Sunday School Lesson on Love

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Sunday School Lesson on Love

Introduction

A. Will We Be Tested on This?

A high-school teacher has spent hours prepar-ing a special lesson. As she launches into her en-thusiastic presentation, a hand goes up in theback row. The laziest student in the class raisesthe predictable question: "Will we be tested onthis?" The implication is clear. If the material isnot going to be on a test, then the student is notgoing to bother to learn it.

The apostle John wants his readers to knowsomething for certain: they are going to be tested

OD the subject of love. God has already shownthem His love; now He expects them to showthis same kind of undeserved, unearned love toone another.

"The royal law according to the Scripture" is"Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself' (James2:8). Love is the defining mark of Jesus' followers.It is the first fruit of the Spirit (see Galatians5:22); it is the crowning virtue to be added to aChristian's life (see 2 Peter 1:7). Love holds all theother virtues together; it is "the bond of perfect-ness" (see Colossians 3:14). Even when measuredagainst faith and hope, the greatest of the three islove (see 1 Corinthians 13:13). The King JamesVersion often uses the word charity for love.

B. Lesson Background

John wrote this epistle against a background offalse teachers who came to be known as gnostics.Among other things, gnostics taught that it didnot really matter if a person had morality orlove—as long as he or she had "secret knowl-edge." To combat this false teaching, John em-phasized the interconnection of right belief, rightactions, and right love. To put it another way, itis the right involvement of head, hands, andheart. The child of God must believe the truth,obey the commands, and love the brethren.Of these three areas, John's clear favorite is theemphasis on love (although they cannot really beseparated). In last week's lesson John equated thelife of love with walking in the light. Today hewill examine God's love, the world's lack of love,and the saints' IMO that meets every test.

I. Majesty of Love(1 John 3:1, 2)

Pure, unselfish love is a beautiful thing. Theultimate example of love is the love of God him-self, which He showed when He invited unwor-thy people back into fellowship. John calls hisreaders to contemplate what kind of love this isand to imagine what the outcome of this lovewill be.

A. Our Present (v. 1)

1. Behold, what manner of love the Fatherhath bestowed upon us, that we should becalled the sons of God: therefore the worldknoweth us not, because it knew him not.

Look! What a wonder! Consider what mannerof love God has offered! With these thoughtsJohn calls his readers to ponder the degree oflove it took for God to adopt us as His children.How can God love us when we have been sinful and unworthy? It is through Christ that God hasforgiven us and welcomed us into His family. Ifwe will only think about it, we will realize that itis not the having of merit or knowing secrets thatwill take us to Heaven. Rather, it is the love andgrace of God.

The family of God must take note, however,that the world does not understand or approve ofus. The fallen, unregenerate world refuses toknow God, so it is only to be expected that theworld will not look favorably on God's people. Inspite of this, it is an eternal privilege for believ-ers to be called sons of God. "But as many as re-ceived him, to them gave he power to becomethe sons of God, even to them that believe on hisname" (John 1:12). iSop quest inn #1, na, 2}R.I

B. Our Future (v. 2)

2. Beloved, now are we the sons of God, andit doth not yet appear what we shall be: but weknow that, when he shall appear, we shall belike him; for we shall see him as he is.

As the sons of God, Christians have a gloriousfuture. We are heirs of a Father who owns thewhole universe. We as God's children will bechanged (see 1 Corinthians 15:51-54), with bod-ies transformed into something far more glorious(see Philippians 3:21).

What we eventually shall be has not yet beendisclosed fully. Even so, we do know this: whenJesus shall appear at His second coming, weshall see him as he is. At that time we shall belike him, with glorious bodies made eternal andincorruptible. Just as God made our bodies in thebeginning and pronounced everything "verygood," by His same power our bodies will bemade even better.

God's immense love was poured out on peoplewho deserved just the opposite. He invites us tocome out of our rebellion to live in a heavenlyhome. The cost to God to issue this invitationwas the life of His Son. When we consider thedegree of love it took to do that, is God's com-mand that we love one another so burdensome?The other person has not earned our love. Butneither have we earned God's love.

George and Janet had been married for severalyears but were unable to start the family they sobadly wanted. At last they were able to adopt ababy. But this baby had suffered from parentalneglect. The little girl was a tragic sight to be-hold. Her skin was covered with lesions; her frailbody bore the signs of abuse.

George and Janet came to visit their ministerand his wife to show them the baby. The newparents proudly unwrapped the blankets andthrust the baby into the arms of the minister'swife with the words, "Isn't she beautiful?" Thetruth was that she wasn't beautiful physically;she showed the evidence of the former abuse. Itwas all the minister and his wife could do tofeign an appreciation for a beauty they did notsee. They could only state their joy that the threewere now a family.

A few months later the family returned for an-other visit. This time there was no doubt: thebaby was indeed beautiful! Tender care hadtransformed the infant from an object of neglectand abuse into a symbol of what happens whenlove does its wonderful work. God has broughtus into His family, even though the spiritualabuse we suffer is self-inflicted. We cannot imag-ine how great the difference can be when we letHis transforming love work its power on us!

II. Message of Love(1 John 3:11-15)

God shows us the triumph of love at its best,but the fallen world shows us the failure to loveat its worst. From a negative example we canlearn what it is to reject the message of love.

A. Don't Be Like Cain (vv. 11, 12)

11.For this is the message that ye heard fromthe beginning, that we should love one another.It was God's intention from the beginning thatwe should love one another. But what beginningis John talking about? Even before the churchwas established, Jesus proclaimed that "By thisshall all men know that ye are my disciples, if yehave love one to another" (John 13:35). But Johnmay intend the phrase from the beginning to goback even further, as the next verse shows.

12.Not as Cain, who was of that wicked one,and slew his brother. And wherefore slew hehim? Because his own works were evil, and hisbrother's righteous.

Satan, the wicked one, tempted Eve and Adamto eat the forbidden fruit. More sin followed,

bringing hatred and murder into the lives of theirsons. When Cain's offering was rejected andAbel's was accepted, sin was at the door (Genesis4:7). Refusing to listen to God's counsel, Cain al-lowed jealousy to overrule love. So he slew hisbrother out in the fields.

Cain was furious because his own offeringfrom his garden did not win the approval of Godwhile Abel's offerings from his flock did. Abelhad made his offering "by faith" (see Hebrews11:4). The same is not said of Cain's offering.Cain's own works were evil, but the works of hisbrother were righteous (compare Matthew 23:35)."The way of Cain" (Jude 11) is detestable. [Seequeetion #2, page 240.)

THE OPPOSITE OF LOVE

Graham Greene wrote the novel The QuietAmerican in 1956. The novel is set in about1952, when France was fighting a war to hold onto its colonial power in Southeast Asia. In thenovel, Thomas Fowler is a British journalist liv-ing with his mistress in Saigon. Alden Pyle, "thequiet American," disrupts Fowler's degenerate,opium-smoking, life at ease when he develops aromantic interest in Fowler's mistress. Using po-litical ideology as his rationalization, Fowlerconspires to have Pyle murdered.

The book and the movies that followed in 1958and 2002 were subject to speculation about theauthor's political motivations. Regardless of thepolitical spin, the story echoes the problem of al-lowing passion and self-interest to cause a personto hate and even murder.

It's a story as old as the one John reminds usof: Cain's attitude toward his brother and themurder that resulted. It is a topic that has time-less relevance. The ugliness of a lack of love inour hearts can cause us to gossip, condemn, back-bite, or even do things much worse!

B. Don't Be Surprised (v. 13)

13.Marvel not, my brethren, if the world hateyou.

Hatred is nothing new; it has existed in everygeneration. Therefore, John's readers should notmarvel that this hatred is now directed againstthree. This is particularly true in light of whatJesus said to His disciples in the upper room: "Ifthe world hate you, ye know that it hated me be-fore it hated you" (John 15:18).

C. Don't Fail This Test (vv. 14, 15)

14.We know that we have passed from deathunto life, because we love the brethren. He thatloveth not his brother abideth in death.

The hatred of Cain is an old story, and the ha-tred of the world is probably not surprising. Butwhat about hatred within the family of God? It isinconceivable! If a believer doesn't love hisbrother it signifies that such a person either hasnever come all the way into life or has gone backand now abides in death.

15.Whosoever hateth his brother is a mur-derer: and ye know that no murderer hath eter-nal life abiding in him.

To put it more bluntly, anyone who claims tobe within the community of God yet hates a fel-low believer is a murderer. Jesus said somethingsimilar in the Sermon on the Mount. The Law ofMoses said "Thou shalt not kill," but Jesus addedthat "whosoever is angry with his brother with-out a cause" is in danger of the same judgment(see Matthew 5:21, 22). John shows the chillingtwofold reality of this. First, the person whohates his brother is a murderer. Second, no mur-derer has eternal life abiding in him. Hatred andmurder are in the same moral category.

III. Measures of Love(1 John 3:16-24)

Cain and the fallen world failed the test oflove. But God's children can pass this test. In thefollowing verses John outlines measures or testsof love. John presents this in a positive way, as ifhe expects his readers to live up to them. Thetheme is one of obedience.

A. Practical Test (vv. 16-18)

16.Hereby perceive we the love of God,because he laid down his life for us: and weought to lay down our lives for the brethren.The first measure of love is a practical test.The love of God is a love that we can perceive inaction. When God loved the world, He sentHeaven's greatest gift. Jesus came and laid downHis life for us—unrepentant enemies of God (seeJohn 3:16; Romans 5:8, 10; Colossians 1:21, 22).Love like God's love could give nothing less.God's children should resemble their Father inthis kind of love. We should be willing to dojust about anything for our brethren (see John15:12, 13).

17. But whoso hath this world's good, andseeth his brother have need, and shutteth up hisbowels of compassion from him, how dwelleththe love of God in him?

Sometimes a person claims to be a lovingmember of the church, but that person's actions(or lack of actions) show otherwise. He or shemay have plenty of this woild's good, the material assets with which to help. But when a fellowChristian is in need, the person who is well offdoes not care.

In the vivid language of the King James Ver-sion, such a person shutteth up his bowels ofcompassion. In ancient times the stomach andintestines are thought to be the seat of emotion.To close these off means to have no pity or ten-der feeling toward a person in need. Howdwelleth the love of God in such a person? 5„f,question #3, page 248.1

18.My little children, let on not love in word,neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.Therefore, love must be put into action. Ad-dressing his readers endearingly as little children,the aged apostle speaks as a loving father (com-pare 2 John 1). He urges his readers not to lovemerely in word or in tongue, paying mere lip ser-vice to the Lord's command (compare Matthew7:21; James 1:22-25; 2:14-17). God wants Hischildren to put their love to work in deed and intruth.

The earliest church in Jerusalem was a goodexample of this. In that community of love, noone said that any of "the things which he pos-sessed was his own; but they had all things com-mon” (Acts 4:32).

B. Inward Conviction (vv. 19, 20)

19.And hereby we know that we are of thetruth, and shall assure our hearts before him.The words and hereby link this verse to whathas just been said. It is by our actions that we/glow that we are of the truth. If the Christian'sloving actions are genuine and substantive, thatis positive evidence of a right relationship toGod. Knowing truly that we love produces confi-dence within our hearts, even to the extent thatit will assure our hearts that we can stand beforeGod at judgment. This is blessed assurance at itsbest!

20.For if our heart condemn us, God isgreater than our heart, and knoweth all things.But what if our heart should happen to con-demn us? What if a tender conscience, manipu-lated by the devil, fills us with misgivings anddoubts? The good news is that God himself is thefinal court of appeal; the devil cannot go over Hishead! We can rest assured that God, who knowsall things, is well aware that we love Him and weare sincerely trying to love His children the bestwe can. (See question #4. page 248.1

C. End Result (vv. 21-24)

21.Beloved, if our heart condemn us not,then have we confidence toward God.

Now John leads his beloved readers beyondthe possible self-doubt of verse 20. If our heartcondemn us not—and there is no reason that itshould do so—then we can enjoy confidence to-ward God. Having this kind of confidence in thepresence of our creator is not unreachable, espe-cially when we remember that it is Jesus himselfwho makes it possible (Hebrews 4:14-16).

22.And whatsoever we ask, we receive ofhim, because we keep his commandments, anddo those things that are pleasing in his sight.John's focus on hands, head, and heart—inwhatever sequence—is repeated frequentlythroughout his epistle. Moving from verses 20,21 to verse 22 takes us from heart back to hands.When we keep God's commandments, that is, dothose things that are pleasing in His sight, we arepromised that we will receive whatever we ask.Our loving Father will not withhold Hisblessings from His children. This presupposes,of course, that we ask in a spirit of love and thatwe ask for things that are according to His will."And this is the confidence that we have inhim, that, if we ask any thing according to hiswill, he heareth us" (1 John 5:14). Asking forblessings also presupposes that we ask withright motives. "Ye ask, and receive not, becauseye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon yourlusts" (James 4:3).

23.And this is his commandment, That weshould believe on the name of his Son JesusChrist, and love one another, as he gave uscommandment.

Now John moves us from hands to head in de-claring what we must believe. Jesus was asked onone occasion, "What shall we do, that we might work the works of God?" He answered in thesewords: "This is the work of God, that ye believeon him whom he hath sent" (John 6:28, 29). Sim-ilarly, John says that God's commandment is sim-ply this: that we should believe on the name ofhis Son Jesus Christ.

Added to this is the further commandment tolove one another (compare Matthew 22:36-40).The right belief plus the right love fulfills God'sdemands.

24. And he that keepeth his commandmentsdwelleth in him, and he in him. And hereby weknow that he abideth in us, by the Spirit whichhe bath given us.

When God's child is obeying, believing, andloving as John has directed, then he or she iskeeping God's commandments and dwelling inGod. More than this, God is also dwelling inhim or her. This closely parallels a promise ofJesus: "If a man love me, he will keep mywords: and my Father will love him and we willcome unto him, and make our abode with bins"(John 14:23).

This divine presence in the life of the believeris identified in this verse as the Spirit which Hepath given us. The abiding Spirit confirms to usthat God is with us and in us (see Acts 2:33, 38;Romans 5:5; 8:14-16).

Conclusion

A. Love: The Final Exam

Love is a verb, not just a noun. It is an action,not just an emotion. We know that faith withoutworks is dead (James 2:17). We could also saythat love without works is dead. When Johnwrites about love, he writes about doing more than feeling. The command to love one anotheris a call to action.

God's "final exam" for His people on JudgmentDay will not count how many church serviceswere attended or how many verses were memo-rized. What He is interested in most of all is howour belief expresses itself in love. It we tail thetest of love, we can never make up for it with any"extra credit" we may think we can gain from aflurry of religious activities.

B. Love: The Commencement

The context of 1 John suggests many ways thatlove can be put to work. We can show our lovefor God by committing ourselves to His Son andclinging to the truth of His Word. If we truly loveGod, we will not dishonor His Son by lazy disci-pleship (Hebrews 6:12). If we truly love God, wewill not allow false teachings against His Wordto stand (1 Timothy 6:3-5). Love and light mostwalk hand in hand.

We also show our love for God by loving Hischildren. God wants us to combine our love forHim with our love for one another. This kind ofshared love is what characterizes living in God'scommunity—the church. Our love for one an-other is to be genuine and practical. Mere lip ser-vice cannot feed the hungry or clothe the naked.Real love is always ready to reach out.

Finally, we can show our love for God and Hischurch by "talking up" our eagerness to go toHeavers. It is not a cop-out on this world to beeager to go to the next. When Jesus returns andwe are suddenly, gloriously changed, we willlive forever in fellowship with God, Jesus, and allour fellow saints. If we really treasure the rewardof Heaven, we will want to bring the lost into thecommunity of the saved. Inviting someone tojoin us on the road to Heavers is the ultimate ex-pression of loving one another.

C. Prayer

Our Father, we cannot thank You enough forthe love that has allowed us to be called Yourchildren! Your people have rejected You timeand time again over the course of many cen-turies. Yet You were working through it all tobring Your plan to fruition: the redemption ofhumans from the quagmire of self-inflicted sirs.Forgive us for sometimes treating Your greatlove so casually. Help us to honor Your love byreflecting it toward one another. In the name ofJesus, amen.

D. Thought to Remember

Love must act.

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