1 John 4:7-12 7 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. 8 He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. 9 In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. 10 In this is love, not that we 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. Seeing God Through Love 12 No one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God abides in us, and His love has been perfected in us.

 

THE LOVE OF GOD

There is nothing like the love of God! It is the most overwhelming thing I have ever encountered in my life. It is the greatest gift God ever gave us!

The reason I can say that is this, because He loved us, He was moved to do everything else that He has done.

 

Let me mention that John’s epistle has a 4 fold purpose. •  That our joy in Him might be full -

1 John 1:4 •  That we might not sin against Him -

1 John 2:1 •  That we might know that we have eternal life -

1 John 5:13 •  That we ourselves might love others the way God loves us -

1 John 4:11 •  There is a fifth, and that is to share the great love of Almighty God.

 

 HOW GOD’S LOVE IS DESCRIBED

It Is Unending - Jer. 31:3.  The Lord has appeared of old to me, saying: “Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love; Therefore with lovingkindness I have drawn you.

 

There is a difference between infatuation and love! God’s love is eternal!

 

.  It Is Unselfish

It asks for nothing in return! However, it leads man to repent and turn to God in love -

Rom. 2:4; Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance?

 

1 John 4:19.     19 We love Him[a] because He first loved us.

 

It Is Unmerited - Cannot be earned or deserved! God loved us because He desired a people to love.

 

His love is based in His grace!

 

 God loves us because He chooses to love us.

 

It Is Unconditional - It is not based on what we can or cannot produce, it is a product of the heart of God.

 

Man can never reach a place when he will not be loved by God!

God loved us first, He loved us anyway and He loves us eternally!

 

Nothing can separate us from the love of God,  Rom. 8:38-39.   38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, 39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.  

 

HOW GOD’S LOVE IS DEMONSTRATED God’s love can never be fully understood, but it can be seen!

It is best seen at the cross!

  He Stood In The Gap - The Lord Jesus placed Himself squarely between guilty sinners and the wrath of Almighty God,

 

  4 Surely He has borne our griefs And carried our sorrows; Yet we esteemed Him stricken, Smitten by God, and afflicted. 5 But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed. 6 All we like sheep have gone astray;

 

 

 For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.   V.11-12

 

 HOW GOD’S LOVE IS DISPLAYED

Beside Calvary, the greatest canvas for the love of God is the lives of those redeemed by grace.

 

If we are saved, and posses the love of God, it will be visible in our lives! •

 

 Men are limited in their ability to love, but God possesses every shade of love imaginable! When the love of God is present in the life of a believer, it will be visible in 5 different areas.

•  Love For The Savior -

•  Love For The Scriptures - Psa. 119:105;  Your word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path.   I rejoice at thy word, as one that findeth great spoil,” Psalms 119:162.

•  Love For The Sanctuary - Not that we honor a building, but we honor what happens in this building.

 

David - Psalms 122:1   A Song of Ascents. Of David. 122 I was glad when they said to me,“Let us go into the house of the Lord.”

 

•  Love For The Saints - 1 John 4:20-21;    20 If someone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can[a] he love God whom he has not seen? 21 And this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God must love his brother also.

 John 13:35  By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” 1John 4:12   No one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God abides in us, and His love has been perfected in us.When the saints walk in love, the world sees God.

Jesus had a heart for sinners - . Nicodemus, Man with withered hand, Blind man, etc. •  God’s love is more than just being loved!

 

It is opening our lives so that the Lord can love through us. So that He can reach a world for Himself.

 

 We ought to praise the Lord for His overwhelming love!

 

  Matt. 22:39.37 Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’[a] 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’[b]