Most would agree that being loved is really among the most wonderful things in life. Even more so, knowing that God loves us is even much better. Considering this, how are we expected to respond to the love of God? Is it so that if we love someone that we let them have their way even if it is wrong? Is it possible that confrontation of error might be thought of as love? Listen in as Pastor Landis digs in to these as well as a few other pertinent issues in today’s lesson as we resume our current study in the epistle of First John.
Old Testament Scripture Reading: Leviticus 19:12 – 18 (NASB)
Lev 19:12 ‘And you shall not swear falsely by My name, so as to profane the name of your God; I am the LORD.
Lev 19:13 ‘You shall not oppress your neighbor, nor rob him. The wages of a hired man are not to remain with you all night until morning.
Lev 19:14 ‘You shall not curse a deaf man, nor place a stumbling block before the blind, but you shall revere your God; I am the LORD.
Lev 19:15 ‘You shall do no injustice in judgment; you shall not be partial to the poor nor defer to the great, but you are to judge your neighbor fairly.
Lev 19:16 ‘You shall not go about as a slanderer among your people, and you are not to act against the life of your neighbor; I am the LORD.
Lev 19:17 ‘You shall not hate your fellow countryman in your heart; you may surely reprove your neighbor, but shall not incur sin because of him.
Lev 19:18 ‘You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the sons of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself; I am the LORD.
New Testament Scripture Reading: 1 John 4:12 – 21 (NASB)
1 John 4:12 No one has beheld God at any time; if we love one another, God abides in us, and His love is perfected in us. 1 John 4:13 By this we know that we abide in Him and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit. 1 John 4:14 And we have beheld and bear witness that the Father has sent the Son to be the Savior of the world. 1 John 4:15 Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. 1 John 4:16 And we have come to know and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. 1 John 4:17 By this, love is perfected with us, that we may have confidence in the day of judgment; because as He is, so also are we in this world. 1 John 4:18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love. 1 John 4:19 We love, because He first loved us. 1 John 4:20 If someone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for the one who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen. 1 John 4:21 And this commandment we have from Him, that the one who loves God should love his brother also.
Transforming Power Statements:
#1) Because of the fact that through the revelation of the gospel of Christ, believers have come to know and understand the greatest love of all, we are now by the Holy Spirit to also learn to love others in like manner in accordance to the admonition of Scripture.
#2) Showing this kind of love does not mean that we give the world it’s way, but rather that we take a stand in implementing God’s revealed love for the world to each individual and especially those of the household of faith.
(Gal 6:10 KJV) As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.
#3) The idea of hatred among people for any reason is the evil fruit of sin that has infected the world every since the fall of Adam and shall continue on against the will of God till the end.
{(2 Tim 3:13 KJV) But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.
