1 John Study
Lesson # 7
Gods
Incredible Love
Introduction
John has impressed his readers that they have all the spiritual information that they need & that this information has come to them through Jesus Christ. They have an anointing (2:20) & John encourages them to stay with what they have been given (2:24), what they have already heard. He also encouraged them to not listen to those who deny Jesus & claim to have additional information (2:27), because they have nothing to add to truth. They had already received everything they needed spiritually to be right with God from Jesus. He is the one who has the ultimate knowledge. Now John turns to the subject of love & shares several truths about the subject of love in the next two chapters.
1. The incredible love that God has lavished upon us.
a. KJV - behold
1) Pay attention to, perceive or experience something; look with intense &
earnest consideration. (Mt.6:26)
2) John wants to impress them with the love God has bestowed upon them.
3) See how great a thing that this is to you.
b. Why
is Gods love for us so amazing?
1) God has lavished this upon us
a) Means to give or bestow something freely & abundantly
b) Here is a gift for which we are totally undeserving He decided
2) We are so undeserving Rom.5:6-10
a) Powerless & ungodly sinners
b) Enemies of God
3) Allowed to become children of God
a) Not just redeemed & saved from His wrath, but children
b) Allowed to become a part of His family & situations
4) Eph.3:17-19 love so difficult to comprehend beyond comprehension
c. Question how do you picture God?
1) Distant, unreachable, unconcerned, vengeful, hovering over us looking
for any mistake & flaw so that He might pour out His wrath upon
us?
2) God says that God is just the opposite He loves us with an incredible
love that is beyond anything we can even begin to comprehend.
a) He cares & wants to help us
b) He has given us an awesome privilege to become His child
c) Jn.1:12 those who received Him given power to become
d) Rom.8:15 received the spirit of son ship
e) 2 Cor.6:17,18 you shall be my sons & daughters
f) Gal.4:4-6 might receive full rights as sons
2
2. We are called children of God
a. What an honor that God would even take notice of us - sinners
1) Ps.8:1-4 created lower than angels & crowned with honor
2) World doesnt recognize us as such
a) They have no appreciation for us
b) Often mocked, ridiculed & ignored even abused & persecuted
c) See us as a threat to their way of life
d) See us as fanatics & fools
3) Reason world not know us never knew Jesus
a) Never recognized Him for who & what He was
b) To them He was just a man, one who violated their traditions
b. What
we shall be
1) Not yet fully revealed
a) Because of our inability to comprehend
b) Promised a spiritual body 1 Cor.15:42-44, 50-53
2) We shall be like Jesus
a) 1 Cor.15:49 bear His image
b) Phil.3:20,21 transformed to be like Him
3. What we should be as children of God
a. Motivated by our hope (earnest expectation)
1) Hope ought to move us to be accomplishing things now
2) Our lives ought to change because of the great things God has already
done for us in Jesus.
b. Diligently
involved in purifying ourselves
1) Purify make clean, sanctify; closely related to word holiness
2) Involves the idea of being set apart for a holy purpose
3) Thought what we should pursue Heb.12:14
4) We know that one day when Jesus returns we will be changed, but even
now that should be our goal to become more & more like Him
c. How
do we accomplish this?
1) Appropriate the blood of Jesus 1 Jn.1:9; Eph.5:25-27
2) Remove ourselves from things that defile us 2 Cor.6:16-7:1
3) Mt.5:8; 2 Tim.2:21; Heb.12:14; James 4:8; 2 Pet.3:11