes, or underscores. 3. This land in our Saviour's time was divided into three parts: Judea in the south, Galilee in the north, and Samaria lying between them. It is the seed whence our love springs. (Clarke), ii. Even though the early church had a strong life and a large measure of purity, John still knew the danger false prophets and their message was real in the early church. v. The Bible also tells us that God is spirit (John 4:24), God is light (1 John 1:5), and that God is a consuming fire (Hebrews 12:29). However, we use the term beget to describe something that is exactly the same as us in essential nature and being. c. This is the spirit of the Antichrist: To deny the true Jesus is the basis of the spirit of the Antichrist, which John has already mentioned in 1 John 2:18-23. If someone hears what God has said in the Bible, we know he has the spirit of truth. 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