4 \u2013 Little children, you belong to God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.<\/strong><\/p>\n –\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 John assures them of their victory. They have resisted the temptation though the power of the Holy Spirit.\u00a0 There is possibly a hint of persecution here. \u00a0Also note the contrast between \u201cin you\u201d and \u201cin the world.\u201d \u00a0While we are indwelt by the Holy Spirit, non-believers are not indwelt by Satan.<\/p>\n 5 \u2013 These people belong to the world. That is why they speak from the world\u2019s perspective,[1] and the world listens to them.<\/strong><\/p>\n –\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Then, as now, there was the way the world looks at things, and the way God looks at things. Those who left were of the world and they speak that way. \u00a0\u00a0Today we see this in the use of, \u00a0and battle over, labels such as\u00a0 Pro-Life \u2013 Pro-choice.\u00a0 We must remember we are not in a popularity contest. God\u2019s message will is not to be judged by numbers. The world judges by how big and \u00a0how popular something is.\u00a0 But for God, what matters is truth and love.<\/p>\n 6 \u2013 We belong to God. The person who knows God listens to us. Whoever does not belong to God does not listen to us. This is how we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of deceit.<\/strong><\/p>\n –\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Note the change to plural. John is speaking of all Christians. \u00a0Those who know God will accept the teachings of God, while those who do not know God will not. \u00a0We are not in a battle of logic and reason.\u00a0 That someone does not accept the Gospel is not a failure on our part. \u00a0That the experts disagree is not relevant.<\/p>\n \u00a07 \u2013 Dear friends, let us continually love one another, because love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born from God and knows God.<\/strong><\/p>\n –\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Having just talked about the importance of truth, John now turns to the other test: Love.\u00a0 Here John adds a reason:\u00a0 because love comes from God.\u00a0\u00a0 He is continuing his argument that those who know God accept the truth of his message, and they reflect his actions: i.e., they love.<\/p>\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Everyone who loves has been born from God and knows God<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n –\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 This can be a difficult verse and context is important to avoid misunderstanding. Here the context is of loving others. John is not talking about the love of a parent for a child, or love of a spouse. \u00a0The context is loving people.<\/p>\n –\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 To really love, require that we love in truth. \u00a0We are to love as God Loves. To know God is to obey God; \u00a0to Obey is to Love; to Love is to know God \u2013 John closes the circle.\u00a0 This is a goal that few and probably none actually achieve. \u00a0It is something we strive for.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n 8 \u2013 The person who does not love does not know God, because God is love.<\/strong><\/p>\n –\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Again having stated the positive, John now emphasizes this with the negative.<\/p>\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 because God is love<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n –\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 This is one of John definitional statements,\u00a0 such as God is Light (1:7), \u00a0God is Spirit (Jn 4:24) This statement is quite popular in the modern Church but note that it does not say God is only Love.\u00a0 John\u2019s argument here is that God is Love, how can we claim to be followers of God if we do not love?<\/p>\n 9 \u2013 This is how God\u2019s love was revealed among us: God sent his unique Son into the world so that we might live through him.<\/strong><\/p>\n –\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 If we are to love as God loves, then how does God love? John gives us the greatest example in a fashion very reminiscent of John 3:16. \u00a0This example has both of the major components of godly love: A true compassion that works itself out in action.<\/p>\n 10 \u2013 This is love: not that we have loved[2] God, but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins.<\/strong><\/p>\n –\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 John expands on his definition of love<\/p>\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Not that we have loved God but that he loved us<\/strong><\/p>\n –\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 As we seek to understand real love, we cannot look to how we love God or how we love others.\u00a0 True love is to be found in how God loved us.<\/p>\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sin<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n –\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Rom 5:8 – But God demonstrates his love for us by the fact that the Messiah died for us while we were still sinners.<\/p>\n –\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 God\u2019s love was demonstrated while we were in rebellion against him. \u00a0What does that say about our love?\u00a0 What does it say about how we treat others?<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n If you have question or comments about the class, feel free to send me an email at\u00a0elgin@hushbeck.com<\/a>\u00a0and be sure to put \u201cEpistles of John\u201d in the header.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n See here for references and more background on the class<\/a>.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n\u00a0ii.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Belonging to World vs. Belonging to God (4:5-6)<\/h5>\n
f.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Love comes from God (4:7-10)<\/h4>\n
i.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Love one another (4:7a)<\/h5>\n
\u00a0ii.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Loving\u00a0 one another = knowing\u00a0 God (4:7b-8)<\/h5>\n
\u00a0 iii.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 God\u2019s Love demonstrated (4:9-10)<\/h5>\n