A Passionate Appeal
1st John 4:7-21
INTRO: Good morning! A few weeks ago, we said that it might be good for us to begin each day with the request that is found in Psalm 143:8, “Cause me to hear Your lovingkindness in the morning, For in You do I trust; Cause me to know the way in which I should walk, For I lift up my soul to You.”
Then in Mark’s lesson last week, we read in Psalm 19 about the wonder and glory of God’s handiwork that is declared in the heavens and all that we see around us. In Psalm 8:3-4 David wonders, in all this “… what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him?” Finally, in John 3:16 we read, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son… ” In thinking about God’s love my attention turned to other writings of the Apostle John, often called the apostle of love, and his telling us of the love of God, Christ, truth, and people.
I invite you now to turn with me to our text for today, 1st John 4:7-21. I will begin reading in verse 7. “7 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. 8 Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. 9 In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. 10 In this is love, not that we have 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 ever seen God; 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. 14 And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his 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 So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. 17 By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for 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. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love. 19 We love because he first loved us. 20 If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he 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: whoever loves God must also love his brother.”[ESV]
John, in these verses made a passionate appeal summed up in the last verse. Let's read that verse again. “And this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God must love his brother also.”[NKJV]
What I would like to do this morning is examine that very special appeal that John made in these verses of our text, 1st John 4:7-21. As we study this appeal, we want to remember that Jesus made this same appeal to His apostles. Let's turn to John 13:34-35, but before we read this let us remember what is going to happen later. Jesus was going to spend some time talking to His disciples. Then He was going to pray the very beautiful prayer found in chapter 17. He would be arrested, tried, condemned, and eventually crucified.
In the first part of this chapter, Jesus gives a lesson in humility. (John 13:3-17). We read there that Jesus arose from supper and removed His outer garment. He placed a towel around Himself, took a basin and some water, and washed the disciples’ feet. Can you imagine the expressions on the faces of the apostles?
Peter wanted to refuse. He said, Lord, you'll never wash my feet. Jesus said, if I don't wash your feet, you have no part with Me. Then Peter said, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head. Just wash me all over is basically what Peter was saying. Jesus was teaching His apostles a very important lesson, and He summed it up when He gave this command. Listen to what our Lord told all the apostles. Now John 13:34-35 – “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” Remember John was present when Jesus gave that command to His apostles.
In the verses we're studying in 1st John, chapter four, isn't that basically what Jesus taught the apostles, to love one another as He had loved them?
We also need to keep in mind that Jesus commanded the apostles to teach all things that He had commanded them. When He gave the great commission in Matthew 28:19-20, our Lord said, “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,” Listen to this, “teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
Jesus commanded them to teach people who were converted to Christianity to observe all things that Jesus had taught them. What did He teach them in John 13?—to love one another. Remember John was present when Jesus gave this command to the apostles, and that they, the apostles, were responsible for teaching the things that Jesus had taught them. Therefore, when we're studying this appeal that was made by John in his letter, we're studying a command of the Lord.
I. The first point we need to make is that God's love is the foundation of this appeal.
A. John indicated that God is the source of love. There is a beautiful song in our Hymnal, number 256, God is love. The scripture reference under the title is 1st John 4:16. It's based on what John wrote in this section of his letter that God is the source of love.
1. In our text in verse 7 he says love is of God.
2. Then in verses 8 and 16 John said God is love. As we look at what John wrote in these verses, keep in mind that God's love is the very foundation of this appeal. How do we know that God is the source of love?
B. John goes on to show how God has demonstrated His love in verses 9 and 10. “In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.”[ESV]
1. God demonstrated His love by sending His son into the world to be the atonement for our sins. That's not the first time that John mentioned this in his letter. Go back to 1st John 2:1-2 for a moment… it says, “My little children, these things I write to you, that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world.” How do we know that God is the source of love? Because He demonstrated it. He demonstrated His love by sending Jesus into the world to serve as the atonement for our sins. Jesus paid the price so that we could receive the forgiveness of our sins.
2. In 1st John 4:14, John and his fellow apostles saw and testified that the Father sent Jesus to be our savior. That's how we know that God is the source of love. John said, along with his fellow apostles; “we have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son as Savior of the world”.
a. Notice how John began this very special letter, laying the foundation for his appeal. 1st John 1:1-2. “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life — the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us—”. [ESV]
b. The apostles saw the Lord, heard His voice, touched Him and they saw the Lord prove His divinity. Many, many times they observed the miracles that Jesus performed. They observed all the proof that God provided through Jesus, indicating that He truly is the Son of God. John said that he and his fellow apostles saw the Lord and can tell us that He came, and the reason He came is to be our savior.
C. John in laying the foundation for this appeal… wrote of God's love. There are so many ways that God shows His love for us. Mark talked about many of them last week. John focused on the most important one for us—God provided a way we can come back to Him, overcoming Satan and his power. Such love needs a response and that leads us to the next point. We've seen that God's love is the foundation of the appeal that John is making in these verses and that wonderful love deserves a response.
II. John went on to show in these verses that God's children respond to God's love in two ways.
A. First, God's children respond to God's love by loving Him. That just makes common sense, doesn't it? John makes a very strong point about that in these verses.
1. He explained in verse 19 why God's children love him. “We love Him because He first loved us.”
2. He went on to show that those who love God enjoy some very special blessings.
a. In verse 16, he said “… he who abides in love, abides in God, and God in him.” We certainly want God to dwell in us and we want to dwell in God. We must love Him and our love for Him is a response to the love that He's shown to us.
b. In verse 17 John writes, “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.” One blessing received from a love-oriented and love-motivated life is a dramatic reduction of fear, both earthly fears and those regarding the ultimate summons of all people to the judgment of God. Those who love God will have boldness at the judgment.
i. The key - is being prepared. His children will have confidence in the hour of the final judgment when people are pleading for the rocks and the mountains to fall upon them.
ii. That's why Jesus when He was talking about His return said; watch and be ready. He talked about that in the latter part of Matthew 24 and on through chapter 25.
iii. If we're watching for the Lord's return and if we're prepared, we don't have to worry about it. Part of our being prepared - is loving God.
iv. In 1st John 5:1f he explained that loving God involves submitting to His will. I’ll just read a few verses, “Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the Father loves whoever has been born of him. By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome.”[ESV] We demonstrate our love for God by obeying His will.
c. Another blessing is mentioned in 1st John 4:18. “There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love.”
i. Those who love God overcome fear. John, like the Lord Jesus, did not speak of many judgments, but only one. A lot of people are afraid of the final judgment and if they are not right with God they should be.
ii. Perfect love casts out that fear and notice that last phrase; he who fears has not been made perfect in love.
3. These are three special blessings that John mentioned in connection with loving God. He first talked about how God has demonstrated His love for us.
That wonderful love deserves a response.
One way in which we respond to God's love is by loving him.
B. There's another way in which God's children respond to His love. That is for God's people to love each other.
1. Look at verse 7 again, “Beloved, let us love one another”. One reason why I enjoy reading the writings of John is the affectionate terms that he often uses. He refers to his readers as beloved. John loved the people to whom he was writing. By the way, he was writing to us, as Christians, wasn't he? John had special feelings for God's people, and he let that be known in his writing. Also, look at verse 11 again. “Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.” Christians’ loving each other is motivated by the overwhelming majesty of the love of God.
2. The foundation for John's appeal is the love of God. We know that God loves us because He proved it. He demonstrated His great love for us. We said that love deserves a response, and John talked about two responses. One response is to love God, and the other response is for God's people to love one another.
3. Once again, there are special blessings associated with loving God's children. Go back to the second part of verse 7, “everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.” Then in verse 12, “If we love one another, God abides in us, and His love has been perfected in us.” Our love toward God is perfected and brought to maturity by the exercise of love towards our brethren in Christ.
4. What about a person who makes the conscious decision not to love God's children? John touched on the spiritual condition of those people. Look at verse 8. “He who does not love, does not know God” That's pretty strong, isn't it? Well… look at verse 20 again. “If someone says, "I love God,'' and hates his brother, he is a liar;”
a. It is understandable to us that if what a person is contradicts what that person says, they are a liar. John, in his writings, says a person who claims to know God and walks in darkness is a liar… a person who "knows God" but denies the Son of God is a liar… a person who pretends to love God and hates his brother is a liar. Very straightforward.
b. John makes it very clear that one response to God's love is for His people to love each other.
C. John concluded his appeal in verse 21 which we've already read a couple of times. “And this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God must love his brother also.” John was present when Jesus gave that command in John 13. John is repeating that, of course. Yes, many years have passed by this time. John says, “this commandment have we from him.” In other words, this came from the Lord, that he who loves God must love his brother also. John made a very passionate appeal in these verses for God's people to love one another.
III. Of course, John wasn't the only apostle to write about these things. Let's look at a few verses written by the Apostle Paul and by the Apostle Peter.
A. Let's turn to Ephesians 5:1-2. Of course, Paul was not one of the original twelve. He was added as an apostle. Later, he described himself as one born out of due time, but he was just as much an apostle as the rest of them. He wrote in detail about love. “Therefore be followers of God as dear children. And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.” The term, sweet-smelling is a compound word euōdia, (yoo-o-dee'-ah), which means a fragrance, a sweet odor, or a satisfaction, and metaphorically a thing well pleasing to God. When God's people walk in love, that presents a very pleasing aroma unto God.
B. Let's turn to Colossians 3:5-8. “5. Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. 6. Because of these things the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience, 7. in which you also once walked when you lived in them. 8. But now you must also put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth. 9. Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds,” Here Paul has shown us that there are certain things that are to be put off, to be mortified.
1. Then having dealt with those things, he presents some things that are to be put on. Skip down to verse 12. Colossians 3:12-14, “12. Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; 13. bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. 14. But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection.”
2. Paul tells us to put on all these wonderful activities and attitudes mentioned in verses 12 and 13 and then he says above all these things put on love which Paul calls the bond of perfection. Love is viewed as the bond of perfectness, or girdle that bonds together the "clothing" that has just been put on. Both the graces and the Christian persons are bound together by love.
3. In 1st Corinthians 13 Paul has a lot to say about love.
a. In verse 1 he says no matter how elegantly he was to speak, without love he would be as sounding brass or a clanging cymbal.
b. In verse 2 Paul lists many virtues; prophecy, understanding, knowledge, and faith, yet he says without love “I am nothing”
c. Then in the last verse of 1st Corinthians 13 he admonishes “… now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.”
C. Let's turn next to 1st Peter chapter 1 which we are currently studying in bible class. He's writing to people who have become God's children. He talked about how that's accomplished, how to become a child of God by being born again. In 1st Peter 1:22-23 Peter says, “Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart, having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever,” Now look in chapter 4. 1st Peter 4:8, says, “And above all things have fervent love for one another, for "love will cover a multitude of sins.''” That's a beautiful passage. The apostles dealt at length with the fact that God's people are to love one another.
CONCLUSION:
All these apostles emphasize the things that Jesus taught them.
We cannot help but observe today that quite often there's a lack of love in our society. --- People need to see something better.
Something better is available. When they see God's people loving one another, it should be appealing. That should give people something to examine and look at and say, you know, there's a better life. Maybe I need to check into this Christianity that the Bible talks about. Maybe there's something to it.
They need to see Christian love in action and that's where we're involved. The way that we conduct ourselves has an influence. Others are observing our behavior even when we may not realize it. When people see God's children loving one another, it should be appealing to them.
We know that God loves us because He demonstrated His love. God's children are to respond to His love in two ways, first, by loving God, and second, by loving one another.
According to what John wrote, our response to those requirements, (which he dealt with in great detail), shows whether we are God's true children.
These are some serious matters. If we put into practice what the Lord is teaching us through His disciple, whom He loved, we'll be able to enjoy some very special blessings.
Let's think about these matters very seriously as we go through our daily lives. I think people will see it and it will make a good impression on them.
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We learn from the New Testament how to be saved. We need to hear the word; believe in Jesus; repent of our sins; confess our belief that Jesus is the Son of God; and be baptized for the remission of our sins… If we follow these steps, the Lord adds us to His church.
Perhaps there is someone in the assembly today with the need to be buried with Christ in baptism. If anyone has this need or desires the prayers of faithful Christians on their behalf, we encourage them to come forward while we stand and sing.
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Reference Sermon by: Raymond Sieg
