120708 nt vistas 25 the litmus test of love 1 john

New Testament

Vistas

1 John 4:7-11

LOVE ONE ANOTHER

1 John 4:7-8

1 John 4:7-8

Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God.

Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. 8

Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.

Matthew 22:37-40

“‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all

your mind. ’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself. ’ 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two

commandments.”

1 Corinthians 13:13

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest

of these is love.

World’s watered down definition

Sentimentality Good feelings

“Till love does us part”

Hebrews 12:5-6

And you have forgotten that word of encouragement that addresses you as sons: “My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, 6 because the

Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes everyone he accepts as a

son.”

Church does the same thing

We love

• The loveable & likeable

• But not the unlovely

Sin clouds

• Our perception

• Our judgment

LOVE IS DEFINED BY GOD

1 John 4:9-10

1 John 4:9

This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might

live through him.

Love is defined by God’s action

John 3:16 “For God so loved the world

that he gave his one and only Son,

that whoever believes in him

shall not perish but have eternal life.

1 John 3:16 “This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life

for us.”

1 John 4:10

This is love: not that we loved God, but that he

loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for

our sins.

Romans 3:25-26

God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood. He did this to demonstrate his justice, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed

beforehand unpunished – 26 he did it to demonstrate his justice at the present time,

so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.

Hebrews 9:5, 11, 15

Above the ark were the cherubim of the Glory, overshadowing the atonement cover. … 11 When Christ came as high priest … he went through the greater and more perfect tabernacle that is not man-made ... 15 … Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, that those who are called may

receive the promised eternal inheritance – now that he has died as a ransom to set them free

from the sins committed under the first covenant.

1 John 3:16-18

This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we

ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. 17 If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? 18 Dear children, let us not love with words or

tongue but with actions and in truth.

LOVE AS GOD LOVES

1 John 4:11

1 John 4:11

Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love

one another.

Love begins with God

1 John 3:1 How great is the love the Father has lavished on us,

that we should be called children of God! And that is

what we are!

1 John 4:19 We love because he

first loved us.

A command, not a suggestion

If we do not love, we do not know God

• 1 John 4:8 Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.

If we do not know God, we do not have

eternal life

• John 17:3 Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.

A command, not a suggestion

If we do not love, we do not know God

• 1 John 4:8 Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.

If we do not know God, we do not have

eternal life

• John 17:3 Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.

God’s love flowing through us means

We are obedient

We love our

brothers

We don’t live in sin

We don’t love the

world

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1 John 5:2-3 This is how we know that we love the children of God: by loving God and carrying out his commands. 3 This is love for God: to obey his commands. And his commands are not burdensome

God’s love flowing through us means

We are obedient

We love our

brothers

We don’t live in sin

We don’t love the

world

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1 John 3:14 We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love our brothers. Anyone who does not love remains in death.

God’s love flowing through us means

We are obedient

We love our

brothers

We don’t live in sin

We don’t love the

world

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1 John 3:9 No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God’s seed remains in him; he cannot go on sinning, because he has been born of God.

God’s love flowing through us means

We are obedient

We love our

brothers

We don’t live in sin

We don’t love the

world

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1 John 2: 15 Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

For John all is black and white

You practiceSin Righteousness

You loveWorld Will of God

Your brotherHate Love

You walk in Darkness Light

Your father Satan God

Life isn’t always black and white

1 John 1:8-10 If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives.

WHAT CAN WE UNDERSTAND?God’s love must flow through us!

What can we understand?

It is not easy Don’t water it down

Do you really love

others?

What can we understand?

It is not easy Don’t water it down

Do you really love

others?

What can we understand?

It is not easy Don’t water it down

Do you really love

others?

WHAT IS AT STAKE?The success of the gospel!