What is love?
1 John Bible Study, Part 8
1 John 3:11-24
Introduction
- We have been born of God (v9), therefore He lives within us
-- His seed is: The word, The Holy Spirit, and the regenerate spirit we gain
-- Scripture repeatedly reminds us that we are born again
-- That we should live differently and stop acting like the world
- John’s reminder is no different than anything else we’ve read to date
-- Why? V10 … because living this way we will know one another are His
-- If we live for God, we strive for righteous things that are His
-- If we live for the devil, we strive for unholy things that are his
- Read 1 John 3:11-24 / Pray
∆ Point 1 – What love is not …
- Before we can truly understand love, John we see what love is NOT
- Turn to and read Genesis 4:1-12
- Cain … a jealous, raged-filled man who wanted self-recognition (11)
-- His own jealousy prompted him to lash out and kill Abel, his brother
-- John captures it with the words “because his own actions were evil”
-- Cain had a heart problem; a condition bent on refusing to repent
- Just as Cain hated his brother for his righteousness – the world hates us
-- We see this time and time again, in persecution that is horrific
- True Christians, those born of God, have love for their brothers
-- This is the true indication of a life changed by Christ (14)
-- We have passed from death to life by Christ’s transformation
-- APP: This allows us to love, even when actions aren’t loveable
- I admit, we may have a difficult time loving others who act against us
- Maybe even loving others who openly sin with things we disagree with
-- But, if we have love for one another – love will conquer this within us
- Love means that we stand firm on conviction, but we receive openly
-- We cannot give to someone with a closed fist; that is a weapon for destruction
-- We must be willing to open our hearts to others; even when we disagree
- APP: If we have eternal life, we will willingly love others we encounter
-- Anyone who hates (15) is already a murderer; someone wishing destruction
-- Jesus said in Matthew 5:21-22, “You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘You shall not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’ But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgment. ”
- APP: Yes we will quarrel, it happens because we are not all alike
-- Does this damn us to hell? Of course not – for we still have love placed there
-- It is when we openly choose to rebel; to hate; to wish malice; we die inside
-- It is a heart issue, and hatred blackens the heart (just as happened to Cain)
- TRANS: John then shows us what love looks like
∆ Point 2 – What love is …
- John then demonstrates for us what love looks like (16-18)
• Fact: Jesus Christ laid down his love for us
• Fact: We ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters
• Fact: We even ought to give generously when others are in need
• Fact: Love is not a feeling love is an action that we must demonstrate
- This contrast between what it is not and what it is – really is remarkable
-- They don’t even belong in the same passage, comparatively speaking
-- Unless John is trying to show, in simplest terms, what the plum line is?
- Christian love is not: hatred and mean-spiritedness for those around us
- Christian love is: willingly giving all we have just as the one we call Lord did
- (We will discuss more on this on Sunday … please pray as I prepare)
- When we examine ourselves, the measuring stick is always Christ
• Do we love like He does?
• Do we share like He does?
• Do we forgive as He does?
- Our standard is always Christ; when in doubt, look to the cross!
- TRANS: So if we know what love is and is not; how shall we live?
∆ Point 3 – We live confident before God
- By our deeds and actions, others will know that we belong to the truth (19)
-- The antichrists in this church were teaching they had a special revelation
-- They claimed to have new information from God to share with all
-- APP: But they missed the simplest command – to love one another!
- IMP: When the teaching does not line up with God’s word … trash it!
- Now, John gives us an incredible truth to hold onto (20)
-- We will fail, even though we desire to be holy and to live right for God
-- However, even in that, God knows our heart and knows everything we are
-- Even in our failings, He still accepts us and rejoices that we are His
- Why? We are created in His image; born to serve and exalt Him in everything
-- He knows that we believe in Christ; that our desire is to love Him always
-- Therefore, our heart is not the final standard … God is! (21)
- God’s power keeps us secure in Him; he is steadfast; it’s His security we have
-- John 10:29, “My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father's hand.”
- We can silence our doubting heart by trusting in what two simple things:
• 1 John 1:9, If we confess our sins He is faithful to forgive
• By resting in the knowledge that God knows our hearts
- We receive because He has called us to ask for things in His name
-- But, we must not ask with selfishness (eg, win the lottery so I can buy a new …)
-- We receive because as a father loves his children, God loves us all the more
-- Matthew 7:9-11, ““Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!”
- TRANS: We ought to live to please Him; to receive His applause for our life
∆ Big Ideas
- Our command therefore for living rightly is simple (23)
-- Believe in Jesus Christ and love one another as He has commanded
- God’s command is simple; but challenging for all who are Christians
-- APP: It’s in the fruit where we see whether or not this is being lived out
-- Words are one thing – but action speaks louder than anything else
- How does this play out to others? Re-read v24
-- We know that we are pleasing Him because we live obediently by His Spirit
- Pray
