Sunday July 7, 2013 Phone: 570-829-5216
Pastor David Miklas e-mail
Message #12 “Saints Fellowship with God” Text: I John 4:7-21
The Saints LOVE in the Fellowship of God
Introduction: Today we return to one of the themes brought up on several occasions in the book of I John – the theme of LOVE. God created us for love. Jesus said our love for God and for our neighbor is the fulfillment of all the laws of God.
In the Greek language of the New Testament and the first century world, there were three different words used to describe love.
Eros is a self-serving passion. This word, not used in the Bible, is a love for the sole purpose of sexual satisfaction. Translated, “I love you because you give me pleasure. If you stop giving me pleasure, I stop loving you.”
Phileo is a friendship love. This is a social kind of love, often translated in the Bible by the word “friend.” This is a 50/50 relationship. “If you don’t give anything in return, or if there is a conflict, our relationship will end.”
Agape is a love with a "Divine Dimension." This is a selfless love rooted in the very being of God.
It's a love whose fundamental attribute is that of sacrifice.
It's a love by the ACT OF THE WILL, not just a feeling.
It's a love that is persistent, passionate, impartial, inexhaustible, unconditional and everlasting.
It is interesting to note this Greek word "agape" used a total of fifty-one times in the entire book of I John, is used twenty-nine times in today’s text found in I John 4:7-21.
“Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. (8) He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. (9) In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. (10) Herein 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 ought also to love one another. (12) No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us. (13) Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit. (14) And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world. (15) Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God. (16) And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him. (17) Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world. (18) There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love. (19) We love him, because he first loved us. (20) If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen? (21) And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also.”
Out of this passage let me call your attention to two familiar phrases:
First: In verses 8 and 16 we find the phrase "God is Love." God’s character is love. Love does not define God, but God defines love.
Second: In verses 7, 11, and 12, we read the phrase, "love one another." Here John is saying that we are to continually and habitually "love one another." For a believer this is a way of life.
Have you heard this expression? "That guy is just a chip off the old block." For years people used to say to me, “You are John's boy, you are just like your father.” In some ways, I am like my father. Now if this is true in the physical realm, it should also be true in the spiritual realm. All of us Christians should be just like our heavenly Father, because we have become partakers of His divine nature, since by faith we have been born into the family of God. Again notice verses 7-8, “Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. (8) He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.” The characteristic that should be a cause for resemblance to God is “LOVE.”
At least 55 times in the New Testament we are commanded to love. It is one of the scripture’s most repeated, inescapable directives for the believer. It affects us in each of the many roles we play - as parents, spouses, children, friends, and fellow believers.
Someone said, “The best proof that Christ has risen is that HE is alive. And for our contemporaries, the only way of seeing Him alive is for us Christians to “love one another.”
Now in verses 9-10 John gives us a demonstration of "agape." Here he affords us a brilliant opportunity to see what God did, for God’s love is best seen in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. “In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. (10) Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.”
When we read such amazing verses, like these, we feel as if we are standing on holy ground. Years ago, I read this story, which please understand is true.
There was a man, whose responsibility was operating the revolving span of a bridge that crossed a river. When it was closed, passenger trains would go across the track. When it was open, boats would be able to go up and down the river.
One Saturday morning, as he was getting ready for work, His wife said, "Why don't you take your son with you today and share some companionship.” As a result, the two of them went to work together. When they arrived, the father got involved in his business, and the boy was off playing somewhere else. All the while, the span was open for the ships to go up and down the river.
All of a sudden, the father heard in the distance the blare of a very powerful air horn, and at that moment he knew a train was coming, and it was coming unexpectedly. So he raced up to the control room knowing that he had to close that span so the train could go safely across.
As he reached out to grab the levers to bring the bridge span back into place, he looked down into the huge gear box. There to his utter surprise he saw his little boy playing among the gears. The story goes on to say, he had grief written all over his face, sweat on his hands, and on the inside his blood was turning to ice. At that moment he realized he had an unbelievable decision to make, the train was coming and the horn was blowing.
The decision was either to bring that span around to link it up with the train tracks so the train could go across and the 100's of passengers would be safe, and in the process crush his little son to death. Or he could save his son and the train would plunge into the river and all the people would die.
That father stood there to what seemed to be an eternity. His mind was just reeling, shaking from head to foot, knowing what he had to do. He grabbed those levers, and as he pulled on them, the gears began to move the span across into place, and the train went thundering across the track. Those people went on their way, totally oblivious of the price that was paid for their safety. In the process, that father actually crushed his own son to death in the gear box.
You know, God did not have a lot of options; it was either us, or His Son. The decision made by God was to put the machinery into motion whereby His Son would die a horrible death on the cross of Calvary. Herein is "agape" manifested in the death of Jesus Christ, for in Romans 8:32 we read, "He that spared not His own Son, but delivered him up for us all..."
Would you notice what it says about the results of Christ’s death at the end of verse 9, it was in order, “that we might live through Him." Now in verse 10, John takes the wind out of our sails by tactfully reminding us we had nothing to do with God’s gracious and generous offer of salvation. “Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.”
God initiated the plan and the means of our eternal redemption whereby His Son covered our sins.
God was the one who intervened when there was no hope for us.
God exercised MERCY and showed fathomless GRACE.
If it were not for God taking the first step and making the initial move, we would have no hope in this world and no future in the world to come. The fact we have something to live for today and so much to look forward to in all our tomorrow’s pays an eloquent tribute to the love of God.
In verse 10 for the second time, we have the word "propitiation." The first time was found in I John 2:2, “And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.” The word means “to cover.” How did God's love cover our sins? It was by the blood of Christ. In Hebrews 9:22 we read, "without the shedding of BLOOD there is no remission of sins." Jesus shed his blood for my sins and for your sins. It is imperative that we realize God will accept nothing short of the blood of His precious Son.
Without the shedding of BLOOD there is no eternal salvation.
Without the shedding of BLOOD there is no forgiveness of sin.
Without the shedding of BLOOD there is no escape from hell.
In I John 1:7 we read, "And the BLOOD of Jesus Christ, His Son cleanseth us from all sin." It is a blessing to sing:
There is a fountain filled with BLOOD, drawn from Emmanuel veins.
And sinners plunged beneath that flood, lose all their guilty stains.
My hope is built on nothing less, than Jesus’ BLOOD and righteousness.
I dare not trust the sweetest frame, but wholly lean on Jesus name.
We have heard in this message there is a special kind of love that comes out of the heart of God. We became the recipient of this love when we are drawn into the family of God through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Now in the light of that, should there not be some kind of response, some kind of reaction on our part.
John issues a rallying call in verse 11 when he pleads with the believers to love each other. “Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.” The word “if” in this verse calls not for a possibility but rather a settled fact as in the word since. "Since God so loved us, we ought also to love one another."
For a moment, focus your attention on the word "OUGHT." The meaning of this word carries the idea of "a moral obligation owed." Here we discover that we owe something to one another. Since God so loved me, the best way to express my appreciation to God is to love you. “I owe it to God to love you.”
This is a moral obligation that I owe to you and you to me. Preacher, you mean I must love ______. Yes, you do. The problem is:
We are often wrapped up in ourselves, and become petty about things that do not really matter much.
We get uptight about a wide range of trivial pursuits, so love flies out the open window of our hearts.
The challenge for us is to take a long look at Calvary and when our hearts have become saturated with the love of Christ, then we are ready to REACH OUT TO OTHERS WITH HIS ETERNAL LOVE by sharing the Gospel of Christ. Sixteen times in the New Testament with four of those time in I John, we are admonished to "love one another."
At the outset of verse 12 there is a statement that almost seems to be out of place. “No man hath seen God at any time.” John is saying, “It is true that no one has seen God concretely, BUT PEOPLE CAN SEE GOD IN YOU.”
“The church is God’s video presentation to a dying culture. People are looking and people are listening. People should be able to walk into a Christian fellowship and see the God of love within the lives and activities of his people.”
God's love is PROCLAIMED in the Word of God, and His love is PROVEN at the cross. But here we have something deeper. God's love is PERFECTED in us. Fantastic as it may seem, God's love is not made perfect in angels, but in sinners like us, who are saved by grace.
I have often said it is not your belief; it is Christ’s love in you and from you that communicates to the unsaved people in Edwardsville, all over this valley, and all over the world.
They don't care about your confession of faith.
They don't care how much you know about the Bible.
They don' care how much time you spend in church.
They don't care how much time you spend in prayer.
Your unsaved neighbors want to see if YOU are for REAL. The unsaved world is looking for Christianity in "shoe leather." God has placed an obligation on, us and it is by this that we shall tell the world that God is love and Jesus saves!
Years ago a Salvation Army worker found a derelict woman alone on the Streets of Chicago. She proceeded to invite her to come into the chapel for help, but the woman refused to move. The workers assured her, "we love you and want to help you.” She went on to say, "God loves you and Jesus died for you." But the woman did not budge.
As if on divine impulse, the worker leaned over and kissed the woman on the cheek, and took her into her arms. At that gesture, the woman began to sob, and like a child was led into the chapel, where she ultimately trusted Christ.
Afterward she said, "You told me that God loved me, but it wasn't till you showed me that God loved me that I wanted to be saved."