Introduction
Has anyone ever loved you so much you couldn’t help loving them back? Perhaps it was dramatic, or perhaps it was gradual. It may have been a parent or friend. Maybe it was your spouse. But they loved you. Not because of what you did for them, but because they chose to love you. They sacrificed for you such that you could see their love. If you’ve ever been loved like this by someone close to you, you know you can’t help loving them in return. In fact, the more you see of their love, the more you have to love them. It is so delightful and wonderful to love them because they love you so much. Has anyone you thought loved you like this let you down? Perhaps you have felt betrayed by love. Did you know that God loved you so much that He gave His own Son to save your life before you even knew Him? That’s right! He loves you that much. And not only that, His love never lets His people down. It never wavers or fails. He never makes a mistake. His love is perfect and unchanging. The more you learn about it, the more irresistible it will be. Even fear that He might fail you as others have done will flee from the presence of this mighty love of God. You will delight in His love and in loving Him. Let’s get started!
Observation
Pray
God loves you so much that He wrote His Word for you, preserved it through all these years for you, and had it translated into your language so you can read it. But He didn’t stop there. God has offered to personally help you understand what He has written if you will ask Him.
Read Focus Verses
As you read 1 John 4:17-21, imagine it is a letter. It is addressed to you and signed by God.
Key Theme
What word appears more than any other word in this short passage?
Keyword – Love
This small word, love, appears an amazing 11 times in these five verses! This symbol will make them stand out with all the other occurrences of the word love we’ve marked as we’ve gone through 1 John.
Love
God’s Love
Mark every appearance of the precious word love in 1 John 4:17-21.
Love’s Opposite
What word appears four times in verse 18 and is presented as the opposite of love?
Keyword – Fear
In order to understand love better, God teaches us a little about its opposite. This symbol will visually represent it for future reference.
Fear
No Fear in Love
Mark the word fear in today’s passage and notice what God says about it.
What Fear Fears
In verse 18 what does fear itself fear?
The Root of Love
According to verse 19, why do Christians love God?
A Two-Way Love
Verses 20-21 tell us that true love goes out in two directions. What are the two aspects or directions of true love?
Interpretation
His Love Was First
Compare 1 John 4:19 with Romans 5:6-8.
Love Ill Deserved
When does Romans 5:8 tell us that God loved His people? Was that before or after they loved Him?
Before I Knew Him
The chorus of this hymn is a reflection on this beautiful truth that God first loved us.
The Depths of His Love
Can you even imagine the depths of the love God has for you as described in 1 John 4:10?
Boldness at the Judgment
We are told in the Bible that all of us will die and face God’s judgement (Hebrews (9:27). Because all of us have sinned (Romans 3:23), we all deserve death (Romans 6:23). But verse 17 of our passage in 1 John tells us that God’s love gives us confidence for the judgement. How can God sending His Son to pay for your sins as explained in 1 John 4:10 offer you confidence for the day of judgement?
God So Loved the World
Read John 3:16 and notice what a person must do to receive this hope for the day of judgment.
All Things
We’ve seen that God’s love was demonstrated by sending His Son to die in our place. Notice in Romans 8:32 what that amazing expression of His love indicates about what else His love means for those who believe in Jesus for salvation.
Fear Cast Out
What kinds of fear does God’s love banish?
Which Is Easier?
Verse twenty says that we cannot say our love for God is genuine if we are not even loving the people that we can see. Does it seem easier to love God or other people?
True Love for God
If it seems easier to love God than other people, perhaps we are not understanding what true love is. Read about what it truly means to love God in John 14:15.
His Commandment
So, if we want to love God we must keep His commandments. One of them is outlined for us in the next verse. In 1 John 4:21 what are we commanded to do?
A New Perspective
With that perspective, can we love God without loving people around us? Why or why not?
Application
The Fears Within
What fears do you struggle with? How can understanding God’s love help you overcome those fears?
Do You Love God?
You’ve seen all through 1 John that God loves you. You’ve also seen that true love for God is demonstrated by loving the people around you. Do you truly love God? Why do you say that?
Grace to Love Him More
If you pray with William Cowper, “Lord, it is my chief complaint That my love is weak and faint; Yet I love thee, and adore; O for grace to love thee more!” Then 1 John 4:19 urges you to learn more about God’s love. How are you going to pursue that today?
Wrapup
Closing
We hope that this study has given you a little glimpse of God’s love which has led you to love Him more deeply, and that it has given you a thirst to learn more about His love for you in the Bible.
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