Bible Matters 483: 1 John Gospel of Love

John walked with Jesus, throughout the three and a half years of his ministry on this earth.  John never questioned Jesus.  John followed Jesus.  Jesus loved John. 

John 21:20 – Then Peter, turning about, sees the disciple whom Jesus loved following; which also leaned on his breast at supper, and said, Lord, which is he that betrays thee?

John was one of the youngest apostles.  Jesus trusted John.  Before his death, Jesus committed John to care for his mother. 

John 19:26-27 – When Jesus therefore saw his mother, and the disciple standing by, whom he loved, he saith unto his mother, Woman, behold thy son!  Then saith he to the disciple, Behold thy mother! And from that hour that disciple took her unto his own home.

John was with Peter, when the miracle of healing the man occurred after Jesus ascended into heaven.

Acts 4:13-14 – Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marveled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus. And beholding the man which was healed standing with them, they could say nothing against it.

John learned God’s gospel of Love first hand as he walked with Jesus for three and a half years, during Jesus’s ministry.  He heard every lesson spoke by Jesus.  John was the only apostle that died of natural causes.  John knew love, because God is love. 

1 John 4:8 – He that loveth not knows not God; for God is love.

In John’s short three-chapter epistle, he included thirty-two verses on love.  No other witness captures God’s gospel of love covering all aspects of love. When you believe in God, your love shines forth in deed and in truth.

 1 John 3:18 – My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deeds and in truth.

Let’s review the 1, 2 and 3 John’s testimony on the gospel of Love. 

• Believe in one God –

1 John 1:2 – (For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;)

1 John 1:5-6 – This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.  If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:

1 John 4:6-8 – We are of God: he that knows God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error.  Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knows God. He that loveth not knows not God; for God is love.

• Repent of your sins and surrender to God – Your walk with God begins when you turn from your sinful past and do the will of God. 

1 John 3:1-3 – Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore, the world knows us not, because it knew him not.  Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.  And every man that hath this hope in him purifies himself, even as he is pure.

3 John 1:11 – Beloved, follow not that which is evil, but that which is good. He that doeth good is of God: but he that doeth evil hath not seen God.

• Judge no one – Judge your pure walk against God’s word.  Do not assume righteousness by comparing your walk against another.

3 John 1:5-8 – Beloved, thou does faithfully whatsoever thou does to the brethren, and to strangers;  Which have borne witness of thy charity before the church: whom if thou bring forward on their journey after a godly sort, thou shalt do well:  Because that for his name’s sake they went forth, taking nothing of the Gentiles. We therefore ought to receive such, that we might be fellow helpers to the truth.

3 John 1:10-11 – Wherefore, if I come, I will remember his deeds which he doeth, prating against us with malicious words: and not content therewith, neither doth he himself receive the brethren, and forbids them that would, and casts them out of the church.  Beloved, follow not that which is evil, but that which is good. He that doeth good is of God: but he that doeth evil hath not seen God.

1 John 2:11 – But he that hates his brother is in darkness, and walketh in darkness, and knows not whither he goes, because that darkness hath blinded his eyes.

• Love God – Do good and turn from sin.

1 John 2:5 – But whoso keeps his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him.

1 John 5:2-4 – By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments.  For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.  For whatsoever is born of God overcomes the world: and this is the victory that overcomes the world, even our faith.

1 John 3:7,9 – Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous.  Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remains in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.

2 John 1:6 – And this is love, that we walk after his commandments. This is the commandment, That, as ye have heard from the beginning, ye should walk in it.

3 John 1:11 – Beloved, follow not that which is evil, but that which is good. He that doeth good is of God: but he that doeth evil hath not seen God.

• Love your Neighbor –

2 John 1:5 – And now I beseech thee, lady, not as though I wrote a new commandment unto thee, but that which we had from the beginning, that we love one another.

1 John 3:7,17-20 – Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous.  But whoso hath this world’s good, and sees his brother have need, and shuts up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?  My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deeds and in truth.  And hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before him.  For if our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and knows all things.

1 John 3:11 – For this is the message that ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another.

1 John 3:14-15 – We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abides in death.  Whosoever hates his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him.

1 John 4:20-21 – If a man say, I love God, and hates 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; He who loves God loves his brother also.

• Doeth the will of God unto eternal life – 

1 John 2:17, 25 – And the world passes away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abides forever. And this is the promise that he hath promised us, even eternal life.

Believe that God has a plan for you.  Have faith and worship only God.  Do not let any man, any church or any church leader, lead you into believing the Jesus did it all and you do not have to show your faith by doing God’s will.  Do not be deceived.  God is looking for you to go live God’s gospel of Love.    

To God be the glory in all you do, Amen.