1 John chapter 4, one more time. We've been in 1 John in chapter
4 for some time and speaking about what it says here about
God's love to His people. and how it's been manifested
in the person of our Lord. And this morning I'd like to
look at and read, start with verses 12 through 21. And we're
going to call this, this morning, effective love. Effective love. And starting with verse 12 of
1 John chapter 4, it says, No man hath seen God at any time.
If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected
in us. Hereby know we that we dwell
in him and he in us, because he hath given of his spirit.
And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son
to be the Savior of the world. Whosoever shall confess that
Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God. And we have known and believed
the love that God hath to us. God is love, and he that dwelleth
in love dwelleth in God, and God in him. Herein is our love
made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment,
because as he is, so are we in this world. There is no fear
in love, but perfect love casteth out fear, because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect
in love. We love him because he first
loved us. If a man say, I love God and
hateth his brother, he is a liar. For he that loveth not his brother
whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?
And this commandment have we from him, that he who loveth
God love his brother also. And continuing in this chapter,
and as we've seen in lessons past, the connection between
God's people, God, and God's love to his people, and God's
people's love to him and to the brethren. And it's a cause and effect. thing,
as all of salvation and all of God's people's lives are, is
God is the cause, and we see the effect of that in life. And we're going to look at some
of those places. And it says several times in this passage,
it says that if we are in God or His Spirit is in us, we have
love for the brethren and love for God. And if not, the opposite
is true. He that doesn't love, it says,
is not in God and have his spirit in him. And we're going to look
at some places that speak to this. And I think a comment to
start with, we're going to look at verses from 12 through about
16 today, if Lord willing we make it that far. But the love
that's spoken of here is not love to accomplish something.
It's not a work to get something done, but it's an effect of what
has taken place already. When God reveals Himself to His
people in regeneration and there's the new birth, there's some things
that take place because of that. Not to gain or to have a better
standing before God, But there are things that are done because
of the life that God has given His people. And there are works that that are
done because of what is required for regeneration in life. God has to put the life in his
people, and there's no how-to. It's not a how-to book, and the
admonitions in here to love the brethren is not to do that in
order to have a particular standing or to gain something, that should
be there because if there's life there, this will take place.
And like I say, we'll look at several places. Verse 12 says, No man hath seen
God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth
in us, and his love is perfected in us. And as we looked at part
of that thought last time, that where it speaks about his love
perfected in us is because of the life that is given in regeneration,
the new birth, The love outworks from that and comes because of
that. And it's not a standalone, but it is because God dwells
in his people. As it says here, God's in his
people. His love is perfected or comes
out and works out through us. Because of his love for us, the
church, and his new birth granted to us in Christ, we will love
the brethren. The inward work of God in us
brings forth the actions of love. This is not works for righteousness'
sake, but because of the Spirit in us. And this thought is all through
here, that because of what God has done, then there's going
to be some sign of it. There's going to be some outworking
of this. Turn to the book of Romans, if
you would, with me, please. Romans chapter 8. I'm going to read a little bit
here in Romans chapter 8. I'd like to start reading Romans
8, verse 9, and reading down a bit. It says, But you're not
in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God
dwell in you. Now, if any man have not the
Spirit of Christ, he is not of his. And if Christ be in you,
the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because
of righteousness, because of his righteousness. But if the
Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in
you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken
your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you. Therefore,
brethren, we are debtors not to the flesh to live after the
flesh. For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die. But if ye
through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall
live. For as many as are led by the
Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. For ye have not received
the spirit of bondage again to fear, but have received the spirit
of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit itself
beareth witness with our spirit that we are the children of God."
And then, if children, then heirs, heirs of God and joined heirs
with Christ. But here, the verse 16, particularly,
the Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit that we are the
children of God. And in the new birth, that witness
is there, and we look outwardly, as Paul said, we look outwardly
at ourselves, and sometimes you say, well, there's, as he says,
we can't do that which we would desire to do, or we don't, We
do that which we desire not to do. And I think that's part and parcel. The body, the flesh is not redeemed. We're still in the flesh. We're
still in the sinful flesh. But the desires and the spirit
beareth witness, as it said, with our spirit that we are children
of God. Nobody can assure us that. have no right to assure us that.
Only the Spirit can do that, and He does that. And He gives
us the assurance, and He gives us the hope in Him, and that
by grace we have that faith that He gives to us. It is not a worked-up
faith that is by God's grace in us. he shall quicken by his Spirit
that dwells in us." And it's not a reformation of something,
and it's not a cleaning up the outside with nothing on the inside.
It's like he told the Pharisees, you're clean on the outside,
but the platter's dirty on the inside, or the sepulcher is dirty
on the inside, but it looks good on the outside. And that's not
what is spoken of here as concerning brotherly love or love to God.
It's from the heart, and it's from the desires of the heart
that God puts in His people. In 1 John chapter 5, I'd like
to read a little bit of 1 John chapter 5. starting with verse 10, 1 John
5, the next chapter. It says, He that believeth on
the Son of God hath the witness in himself. He that believeth
not God hath made him a liar, because he believeth not the
record that God gave of his son. And this is the record that God
hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. Verse 12, He that hath the Son
hath life, and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.
These things have I written unto you that believe on the name
of the Son of God, that ye may know that ye have eternal life,
that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God." And we're
going to look a little bit farther, one more verse in that in just
a minute. But here where it speaks that, it says here in verse 10,
"'He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself. And he that believeth not hath
made God, hath made him a liar, because he believeth not the
record that God gave of his Son.'" And again, the only way that
we can believe the record that God has given is Him opening
our eyes to see that. And it's not something that can
be begotten or come to. In religion, I think of the publican
in the center there, the Pharisee that comes in before God and says the litany
of how righteous he is and what he's done and things, and not
like this other guy, this sinner over here. And the other one just pleads for God's mercy on
him. And that is how it is. And it says that, he that hath
the Son hath life, and he hath not the Son hath not life. And
that applies to everything that we have record of spiritually
in the Scriptures, in its pretty concise, pretty short
verse, but it says, it gets right to the point of that. And then
in the, speaking about brotherly love,
as we see here in His love perfected, it says in 1 John 5, verse 1
said, whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of
God. and everyone that loveth him
that begot loveth him also that is begotten of him. By this we
know that we love the children of God when we love God and keep
his commandments." And it says, whoever believeth that Jesus
is the Christ is born of God. And that's like the other verse
that says, no man can say that that Jesus is Lord, but by the
Spirit. And the same here. This is speaking
of not saying the words of it. There are many people of many
stripes of religion that say this, but there's no...as it were,
the proof is in the life that is there. And that life is going
to not only have the love of the brethren, but it's going
to hold forth the gospel. The true source of life is what's
going to come from that. That's going to be the proof
is what comes out of that life. if it appears to be life or if
it really is. And that is, again, God's work, and
it's begotten of Him. It's not something that is taught
or learned or or come by in a human manner. And God's people do not
hold forth what they have done or what they accomplished as
anything before God. And as the passage, I don't have
it in front of me, but where In that day, they'll be, and
he said, have we not done these things in your name? They may
have used his name, but if that is the only part that's there
is using his name, to accomplish or to build up our self in self-righteousness,
that's not it. That's not God's Spirit being within a person. And one more time in chapter
5 while we're here, just to read one verse of it. And verse 20
says, And we know that the Son of God
is come and hath given us an understanding. that we may know
Him that is true, and we are in Him that is true, even in
His Son, Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal
life. Little children, keep yourselves
from idols." And here, and this is not just an academic agreeing
with what is said or what has been taught. that we know this.
We know him that is true, are in him that is true. This is
something that is given to us. This is not something that is, again, learned or known with
just the mind. This is something that God places
within his people and has done that. And a couple of places
that we turn to from time to time. Turn with me, if you would,
to the book of Jeremiah. Now, I don't know if-there's
some wonderful passages that we see in the book of Jeremiah. Let me get to the right chapter
here. But there's a lot of dark stuff in the book of Jeremiah.
There's a lot of dark stuff in what the speaking about what
religion has accomplished in Israel. There's a lot of religious
people that he talks about in Israel, but it is not of God's
doing. It is just a natural man. And
he'll say, you use my name and look at all this stuff you're
doing that is contrary to what the scriptures say. And you say,
what? What have we done wrong? And
it shows the blindness of natural man and the deadness of the heart
to realize these things. And in Jeremiah chapter 24, OK. It says, and it's speaking about
those that some were carried away and of captive, and that
he has sent out for their good, he said, to the land of the Chaldeans. But verse 6, it says, I will
set mine eyes upon them for good, and I will bring them again to
this land, and I will build them and not pull them down. I will
plant them and not pluck them up. And I will give them an heart
to know Me, that I am the Lord, and they shall be My people,
and I will be their God. For they shall return unto Me
with their whole heart." And this is not earnest religious
people. This, as it says, I will give
them a heart to know Me. They shall be my people, and
I'll be their God, and they will return unto me with their whole
heart." This can only be said of God's work and in His people,
and His doing it has to give the heart. There are many that earnestly, in a human and seek
what the scriptures say as a learning thing, and get no, what's the
passage that say, ever learning and never getting closer to the
truth. And God is the only one that
can do that, and he gives his people a heart to know him. And
then in Ezekiel, when we were near this passage last week,
I think Brother Loren mentioned part of this, I read part of
this, but the chapter before, in Ezekiel 36, Ezekiel 30, chapter 36 of Ezekiel,
and starting with, there's quite a bit, let me see,
starting with verse 25. This is speaking that God pitied for His people for His
own namesake that it would be reverenced and given its proper
spot. But verse 25, Ezekiel 36, Then
will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and you shall be clean from
all your filthiness, and from all your idols I will cleanse
you. A new heart will I give you, and a new spirit will I
put within you. I will take away the stony heart
out of your flesh, and I will give you a heart of flesh. And
I will put My Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in My statutes,
and you shall keep My judgments and do them. And you shall dwell
in the land that I give to your fathers, and you shall be My
people, and I will be your God. I will also save you from all
your uncleannesses, and I will call for the corn and will increase
it and lay no famine upon you. But in verse 30, I will multiply
the fruit of the tree and the increase of the field that you
shall receive no more reproach of famine among the heathen.
And here again, as it says here, I will put a new heart put my
spirit in you and cause you to walk on my statutes," in verse
26. A new heart, not a cleaned over or cleaned up one, but a
new heart. And that is the only hope and
remedy for Law centers is that God puts a new heart into to
love him into and where it speaks about doing his commandments
and Doing those statutes and judgments and commandments that
refers completely to spiritual work that God does, keeping those
things-it's not keeping the tables of law. That is something that
we will do contrary to those. But what it's speaking of here
about the statutes and judgments and walking in those things are
Who do we look to? It says, looking to Jesus, the
author and finisher of our faith. That's holding forth the gospel
as the scripture holds it forth of the only hope that man has.
And that's going to be walking in those judgments and those
statues is proclaiming that. There's no gaining, and many
people have said, even to the Lord himself, I've kept all that
stuff, I've done all that and still blind, still blind to what
it's speaking about and without him giving sight to his people. Verses 14 and 15 of, let me get
back to 1 John, 1 John chapter 4. And verses 14 and 15 say, And we have seen and do testify
that the Father sent the Son to be the Savior of the world.
Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God
dwells in him, and he in God. And again, we're going to look
at a couple of passages. This isn't just saying, repeating
after me. and that takes care of the problem.
It's not a how-to, again. This is, whosoever confess that
he is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God. This is
Jesus, the Son of God, came, as the Scripture says, according
to the Scriptures, that he did those things for his people.
He came and died and was risen again for his people. And in
Romans chapter 10, Romans chapter 10. Romans chapter 10, starting with
verse one and down a little bit, it says, brethren, my heart's
desire and prayer to God is for Israelis that they might be saved.
For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according
to knowledge. For they being ignorant of God's
righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness,
have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God. For Christ is the end of the
law for righteousness to everyone that believeth." And here, this
speaks to every unsaved lost sinner. This is a position they're in
until God changes and puts the heart in it, being ignorant of
God's righteousness and going about to establish their own
righteousness. How many people in religion think
that they're by following the plan there of whatever religion
they're in, that they're taking care of a problem, that they're
gaining in righteousness. And it says that, they're going
about to establish their own righteousness and have not submitted
themselves unto the righteousness of God. Christ is the end of
the law for righteousness to everyone that believeth. For
Moses describeth, verse 5, the righteousness which is of the
law, that the man which doeth those things shall live by them.
But the righteousness which is of faith speaketh on this wise.
Say not in thine heart who shall ascend into heaven, that is,
to bring Christ down from above, or who shall descend into the
deep, that is, to bring up Christ again from the dead. But what
sayeth it? The word is nigh thee, even in
thy mouth and in thy heart, that is, the word of faith which we
preach. that if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus,
and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from
the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth
unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made
unto salvation." And once again, not a how-to, this is not saying,
if you do this, this will take place. This is saying that if
there is life, this is what's gonna come of it. There is going
to be that believe what the scriptures say, and so confess with thy
mouth the Lord Jesus and shall believe in thine heart that it
raised him from the dead. Thou shalt be saved. And saying
that this has taken place. Only those that have the new
birth and have life can say those things from the heart, as it
says, and not just from the head, but from the heart, and that
He is that one. In verse 17, it says down here,
above it talks about, well, let's read from 13 on down. For there
is no difference between Jew and the Greek, for the same Lord
over all is rich unto all that call upon Him. Whosoever shall
call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. How shall they
call on Him in whom they have not believed? How shall they
believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they
hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach except
they be sent? As it is written, How beautiful
the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring
glad tidings of good things. But they have not all obeyed
the gospel, for Isaiah saith, Lord, who hath believed our report? So then, faith cometh by hearing,
and hearing by the word of God. So these things it speaks about
here, being established by Him, and faith cometh by hearing,
and hearing by the word of God. That's the method and the path
and the way that's determined that God's people will be drawn
into him is by the Spirit working on the preaching of the gospel.
And that is the only, that's the only way. We've heard of
other people that seemingly or thinking they have come to God
by another path, but That's not possible. It has to be that way. If we have life, then love, as
we'll see here again, love to God in the inward man and the
outward working of love to others. Love to God and love to the brethren
are both signs of life in Christ. They're both signs. In 1 Thessalonians, let's look
at a couple of places here that speak to the same things. 1 Thessalonians
chapter 4. Thessalonians chapter 4, starting
with verse Verse 7, 1 Thessalonians 4, verse
7. It says, For God hath not called
us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness. He therefore that despiseth,
despiseth not man, but God, who hath also given unto us his Holy
Spirit. But as touching brotherly love,
ye need not that I write unto you, for ye yourselves are taught
of God to love one another. And, indeed, ye do it toward
all their brethren which are in all Macedonia. But we beseech
you, brethren, that ye increase more and more, and that ye study
to be quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with your
own hands, as we commanded you, that ye may walk honestly toward
men that are without, and that ye may have lack of nothing."
And here speaking, speaking through here about those things that
we are admonished to do and to be like. But here in verse 9,
it says, touching brotherly love. You need not that I write unto
you, for you yourselves are taught of God to love one another. And
I think that's part and parcel with the new birth. There's going
to be an affinity for there's going to be affinity for the
brethren. Just as when you have a big family
gathering, mostly there's an affinity for
family and enjoy the time together. a visiting and just fellowshipping
together. And as that is so in a worldly
sense or natural sense, the same with the spiritual, that we love
the brethren. And then in James, turn to the
book of James for a couple of spots. James chapter one to start
with, And I didn't used to spend a
lot of time in the book of James because it gets like they're saying, you
can get from teaching to meddling pretty soon. And James kind of
gets to that point with you. There's some things that what
he has to say that have been uncomfortable at times
because We don't always, or I don't always reflect much of this,
but in the first chapter of the book of James, starting with
verse 17, verse 17 and following, it says, Every good gift and every perfect
gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights,
with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning, Of
his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should
be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures. Wherefore, my beloved
brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow
to wrath. For the wrath of man worketh
not the righteousness of God. Wherefore, lay apart all filthiness
and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the
engrafted word, which is able to save your souls. But be doers
of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.
For if any be a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like
a man beholding his natural face in a glass, For he beholdeth
himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner
of man he was. But whoso looketh into the perfect
law of liberty, and continuing therein, he being not a forgetful
hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in
his deed." And what James is speaking about is the inward
work that is done in his people and not the outward works, people
say and point out that the difference between Paul and James is Paul
said that there's no place for works and James says have to
have works. and that there's apparent contradiction
here. It's not a contradiction. Paul
is saying and says in most of the books that he writes, the
righteousness that comes to his people is not by works. It's
not by works of righteousness. He's not saying there are no,
in fact, he says that there are things that we must do and should
be doing that sin in the flesh causes an issue. We can't do
that. But here, and when James is speaking about these are things
that should be coming out because of life in the God's spirit and
his life in his people, that these things be so. That the
love of the brethren or different things that we do, as James says,
and as they said, that this is a working out of the life that
is there, that God gives his people. And then in chapter two,
also of James chapter two, And starting down with-and we'll
see what this has to say to 1 John there. It says, But wilt thou
know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead? Was not
Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered
Isaac his son upon the altar? Seeing thou how faith wrought
with his works, and by works was faith made perfect, And the
scripture was fulfilled, which saith, Abraham believed God,
and it was imputed to him for righteousness. And he was called
the friend of God. You see then how that works.
By works a man is justified, and not by faith only. Likewise,
also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works when she received
the messengers and had sent them out another way? For as the body
without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also."
And James is not saying that the works are the justification. The works show that a man has
been justified. The works that they're speaking
of here are an outworking of the life that has been there,
is put there. There is no work that we can
ever do as an unbeliever for sure and
as a believer that brings us righteousness. If there's any
other righteousness than his that's put upon us, it's we better
take another look at what we think righteousness is. And that's
what that's what James is saying. And that's what that's what First
John or John is saying in First John also that that these things
come from the life, not these things don't produce life. But
this is how it comes again. And then in Hebrews 11, and it speaks
of, in this great chapter, of those that lived and died in the faith. just to read a couple of verses
here. Chapter 11, in the first four
verses say, Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence
of things not seen. For by it the elders obtained
a good report. Through faith we understand that
the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things
which are seen were made not made of things which do appear.
By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than
Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying
of his gifts, and by it that he being dead yet speaketh."
And it goes on through the rest of the chapter about those that
lived and died in the faith. But here it says, by faith, It's
the evidence of-faith is the substance of things hoped for,
evidence of things not seen. And then by verse 4, by faith
Abel offered God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which
he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of
his gifts, and by it being dead yet speaketh. And it says here,
by faith he offered a more excellent sacrifice. That's the only way
that that was a more excellent sacrifice. It was one prescribed
of and it showed forth the true Lamb of God indeed, but there
were many in Israel that sacrificed lambs for hundreds and hundreds
and hundreds of years that had nothing behind it. There was
no change of heart there. It was a religious formality. But here it says that by faith
he offered that. That's pointing to the faith
that he had, the one he had his faith in, and that the Lord himself,
our only righteousness. And then verse 12, or chapter
12 in verse 2 says, In verse 1 and 2 of chapter 12,
speaking about those in chapter 11, seeing we are also compassed
about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every
weight, and the sin which so easily beset us, let us run with
patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus,
the author and finisher of our faith. who for the joy set before
him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at
the right hand of the throne of God." And again, looking to
Jesus, it says, you're the author and finisher of faith, and the
only source of that righteousness. So in 1 John, when we're looking
at And speaking about the love of the brethren, or God's love
made perfect in this, it's an outworking of the life that is
there. And it says, one of the verses
a little farther on there that we'll get to next time is, We
love God because he first loved us. And that is also one of the
cruxes or keys of the matter is he loved us first before we
could ever love him. And he put that new heart in
us, as it says there in Ezekiel, in Jeremiah, in all the gospels,
and in the rest of scriptures. So that is the way we're speaking
about the love of the brethren is an outworking, is a sign that
there is Life there. There's sign that there's life
there. So with that we're gonna pick this up again another time
Thank you for your attention and be free