This week we have been
looking at a section of a letter that has been preserved and recorded for us in
the New Testament of the Bible, called the book of 1 John. So far this week we
have looked on as John urged followers
of Jesus throughout history to demonstrate a warm regard and interest in others
that is marked by a selflessness in their relationship with others. John then
provided two reasons behind his call for followers of Jesus throughout history
to love one another. First, John explained that God is the source of love. And
because God is the source of love, therefore, God in His very nature and
character is love.
Second, John explained
that the natural result of coming to a knowledge of God as a result Jesus
making Himself known to us so that we become a part of the family of God is
that we would love one another. John’s point is that those who have a genuine
and authentic relationship and connection with Jesus will reflect that reality by
a life that looks and loves like Jesus and that results in them being identified
as being in relationship with God as part of the family of God.
By contrast, John
explained that the one who does not love does not know God, for God is love. In
other words, the person who does not demonstrate a lifestyle that demonstrates a
warm regard and interest in others that is marked by a selflessness in their
relationship with others reveals the reality that they have not come to know
and experience a genuine and authentic relationship and connection with God,
because love is not simply something God does, love is something that God is.
John then revealed
that God’s love and interest in us was made known and shown in the most
powerful way when He sent His unique, one and only Son to earth on a mission.
The mission that God gave His Son was a rescue mission so that humanity might
have the opportunity to experience the forgiveness of sin and eternal
relationship and connection with God through faith in the life, death, and
resurrection of Jesus Christ, who allowed Himself to be treated as though He
lived our selfish and sinful lives so that God the Father could treat us as
though we lived Jesus perfect life.
John revealed the
reality that God did not send His Son Jesus because we loved God but just did
not know how to love and live in relationship with God. No humanity selfishly
wanted nothing to do with God. Humanity did not take the initiative to seek to
love God. Instead, God took the initiative to demonstrate a warm regard and
interest in others that is marked by a selflessness in their relationship with
others by selflessly sending His Son Jesus to live the life we refused to live
and to die on the cross, in our place, for our selfishness and rebellion, so
that all humanity could have the opportunity to be forgiven of their
selfishness and rebellion and experience the relationship and connection with
God that they were created for.
And because of that
example of selfless love that God provided by sending His Son Jesus on a rescue
mission for humanity, John called the members of the church at Ephesus, who
were very near and dear to his heart, to respond to God’s demonstration of His
selfless and sacrificial love for humanity by fulfilling the obligation that
they were under as a result of their relationship and connection with Jesus to
demonstrate that same selfless love in their relationship with one another.
John revealed the reality that when followers of Jesus live in genuine and
authentic community with one another that is marked by a selfless and
sacrificial love for one another, we reveal and reflect the very nature and
character of God to the word around us. We see John reinforce this reality as
he concluded this section of his letter in 1 John 4:12-14:
No one has seen God at any time; if we love
one another, God abides in us, and His love is perfected in us. 13By
this we know that we abide in Him and He in us, because He has given us of His
Spirit. 14 We have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son
to be the Savior of the world.
Now
what is so interesting is that when John states that no one has seen God at any time, this phrase
conveys the sense of taking something in with one’s eyes is a way that results
in one being impressed by what they see. John’s point is that no one has truly
seen who God truly is. However, as John points out, when followers of Jesus
demonstrate a warm regard and interest in God and others that is marked by a
selflessness in their relationship with others, two things occur.
First, when followers
of Jesus love one another with such a selfless love, God abides in us. As we
have talked about throughout this series, the word abide refers to someone who
does not leave a certain realm or sphere of existence. This is the idea of
remaining in connection and communion with God as we are mystically and
spiritually united in Jesus as followers of Jesus. John’s point is that that
the person who loves others as Jesus loved, would remain in close connection
and communion with Jesus.
Second,
when followers of
Jesus love one another with such a selfless love, His love is perfected in us.
The word perfected literally means to overcome or replace an imperfect state by
one that is perfect and free from objection. This word conveys the sense of
something that happens to us that has an ongoing result in our lives. With this
phrase, John is revealing for us the reality that when followers of Jesus love
one another with such a selfless love, the result is that their love for Jesus
grows to perfection. John’s point is that that the person who loves others as
Jesus loved will grow and mature in their love for Jesus.
John
then explained to the members of the church at Ephesus, and followers of Jesus
throughout history, that we
know that we abide in Him and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit.
In other words, followers of Jesus will arrive at the knowledge that they remain in connection and
communion with God as followers of Jesus as a result of the very presence of
the Spirit of God in their lives. As we have talked about in the past, it is
the Holy Spirit who unites us and connects us in Jesus and who empowers us to
live a life that looks like Jesus.
And
because of the very presence of the Spirit of God in their lives who connects
followers of Jesus with Jesus and empowers followers of Jesus to live lives
that look like Jesus, John proclaimed that “we have seen and testify that the Father has
sent the Son to be the Savior of the world." John’s point here is
that he and other leaders in God’s new movement in history called the church
had seen Jesus and had heard His message and teaching and wanted to declare
publicly the truth of what they had witnessed. And what they had seen and heard
firsthand was that Jesus was sent on a rescue mission by God to provide all
humanity the opportunity to be rescued from the selfishness and rebellion that
separated them from God so that they could experience forgiveness and the
relationship with God that they were created for by believing, trusting, and
following Jesus as Lord and Leader.
And it is here that we
discover a timeless truth when it comes to connecting in true community. And
that timeless truth is this: Our love for one another in true community reveals our connection with
God and God's love for humanity. Just
as it was for followers of Jesus in John’s day; just as it has been for
followers of Jesus throughout history, our love for one another in true community
reveals our connection with God and God's love for humanity.
The timeless reality
is that, as followers of Jesus, we are to love one another because love is from
God. As followers of Jesus we are to love one another because the natural
result of coming to a knowledge of God as a result Jesus making Himself known to
us so that we become a part of the family of God is that we would love one
another.
The timeless reality
is that a genuine and authentic relationship and connection with Jesus will reflect
that reality by a life that looks and loves like Jesus and that results in
being identified as being in relationship with God as part of the family of
God. As followers of Jesus we are to love one another because when followers of
Jesus love one another with such a selfless love, the result is that their love
for Jesus will grow and mature. As
followers of Jesus we are to love one another because when followers of Jesus
love one another with such a selfless love, we reveal the reality that God is
not loving, God is love. We reveal the reality that love is not something that
God does. Instead love is something that God is.
And as followers of
Jesus we are to love one another because God’s love and interest in us was made
known and shown in the most powerful way when He sent His unique, one and only
Son to earth on a mission. The mission that God gave His Son was a rescue
mission so that humanity might have the opportunity to experience the
forgiveness of sin and eternal relationship and connection with God through
faith in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, who allowed Himself
to be treated as though He lived our selfish and sinful lives so that God the
Father could treat us as though we lived Jesus perfect life. As followers of
Jesus we are to love one another because when followers of Jesus live in
genuine and authentic community with one another that is marked by a selfless
and sacrificial love for one another, we reveal and reflect the very nature and
character of God to the word around us.
So
here is a question to consider: What does your love, or lack of love, for
others reveal about your connection with God? What does your love, or lack of
love, for others reveal about God’s love to others?
Because
our love for one another in true community reveals our connection with God and
God's love for humanity…
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