GOD FIRST LOVED US

GOD FIRST LOVED US.

    The Real Scandal Is A Fear of Love.  The Church is a Church of the poor in spirit and of sinners seeking forgiveness, not simply of the righteous and the holy, but rather of those who are righteous and holy precisely when they feel themselves poor sinners.  The Gospel continues to be a vital source of eternal newness, against all those who would “indoctrinate” it into dead stones to be hurled at others.

    “Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom.”  Luke 12:32 (KJV)

    “And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.”  1 Cor 13:13 (KJV)

    “Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world. 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.  We love him, because he first loved us.”  1 John 4:17-19 (KJV)

    17. The purpose. “Love is an official heavenly visitor who stays with us and claims our loyalty.  He has been ‘made perfect in us’ when we are facsimiles of Jesus - His visible portrait!” Compare Matt. 5:16; Gal. 2:20; 2 Cor. 3:18.

    18. No fear in love.  Note that John uses (worldly) fear as the opposite of love. One type of person lost eternally is the coward (fearful), as we see in Rev. 21:8. [We fear God in the sense of  our reverence and respect to Him.]  Fear of punishment never goes along with love; but perfect love to God and man drives out all fear of punishment from our mind! One who truly loves God and man will know that he has left death and come over into life (1 John 3:14), and will have no reason to fear punishment!”

    Love has not been made perfect. “The one who fears the Judgment has not been made perfect in love to God and man! For this he has no excuse!” Bengel says there are four possible conditions of a human soul: (1) without either fear or love: (2) with fear, without love; (3) with fear and love: (4) with love, without fear. This verse shows that only the forth describes the true and mature Christian.  "Without worldly fear, with Christian love."  19. Because God. God’s unique love for us in Christ, fills us with love for Him and for our fellowman.

    What is love?

    “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.”  1 John 3:16 (KJV)

    “What is love anyway? Not the tripe you’ve been force-fed! No, love gives people space and time; it does people good. It’s not jealous, loud-mouthed or big-headed. It’s not vulgar; it doesn’t look after No. 1. It’s not got a short fuse – it forgives and forgets. Love doesn’t smile when dark stuff goes on, but throws a party when the truth gets out. It protects more than a blockbuster hero; it trusts more than a toddler. It’s always positive; it always hangs in there. Love doesn’t let you down.”  Lacey on 1 Cor. 13.

    “For Paul, love is more important than any of the spiritual gifts and the most important virtue. Love "binds us all together in perfect harmony" (Col 3:14). Without love, ministry has limited value (13:1-3). Paul summed up the whole of the Christian ethics as "faith expressing itself in love" (Gal 5:6). Love is the central ethical expression of Christian faith, the primary fruit of the Spirit (Gal 5:22), and one of the most important motivations for ministry. The most important thing for believers to value and seek is to become a faithfully loving person.—NLT Study Bible

    “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.”  1 John 5:20 (KJV)

      20. We know. Not came, but has come and has given us. The Eternal Logos (Word) has come as a human being. The world can never be the same, because this fact stands in history and nothing can take it away.  God spoke to us through His Son (Heb. 1:2 and note), and this understanding will never be removed from the human scene.  The true God. Jesus revealed the true God! Contrast this with the false god of the false teachers (1 John 2:9). See Introduction to Acts. Our lives. Again the emphasis that we are in the true God by being in His Son Jesus Christ. See 1 John 2:23 and note. This is the true God. In Christ the true God is revealed to us and in Christ we have eternal life. [Some think this says that Jesus Christ is the true God. A monotheistic-trinitarian can say this is true (see note on Rom. 16:27).  [A monotheistic-trinitarian – one who believes in Jehovah the Father, Jehovah the Son, Jehovah the Holy Spirit.]