Living in the Light of God's Love - A Study of 1 John. Lesson Six - Walking in the Light of God’s Love 1. John continues to unpack the basic, yet incredibly powerful force that is the love of God. 1 John 4:7-15 7 Dear friends, let us love one another, because love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. 8 The one who does not love has not known God, because God is love. 9 This is how God’s love for us was revealed: God has sent his only-begotten Son into the world so that we may live through him. 10 This is love: not that we have loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins. 11 Dear friends, if God loved us so much, we also should love one another. 12 No one has ever seen God. If we love one another, God remains in us and his love has been brought to its goal in us. 13 This is how we know that we remain in him and he in us: He has given us of his Spirit. 14 We have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. 15 If anyone confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God remains in him and he in God. 16 We also have come to know and trust the love that God has for us. 2. Sometimes we may be tempted to say, “I know all about God’s love.” Yet when are you reminded that you have more to learn about God’s love? 3. Give your top 3 displays of love in all human history. 4. You can’t see God directly, but John says there is a way for him to remain in us. How? 1 John 4:16-21 God is love. Whoever remains in love remains in God and God in him. 17 In this way his love has been brought to its goal among us, so that we may have confidence on the day of judgment, because in this world we are just like Jesus. 18 There is no fear in love, but complete love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who continues to be afraid has not been brought to the goal in love. 19 We love because he first loved us. 20 If anyone says, “I love God,” but hates his brother, he is a liar. For how can anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, love God, whom he
has not seen? 21 This then is the command we have from him: The one who loves God should also love his brother. 5. In verse 17, John says that God’s love has a goal. What is the goal of God’s love? 6. God’s love has a goal. You might think that God is so powerful that he would just decide that his goal will be achieved by sheer force and might. But that’s not how he brings his goal to completion. How does he do it? 7. “In this world we are just like Jesus.” What about the times that we are not? What should we do then? 8. “Perfect love drives out fear.” What about the times that we are afraid? What should we do then? 9. Why would anyone say, “I love God,” and yet hate their brother? 10. How can you love someone who you don’t even like? Is it actually possible to love everyone around you? 1 John 5:1-7 Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the God who has given birth also loves one who has been born of him. 2 This is how we know that we love the children of God: when we love God and keep his commands. 3 In fact, this is love for God: that we keep his commands. And his commands are not burdensome, 4 because everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world: our faith. 5 Who is the one who overcomes the world? Only the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God. 6 This is the one who came by water and blood: Jesus Christ. He did not come by the water alone but by the water and by the blood. The Spirit is the one who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth. 7 In fact, there are three that testify: 8 the Spirit, the water, and the blood, and these three are one.
11. A young person might say, “I love my parents, but I don’t like their rules.” How would you respond? 12. Many times we are tempted to say, “I love God, but I don’t like all of his commands.” How would you respond if someone made that kind of a statement? 13. How can you become convinced that none of his commands are burdensome (even the ones that you don’t particularly like at a certain moment in time).
14. Your faith will overcome the world. Quite the statement. Explain what that means. For example, what if: -
A Christian loses a friend group because they view you as too concerned with right and wrong.
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A Christian loses a friend group because they are honest about their sins and shortcomings, and are viewed as weird because of it.
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A Christian is fired from a high paying job because they refuse to do what God forbids.
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A Christian is beheaded because of their faith in Jesus.
15. How does Jesus come by “water and blood”? Why do we need this? 1 John 5:9-15 9 If we accept the testimony of people, God’s testimony is even greater, because it is the testimony that God gave about his Son. 10 The one who believes in the Son of God has this testimony in him, but the one who does not believe has made God out to be a liar, because he has not believed in the testimony that God gave about his Son. 11 This is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 12 The one who has the Son has life. The one who does not have the Son of God does not have life. 13 I have written these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life. 14 This is the confidence that we have before him: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. 15 And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we also know that we receive the things we have asked from him. 16. Why is it so hard not to care what other people think of you?
17. Why is it so important to be absolutely sure what God thinks of you? 18. “The one who does not have the son does not have life.” What about the people who do not believe in Jesus, but have happy lives? Isn’t it offensive to say that they actually don’t have life? 19. So, if you ask anything of God, he’ll give it to you? Is that really good for you - just to get whatever you want? 1 John 5:16-21 16 If anyone sees his brother committing a sin that does not result in death, he will ask, and God will give life—to those who commit sin that does not result in death. There is sin that results in death; I am not saying that he should ask about that. 17 All unrighteousness is sin, but there is sin that does not result in death. 18 We know that anyone who has been born of God does not go on sinning. But the one who was born of God protects him, and the Evil One cannot take hold of him. 19 We know that we are from God and that the whole world lies in the grip of the Evil One. 20 We know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding so that we may know him who is true. And we are in him who is true, in his Son, Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life. 21 Dear children, guard yourselves from idols. 20. I thought all sins were the same to God? How could there be such a thing as “a sin that does not result in death”? 21. What sins result in death? What sins do not result in death? 22. We don’t need to worry about idols; do we? That was something the people long ago had and we don’t have anymore; right?