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What is God’s Love?
i. Quick review from my last sermon (5 mins.):
1. God’s great love! (3:1-3:3)
A. God is love (4:16)
1. He considers us his children with Lavished love! (3:1)
2. We are HIS inheritance (Ephesians 1:18)
C. We are maturing in Christ and are destined to be like him (3:2)
1. Christ is the image of the invisible God (Colossians 1:15)
2. Dealing again with sin (3:4-3:15)
A. Jesus is sinless and has taken our sin away (3:5)
B. “Continue in sin” means it is a lifestyle you fully endorse
C. Jesus destroyed the Devil’s work (3:8)
I. What love is – Agape Love (3:16-24)
A. Jesus’ example (3:16)
B. Meeting others’ needs (3:17)
C. Seen in action; NOT words only (3:18)
1. Similarly in James, “Faith without deeds is dead” (James 2:26)
2. Faith expressing itself in love is what counts (Galatians 5:6)
II. Belonging to the Truth (4:1-6)
A. Maintaining an un-condemning heart
1. at rest in His presence (3:19)
2. understanding God’s grace is greater than our sin (3:20)
3. Is your heart feeling condemned over sin of commission OR omission?
B. Possessing proper belief and discernment
1. What is it to believe in Jesus’ NAME? (3:23)
a. power and prayer
b. character and confidence
2. We must rely on the Spirit of God
a. Proof that Christ lives in us (3:24, 4:13)
b. Witness the TRUTH about Christ (4:2)
c. To discern falseness and ‘antichristlikeness’ (4:1-3)
d. To live as an overcomer (4:4)
III. GOD IS LOVE! Theos Estin Agape! T-E-A! (4:7-21)
A. Familiar agape cross references:
2. No greater love has anyone than this… (John 15:13)
B. Does “Love one another” sound familiar? (4:7)
1. Why isn’t the news saying this?!?
C. Agape comes from God (4:7)
D. Only being born of God produces agape love (4:7)
1. Phileo (brotherly love) and Eros (romantic love) may abound among humans
2. But Agape is GOD’s LOVE, spiritual and supernatural
E. We now have God through agape (4:8)
F. Jesus is the supreme example: (4:9) – how did he live agape?
G. Great memory verses! (4:10, 4:18, 4:19) – Amen and Amen!