Sermon Central
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God’s Testimony For Us Series
Contributed by T.j. Conwell on Oct 3, 2015 (message contributor)
Summary: The testimony of God for us is simple: 1) He has given us eternal life; 2) this life is in his Son. As we live, we must be willing to always remember this and share it with others as often as we can.
God’s Testimony for Us
1 John Bible Study, Part 12
Introduction
- v19 … We love because He first loved us: especially when we were unlovable
-- It is God who made our relationship with Him possible
-- We had absolutely nothing to do with it – we weren’t even consulted
-- He knew we had a void that needed filling …. And He provided the way
- If we claim to love – yet live with hatred ... what we are is … liars!
-- It’s the most vivid word picture we can see reflected in life today
-- Say “I love you” to your face; “I hate him/her” to someone else about them
- It’s difficult to prove our love for God based solely on our actions
-- Primarily because … we cannot see Him and see His reaction
-- But, our love for God IS reflected in how we treat those He loves (Jn 3:16)
-- IMP: Whoever loves God must love unconditionally those that He loves
- Read 1 John 5:1-12 / Pray
∆ Point 1 – Keep God’s Commands
- John begins to close his epistle by once again reminding us of who we are
-- One who believes in Jesus as their Lord is born of God; but there’s an add on
-- Everyone who belongs to God also loves His child as well (v1)
- Each of us may love someone; and that love could be of another Christian
-- But here Paul reminds that we will love all who are God’s child
- Genesis 1:27, “So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.”
-- If all are created in the image of God, then all created belong to Him
-- Therefore, all are considered His children, worthy of our love for them as well
-- This does not mean all are saved; but that all deserve to receive love as well
- This is why his view has been so strong throughout this letter about love
-- We are to love those who are God’s but also those refuse God’s love as well
- V3, “In fact, this is love for God: to keep his commands.”
-- APP: How do we love God? We do what He says we should do, period
- Love God, Love People is perfectly demonstrated here
-- If we will love God (first), then we can love His people as He loves them
-- FACT: We may not love perfectly … but can certainly try to love all!
-- This reminder of love is critical in not only loving others
- TRANS: It also holds true in how we love ourselves – re-read v4-5
∆ Point 2 – Christ has overcome
- Some see their weakness and sin to mean their victory is incomplete
-- As if, because they have struggles, Jesus’ death must have not been enough
-- Most, if honest, will think they are the only ones who suffer with “x” sin
- This could not be farthest from the truth, and it’s where John lands here
- First, what God has said for us to do is not burdensome
-- Following God is often not the easy road in life; but what is ever easy?
-- Most would rather disobey God and ignore the consequences of sin
-- APP: But John encourages us to understand who we are in Christ!
- Second, many see since they haven’t overcome the world, now what?
-- They try to manipulate their salvation into something that it is not
-- The early churches had this same issue with false teachings about God
-- And today, many will feel that Jesus + nothing is not enough for them
- The truth is – God has already provided everything that we will ever need
-- 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.”
- Our victory is based in the faith of what Jesus has already done!
-- It is His victory that we claim; it is His victory we shall praise in eternity
-- We can sing, “We shall overcome” today … but He has already OVERCAME!
- FACT: When we place our faith in Jesus nothing separates us from God!
- Turn to Romans 8 …
- Romans 8:37-39, “No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
