Rev. Ronald C. Purkey,
Pastor
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The following Bible study outline was
prepared by Rev. Ronald C. Purkey for
the Adult Bible Class at Paul’s Chapel where
Rev. Purkey is the teacher.
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GOD’S
INCOMPARABLE LOVE
SCRIPTURE:
INTRODUCTION: In chapter 4 John again
returns to the subject of love and makes one of the greatest statements about
God in Scripture: “God is love” (1
The question, “Why did God send Jesus
Christ?” also stems from His love. If He cared only about “law and order,” He
could have left us to sin (break the law) and suffer the consequences of our
actions, with no hope of redemption. But God loves us so much that He sent His
only Son to die for the world and give us all a remedy for our sinfulness.
I. GOD’S LOVE
DEMONSTRATED. (1
A. The Exhortation. (4:7)
In verse 7, John returns to the key
theme of the letter: the love of believers for one another. The apostle begins
this section by arguing that since God is the origin of love, it is only
natural that those who belong to Him should love each other.
B. The Explanation . (4:8)
Those who do not love prove that they do not
really know God. For not only is God the source of all true love, He is love by
His very nature. How can one claim to have a close relationship with the God of
love and yet reflect none of that love towards others? John says it is
impossible.
C. The Expression. (4:9-10)
1. The incident. (4:9)
God demonstrated His sacrificial love
through an historical event: Jesus’ death on the cross for our sins. God sent
His one and only Son to die a horrible death upon the cross so that we might
have eternal life.
2. The grace. (
Verse 10 explains that God did not send His
Son to be a sacrifice for our sins because we were lovable, but because His
love required that He rescue us (see
D. The Example. (
With God’s action providing the defining
standard for love, the responsibility of those who benefit from that love is
clear. How can those exposed to such love not respond in like fashion to
others?
E. The Evidences. (
First
Agape Love
John’s favorite word for
love, “agape”
and its various noun and verb variations, finds it meaning in God’s Word.
Outside of Scripture, the noun form is only found once in ancient Greek
writings, and while the verb form is used more frequently, it has no special
significance in ancient literature.
The agape love of 1 John is
exemplified in God’s sending of His Son to die on our behalf This love does not
result from seeing something valuable in the object of love nor is it a
feeling. But it is a love of intelligence that acts with purpose. This love is
self-sacrificing and willingly seeks another’s positive good, even at personal
cost. As God loves, so are we to love in this world.
– David C. Cook Publishers, Bible-in-Life
QUESTION:
What are some of the reasons John gives in the passage for us to love one
another?
The first reason that John gives for us to
love one another is that it is God’s nature to love. It is only natural that
those who know Him and are born into His family would love as well. Another
reason is that God loved us first. How can we share the benefits of all His
love and not extend them to others around us?
QUESTION: In addition to positive
answers to prayer, what other benefit does John say is derived from obedience
to God’s commands?
God’s sending of His one and only Son to die
a cruel death upon the cross on our behalf is the supreme act of love in all of
history. John says that such love should compel us to love others as well.
Since we have benefited so much from his example of love, we have an obligation
to love others as well.
QUESTION: What
was unique about God’s expression of love for us?
God initiated the love He expressed toward
us. We did not love Him, but He loved us. While we were still rebellious and
separated from Him by sin, He sent Christ to die for us (see
II. GOD’S
LOVE REVEALED. (1 John:
A. We Know We Dwell In Him And He In Us. (
God has given us His Spirit to be our guide.
B. We Know
Christ As Our Lord And Savior. (
God has given us His Son to be our Savior.
While God’s Spirit opens our eyes to the truth of the Gospel, we also have the
witness of the apostles to Jesus’ life, death on the cross, and resurrection.
Together, they enable all believers to be confident regarding the historical facts
of Jesus’ saving acts. In fact, the acknowledgement that Jesus is the Son of
God in the flesh shows that we have the Spirit in us and truly abide in God.
C. We Know That Jesus Is The Son Of God. (4:15-16)
According to verse 16, the real foundation
of confidence before God lies in His love for us. What we see through the
Spirit and the apostles as we gaze at the Savior is a God totally motivated by
love for us. The headline is not that we believe or love others, but that He
cares deeply for us.
D. We Know
That God Holds The Future. (4:17)
God’s love also enables us to face the
future with real assurance. Since we know that God dearly loves us, then there
is no cause to be fearful before Him, even when we stand in judgment before Him.
God’s unfailing love drives out all of our fears. The full flowering of God’s
love is incompatible with fear. Perfected love expels anxiety from the heart.
E. We Know The Comfort That God Gives. (4:18)
There is nothing like fear in the human heart, but
the child of God does not need to fear any judgment which is coming. It was all
settled when Christ died for you.
“He that
feareth is not made perfect in love.” If you are fearful, you cannot enjoy your
salvation. Joy stems from love, and if you have love for the Lord Jesus, for
God, and for your brethren, then fear has been cast out.
QUESTION: Who
enables us to know that Jesus was truly the Son of God?
In chapter 4, John refers to a couple of
witnesses to Jesus’ saving work and true identity. First, the Holy Spirit bears
witness in us that Jesus was truly God, as He claimed, and that He died on the
cross for our sins. Secondly, John also alludes to the testimony of the
apostles who lived with Jesus and saw Him after He had risen from the dead.
QUESTION: Ultimately,
what is the greatest source of our confidence before God?
Our ultimate source of our assurance before
God is His love for us, as demonstrated through the gift of His Son. As we see
a God totally motivated by His love for us and realize how much he really cares
for us, our confidence grows and we do not fear to be in His presence. Such
love can even make us unafraid to stand before Him in judgment.
A. We Love Because We Were Loved First By Him. (4:19)
In contrast to
those who fear (vs.
18), in verse 19 John simply
asserts, “We love.” The apostle assumes the best for his readers seeing them as
ones who possessed genuine love for one another. John’s basis for such love is
that God first loved us, as evidenced in the gift of His Son.
B. We Must Walk In Accordance With Our Talk. (4:20)
Verse 20 is most likely a reference to the
false teachers who proudly proclaimed their love for God, but did not show love
to others, especially to those in the church.
C. We Have Been Commanded By Our Lord To Love One Another.
(4:21)
John again alludes to the unseen presence of God.
If you cannot love God’s children who display His loving qualities, then how
can you claim to love the real thing? If someone rejects God’s image in others
and still claims to love God, that person is a liar. The essence of the
Christian life is to love one another.
“They Do That Because They Are Christians”
In The Epistles of John Dr. H.A. Ironside
records this incident concerning Chiang Kai-shek at the time he was ruling
mainland
We all
noticed a short time ago the account of the professed conversion of the
President of
QUESTION: Why
does John say it is impossible to really love God if one cannot love His
followers?
John says that one who claims to love God,
yet cannot love His followers, is a liar. If one cannot love what he sees of
God in His children, then how can he claim to love God? Hatred for followers of
Christ indicates that one does not know or love God.
CONCLUSION: When we experience God’s
love – the forgiveness of our sin and a restored relationship with Him through
Christ – we inherit the privilege and responsibility of loving others with that
same kind of love. John explained that key principle in his first letter.
Believers will have an eternity to revel in the glory
of God’s gift of love through Christ. But we can begin now to praise and thank
the Lord for His goodness and love by expressions of gratefulness, including
acts of love toward others.
THOUGHT TO
REMEMBER: “Love is the believer’s identification mark.”
PASTOR RONALD PURKEY’S OFFICE
E-Mail: Pastor Ronald Purkey
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