Tests Of True Love

Introduction

Your favorite sports star just agreed to coach you in his sport. He’s going to meet with you twice a week to teach you how to play like a pro. Part way through your first lesson he corrects your posture, a moment later he tells you to use your left arm differently. Are you going to stiffen and defend yourself telling him that he doesn’t know what he’s talking about? Maybe instead you will sulk and whine that he corrected you? No! You are delighted that he cares enough to teach you. You know that your form needs work if you are going to play like him, so you listen carefully to all of his instructions so that you can mimic his every move. Even more, if some of your personal habits that seem unrelated to the sport have to go, you don’t mind. After all, your star himself is teaching you. According to 1 John 5:1-3, that is how Christians feel about God’s instruction. They don’t just put up with it, they love it. Doing what He says doesn’t grieve or burden them, it is a delight. Do you want to learn more about this kind of love? Let’s get started…

Observation

Pray

Before trying to understand what God is saying, stop and ask Him to help you lay aside distractions, which might keep you from listening. Ask Him to quiet your mind so you can hear His Word. Ask for the illumination of the Holy Spirit to show you what His Word means, not just generally, but specifically for your life today.

Read Focus Verse

As you read 1 John 5:1-3, focus on them without letting your mind wander. Consider the overall message and theme of the verses.

Theme Word

What word appears most in this passage, creating a kind of theme for these three verses?

Keyword – Love

Like you’ve done as you’ve studied the last few chapters, use this symbol to mark the word love for easy identification.

How Key is Love?

Read 1 John 5:1-3 again, this time marking the word love.

Believe

According to verse 1, what must a person believe to be a child of God?

God’s Children

Who does verse 1 say that those who love God also love?

Two Ways to Know

What are the two ways from verse 2 that we know whether or not we love God’s children?

I Love Your Law

According to verse 3, to God’s children, keeping His commands is not _____.

Interpretation

Christ

We call the Son of God Jesus Christ so frequently that it is easy to forget what that title means. However, verse 1 emphasizes its importance by stating that we must believe that Jesus is the Christ to be God’s children. What does ‘Christ’ mean?

Dig Deeper

This short video digs a little deeper into the significance of the name Jesus Christ.

Like Father, Like Son

In verse 1, you saw that God’s children love His other children. What explanation is given for that in the verse?

Bringing it Home

You understand this on a human level if you are a parent or child. Can a person truly love you and deeply hate your child at the same time? If someone hated you, would your parents believe them if they said at the same time that they loved your parents? Why or why not?

Reverse Check

Verse 2 gives us a reverse check for our love. To love God we must love His children. Whom must we love to truly love God’s children?

Love’s Partner

Jesus links the same things as 1 John 5:2-3 links when He was teaching His disciples in John 14:15. Notice the other side of love.

A New Commandment

What is Christ’s commandment for believers in John 13:34-35?

My Yoke is Easy

The second part of verse 3 tells us that God’s commands are not burdensome to His children. See what Jesus said about that in Matthew 11:28-30.

Where Can We Find Rest

According to Jesus’ words, what can we do to find rest for our souls?

Mature Response

Psalm 119:97 shows us a mature believer’s response to God’s commands.

A New Love

How does a mature believer think about God’s law?

Application

Jesus is the Christ

Do you believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Messiah? Do you believe that He is your Messiah – come to save you from your sin?

I Love God’s Law

Can you say that keeping God’s commands is not grievous or burdensome to you? Do you love to do as He says? If you want to grow in this area, consider praying through one of Psalm 119’s 8-verse sections each day. In that Psalm, we learn how and why a believer loves God’s law.

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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