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The book of First John A Verse by Verse Study A. V. 8 “He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.” 1. In V. 7 we are told that because we are of God and God dwells inside of us then His love is in us. a. This is why John told us in 1 John 3:14 “We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death.” b. Just as it is impossible for God to hate one of His children it is just as impossible for His children to hate one another. 2. If we are the children of God then we must love one another. 3. V. 8 reaffirms this truth, “He that loveth not knoweth not God;” why? Because “God is love.” a. The words “loveth not knoweth not God;” means they never knew God nor ever loved God. If they ever thought they did either it was only a figment of their imagination. b. John says God is love, it is an attribute, the religionist water it down and say “God is loving,” c. God is love just as He is sovereign, just as He is omnipresent, and ETC. d. Because He is love, He can do nothing without love. B. V. 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.” 1. The word “manifested” means to render apparent or His love for us was proof by Him sending His Son to die
that we might live. a. The love of God is
Jesus dying for and ungodly world. b. The love of God is
having mercy on a people that hated Him. c. Let’s remember
Jesus saved some who were involved in His crucifixion. Acts 3:13-15 “The God of Abraham, and
of Isaac, and of Jacob, the God of our fathers, hath glorified his Son Jesus;
whom ye delivered up, and denied him in the presence of Pilate, when he was
determined to let him go (14.) But ye denied the Holy One and the
Just, and desired a murderer to be granted unto you; (15.) And killed the
Prince of life, whom God hath raised from the dead; whereof we are
witnesses.” 2. God showed how
much he loved us by sending his only Son into the world so that we might have
eternal life through him. It is because of this love we have an existence in
the family of God. C. V. 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.” 1. “Herein is love,” in
this or because of this (that God sent His Son to die for us) is love.
Meaning it is the total foundation of it. Without This love (God’s Love)
there is no love. a. Outside of Him or
without Him love would not exist. b. He no doubt loved
us before the foundation of the world. c. The great covenant
was made before the world began between the father and the Son. John 17:9 “I pray for them: I pray
not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me; for they are
thine.” The Father gave the Elect to the Son, however the Son had to make them righteous. This all
took place before the world began. 2. “not
that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the
propitiation for our sins.” a. God did not send
His beloved Son to die for us because we loved Him, but rather it was because
of His love. His love is eternal. b. 1 John 4:19 “We love him, because he first loved us.” D. V.11 “Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one
another.” 1. The word “ought” is not
a request, it is a command. The word means we are under obligation to do so. 2. Matthew 18:33 Shouldest not thou also
have had compassion on thy fellowservant, even as I
had pity on thee? 3. V. 12 tells us why we
“ought” to love one another. “No man
hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth
in us, and his love is perfected in us.” a. Since He dwells in
us we must love one another and in that love the love of God is complete in
us all. 4. V. 13 Tells us how He
dwells in us. “Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he
hath given us of his Spirit.” a. We do not see God
and never have, however we know He is in our heart because the Spirit speaks
to our spirit. b. The Holy Sprit
brings the goodness of God into our hearts. We cannot have one without the
other. |