Living Out God's Love: 1 John Part 4

Living Out God's Love
1 John - Part 4
7/14/2024
The Message from the Beginning
For this is the message that you heard from the beginning, that we should love one another.
1 John 3:11 NIV
- The foundational command of Christianity: Love.
The Contrast Between Love and Hatred
Do not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own actions were evil and his brothers were righteous. Do not be surprised, my brothers and sisters, if the world hates you. We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love each other. Anyone who does not love remains in death. Anyone who hates a brother or sister is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life residing in him.
1 John 3: 12-15 NIV
Implications for Us
- Hatred is evidence of an unchanged heart.
- Love is evidence of a transformed life and our future.
The Ultimate Example of Love
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 and sisters. If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.
1 John 3:16-18 NIV
Practical Expressions of Love
- Helping those in need.
- Love in action, not just words.
Confidence Before God
This is how we know that we belong to the truth and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence: If our hearts condemn us, we know that God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything. Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God and receive from him anything we ask, because we keep his commands and do what pleases him.
1 John 3:19-22 NIV
- Obeying God's commands leads to confidence before Him.
The Commandment to Believe and Love
And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us. The one who keeps God’s commands lives in him, and he in them. And this is how we know that he lives in us: We know it by the Spirit he gave us.
1 John 3:23-24 NIV
Belief leads to loving obedience and
loving obedience is a proof of relationship.
Talk About It:
1. What does it mean to love one another? How can we practice this love in our daily lives?
2. How does John describe the relationship between hatred and spiritual death? Why is loving our brothers and sisters so crucial to our faith?
3. How does Jesus' sacrifice define love for us? In what ways are we called to lay down our lives for others?
4. What are some practical ways we can show love to those in need? How can we ensure our love is shown through actions and not just words?
5. How can we have confidence before God, even when our hearts condemn us? What does it mean that God is greater than our hearts?
7. What is the connection between obeying God's commandments and receiving what we ask for in prayer? How does this affect our prayer life?