This
is the season of giving. It's a time when we take careful stock of what
we have, what we are going to give, and later on what we have received.
This passage is about having and giving and receiving God's love. The Apostle
John's letters to the church are truly love letters. That is not to say
they are not deep or difficult. The battle between love and hate dominates
our world. I have that battle in my life and I will assume that you do
too, beloved. Those who would love will struggle. John knew this well.
He is writing to encourage us.
I John 4:18- "There is no
fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment.
He that feareth is not made perfect in love."
God's
love brings courage. Fear keeps us from loving. An abundance of fear indicates
a lack of God's love.
I John 4: 19- "We love Him
because He first loved us."
God
has to teach each one of us to love. He begins by loving us.
I John 4: 20-21- "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? And this commandment have we from him, that he who loveth God love
his brother also."
Anger,
bitterness, and even indifference toward one another are unmistakable indicators
of a lack of God's love. We MUST love one another. We can't just slip away
alone and experience the love of God. God didn't set it up that way. That's
not His will. He doesn't love from a distance. God's love will be clearly
defined as we begin Chapter 5.
I John 5, Verse 1- "Whosoever
believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loveth
him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him."
We
can't find God's love without Jesus. It sounds OK to say that all the religions
lead you to God, but it doesn't work out in reality. Man's effort, his
culture and his logic do not dictate God's love. God wrapped all His love
up in swaddling clothes and sent Him to us in a stable. Jesus is the key
to God's love. How well old John knew that. Have you encountered God's
love? Have you met His Son?
Verses 2-3- "By this we know
that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments.
For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments
are not grievous."
This
is the great counterpoint to loving our brothers. Loving our brothers will
not work out if that is all we do. We have to actively love and obey God.
This will make us fit to love one another. I don't know about you, but
I want any person who is loving me to be a keeper of God's commandments.
And John is right, when we accept God's love the New Covenant Commandments
are not grievous. It's so simple: God reaches out to us through His
Son to bring us love. Then He teaches us how to love. Then He commands
us to love Him with all our hearts and to love our neighbors as ourselves.
That's not a great burden, friend. And it's not rocket science. So when
is that dam going to break forth and the Love of God engulf you and me
and the Church and our dying world? John says this can't happen if we doubt
God's love. Through the Holy Spirit, John is trying to show us the way:
Verses 4-5- "For whatsoever
is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh
the world, even our faith. Who is He that overcometh the world, but he
that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God."
I
had stated above that no man can fully measure up to God's love. That isn't
entirely true. There is a Man Who does. God became a Man. God, Who Himself
IS love (see I John 4:8), out of love, chose to JOIN us down here on this
cursed world to teach us what love is all about. Love is not trivial, friend.
It isn't cheap. It isn't impractical. It isn't intangible. It is real.
God is Love. And the Testimony of Jesus, which is the New Covenant, builds
up our faith in God and His love for us.
John
presents it this way in Verses 6-12. He states that the Spirit of God testifies
to our spirits that Jesus is real, and also we have access to the facts
of Jesus' life on earth. John is indicating that this should build our
faith: Jesus was born of a woman, He lived, did miracles, died, was resurrected,
and ascended. John presents 5 witnesses who all testify of these things:
#1-2. "The Water and the Blood"-
This is the earthly evidence. Mary was a real woman, and she was really
pregnant. When the time came for His birth there was water and blood, I
think it's that simple. Less simple is the testimony of John (see John
19:34) that there was blood and water shed at Christ's death, also. I think
this speaks of the fact that His death brought spiritual birth to us.
#3-4. "The Father and the Word"-
If you were in Heaven today, The Father God Himself would testify of His
Son and His Love for you. When John says "The Word" he means Jesus (see
John 1:1). I believe John always associated God's words with the actions
he had seen in Christ. Jesus Christ is in Heaven today, a living testimony
to eternal love.
#5. "The Holy Spirit"- Witnesses
#1-2 are on the earth, witnesses #3-4 are in Heaven, but notice that His
Holy Spirit is found in both places! Just think on that. His Spirit from
Heaven is down here with us also! This is the sure gateway to Heaven. If
you resist the Holy Spirit forever, you will be lost forever. I think that
this is the "sin unto death" John mentions in Verses 16-17. But John's
purpose is not to discourage or condemn, it is to teach us to surrender
to God's Holy Spirit:
Verse 13- "These things
have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that
ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name
of the Son of God."
The
Devil desperately wants us to remain lost or uncertain. He may pull out
all the stops to try and prevent us from receiving the witness of God's
Spirit. As I said, the way of love is not easy.
Verses 14-15- "And this is
the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask anything according
to his will, he heareth us. And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever
we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him."
Now
John presents the formula for getting all your prayers answered 100% of
the time. No, I am not crazy (at least, not about this). It is true. The
secret is right here in the Word of God. There is no code to break, you
don't have to send in money (but you can if you want to). Here it is: God
is love. His will is to love us and for us to love Him and one another.
Ask anything that is within His will and He will grant it. Let's look at
an example. If you ask God for a new car, you may get it (He's more than
able to supply it) but you may not. It may not be in His will. HOWEVER,
if you love God, in full confidence you can pray tomorrow morning or right
now, "God, let me love someone who really needs love today." That prayer
will be answered. It is 100% guaranteed by the Apostle John as found in
the Holy Bible. This is what is meant by praying "in Jesus' name." Jesus
is in Heaven, but you and I are down here right now, and we can pray that
His Spirit fill us and use us to do today what Jesus did when He was on
the earth. Now, that's not the whole story. I tend to over-simplify. Struggles
will come. Our enemy does not want an army of little Christs released into
our needy world. But God does. That is what being in the Church, "His Body,"
is all about. John says these prayers will have the power of God behind
them.
Verse 18-19 "We know that
whosoever is born of God sinneth not; but he that is begotten of God keepeth
himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not. And we know that we are
of God, and the whole world lieth in wickedness"
The
enemies, the struggles, the battles, the pain of loss. Love is not easy
to find or to hold. Where do you stand today? You must be born again to
find God's love.
Verse 20- "And we know that
the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may
know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his Son
Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life."
I
struggle to love. There was a time when I couldn't even love at all. Then
Jesus came into my life. Now I love God because I understand the truth
about Him through Jesus. This is why I sing songs about Him. To me they
are all love songs. I love Jesus. But I still struggle to continue to love.
And I know this hurts God. When I stop loving I stop worshipping Him.
Verse 21- "Little children,
keep yourselves from idols. Amen."
That
hateful or selfish thought or word or action is no minor infraction. The
commandment is to love as He loves. Anything less is idolatry.