1 John

Monday, 18 May 2020

No one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God abides in us, and His love has been perfected in us. 1 John 4:12

John now introduces a key point of theology into his epistle. As much as anything else, it is certainly based on his words of verse 4:7, where he said, “…everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.” How can one know God? The answer is certainly not in having seen Him. In fact, for a person to claim that he has seen God is actually a disqualifying factor. He is to be rejected outright as a liar or a lunatic. This is because, as John says, “No one has seen God at any time.”

In fact, the Greek places God in the emphatic position, and without any preceding article. It says, “God, no one at any time has seen.” Verses from Scripture that appear to contradict this are to be evaluated on their own and in the context of what is occurring. But simply stated, the lack of an article before “God,” signifies that John is writing about the divine Being – the unseen Creator – rather than the Lord, who is the visible manifestation of God.

The Lord manifested Himself to Israel at various times. These were visible appearances of the eternal Christ, who is God. But the divine Being – God – cannot be seen. John’s words are to be taken as explicit and as absolute truth. Simple logic – even apart from Scripture – can easily demonstrate that this must be true.

If something (or someone) can be seen by human eyes, it means that there is matter to be seen. Matter did not exist until God created it. Further – time, space, and matter all came into existence at the same time. They are dependent upon one another, and none can exist without all three being present. Therefore, God – who created time – cannot have matter as a part of His Being. If so, He would not be eternal, nor would He be omnipresent, etc.

Understanding the key First Principles will help a person think clearly on such points. John’s words simply confirm what we can know by thinking logically. However, that leaves open the question, “If no one has seen God at any time, then how can we know God. And, how can we know that someone is of God?” John answers the question clearly by saying, “If we love one another, God abides in us.”

We don’t need to see God to know that He exists. Our minds can figure out that there is a Necessary Being – meaning a Being who cannot “not” exist; He must exist. As we can know this, with all certainty, then He has revealed a way that we can know He abides in us. That is in our love for one another.

As seen in previous verses, this means more than love as humanity loves. It means loving in the way that God does – something impossible without first believing the gospel and being saved. In that conversion, we now have a confirmation that our love is of God and not of the world. This will be confirmed in the verses to come. But for now, John finishes with the words, “and His love has been perfected in us.”

This clause begins the confirmation concerning the “love” John is referring to as being that which stems from God. Anything that man possesses, including love, is limited and imperfect. However, if God’s love is perfected in us, it signifies that this is – in fact – a godly love previously not possessed by us. That love of God is expressed through us because Christ now dwells in us. As Vincent’s Word Studies rightly states, it is, “Not our love to Him, nor His love to us, but the love which is peculiarly His; which answers to His nature.”

This is why the words of John 3:23 cannot be taken as a work in order to be saved. There, John said, “And this is His commandment: that we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ and love one another, as He gave us commandment.” It is not a work “for” salvation, but a product of salvation. One cannot possess this love of God unless he is saved. But in the possession of it, it demonstrates that he is – in fact – saved.

Life application: It could be that when you read this chapter and come to this verse, it may seem out of place. But instead, it is actually extremely well positioned.

As noted, the structure of the first clause is specially framed in order to show the very nature of God’s Being – that He is Spirit. This is a concept demonstrated in both the Old and the New Testament, and it brings us to a very important point about people who claim to have “visions” where they have seen God. As stated earlier, they are either liars or delusional. No one has ever seen God – at any time.

Apparently, during John’s time (and which continues until today) people were claiming to have seen God and had received special insights and knowledge from Him. John, however, is denying their claims – such people have left the boundaries of truth and have headed off into unsound areas of boasting.

What John is saying is that because no one has seen God, we can only know that He abides in us by the love we demonstrate. This is the “vision of God” which demonstrates His presence. If we love one another with His perfected love, then He abides in us and His love (the love He demonstrated in His Son Jesus) is our evidence of His presence in our lives. This is the true and clear revelation of God. Don’t be fooled into believing people who have deluded themselves with anything else!

O God, what more could we ask in this life than to see You as demonstrated in true love and faith? When believers are at harmony with one another, and are completely sold out to You, isn’t this a surer testimony of Your presence than any supposed vision? Yes! Because everyone can share in it – not just a select few, but all of Your chosen people! Perfect Your love in us so that we may reveal You to the world. Amen.

Sunday, 17 May 2020

Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 1 John 4:11

John began verse 4:7 with the words, “Beloved, let us love one another.” Since then, he has been building his case as to why this should be. Now, he completes that thought with the same words, plus a few concluding explanatory words. He, again, says, “Beloved.” The apostle demonstrates the very thing he appeals to by stating this. From there, he next says, “if God so loved us.”

This is the conclusion to be drawn from verses 4:7-10, but in particular the words, “that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” God was willing to do this, even when we did not love Him. How much more then should we be willing to love those who are in our own family of the faith!

In this, the word “so” here is in the emphatic position. A direct translation would say, “Beloved, if SO God loved us…” This can be referring to either the manner of God’s love, meaning the type of love He displayed, or it could be referring to the extent of God’s love, meaning the lengths He was willing to go to. Both, however, merge into one thought when the cross is considered. It was a sacrificial type of love, and it was the ultimate extent that could have been demonstrated. As this is so, John concludes with that same basic thought as is found in the words of verse 4:7, saying, “we also ought to love one another.”

God in His glory was willing to step down to our lowly level. God in His holiness was willing to interact with those who are unholy. God in His infinite being was willing to unite with His finite creation in order to redeem us. God who feels no pain was willing to allow the earthly body He united with to feel pain, suffering, and death. Such things, and all other such things, are given to us to learn from. They are examples for us to emulate, and they are the basis for the commandment to love one another.

As the Creator, Jesus Christ had the right to speak the words of commandment. As the Redeemer, He then has demonstrated exactly why it is so and the lengths to which we are to go in order to fulfill that commandment –

“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. ³⁵ By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” John 13:34, 35

Life application: Earlier in this chapter John was speaking of false teachers and the spirit of the Antichrist. In verse 7 though, he changed his direction to speaking of love. But the two ideas he’s built upon are not disconnected. If we go back and look at the entire chapter thus far and then evaluate this verse also in context, we can see where John has made love out to be a moral obligation.

He says “if,” but the term here is assuming the truth of the coming statement – “If God so loved us.” Right in the middle of this assumption of truth is the word “so.” This two-letter word is calling to remembrance the great and exalted actions of verses 9 and 10.

If this is so (and John confirms it is), “then we also ought to love one another.” So, think it through clearly. When John uses the term “ought,” he is placing on each of us a moral obligation – because God/so ought we. Now that we can see that, we can complete the picture by comparing the false teachers of verses 1-6.

John’s contrast is against them and whatever perverse teaching they employed that held to no moral absolute. They had teaching without heart; doctrine with no purity; and instruction without morality. Be attentive to such teachers, reject them, and instead hold to the strict and pure gospel of Jesus – the gospel which builds love upon love and which exalts the work of Jesus Christ.

Heavenly Father, just as You sent Jesus to reconcile us to You, so also give us a change of heart so that we may be reconciled to those with whom we are at enmity. May You be glorified as we act in a manner that brings about complete harmony between each of us and those around us. May it be so, as we pray this in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Saturday, 16 May 2020

In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 1 John 4:10

In verse 4:7, John implored his reader to love one another. In 4:8, he noted that God is love. In 4:9, he then said that the love of God was manifested toward us in the sending of His Son. With that train of thought in mind, John now says, “In this is love.” In the Greek, the word love is preceded by an article, “the love.” This indicates the very nature of God. His love simply is – it doesn’t increase or decrease, but it is constant, complete, and perfect.

John will now define what this love of God is. Yes, it was manifest toward us in the sending of Jesus, but what does that really signify? Understanding this, he says, “not that we loved God.”

It may be true that we love God, but that is not the highest and most perfect manifestation of love. Even if we love God, it is not an all-encompassing love. We get busy with life and forget the other things going on around us. We forget the time. And, we forget that God is even there. Our love toward God, if it even exists, is a directed thought which is not always being displayed or even considered. However, such is not the case with God.

John has already noted that God is love. There is no increase or decrease in His love. It is – always. Further, it is unconditional. That is seen first in the words, “but that He loved us.” Think of the vilest person you know of that is alive today – maybe a politician. What if that person becomes a Christian tomorrow? What would that mean to you? Probably relief that he finally came to his senses. Now, you can finally start to like him.

But God already loved that person. There is no time He didn’t love him, and His love for him did not increase after he received Jesus. As John says, “and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” Nothing changed from yesterday to today from God’s perspective – only from ours. God sent Christ Jesus before anyone received Christ Jesus. Therefore, He loved you before you came to Him. He loved Paul of Tarsus before he came to the Lord. And, he loved Vile Vince the politician before he changed his ways.

Our love is an after-the-fact love. God’s love is a before, during, and after the fact love. God is love. And so God sent Christ Jesus to be for us what we could not be for ourselves. He became our “propitiation.”

God cannot look upon man with favor. Not because He doesn’t love him, but because He is Holy, Just, and Righteous. Because of sin, man is none of those things. Therefore, God must judge man’s sin, or He is none of those things. But because God is Mercy, Grace, Truth, and Love, God was willing to judge the sin – not in the man, but in His Son – in order to bring about a propitious relationship between the two. This is what the word “propitiation” signifies.

The word in Greek is hilasmos. It is found only here and in 1 John 2:2. It is an offering intended to appease an angry and offended party. Christ died on the cross, shedding His blood. Through His sacrifice, He provided the necessary propitiation which was foreshadowed in the Day of Atonement offering found in Leviticus 16 and 23.

Jesus Christ is the actual point of propitiation, but more, it is because of His death that this is so. To get a better understanding of the meaning of this word, and another word used by Paul, hilastérion, please refer to the commentary on 1 John 2:2.

In short, and understanding these two words, the implication is that without Christ Jesus, there would be no atonement for sin. But in Him, there is full atonement for all sin. And this offering was made before any person was saved. Thus, this is the highest expression of love. Its Source is God, its message is one of restoration, and it was sent out before any love toward God existed from those who would receive it. In this is love.

Life application: While we are looking out for ourselves and never considering God in our little world, God never forgets His creatures. He loves us regardless of how we have considered Him.

Our lack of love, resulting in sin, has caused a rift between us, and that rift needs to be mended. And so, God sent Jesus. It is He who restores felicity between God and man when we accept His work. Think on this today. Consider the perfection of what God has done for us through Jesus! He loved us, and He loves us.

O God, that You would send Jesus for us! It is more than we could ever imagine. What a great and splendid love You possess to restore us to You through the blood of Christ! May we never forget the majesty of this act, and may we never fail to proclaim it to others! Restoration and life are available because of Jesus. Hallelujah and Amen!

Friday, 15 May 2020

In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. 1 John 4:9

John now continues the same thought that he has been giving for the past two verses. In verse 7, he said, “and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.” In verse 8, he said, “He who does not love does not know God.” He is speaking about the state of love either existing in a person or lacking in a person. That continues with this verse with the Greek words en hēmin. Rather than, “In this the love of God was manifested toward us,” the Greek reads, “In this the love of God was manifest in us.”

John has shown that belief and love are actually one inseparable idea –

“And this is His commandment: that we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ and love one another, as He gave us commandment.” 1 John 3:23

To love without belief does not satisfy the expectation of God. To believe without love is to fail to obey the commandment given by Christ Jesus. But we are not given a commandment we cannot obey. Therefore, the “love of God is manifested in us” when we believe.

John uses an aorist verb, indicative mood, and passive voice. It happened at a set time, it is a certain fact, and the believer is the recipient of the action. Belief brings us into the state of love. At this point, our love can be acceptable to God. Before this point, we could love all day long and it would be of no true value to Him.

God cannot credit love as righteousness unless the person is already deemed righteous through faith in Christ. If He could, then faith in Christ would be unnecessary to be pleasing to God. This is why “God has sent His only begotten Son into the world.”

In this, the Greek more accurately reads, “His Son, the only begotten.” He enlarges and highlights the Son by stating it this way. God has “sons” as is recorded in Scripture. Israel is called His son in Exodus 4:22. Believers are sons of God, as is noted in both testaments as well. But only Christ Jesus is set apart as “His Son, the only begotten.” It is He who was “sent.” The verb, being in the perfect tense, reveals the completed and continuing results which stem from sending Him. And those results are “that we might live through Him.”

This is the purpose of the sending of Christ. Sending Him is how the love of God is manifested in us, but our living through the Son defines why God did this. In belief, we are saved, and in being saved, the love of God now defines our love, meaning it is now a love that is acceptable to God.

To more fully appreciate this, one must consider the words, “live through Him.” If we were not “alive,” meaning possessing eternal life, before coming to Christ, it means that we were still dead in our trespasses and sins. In this state, it doesn’t matter how much we loved others. We were dead in sin and God could not accept our love. But in living through Christ, our sins are atoned for, our state before God is changed, and our love – whatever level of love it may be – is now acceptable, because the love of God is manifested in us.

Life application: This verse, like others from John, is reminiscent of John 3:16 –

“For God so loved the world that He gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

It is important to remember that the term, “begotten,” and not, “one and only,” as many modern translations state, is the correct term to use. The reason for this is more than translational from the Greek, but it is scriptural based on Exodus 4:22 (mentioned above) –

“Then you shall say to Pharaoh, ‘Thus says the LORD: “Israel is My son, My firstborn.”

God has more than one son – in several contexts. Israel is called God’s “firstborn son.” We are also sons of God through adoption. Therefore, the term “one and only” is entirely incorrect. Additionally, the Greek supports “begotten.” Jesus was generated of the Most High and the power of the Holy Spirit through Mary. He is unlike any other. Because of these points, it is far preferable and proper to use the term “begotten.”

Also, John mentions “the love” of God. The article which precedes “love” isn’t referring to a general love, but the specific love, one which is particular to that demonstrated in the work of Jesus.

Because of the great love God has for the people of the world, He sent Jesus Christ to restore us to true and spiritual life, and to grant us eternal life – someday to be free from the trials, troubles, and temptations of this world. Let us never forget this great and awesome love, demonstrated at the cross of Calvary!

How tender and precious it is to be called a son of God because of the work of Jesus! We can now call you Father in a way which was never possible before. Thank You, thank You, O God, for the wondrous and extravagant love You have for us! Glory, honor, and majesty – they belong to You alone! Amen.

Thursday, 14 May 2020

He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. 1 John 4:8

In the previous verse, John said that “everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.” Now, he goes beyond a simple one to one comparison. Instead of saying, “He who does not love is not born of God,” he goes even further in his words by saying, “He who does not love does not know God.” Further, the verb “know” is in the aorist tense. He has never known him. The separation between the two is absolute.

This isn’t just a mild disconnect that can be overcome by the person. Rather, this person has no ability to understand God, and his feelings toward God are missing entirely, or they are completely skewed. The reason for this is then stated by John with the words, “for God is love.”

The Greek here must be properly translated to fully understand John’s intent. It literally reads, “because the God love is.” An article precedes “God,” but not “love.” What this means is that the statement is not reversible. We cannot say, “Love is God.” God’s nature is love, but we cannot limit Him to only love. God is the embodiment of love, but love is not the embodiment of God. Such a statement would allow the worship of love, as a “god.” Rather, God is to be worshipped because He is love, among other things.

In his writings, John says that God is Spirit, God is light, and God is truth. The Bible also says that God is jealous, God is righteous, God is holy, and so on. None of these things are God, but they reflect His nature. Such statements tell us that they are not qualities of God which he merely possesses, but they are statements about His very being.

And further, John doesn’t state it in the form of an adjective – “God is loving.” As Jamieson-Faucett-Brown notes –

“…for then John’s argument would not stand; for the conclusion from the premises then would be this, This man is not loving: God is loving; therefore he knoweth not God IN SO FAR AS God is loving; still he might know Him in His other attributes. But when we take love as God’s essence, the argument is sound: This man doth not love, and therefore knows not love: God is essentially love, therefore he knows not God.”

Life application: John makes specific points about the nature of God in his writings. What he says in his points cannot be mistaken (although they can be twisted by perverse thinking), and his clarity in them gives us real and valid insights into our Creator.

Taking John’s words in their proper context, we can now see why he says, “He who does not love does not know God.” How can one be acquainted with God – who is by His nature love – and yet not possess the very quality defined by that acquaintance? It is not possible.

However, it must be remembered that we do are not the very definition of such attributes. Nobody apart from God can claim, “I am truth,” or “I am love.” We can only emulate God. As believers, there are times when we aren’t loving. And yet, we can still be included in “everyone who loves.” Our shortcomings do not negate the state that we have been brought into.

And even more than focusing on ourselves, if we look to God and focus on Him, we can find absolute assurance. Because God is love, we can know that He isn’t just loving at times, but that everything He does is based on love. We may see things happen that appear to show an uncaring God, but that is because we cannot see the purpose for what occurs. But everything that God does is done with the loving intent which stems from His very nature.

If someone says, “A person being cast into hell by God is unloving, and therefore God is not love,” he has misunderstood God’s other attributes. God is just. One attribute (such as love) cannot override another attribute (such as justice). The way that the tension between God’s many attributes is relieved is through the cross of Jesus Christ. For example, God’s infinite love can be poured out on man because God’s justice is served in Christ’s substitutionary and atoning death.

All things are brought into harmony once again through what God has done in Christ. As Paul says –

“Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, ¹⁹ that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation.” 2 Corinthians 5:18, 19

For those who have come to God through Christ, God – who is love – has accomplished complete, absolute, and eternal reconciliation. For us, God can now and forevermore express His infinite love towards us.

Of one thing we can be sure, O God – You are love. When we look to the cross of Jesus and reflect on the marvelous majesty of His great work, we can see love in a way which transcends all other things. Knowing this about You allows us to revel even more in Your glory. May we never forget that You are love, and because of Jesus we are the objects of Your love! Thank You for this wonderful assurance. Amen.