1. Getting to the Bottom of Love I John 4: 1-16

2. 1 st, Love for the brethren – proof of fellowship with God (2:7-11) 2 nd, Love for the brethren – proof of the sonship (3:10-14) 3 rd, Love for the brethren; love is part of the very being & nature of God (4:7- 16) Gods love as a compass What God is: God is love (4:7-8) –God is spirit (John 4:24); God is light (1:5); God is love

3. God is spirit, not flesh & blood –Glorified body –Not limited by time & space God is light –Light symbolizes holiness –God cannot sin because He is holy God is love –Holiness is expressed in love –Rom 5:5 – poured out within our heats through Holy spirit who was given to us (NASB) –Love is the valid test of the true Christian faith –A child of God has been born of God and knows God Know: deep relationship with him; to share His life and & enjoy His love

4. He that loveth not God knoweth not God (4:8) Head vs heart –Daily experience of getting to know God better & better; not once for all crisis –Christian ought to become what God is What God did: :He sent His Son (4:9- 11) –God communicates in words and deeds –True love is never static or inactive –Greatest expression of Gods love: the death of His Son (Rom 5:8) –Begotten: unique, the only one of the kind Evidence of the deity of Jesus Christ

5. –Christs sacrifice was prompted by His love for mankind, not mans love for God –Purposes That we might live through Him (4:9) That He might be the propitiation for our sins; an appointment (4:10) –Death of Jesus Christ Through Him (4:9) For Him (II Cor 5:15, NASB) With Him (I Thess 5:9-10) –Propitiation : something God does to make it possible for men to be forgiven God is light & He must uphold the law; He bore the punishment for sins & met the demands of

6. the holy law God is love; He wants to forgive & save sinners –Emphasis on the death of the Christ, not His birth made flesh (John 1:14) made sin (II Cor 5:21) –Love one another (4:11) Privilege & responsibility Love out of appreciation is better than love out of sense of duty Experience involves the whole man –The mind must understand –The heart must love & understand –The will must act on it

7. What God is doing: God abides in us (4:12-16) –Walked in Genesis –God walked with men and men walked with God (Gen 5:22) Noah (6:9) Abraham (17:1, 24:40) –He lived with men (Ex 25:8) Tabernacle –Glory of God departed (Ezekiel) –Glory of God in the person of Jesus Christ –Glory of God lives in the body of Gods children (I Cor 6:19, John14:16)

8. Men cannot not see God, but they can see His love in us –Abide; dwell 6 times in I John 4:12-16) Personal relationship with Jesus Christ Remain in spiritual oneness with Him so no sin comes between us Trust Him and obey Him that we have communion with Him Made possible by the dwelling of the Holy Spirit (4:13) Gods love is made perfect in the believer who is saved by His grace Christians are now tabernacle & temples (in)

9. –Witnesses Of the believer that Jesus Christ is the Son of God (4:15) In the believer by the Spirit (13) Through the believer that God is love & that God sent His Son to die for the world Witnesses cannot be separated –Benefits of abiding Believer grows in knowledge Believer grow in faith –Growing experience with God From abiding in Christ & spending time in fellowship with God he loves God more

10. Growing in love for other Christian, for the lost, & even for the enemies In sharing he experiences more of the Fathers love himself –Love one another Initially as a commandment (4:7) Then as a privilege (4:11) Also as consequence & evidence of our abiding in Christ (4:12) Ought & want –Practical applications The better we know Gods love the easier it will be to live (obey and love one another) as a Christian

11. Unless we love the lost our verbal witness to them is useless –Declare & demonstrate the gospel –Christian return love for the worlds hatred (Matt 5:11, 44) If we love God, we will love one another and if we love one another, we will grow in our love for God. God is love