Title Page. Lesson Twelve I John 4:7-10 7 Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and...

Title Page

Lesson Twelve

I John 4:7-10

I John 4:7-107 Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.8 He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.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.10 Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

I John 4:11-12

I John 4:11-1211 Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.12 No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us.

I Corinthians 13:4-7

I Corinthians 13:4-74 Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,5 Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;6 Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;7 Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.

I Corinthians 13:8, 13

I Corinthians 13:8, 138 Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.

. . . . .

13 And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.

Focus Verse

I John 4:7-8

Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth

not God; for God is love.

Focus Thought

God is love. When we love others we demonstrate His greatest characteristic.

IntroductionIntroduction

Characteristics refer to certain traits, qualities, or features that distinguish one person, place, or thing from another. For example, the cattle from the ABC Ranch are easily distinguished from the cattle belonging to the XYZ Ranch because of the brand they wear. The brand worn serves as a type of signature or trademark that distinguishes one herd from the other. In like manner, Christians should be easily distinguished from non-Christians because of the love of God within, which sets Christians apart from the world.

Transparency 1

IntroductionThe New Testament Christian has been sanctified—separated or set apart from sin unto God. (See John 17:17; I Corinthians 6:11; Ephesians 5:26; II Thessalonians 2:13.) The Bible is replete with people, places, and things that were sanctified or “set apart” for service to God.

IntroductionThe words sanctification or sanctify translate from the Greek word hagiazo, of which the verb form means “to sanctify . . . is used of (a) the gold adorning the Temple and of the gift laid on the altar, Matthew 23:17, 19; (b) food, I Timothy 4:5; (c) the unbelieving spouse of a believer, I Corinthians 7:14 . . . the setting apart of the believer for God, Acts 20:32; cf. Romans 15:16. . . . a common NT designation of all believers is ‘saints,’ hagioi, i. e., ‘sanctified’ or ‘holy ones.’ Thus sainthood, or sanctification, is not an attainment, it is the state into which God, in grace, calls sinful men, and in which they begin their course as Christians, Colossians 3:12; Hebrews 3:1” (from Vine’s Expository Dictionary of Biblical Words, Thomas Nelson Publishers).

IntroductionAs Christians, we bear the name of Jesus and have been separated from sin and set apart for His service.

II Timothy 2:19

“Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity”

(II Timothy 2:19).

IntroductionHoliness is another characteristic of God that Christians are to model (I Peter 1:15-16). True holiness includes one’s outward appearance, but it is more than that alone. It also consists of inward character (Matthew 23:27-28).

IntroductionAdditionally, a Christian life should bear the fruit of the Spirit. (See Galatians 5:22-23.)

It was by inspiration and not happenstance that Paul listed love first among the fruit of the Spirit. Love appears to have some seniority over the other fruit, though all are vitally important. As we will study in this lesson, love issues from God and is a cardinal trait of the New Testament church. Spirit-filled people are to be a separate and holy people who manifest the fruit of God’s Spirit. Moreover, among the many characteristics that distinguish the Spirit-filled person, love is at the top of the list!

I. Love—Sign of an Indwelling Christ

Love—Sign of an Indwelling Christ

The epistle of I John was not addressed to an individual or a specific church as were most of the other epistles. This epistle appears to have been a circular letter that addressed issues of concern to Christians in a general sense, which was circulated among numerous churches. One of its main themes is brotherly love—an issue that concerns the church in any era and is needed as much today as it was when it was written. God manifested His love in Jesus Christ to save us from sin. John wrote, “Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another” (I John 4:11).

I. Love—Sign of an Indwelling ChristWhen a person receives the Holy Ghost, he will speak with other tongues as the Spirit gives evidence of the new birth. As that person continues to experience the indwelling of the Holy Ghost, others will see the fruit of the Spirit mature in his life. One fruit that others will observe is love, which should always accompany the life of a believer in Christ Jesus.

I. Love—Sign of an Indwelling Christ (A)

A. God Is Love

“Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and

knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love”

(I John 4:7-8).


Our witness as a Christian is never more convincing than when we demonstrate love for one another. John’s message is clear; God manifest His love through Jesus Christ and continues to do so through His church. A Christian is never more like God than when he manifests love. Conversely, when he lacks love and compassion for others, he lacks the witness of God’s Spirit in his life. To know God is to exhibit love, for God is love! God loves everyone unconditionally (Romans 5:8), and we ought to love one another in the same way.


God’s love is evident in a Christian by the way he treats others. In I John 3:16, John stated, “Hereby perceive we the love of God,” referring to the fact that God’s love is observable in our lives. John proceeded to illustrate one way in which others can observe the love of God in the lives of believers: “But whoso hath this world’s good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?” (I John 3:17).

I. Love—Sign of an Indwelling Christ (A)Words alone do not demonstrate God’s love

(James 2:15-16). Though kind, encouraging words certainly are uplifting, God’s love exceeds talk. Love involves deeds (I John 3:18).

I. Love—Sign of an Indwelling Christ (A)Many people may claim to have the Spirit of God

dwelling within; however, John questioned the validity of such a claim when there is no corresponding demonstration of love. If we have the means to ease the suffering of a brother in need, yet neglect to do so, our experience with God is suspect. In such a case our deeds are inconsistent with our words. When it is in our power to do so, we should act benevolently without delay (Proverbs 3:27-28).

I. Love—Sign of an Indwelling Christ (A)Do we truly practice what James referred to as the

“royal law” (James 2:8)? What if we suddenly became ill or unemployed? How would we want others to treat us? Has our wealth, affluence, and comfort caused us to see the less fortunate as undeserving of compassion? Have we, like the rich man in Luke 16, become so absorbed in our comfortable lives that we refuse to be inconvenienced by the pain and suffering of those in need? A loveless religion is a worthless religion indeed, and one that does not bear the trademark of God’s Spirit—love.

I. Love—Sign of an Indwelling Christ (B)

B. Dwelling in Love Is Dwelling in God

“No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another,

God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us” (I John 4:12).

I. Love—Sign of an Indwelling Christ (B)Demonstrating the love of God should not be

something we practice on occasion; it should be something we practice continuously (Hebrews 13:1). Because God and love are inseparable, we cannot possess one without the other. Again, John emphasized that loving one another indicates God’s indwelling Spirit.

I. Love—Sign of an Indwelling Christ (B)Though we cannot see God, we can see the

evidence of His Spirit as it is manifested through our love toward one another. Loving our brothers and sisters exhibits two things: (1) God dwells in us, and (2) God’s love is perfected in us. Brotherly love, or the lack thereof, reveals the level of our spiritual maturity and whether we truly possess the Spirit of God. How much like Christ are we?

I. Love—Sign of an Indwelling Christ (C)

C. Perfect Love Casts Out Fear

“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” (I John 4:18).


A healthy reverence for God is essential to godly living; however, a spirit of fearfulness is not. God does not give us a spirit of fear (II Timothy 1:7). The Christian who exudes confidence in God’s plan of salvation and who enjoys a mature relationship with the Lord knows that he has nothing to fear in eternity. On the other hand, those who live in fear regarding judgment day have little credibility as a Christian witness.


God is not willing that anyone be lost (II Peter 3:9). The Cross demonstrated the extent to which God would go in order to save a soul from eternal destruction. God’s love is unconditional, and He loved us even while we were still lost in our sins. If God loved us that much before we even repented of our sins, why would He love us any less as we strive to serve Him? Our Christian witness must exude this kind of confidence if we are to have a positive impact on non-believers.


Some people view God as an irritable old man hovering over the Book of Life with eraser in hand, eager to strike their names from the sacred roll. They are prisoners of their irrational fears. They have not matured to the point that they trust the finished work of Christ at Calvary to save them. They live with an unhealthy fear of being lost over some mistake or failure. Jesus did not go to the cross to leave us floundering in our fears.

II Timothy 1:7

“For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and

of a sound mind” (II Timothy 1:7).


Like the absence of love, fear indicates an unsound spiritual condition.

II. God’s Manifested Love (A)

God’s Manifested LoveJesus Christ is the fulfillment of God’s promise to redeem sinful man (Genesis 3:15). God could have abandoned mankind to his selfish life of sin and destruction. Yet, because “God so loved . . . he gave” (John 3:16). God designed a plan to redeem mankind from sin and death. God’s great love compelled Him to make the ultimate sacrifice. Jesus Christ was the ultimate expression of God’s love for mankind.

II. God’s Manifested Love (A)

A. God’s Love Is Shown in Jesus—His Greatest Gift

“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” (I John 4:9).

II. God’s Manifested Love (A)John stated, “God is love,” and then he revealed

that God demonstrated His love by sending “his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him” (I John 4:9). God demonstrated His selfless love through the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ. There is no love greater than sacrificial love.

John 15:13

“Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his

friends” (John 15:13).

II. God’s Manifested Love (A)The August 1987 issue of Reader’s Digest

contained the story of how mortar rounds devastated an orphanage in a Vietnamese village killing the missionary attendants along with one or two children. An American Navy doctor and nurse attended to a wounded eight-year-old girl. She had lost a lot of blood. Without blood, she soon would die.

II. God’s Manifested Love (A)A quick test revealed that several of the surviving

children had the correct blood type. The Americans, unable to speak Vietnamese, tried to explain they needed a volunteer to give blood. The children looked frightened. Soon, one little boy awkwardly raised his hand.

II. God’s Manifested Love (A)The nurse quickly swabbed his arm with alcohol

and inserted the needle. Shortly, the little boy let out a shuddering sob and covered his face with his free hand. The nurse tried to ask if he was in pain. The little boy shook his head no. Again, the little boy began to sob closing his eyes tightly, placing his fist in his mouth to stifle his sobs.

II. God’s Manifested Love (A)When a Vietnamese nurse arrived, she spoke to

him in rapid Vietnamese, listened to his reply, then answered him in soft reassuring tones. Glancing up, the nurse said to the Americans, “He thought he was dying. He misunderstood you. He thought you had asked him to give all his blood so the little girl could live.”

II. God’s Manifested Love (A)“But why would he be willing to do that?” asked

the Navy nurse. The Vietnamese nurse asked the question of the little boy, who simply answered, “She’s my friend.” The little boy was willing to selflessly sacrifice his life for his friend.

II. God’s Manifested Love (B)

B. God’s Love Is Shown in His Forgiveness of Our Sins

“Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us,

and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins” (I

John 4:10).

II. God’s Manifested Love (B)Jesus Christ was the “propitiation for our sins.”

Through His atoning death we are able to obtain the forgiveness of sins (Romans 3:20-28). The law did not provide forgiveness, but what the law could not do, God accomplished by “sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh” (Romans 8:3).

II. God’s Manifested Love (B)The word “propitiation” translates from the

Greek word hilasmos, which signifies “atonement, i.e. (concretely) an expiator” (Strong’s Concordance). It is used in the New Testament of Christ Himself as “the propitiation,” in I John 2:2; 4:10, signifying that He Himself, through the expiatory sacrifice of His death, is the personal means by whom God showed mercy to mankind. No one is excluded from the scope of God’s mercy; every person has the opportunity to access His divine provision.

II. God’s Manifested Love (B)Many people feel unworthy of God’s

forgiveness, and their spiritual insecurity hinders their faith horribly. Many wail, “I’ve failed God so terribly.” The truth is, “All have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). The apostle Paul referred to himself as the worst of sinners and added that he obtained mercy “for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting” (I Timothy 1:16). If God would grant forgiveness to the “chief” of sinners, surely He would do it for anyone else. This gives every sinner hope for salvation through Christ’s forgiveness of his sins.

II. God’s Manifested Love (B)The thief on the cross serves as an example of

how forgiveness is available to all who turn to Jesus Christ in faith. (See Luke 23:39-43.) The thief had done nothing to merit God’s mercy. He did not observe God’s law; he was a thief! Yet, because he embraced the propitiatory death of Christ, Jesus forgave him. On this side of the cross, we must repent of our sins, be baptized in Jesus’ name for the remission of sins, and receive the Holy Spirit (Luke 24:46-49; Acts 2:38).

II. God’s Manifested Love (C)God’s love made forgiveness of sin possible. His

love built a bridge over the gulf of our sins by which we are able to leave our sinful past behind through faith. (See Ephesians 2:8-9.)

II. God’s Manifested Love (C)The death of Jesus Christ is the basis for our being

able to experience His love and forgiveness (Romans 5:5). The love God demonstrated through the suffering and death of Jesus Christ paved the way for us to love Him. Without Christ’s death, we would still be in bondage to sin, incapable of experiencing God’s loving kindness, mercy, and forgiveness.

III. God’s Reflected Love (A)

God’s Reflected Love

In the Sunday school room of a Midwestern church hung a wall mirror with the question printed on it, “Are you a reflection of Jesus Christ?” This is the basis of true Christianity. How well do we reflect and model the love of God? This is the essence of what John teaches in our Scripture text.


A. God’s Love Is Perfected in Us

John wrote that no one can see God visibly (John 1:18; I John 4:12); God is a Spirit (John 4:24). However, a Christian should not have to wear a lapel pin of a cross or a fish to identify himself as a believer. Just as people can discern a tree by its fruit, they can discern a Christian by the spiritual fruit his life bears (Matthew 12:33). John wrote, “If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us” (I John 4:12). Every person should consider, “Are people able to witness God’s love through my life?”

I John 4:12-17, NIV“No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us. . . .

God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him. In this way, love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the

day of judgment, because in this world we are like him” (I John 4:12-17, NIV).


Concerning I John 4:12, Barnes Notes provides the following thoughts: “The idea here is not that we are absolutely perfect . . . but that this love to others is the proper carrying out of our love toward Him. . . . The general sense is this; we claim to have the love of God in our hearts, or that we are influenced and controlled by love. But . . . it would be defective . . . unless it led us to love our Christian brethren. . . . This passage, therefore, cannot . . . prove that Christians are ever absolutely perfect in this life. It proves only that love to God is not complete, or fully developed, unless it leads those who profess to have it to love each other” (Barnes’ Notes, Electronic Database. Copyright (c) 1997 by Biblesoft).

III. God’s Reflected Love (A)In his book The Royal Route to Heaven, Alan

Redpath wrote, “If I love Him, I worship Him, and if I worship Him, I grow to be like Him.” John wrote, “As [Jesus] is, so are we in this world” (I John 4:17). Do people see any similarities between us and Jesus Christ? (See Acts 4:13.)

Amy Carmichael

III. God’s Reflected Love (A)A definite correlation exists between our loving the

Lord and our lives bearing witness to this love by our obedience to His Word (Luke 6:46; John 14:23). Does our life mirror or reflect not only a love for God, but the love of God?

Will Rogers

Gerald Kushel

III. God’s Reflected Love (B)B. God’s Love Is Shown in

Our Love for Each Other

There is perhaps no greater demonstration of the love of God in the life of a Christian than the way he treats other people. Jesus Himself taught that love links us to Him (John 13:35).

Paul also taught the importance of good relationships among believers.

Galatians 6:10

“As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men,

especially unto them who are of the household of faith” (Galatians 6:10).

III. God’s Reflected Love (B)John reveals that loving fellow believers is not a new doctrine; it is an old doctrine. However, old doctrines tend to become neglected if not reviewed. Consequently, John wrote, “Brethren, I write no new commandment unto you, but an old commandment which ye had from the beginning” (I John 2:7).

III. God’s Reflected Love (B)Christian love is never out of date. It is always applicable. Jesus taught it. The apostles taught it. The church of today must continue to teach and model it. This is a fundamental doctrine that greatly affects our witness as Christians. Every believer should consider whether or not he is modeling Christianity as he should and could. There should be much love in God’s house!

IV. The Characteristics of Love

The Characteristics of Love

Corinth was a church that had many spiritual problems, yet the members of that church possessed tremendous gifts or talents. The epistle of I Corinthians reveals that a church’s success is not tied entirely to its gifts or talents. Unless a church excels at love, it may be viewed as radical or fanatical more than Christian (I Corinthians 14:23). Paul clearly taught that the way to victory is love. While faith, miracles, spiritual gifts, tongues, and so forth, are important for any church, they cannot substitute or compensate for the absence of love.


Alan Redpath stated that I Corinthians 13 contains “an outline of what the grace of God and the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit has come to do in our lives” (The Royal Route to Heaven, 163). I Corinthians 13:4-8 sets the standard by which all Christian character is to be measured:

I Corinthians 13:4-7“Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not

her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; rejoiceth not in

iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; beareth all things, believeth all

things, hopeth all things, endureth all things” (I Corinthians 13:4-7).


Are we able to make these statements personal? Are these characteristics recognizable in our attitudes, words, and actions? Truly, as non-believers and fellow believers witness these qualities in our lives, they are convinced of the credibility and genuineness of our Christian experience.

V. Love—The Greatest of All Gifts

Love—The Greatestof All Gifts

The church at Corinth in Paul’s day excelled in the area of spiritual gifts (I Corinthians 1:7). However, it is evident by Paul’s letter that they had abused the use of these endowments, if only in their motive for using them. In I Corinthians 12, Paul instructed the believers that each member is significant and necessary in spite of enormous diversity.

V. Love—The Greatest of All GiftsNo member should boast of his gifts or be inflated

with a sense of self-importance or superiority. Neither should one member be made to feel insignificant through a lack of giftedness. Paul ended the chapter by saying, “But covet earnestly the best gifts: and yet shew I unto you a more excellent way” (I Corinthians 12:31).

V. Love—The Greatest of All GiftsChapter 13 begins with Paul’s memorable

instructions on the subject of love. When compared to spiritual gifts and other operations of the Spirit, Paul apparently believed in the superiority of love. Obviously, all the spiritual gifts are good in their proper place, but more good can be accomplished in the church through love than through any of the other gifts. Paul encouraged Corinth to pursue the way of love earnestly. This does not diminish the need for faith, healings, tongues, and other gifts in the church. It only means that when compared to love, love is greater!

I Corinthians 13:13

“And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest

of these is charity” (I Corinthians 13:13).

V. Love—The Greatest of All GiftsNothing edifies the church and establishes our

credibility as Christians more than the pure love that comes from Christ Jesus!

ReflectionsGod is love, and He manifested His love to all mankind through Jesus Christ—His supreme gift of redemption to the world. Those who have received God’s Spirit into their lives are to manifest God’s love to one another—and to all people in the world. This will lead the church to greater victory and revival.

ReflectionsWhat is love?

It is warmth in a cold world,It is light in a dark world,It is joy in a sad world,It is over so soon.

ReflectionsWhy is it over so soon?

Because we don’t love ourselves,Because we don’t respect each other,Because we’re misers in what we give,Because man is only human.

ReflectionsWhat makes man human?

His great intellectuality,His great creativity,His great adaptability,His great need for love.

ReflectionsWhy does man need love?

Because it’s a cold world,Because it’s a dark world,Because it’s a sad world,Because it’s over so soon.

(Conny Schaflander, I Asked the Sphinx)

Title Page. Lesson Twelve I John 4:7-10 7 Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and...

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