|
Sermons from 1 John |
HOW TO KNOW YOU'RE IN LOVE |
|
Other sermons from 1 John
Sharing The Word Of Life (1:1-3) Other sermons in this study is being added as they are prepared & preached. |
To answer the question, “How to know you’re in love,” you can find all kinds of advice. I read one article from AskMen.com in which the question was asked, "You've dated your fair share of women and have always enjoyed leaving your options open; but lately this one woman has you wondering if she's the one." A list was given on the top ten ways to know you're in love: 10) You've forgotten your ex, 9) You can't stop thinking about her, 8) You care about here, 7) You find her quirks charming, 6) You have great chemistry, 5) You don't notice other women as much, 4) You love spending time with her, 3) You don't mind compromising sometimes, 2) Other priorities take a backseat, 1) You start thinking about the future and she's in it. As for teenagers knowing whether or not they are in love, I came across this advice. In order for a teenager to know they were love they were encouraged to ask themselves a series of questions:
My favorite advice is that which has been given by children. When asked how people in love typically behave:
When asked why love happens between two particular people:
When asked on what falling in love is like:
Some surefire ways to make a person fall in love with you:
How can you tell if two adults at a Restaurant are in love?
In our past several studies we have been looking at the lengthy section in John’s letter that deals with “loving one another.” Although, he had addressed the subject of loving one another earlier in his letter, beginning in 4:7 and the words, “Beloved, let us love one another,” John specifically deals with this subject throughout the rest of the chapter. As we come to the beginning of chapter 5, he brings the subject to a conclusion by describing how we can know that we are in love – truly in love with one another. In verse 2 we read, “By this we know that we love the children of God.” We have noticed several times in the letter that John wants us to know that we are saved, but here he expresses his desire that we know that we are indeed in love with the children of God. After all he has said about loving one another, there is to be no doubt as to whether or not we really love one another. How can we know that we love the children of God? Let’s look at the first 3 verses of chapter 5 and consider what John says. First, we see in his words: 1. THE LIFE WE HAVE IN GOD In verse 1 we find the words “born of God.” This phrase is only found in 1 John and occurs 6 times (Cp. 3:9, 4:7, 5:1, 5:4, and 5:18). The word literally means, “procreate” and speaks of the life one has received from their parents. To be “born of God,” means that we have received life from God. We also find in verse 1 the words “begat” and “begotten.” They are the same as the word “born.” There is physical life which is received from our parents. There is also the spiritual life that is received from God. It is what John meant in John 3:3 when he told Nicodemus that he must be “born again.” To have spiritual life, one must have a second birth. He must be born from above. He must receive life from the Heavenly father. As you look at John’s description of this life we have in God, we see that he describes it as: A) A Faith Life John declares that this life is received by faith in Jesus Christ. He states in verse 1, “Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God.” Paul echoed the same truth in Ephesians 2:8, “For by grace are ye saved through faith.” The Bible declares in Galatians 3:26, “For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.” We are not saved by our good works or religious life. There has to be a spiritual birth. It is said that George Whitefield preached more than 3,000 times on the subject, “Ye must be born again.” When asked why he preached so much on “Ye must be born again,” he replied, “Because ye must be born again.” To be “born of God,” one must by faith accept Jesus as the Christ. There is the awareness that one is a sinner and that they need a Saviour. There is the acknowledgement one cannot save themselves, therefore they come to Christ and receive Him as their Saviour. It is an act of faith! The Philippians Jailer asked the question, “Sir, what must I do to be saved?” (Acts 16:30). If you were to ask the Muslim that question, he would reply: “Repeat the words, ‘There is no God but Allah, and Mohamed is his prophet’; pray five times daily; give alms to beggars; keep the fasts; read the Koran; and make a pilgrimage to Mecca.” If you were to ask the Hindu priest that question he would reply: “Observe the rules of the caste; worship the monkey and the cow; crawl through the dust like a measuring worm to some scared temple; bathe in the waters of the Ganges; erect a temple to one of the million divinities. You may escape rebirth as a reptile or a beast or a woman and become absorbed in the deity.” If you were to ask the Buddhist that question he would reply: “Forget that you have a body; become indifferent to pleasure and pain and you may attain to Nirvana—the state of extinguished flame.” If you were to ask the Confucian scholar that question he would reply: “Study the sacred classics, and learn the rules of righteousness. Confucius shows the path of duty but cannot help you to follow it. You must save yourself.” Yet, when the Philippians Jailer asked that question, the answer he was given is: “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved.” (Acts 16:31) Being “born of God” is a faith life. Furthermore, we see that John describes this life as: B) A Family Life In verse 1 John speaks of “Whosoever,” “everyone that loveth Him,” and all that are “begotten of Him.” Throughout 4:7-21, John has implied that we are a family of believers, and once again John reminds us that we are a part of a family – all those who have been “born of God.” In verse 2 he refers to the “children of God.” It is not the child of God (singular), but the “children of God” (plural). As a family, we have a relationship. Every person that is saved is a member of the family of God. We are brothers and sisters in Christ. Oftentimes in the Bible we find those who are saved and members of God’s family being referred to as brothers or sisters. An example is found in James 2:15 where we read, “If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food …” James was not talking about a physical relationship, but a spiritual. The unbelieving Greek writer Lucian (A.D. 120-200) upon observing the warm fellowship of Christians wrote: “It is incredible to see the fervor with which the people of that religion help each other in their wants. They spare nothing. Their first legislator [Jesus] has put it into their heads that they are brethren.” Jesus has not only put it in our heads, but also in our hearts. We are a family. We have a relationship one with another in Jesus Christ. But, also with this relationship there comes responsibility. We are as John as repeatedly stated, to love one another. Historian and author Stephen Ambrose wrote “Band of Brothers” which later became a mini-series on HBO. He wrote and told the story of Easy Company, 506th Regiment of the 101st Airborne, from the rigorous training in Georgia in 1942 to their disbanding in 1945. In his book, he takes his readers through the war with Easy Company as they parachute into France, early D-Day morning and knock out a battery of four 105 mm cannon looking down on Utah Beach; into Holland during the Arnhem campaign, Bastogne, the Battle of Bulge and when they captured Hitler’s Bavarian outpost, his Eagle’s Nest at Berchtesgaden. They were men that in training and combat that learned selflessness and found the closet possible brotherhood they ever knew. They discovered in war, men who loved life would give their lives for them. As brothers and sisters in Christ we are and are to be a “Band of Brothers and Sisters.” It is a family life that results in love for one another. Secondly, we look at John’s words we see not only the life we have in God, but also: 2. THE LOVE WE HAVE FOR GOD In verse 1 John speaks of “every one that loveth Him,” and in verse 2 he speaks of “when we love God” and then in verse 3, “For this is the (our love for) love of God.” John has had much to say about God’s love for us, and as well, our love for Him. Once again he speaks of the love we have for God. In his words I see that our love for God is a: A) Love That Is Expected When John speaks of our loving God, it is as if he expects us to love God. He assumes that we have a deep and abiding love for God. In light of the love God has shown to us, it is only reasonable that we would love Him. We read in 1 John 4:9, “In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.” Seeing that God has manifested such love to us, it is only expected that we would love Him. Jesus said in Matthew 22:37, “Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.” Jesus did not recommend or suggest that we love the Lord. He said, “Thou shalt.” Our love for God is expected. The question ought to be asked, “Why would we not love Him?” To be very truthful, we should ask, “How can we not love Him?” To not love Him after the love He has shown to us reveals our ungratefulness and a cold heart. When Carl J. Printz, for many years the Swedish consul in Toronto, appeared on TV on his 99th birthday, an interviewer asked: “Give us the rule you have followed during your long and useful life.” Printz replied: “I would mention one definite rule—one must be temperate in all things.” Then he added quickly, “Perhaps I should say: ‘Except one—to love the Lord with all your heart, soul, and mind and your neighbor as yourself. These are the only things we can rightly do to excess!’ ” We also see that our love for God is a: B) Love That Is Extended In verse 1 John speaks of loving those who are “begotten of Him.” Our love for God is extended in our love for one another. In fact, in verse 2 he makes a very interesting statement. He says, “By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God.” You would think he would have said it the other way around: “By this we know that we love God, when we love the children of God.” But instead, he says that we know we are in love with one another when we love God. John is simply re-stating what he said in 4:20, “If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?” If we love God we will love others. Our love for Him will be shown and extended to others. Someone has written:
Christ has no body now but yours, No hands, no feet, on earth but yours. Yours are the eyes through which He looks Compassion on this world Yours are the feet With which He walks to do good. Yours are the hands With which He blesses all the world Yours are the hands, yours are the feet. Yours are the eyes, you are His body. Christ has no body now but yours, No hands, no feet on earth but yours Yours are the eyes, through which He Looks Compassion on the world. Christ has no body now on earth but yours. You could say that we are the extension of Christ in this world. We are even the extension of His love. Our love for Him is an outflow of His love for us and that love overflows to others. Thirdly, we see in John’s words: 3. THE LAW WE HAVE FROM GOD John says in verse 2 that if we love God we will “keep His commandments,” and then in verse 3, “For this is the love (our love for) of God, that we keep His commandments.” The assurance of our love for others is our love for God. The proof of our love for God is that we keep His commandments. Briefly let me point out in John’s words that there is: A) A Desire To Keep God’s Commandments The word, “keep” means, “to watch, guard from harm or loss by properly keeping the eye upon.” The ideal is that our heart is set upon keeping the commandments of God. From the depths of our heart, we want to obey God and do what He tells us to do. Furthermore, we see: B) A Delight In Keeping God’s Commandments John says in verse 3b “…and His commandments are not grievous.” The word “grievous” means, “burdensome.” It is not a burden to keep God's commandments. It is a blessing! I hear people saying, "It is so hard to do what God says." When I hear that I know that the person is not really trying to keep God's commandments. It is not hard to keep God's commands. |