As God Loved Us, So Love One Another!

IIT UBF - University Bible Fellowship at IIT

As God Loved Us, So Love One Another!

Date: Jun. 28, 2018

Passage

1 John 4:7-21 (ESV)

7 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. 8 Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. 9 In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. 10 In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12 No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us.

13 By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. 14 And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. 15 Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. 16 So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. 17 By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as he is so also are we in this world. 18 There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love. 19 We love because he first loved us. 20 If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. 21 And this commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother.

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Daily Bread

Key Verse: 4:11

Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.

1. God is love (7-12)

God is love. He showed his love by sending his one and only son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Now whoever accepts and believes this love, God's love is born in him. He can love God and others too. Whoever loves others, we know he received God's love. But if whoever does not love others does not know God. For no one can love others unless he accepts God's love first. When we love others, God's love is made complete in us.

2. He first loved us (13-21)

John once had no love. He wanted God to send a lightening to destroy the unbelieving Samaritans (Lk 9:54). But he saw God's love in Jesus and was changed. He was even called as an apostle of love. Like John whoever acknowledges Jesus as the Son of God, the Savior of the world, he lives in God and God in him. Then he will not fear the judgment. Perfect love drives out fear. We love because God first loved us. If anyone does not love others, whom they have seen, they cannot love God, whom they have not seen. It is not easy to love others. Therefore, God commanded us to love others by receiving his love first.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for loving us first by sending your one and only Son as an atoning sacrifice. Now let us love others as you loved us.

One Word: So loved, so love!

Preparation to Build the Temple

2 Chronicles 2:1-16

Key Verse: 2:12

Hiram also said, “Blessed be the LORD God of Israel, who made heaven and earth, who has given King David a wise son, who has discretion and understanding, who will build a temple for the LORD and a royal palace for himself.

Today's Question

What is adoption?

See answer and references