STUDIES IN FIRST, SECOND & THIRD JOHN

LESSON 16  Knowing Who We Are Through Divine Love

1 John 4:13 Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit.
1 John 4:14 And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world.
This is the way we know that we DWELL in Him. 1 John 3:24 And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us. He speaks now, not of proof of salvation, but of the proof of our dwelling IN Him.

A. Rom 8:16 The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: This tells us that the witness of the Spirit as to our salvation is within us.
B. But this (text) )is the witness of the Spirit as to our abiding in Him and it is manifested through us by our actions. ( I can't see your salvation, but I can see the results of your obedience to Christ!)
C. Through the Spirit we do exactly what Jesus said He would do when He came.
John 15:26 But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me:
John 15:27 And ye also shall bear witness, because ye have been with me from the beginning.
I. A direct promise to the church Eph 2:21 In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord:
Eph 2:22 In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.
D. Note the entire Trinity at work through us in these two verses.

1 John 4:15 Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God.
Whosoever agrees together with God concerning His Son.
It is inconceivable that one should refuse to fellowship Christ by disobeying Him and still try to claim fellowship with the Father! Jesus said, "I and my Father are one" (John 10:30) and the
Father said, "This is my beloved son, hear ye Him!" (Mark 9:7)

1 John 4:16 And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.
We have known and we have believed ( we have exercised faith in our knowledge)
Love offered is love wasted if not accepted.
God IS LOVE. This is the positive side of the negative statement of v 8. This statement does not limit God to being nothing but love, but it limits real love to God!

1 John 4:17 Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.
In this ( the things mentioned up to this point) is the love of God brought to completion.
A. As He (Christ) is, so are we. When we are as obedient to the will of God as Christ was, then the love of God has been brought to completion in us. We can only come close to this ideal by crucifying the flesh and allowing Christ to live in us. Obedience was manifested in Christ even unto death and it will be manifested in us through our lives.
B. THEN we can have boldness (freely speaking one's mind) in the day of judgment. When called upon to give an accounting of this life, will you be proud to stand forth and speak out?

1 John 4:18 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.
There is no fear in love - - Use the rule of interpretation - Primary subject is the love of GOD.
The secondary subject is the Day of Judgment. What is your present attitude toward the Judgment seat of Christ? Do you anticipate it with tormenting fears? If so, you are not yet perfect in love!

1 John 4:19 We love him, because he first loved us.
He loved us in spite or our nature and we can only love Him as we become partakers of the divine nature. In our natural state and without the gift of His love we could not love God!

1 John 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?
Proof of a hypocrite - a lack of love for one's brother. If one can't love the visible manifestation of God's love, then how could he love the invisible God?

1 John 4:21 And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also.
Should be as natural for us to love one another as it is for the sun to shine, for the grass to grow, for all the laws of nature to function, and as amazing as the walking of Lazarus from the tomb. These are all the results of His command.

Next: Victory in Jesus