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Title: After This Manner Ought We to Love
Text: I John 4: 11
Date: June 13, 2010
Place: SGBC, New Jersey
Turn with me again to John 3: 16. The word "so" means "after this manner." (The same Greek word is translated "after this manner" in 1 Cor 7:7; 1 Pet 3: 5.) If we consider the Lord's word to Nicodemus up to this point we find out that God, after this manner, loves:
V3--God loves through the Holy Spirit rebirthing a sinner--that which is flesh is flesh, spirit is Spirit.
V11--God loves through the preaching of the gospel
V13--God loves through the Mediator, Christ Jesus, the Son of man which is in heaven.
V14--God loves through the righteousness of a Substitute--by Christ being made the sin we are he made his redeemed the righteousness of God in him
V15--God loves through faith--God trusted his Son and he gives the gift of faith and repentance to each one he loves and we believe on his Son.
God loves in a holy manner, a righteous manner, everlastingly, particularly, savingly. God's love is manifested by God sending his Son through whom these things are accomplished for and in his chosen people.
Now turn to 1 John 4: 11: Beloved, if God so loved us ["after this manner"], we ought also to love one another.
I. THROUGH THE SPIRIT, THROUGH THE GOSPEL (I John 4: 1-8.)
A. Those born of the Spirit of truth know and believe the same gospel of truth and love each other in spirit and in truth.
1. Love which desires honor from men at the expense of truth is no love at all. We see it in Christ's dealings with Nicodemus.
John 3: 1: There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews: 2: The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him.
2. These words sound honorable but Nicodemus was denying that Christ is the Son of God. The Lord did not compromise the gospel because of the honorable things Nicodemus said about him. Instead, the Lord declared the gospel to Nicodemus. Nicodemus proved he did not believe on Christ.
John 3: 10: Jesus answered and said unto him, Art thou a master of Israel, and knowest not these things? 11: Verily, verily, I say unto thee, We speak that we do know, and testify that we have seen; and ye receive not our witness.
3. It is the nature of men, to desire all men to like us. But love does not compromise the gospel in favor of acceptance--honor--from men. Seeking honor from men is evidence the love of God is not in us.
John 5: 39: Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me. 40: And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life. 41: I receive not honour from men. 42: But I know you, that ye have not the love of God in you. 43: I am come in my Father’s name, and ye receive me not: if another shall come in his own name, him ye will receive. 44: How can ye believe, which receive honour one of another, and seek not the honour that cometh from God only?
John Calvin: When we regard our own advantage, or return good offices to friends, it is self-love, and not love to others.
2 John 1: 10: If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed: 11: For he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds.
B. After the same manner Christ loved us ought we to love one another in spirit and in truth. (I John 4: 13-15; 5: 1)
Illustration: Laruen Culver--Me and Marvin
II. WE LOVE AS GOD LOVED US: IN CHRIST, OUR MEDIATOR, OUR RIGHTEOUS SUBSTITUE (I John 4: 9, 10.)
A. Because God everlastingly loved those he gave to Christ, God sent his Son into the world…
1. Not that we loved God--but that he loved us
2. He gave his Son to be the propitiation for our sins;
- He bore the sins of his people in his own body
- He died in the room and stead of his brethren under the law and curse of God
- He is Satisfaction to God for us
- He gave us eternal Life
Jer 31:3: The LORD hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.
B. After this manner, ought we to love our brethren.
1. God gave his best--his only begotten Son; so it is we love by giving the best we have--the gospel of his Son and all that he has provided us.
2. He loved us when we did not love him--in him was no sin, yet he bore our sins in his own body on the tree--so we ought to bear the burden of our brethren, even when they are offended at us--in love and mercy and meekness
Illustration: When I am offended--think I am in the right, overcome with this unbending sprit--I need to remember: Christ truly had done nothing wrong--yet he suffered in my place.
Galatians 6: 1: Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted. 2: Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ. 3: For if a man think himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself.
I Corinthians 6: 7:…Why do ye not rather take wrong? why do ye not rather suffer yourselves to be defrauded?
3. He laid down his life for us:
1 John 3:16: Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. 17: But whoso hath this world’s good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him? 18: My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth. 19: And hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before him.
This is the spirit of love:
· My brethren need me to assemble with them in the worship of Christ--I'll lay down my life
· My brethren need me to pray for them--I'll lay down my life
· My brethren need me to provide my substance for them--I'll lay down my life
· My brethren need me to love them back to Christ not claim my rights--I'll lay down my life
· My brethren need a word of grace not a condemning tongue--I'll lay down my life
All for the sake of the glory of God the Father and his Son who loved me when I did not love him.
III. God loved us THROUGH FAITH in his Son, so we ought to love one another.
A. God the Father entrusted our salvation into the hands of his Son. And Christ Jesus accomplished the work. Let us love one another through faith in his Son. (I John 5: 5; 14-15.)
1. What does that have to do with loving our brethren? Do you believe on Christ? Love your brethren by entrusting them to Christ.
I John 5: 16: If any man see his brother sin a sin which is not unto death, he shall ask, and he shall give him life for them that sin not unto death. There is a sin unto death: I do not say that he shall pray for it.
2. God is able to make him stand.
I John 2: 1: My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:
Conclusion: God loved his elect after this manner:
1. Through the Spirit through the gospel--let us love in spirit and in truth.
2. Through Christ the Mediator, the Righteous Substitute--let us love our brethren in mercy, laying down our lives for one another as he did for us.
3. Through faith in his Son--let us have every confidence that our God is able to make our brethren stand.
I John 4: 11: Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.
AMEN!