Exalting Jesus in 1,2,3 John by Dr. Daniel L. Akin & David Platt & Tony Merida

Author:Dr. Daniel L. Akin & David Platt & Tony Merida
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Religion/Biblical Commentary/New Testament
Publisher: B&H Publishing Group
Published: 2014-07-15T15:42:41+00:00

2 See Rob Bell’s heterodox book by this title.

God Is Love

1 John 4:7-12

Main Idea: The Father of Jesus is the God of Love, whose love is manifested in the sending of Christ and is perfected in the love displayed among His people.

I. Love Has Its Origin in God (4:7-8).

A. Loving others gives evidence we have been born of God (4:7).

B. Loving others gives evidence we know God (4:7-8).

II. Love Is Seen in the Atoning Death of Jesus (4:9-10).

A. God sent His Son that we might live (4:9).

B. God sent His Son that He might die (4:10).

III. Love Is Perfected in Us When We Love Others (4:11-12).

A. God’s love for us inspires us to love others (4:11).

B. Our love for others brings His love to perfection (4:12).

Love, it has been said, has many faces. People see it in all sorts of shapes and sizes. I think it is interesting to note that sometimes we see it more clearly, not through the eyes of adults, but through the eyes of children. A group of professionals posed the following question to a group of four- to eight-year-olds: “What does love mean?” The answers they got, as one researcher said, “were broader and deeper than anyone could have imagined.”

“Love is when you go out to eat and give somebody most of your French fries without making them give you any of theirs.” Chrissy—age 6

“Love is what makes you smile when you’re tired.” Terri—age 4

“Love is when my mommy makes coffee for my daddy and she takes a sip before giving it to him, to make sure the taste is OK.” Danny—age 7

“Love is what’s in the room with you at Christmas if you stop opening presents and listen.” Bobby—age 5

“Love is when you tell a guy you like his shirt, then he wears it every day.” Noelle—age 7

“Love is when your puppy licks your face even after you left him alone all day.” May Ann—age 4

“When you love somebody, your eyelashes go up and down and little stars come out of you.” Karen—age 7

“You really shouldn’t say ‘I love you’ unless you mean it. But if you mean it, you should say it a lot. People forget.” Jessica—age 7

“When my grandmother got arthritis, she couldn’t bend over and paint her toenails anymore. So my grandfather does it for her all the time, even when his hands got arthritis too. That’s love.” Rebecca—age 8 (Sollee, “Love”)

Well, it is one thing to get a child’s perspective on love, but it is even better to get God’s perspective. Several times in the Bible God gives us His thoughts on love. We find it in Song of Songs 8:5-14, 1 Corinthians 13, and here in 1 John 4:7-21. John has addressed the subject of love already in 2:7-11 as an indication that one is walking in the light and in 3:11-24 as evidence that one is a child of God. Yet it is here, in 4:7-21, that he provides his fullest treatment. As he calls us aside to talk about this subject that

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