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1 John 4
Note: “For the third time, we are considering the subject of love...First, love for the brethren has been shown as proof of fellowship with God (1 John 2:7-11); then it has been presented as proof of sonship (1 John 3:10-14). In the earlier passage, love for the brethren is a matter of light or darkness; in the second it is a matter of life or death.
But in 1 John 4:7-16, we get down to the very foundation of the matter. Here we discover why love is such an important part of the life that is real. Love is a valid test of our fellowship and our sonship because "God is love." Love is part of the very being and nature of God. If we are united to God through faith in Christ, we share His nature. And since His nature is love, love is the test of the reality of our spiritual life.”*
Love one another for God is love!
Read 1 John 4. Which part of 1 John 4 inspires you the most?
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We Have Overcome: There are many false prophets and evil spirits in the world that do not acknowledge Jesus Christ has come in the flesh. However, we are from God and have overcome them, for the Holy Spirit in us is greater than the evil one. Thank God for the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, and be sensitive to the prompting of the Holy Spirit inside you.
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God is Love: God is the originator of love, as well as the reason of our loving one another. He demonstrated His love through the atoning sacrifice of His son, Jesus Christ. Have you found it hard to love the unlovable and the undeserved? Picture these people in your mind and meditate on the nature of God and His sacrifice. Let His love abide in you and ask for His empowerment to love them.
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No Fear in Love: “The perfecting of God's love in our lives is usually a matter of several stages. When we were lost, we lived in fear and knew nothing of God's love. After we trusted Christ, we found a perplexing mixture of both fear and love in our hearts. But as we grew in fellowship with the Father, gradually the fear vanished and our hearts were controlled by His love alone. An immature Christian is tossed between fear and love; a mature Christian rests in God's love.”* Has your life been marked with fear? Why or why not? Give all your fears to God and learn to rest in His love.
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Your own insight: (fill in yourself)
Meditation and Application:
Meditate on the above questions along with the necessary actions. Meditate on 1 John 4:19, “We love because He first loved us” and see how you could apply this truth in your life.
*Bible Exposition Commentary (BE Series) - New Testament, Volume 2