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The book of First John A Verse by Verse Study A. Introduction 1. In V.8 we saw that God is love “He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.” God is not loving but rather love is His nature. 2. In V. 9 we find the proof of God’s
love for us. “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.” The word “manifested” means to render apparent and John goes on to say in V.9 God’s love is render apparent by Him sending His Son to die for
our sins. God’s love is the only reason Jesus came and died. 3. 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.” Herein means because of this love we love
Him. Otherwise there would be no love. Lost
people do not love God! 4. V.11 “Beloved, if God
so loved us, we ought also to love one another.” Remember the word ought is a
command it is not a request. It comes from the Greek word opheileō pronounced of-i-leh'-o and it means to owe or to be under obligation.
One cannot love God without loving their Brother and Sister in Christ. V. 21
“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?” 5. 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.” 6. 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.” The word given means several things including
“to have power” which fits here because not only has God given us His Spirit
but also power form Him. B. V. 14 “And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the
Son to be the Saviour of the world.” 1. John is speaking from
his personal experience here and he is saying I have seen the Son and heard
Him speak and I am here to tell you He is real and He is sent from God. 2. John 20:31 “But these are written,
that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that
believing ye might have life through his name.” 3. He was not just a great
prophet, or just a great teacher, He was God in the
flesh, He was the Son of God, He was the Saviour. C. V. 15 “Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God.” 1. This is not simply a
confession with the mouth but is a confession in the heart. a.
Romans 10:10 “For with the
heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made
unto salvation.” b. It is not a mere
confession as so many profess today. Let’s remember the Lord works from the
inside out, so this confession comes from the heart. 2. “God dwelleth in him, and he in God.” a. This is the
relationship, a dwelling of God in our heart, we all becoming part of one
another. V. 13 “Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he
hath given us of his Spirit.” b. If there is
nothing in the heart then there is not God in you. D. V. 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.” 1. We have complete
assurances that God dwells in us because know He sent His Son as our Saviour.
2. The words “we have known” means to know
absolutely that is with true faith. 3. In that true faith we
truly understand the love of God. That was rendered apparent by the sending
of His Son Christ Jesus. 4. And again for the
second time “God is love” therefore there is no way to have Him in us without
having His love there also. 5. J. Vernon McGee had
this, “This
is the second time in this chapter that we have had the definition, "God
is love." An easy way to remember where in chapter 4 it occurs is this:
multiply four by two and you get eight -- it occurs in verse 8 the first
time; then multiply eight by two and get sixteen -- it occurs in verse 16 the
second time. 1John 4:8 and 1John 4:16 give the definition, "God is
love." |