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THE LOVE OF FATHER

Text: 1 John 2
31 May 2009

(I) Determining the significance of the love of Father

1. The significance is found in the focus on God’s love for us

a) The love of God is meant to be in us

i) It is raised as a problem when the love of God is not in us

“…If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.” 1 John 2:15

ii) The love of God is meant to be perfected in us

“But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him…” 1 John 2:5

“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

b) The love of God is focused more than our love for the Father

i) This is what love is

“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

ii) The love of God is a pretext for our love for God

“We love Him because He first loved us.” 1 John 4:19

2. The significance of having such a focus on God’s love for us

a) His love is to be treasured ( 1 John 3:1 )

“Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God!…” 1 John 3:1

b) Jesus taught His disciples to abide in His love ( John 15 )

“As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love. If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love.” John 15:9-10

(II) The danger of loving the world is that God’s love will not be in us

“…If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.” 1 John 2:15

1. To emphasise the danger of loving the world

a) When a person has loved the world… he will miss out on the love of the Father

“…If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.” 1 John 2:15

b) A general conditional sentence

2. In loving everything that is of the world, we wouldn’t be loving anything that is of the Father

a) The things of the world is not of the Father

“For all that is in the world…is not of the Father but is of the world.” 1 John 2:16

b) The things that made up the world

i) What we desire

“…the lust of the flesh…” 1 John 2:16

ii) What we see

“…the lust of the eyes…” 1 John 2:16

iii) What we have

“…and the pride of life…” 1 John 2:16

c) His love is not in us

3. John was battling a problem that still exists today

a) Poor comprehension of the love of God

b) Poor appreciation of the love of God

c) A strong pull by the world

(III) Definite steps in ensuring that the love of Father is in us

1. Choose the love of Father over the love of the world

a) The love of the Father is far more lasting that the love of the world

“And the world is passing away, and the lust of it…” 1 John 2:17

b) The love of the Father is what He wills for us to have rather than a love for the world

“…but he who does the will of God abides forever.” 1 John 2:17

2. The command not to love the world

“Do not love the world or the things in the world…” 1 John 2:15

3. Keep the word of the Lord

“But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him…” 1 John 2:5

4. Love one another

a) As response to God’s love for us

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

b) As proof that God’s love indeed dwells in us

“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