Three Lessons on Loving Others

I am also conscious of the » Well, what a wonderful day that God has given us to open His Word and learn more about Him and learn more about life and how we should live it. So, I'm excited to bring you this topic here today. If you want a title to our sermon message, it is Three Lessons on Loving Others. Three Lessons on Loving Others. And if you have your Bibles, I invite you to open them up, and let's turn together to 1 John 4. And we're going to begin reading verses 7 through 12. That's 1 John 4, verses 7 through 12. You can be turning there now. And as we open our Bibles together, I want us to come to this passage with open hearts and to a message which is simple, yet profound. So profound is today's topic that everything God has ever done rests upon it. And that is love. Love. You know, if we were to take the exercise of tracing the gospel throughout the Bible from creation to the cross, trace a line through the gospel from the resurrection to the promise of Christ's return, we would in fact find woven through it all is the unwavering, pursuing, transforming love of God. And we would see that it's not just simply an extra to the gospel. It is the very heartbeat. For example, when God formed humanity, love was his motive. When he called his people, when he rescued them, when he restored them, when he delivered them, love was his purpose. When he sent his son to redeem the world, a world which had wandered from him, love toward man, love toward woman was his plan. In fact, the gospel is anchored, shaped, and sustained by his perfect love toward us.

And the wonder of it all is that that same love is not to remain distant from us. That love from God the Father is not to remain afar. It is to be received, lived, and then poured out through us to others.

We are to know this love, and we are to be known by this love. You know, we're not to be known merely by our knowledge. We're not to be known merely by our traditions. We are to be known by the very love that comes from him, which flows out to others, and the world needs it. So today, we are going to hope to understand more of that love, embody it, and learn more of how it can flow through us.

And with that objective, we have come to this little passage here in 1 John 4, where the Apostle John gives us three remarkable lessons on loving others. So let's read this together. If you have it open there, 1 John 4, let's begin in verse 7. John begins by saying, Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God, and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.

In this is the love of God. It was manifested toward us that God has sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son to be a propitiation for our sins.

And here it is. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. Verse 12, no one has seen God at any time, but if we love one another, God abides in us, and his love has been perfected in us. Let's stop there. I don't know about you, but I consider this passage just so remarkable, and I think it's part of the most, one of the most beautiful parts in all of Scripture here. Just a few verses here. I love this love passage here that we've come to, and as we come to this topic and as we come to this particular letter by John, it's important for us to remind ourselves why John is writing these things.

John was very clear in explaining why he's writing this to us, why he endeavored to pen this letter. In fact, we're going to come right back, but if you just want to go forward one chapter to 1 John 5 verse 13, John explains very clearly why he's written these things. 1 John 5 verse 13, just one verse.

John says very plainly, 1 John 5 verse 13, These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God. Let's stop there. So he's writing to those who believe in the Son of God, and the reason he's writing is that they would know eternal life.

In other words, he's writing to them these specific things so that they would then have the assurance that their life is on a path that will lead to the gift of eternal life, and that their belief and that trajectory to that will make it to that end, he says. And one of the primary things that John has written throughout all his writings is on love. In fact, we know so much so that the apostle John is known as the apostle of love, isn't he?

So in going back to chapter 4 verse 7, it's no surprise then that we have this exhortation. 1 John 4 verse 7 again, Beloved, let us, he says, let us love one another. And then he provides three lessons, three reasons as why we ought to love one another here. So let's give ourselves to these three things. What do you think his first lesson is? What would be the first thing that emerges from John's heart as to why we should love others, why we ought to love others? Well, very clear. Number one, the first lesson on loving others as to why God's people should express love to our others is because, number one, God is love.

That's number one. Number one lesson on love is God is love. Why should we love others? Well, it is because God is love. Love is the very essence of God. Isn't that beautiful?

So it's all here. Verse 7 again, Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God. Everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God because God is love. So this is the number one lesson from John. Let us love one another. Why? For God is love here. And then John makes this statement. Again, everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.

Categorically, big statement there. God is love, therefore everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. I don't know if John has on his palette, I think that's what they call it, painters have that thing on their arm as they're painting. I don't think he has any other colors on that except for black and white. There absolutely is no gray, as John writes often in his letters. So what is he saying here in this first lesson? Is John suggesting that in the world any manifestation of human love is a sign then that that person is born of God and knows God?

That'd be a good theological class question there. Very clear.

There it is. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. So every sign of human love displayed between individuals is evidence that that individual is born of God and knows God. Write your answer on a sheet, pass it to the middle aisle, if you will.

Now, if you're like me, you find yourself considering that and kind of shaking your head, but then shaking your head this way, you know, kind of all around there. Yes, well, well, maybe not, you know. Yes, all displays of human love are an indication that that is a child of God, but you know, you might be hard-pressed to defend that in every circumstance, right?

And if you don't believe that displays of human love are an indication of this, well, you might be hard-pressed to explain that in every circumstance.

Now, I'll let you off the hook. I believe the answer is yes and no. Okay. Yes and no. If God is the source of all love, as John lays out, because God is love, then every expression of love found in humanity must be sourced from God. He is love. He's the very essence of it. He's the originator of it, the totality of it. Therefore, when you see genuine love expressed in humanity, genuine love, it absolutely can be traced back to He who is love, God the Father.

And, you know, therefore, love, loving relationships, even expressed by those who are non-Christians, even that love can be a sign of just the overall overarching grace from being made in the image of love, right, in the image of God. Mankind does have the propensity to love just from being in the image of God, because that's where love comes from. However, however, when we've said that, we must also acknowledge that to say that is not to say that all individuals who express the natural expression of love are children of God, you know, are born of God and know Him. No, John is not, of course, saying that as well. So with this, we have to consider the context. Who is John writing to? Well, we know he's writing to the beloved. He's writing to the sons and daughters of God. This is whom he's writing. And so he's making those categorical statements to whom? To you and I. To those who have given themselves to God the Father through Jesus Christ. And so he's writing to his own about this special quality of divine love, and it is a mark of his children today. And then he's therefore able to say everyone who loves in this way gives the evidence that they're born of God and they know God. Right? And therefore, if you profess to know Him, but you do not love, then you're calling into question that which you profess. Right? So you may claim it. You may claim to know God. You may come to the right functions. You might attend services every Sabbath. Regardless, if you do not love in this way, you reveal of yourself that you do not know Him and that you were not born of Him.

And so this first love lesson that John's laying down here is very clear. It's very logical. If you are a true believer, then you will receive the essence of God's nature, which is love, and that will flow from you to others.

Second part of verse 7, everyone who loves is born of God. Now we know the ultimate birth comes when Jesus Christ returns. God willing, He calls our name. We're born into that spiritual family. That's the ultimate birth, of course. But today, through repentance, baptism, laying on of hands, we are His children today. We are partakers of His divine nature. We are given His Holy Spirit. And we do receive His divine nature, which is love. So therefore, you then must also love. You see.

Now, before we move on to the second lesson that John gives us here, I just want to make a side statement, perhaps, of a pitfall that many men and women fall into when they consider particularly this verse in these words that God is love. You will see this on coffee cups and pillowcases of sorts. But many, upon reflecting on the fact of this number one love lesson that God is love, will then try to, in error, pour into the container of love any kind of behavior. Okay? And therefore, you may hear some say, because God is love, He is therefore okay with any kind of behavior that I will express. But is that right? Is that right? No, that is not right. Why isn't that right? Well, it's because from love flows His perfect loving way. Okay? You cannot separate the two. From love flows His perfect loving way. And just in case there was any that tried to come up with that erroneous conclusion, John already expressed this just a few chapters earlier. Just allow, turn over to 1 John 2 verse 3 through 6. As you are considering love, and if you need to address this particular aspect, 1 John 2 verse 3 through 6, John anticipated any kind of pushback or argument that this would then allow any kind of way. Just as long as you love God. No, here it is. 1 John 2 verses 3 through 6. John says, now by this we know that we know Him. Okay, he just addressed that a few chapters later. If we keep His commandments, He who says, I know Him and does not keep His commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in Him. Now listen, but whoever keeps His word truly the love of God is perfected in Him. By this we know that we are in Him. He who says He abides in Him ought Himself also to walk as He walks. Okay, there you have it. Let's stop there. Can't separate the two. Argument concluded. Checkmate, if you ever come across this.

God is love.

And so we do the things that the one we love commands. God is love. And therefore, from that perfect love, then ipso facto flows the perfect loving way. Okay, so don't let them get you tripped up on the fact that God loves. Then somehow that ushers in any kind of way of living. Now they're one and the same. As His nature, that love flows through us.

All right, we ought to love others because God is love. That's the number one lesson on love. Number two, the second love lesson from God. We should love others because, number two lesson, number two, God loved us. So that's number two, God loved us. So we should love because God loved us and that love is revealed through the sending of His Son. That brings us to 1 John here, 4 verses 9 through 11. Here, as we continue in this lovely passage. 1 John 4 verses 9 through 11. John continues here and he says, in this is the love of God, that it was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be a propitiation for our sins. And here it is again, beloved, if God so loved us, we ought to love one another. Let's stop there. So there's the second lesson on love as to why we should love others. Number two, God loved us. So God is love and God loved us. And the manifestation of His love is seen in the sending of Jesus Christ. So there's, in this second love lesson, there's action, there's evidence of God's love, and the same should be true of us. You see, you can't just love in some abstract way without also it then producing action, evidence. And God the Father showed us that pattern.

The manifestation of His love is seen in the sending of His Son. So He said, I will show humanity that I am love. I need to show humanity that I am love. And how will I do it? Well, I will send my only begotten Son to them. I will send the one that's been with me since eternity, and I will manifest Him to them. So the Father says, so that the world might be able to look upon Him, know Him, hear Him, follow Him into my love. And in observing Him, they will discover that I am love. This is incredible, you see. An incredible second lesson here. That love of God was made manifest to us.

So John continues here by saying, you know, again, I'm not simply presenting to man and women this kind of abstract aspect of love. I want to send them the evidence of it. I want to show them through the arrival of my Son. And so even the smallest of child can get a hold of this. They see how Jesus moved around this earth. They see He touched the untouchable. He reached out to those lives that no one else would reach out to. And He healed them, and He comfort them, and He edified them. And the love of God was seen through Jesus Christ.

And what's even more remarkable is just to really consider the initiative, lies with God. Verse 10 again, in this is love. Not that we loved God, He says, but that He loved us.

So this kind of love, this second love lesson, it's initiative taking. So if you are waiting for someone to become lovable before you love them, you're missing it. You're missing the whole point of this second love lesson. God the Father showed us the way. If you are having conflict, strife with someone, and you are withholding love, waiting, again, for them to become lovable, you're missing this whole second love lesson. Because God didn't look down on you and something you did then triggered His love. You know, I think I'll love Him, or I think I'll love her. It's just the opposite. God loved us. So before, while we were still sinners, so God's love and what we are to achieve is unlike any other love and humanity. You know, human love often loves in response to loveliness, right? But that's not the kind of godly love that He's speaking of here. God looked down from heaven, and He first looked upon the Israelites, right? And He even said in the Old Testament, recorded for us, I didn't love them because they were some big, magnificent group. I didn't love them because they were special. I just loved them. That, for your notes, that's Deuteronomy 7.7, where God's words are recorded there. Deuteronomy 7.7 for your notes. I just loved them. Because I loved them. And God just loves you because He loves you. This is a, this is a kind of a philosophical mind-bender here. You know, again, most of us love. Human love is often reciprocal, right? But God says, because I am love, I can just love. I can just love.

God takes the initiative. He looks at your life, and He just loved you while you were still unlovable.

We didn't love Him. He loved us.

And so our love is in response to His love. It is a reflection of that love where we are able to show love today as a result of God taking the initiative first in our lives. And making it possible to love others.

Why do we love others? Love lesson number two. Well, just simply, He loved us. That's why. And we see it evidenced in the giving of His Son's life. Condemned, He stood, and He took our place. And that fundamentally changes us. And this deep response, then, of love emerges from us. So try to get out of verse 11 if you can. Bring all of your excuses as to why you're not loving someone in your life today. Bring all those to the foot of Jesus Christ, the one who died an undeserved death. He loved us even during our offenses toward Him. And bring all of the offenses that others have brought to us as to the reason why you don't love them, why you don't want to be with them, why you don't care for them. And all those reasons just fade away.

And John says, since God loved us to the point of sacrificing His Son, shouldn't we ought to love one another?

So, love lesson number one. God is love. Love lesson number two. God loved us. Now, the third is perhaps the most impactful to our daily lives. Lesson number three as to why we love others is that God continues to reveal His love through us. Okay, so that's number three. The reason we love others is because it's how God continues to show His love here on earth today.

Let that sink in. Verse 12 again here, verse John 4 verse 12. You know, no one has seen God at any time, but if we love one another, well, God then abides in us, and His love has been perfected in us. You see? This is awesome.

No man has seen God. So, if no man has seen God, well, how will man and one man see God's love? Well, the answer is the sending of His Son to reveal the Father's love. Okay. But what do we know now? Well, that one, Jesus Christ, died and rose again, and now He's at the right hand of the Father. Therefore, He's no longer walking the streets. So, how will the world see His love today? Do you know what the answer is? Let them see God's love in you.

Let them see God's love through you. This is the great third love lesson that John is giving us here. And as they see you, they see God. And His love then is perfected in us. His love perfected in us.

It's unbelievable. So, the perfect expression of the love of God is to be seen on earth through you and I.

So, brethren, let's get this sorted out right now. As a people, as a church, as a fellowship here today, though we may speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, we have become as a sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. Though we may have the gift of prophecy and have all understanding of mysteries and all knowledge, and though we may have all faith, so much faith that we can move mountains, but have not love, we are nothing. And though we may bestow all kinds of goods and feed the poor in the upcoming year, we'll have some endeavors to try to do that. Though we give our bodies to be burned, but have not love, it profits nothing. Of course, for your notes, that passage comes from Paul's great love chapter, 1 Corinthians 13.

You know, all these writers at least have one great love chapter, it seems. So, you see, as we begin to conclude here, love, it is to be who we are. And without it, nothing matters. And all of our endeavors will be toward nothing.

But how amazing of an opportunity we have. An amazing opportunity, an amazing privilege that God has allowed us to participate in His very divine nature.

So, let me ask, are you ready to participate in His divine nature of love?

I hope you are, and I believe you are. Let's grow in it this year. Let's take these three lessons from John and let's show love to the world. Because God is love, He loved us, and we are now the men and women who will reveal it to others today. So, as we look out at this upcoming year, let us always, and from this day forward, perfect His love in us.