1 John 4:17-5:5

Hey, hey, good morning, good morning. Welcome to Coffee and Devotions. This morning we're going to be talking about judgment, the love of God. How do we know that we're in God's love? What happens with our faith and how does our faith and our works coincide with each other? What's more important, your faith or your works?
Let's have some coffee, we'll pray, and we'll get into some pretty serious questions as John kind of brings things together. Father, what a blessing it is to get to read your Word this morning. We pray that as we come to your Word, as we read it, your Holy Spirit would please help us. Lord, help us to understand it. There's a lot here. but you are a good God. You are not the author of confusion, but you have woven truths together to show us who you are in very understandable terms. So Father, we pray that we would have the light of your spirit illuminating our lives. In Jesus' name we pray, amen. Here we go, 1 John 4, beginning at verse 17, and we'll read through chapter 5, verse 5.
Love has been perfected among us in this, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment because as he is, so we are in the world. There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love. We love him because he first loved us.
If someone says, I love God and hates his brother, is a liar. For he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen? And this commandment we have from him that he who loves God must love his brother also. Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God and whoever and everyone who loves Him who begot also loves Him who has begotten of Him.
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 burdensome. For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world, our faith. Who is he who overcomes the world? By he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.
All we need to ask ourselves are three questions. Are A, B, C's? A, what's this about? B, what's the best verse to summarize this in? C, what are we called to do? Well, there's just some very realistic boot-on-the-ground type things that John is going to say here, right?
And there's many people who argue it works of our faith and things like this. Hey, listen up. You don't have to reconcile friends. You don't have to reconcile mother and her faithful daughter. Faith begets good works. Love begets love. This is what's going on here. And so they're not at enmity with one another. Love has been perfected among us in this that we may have boldness in the day of judgment. We as Christians don't go to the day of judgment fearing and cowering. Oh no, have I done enough good works for God to love me? Have I loved God enough for him to love me? No. No, you've never done enough good works for God to love you. But praise God.
He didn't have to. God demonstrated his own love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. We love him because he first loved us. We don't need to fear the judgment. He's poured out his love for us. He's adopted us as his children. He's cared for us. And so there's no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear because fear involves torment.
And we don't fear torment because God has shown us his son. God has given us faith in his son. And so we don't fear the judgment day. One of my favorite vows that I get to administer to people for church membership is when I ask them, do you make this profession of faith? And that it's, are you with great joy? at the judgment day.
It's not a day of torment for the Christian because he's poured out his love for us. He's already judged us. He's already judged our sins in his son. That's what he did on the cross. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love. So we don't have a fear of God's torment. We bask in his kindness, his grace, his love. Now, but there's a reality catch though, right? How do you know if somebody really loves God? How can you tell that? How can you tell if there's a genuine faith, a genuine love for God?
Well, verse 20, if anyone says, I love God and hates his brother, that's a liar. That's not a guy who loves God. No, for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen? You can't say, oh, I love God so much and then hate your brother. Your brother's right in front of your eyes. So how can you hate your brother when God is in heaven? You've not seen him. And yet you say you love him. No, your love for God is shown in your love for your brethren.
And this commandment we have from him that he who loves God must also love his brother also, right? This is Jesus' teaching. The first and greatest commandment is this, you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, your mind, your soul, and your strength. And the second is like it, you shall love your brother as your, or you shall love your neighbor as your self. That's what we've learned from God.
So whoever believes in Jesus, that Jesus is the Christ, if you truly believe that Jesus is the Christ, this going hand in hand with Romans chapter 10, you've been born of God. And everyone who loves him, who begot also loves him who's begotten of him. You can't love the father without loving the son. You can't love the son without loving the father.
By this we know that we love the children of God. How do we know that we love our brethren? Well, when we love God and keep his commandments. That's how we know, that's the practical way. Again, how do we know that we are loving? Well, are we keeping His commandments?
Because do you see, God's law was intended to restrain sin and bless. The law was given not to give us a righteousness, no, it was meant to show us our sin. But it is, this is where Reformed people talk about the third use of the law, it does have a pedagogical or a teaching function. It is a tutor. It leads us to Christ and then it shows us how Christ lived his life. So we go to the law. We don't follow it slavishly trying to earn our own salvation or puff ourselves up with a type of self-righteousness, but instead we go to the law and we say, I want to follow my Heavenly Father, and so I need to honor my father and mother here.
I need to honor those authorities that have been placed over me. I need to honor and preserve the marriage bed. I need to not lust and covet my neighbor's wife, but instead I need to uphold their marriage and care for them and pray for them. I don't want to steal from people. Instead, I want to labor with my hands that I may be able to give to those who are in need. I don't want to lie to people bringing the ninth commandment. No, I want to put away falsehood out of my mouth. I don't want to speak only words that are good for necessary edification, that I might impart grace to those who hear.
When we go to the different commands as they're unfolded, even in the New Testament, it's nothing more than going back to the first and second tables of law and fleshing them out for us. Even children are told to obey their mother and father. This is a first command with a promise.
It shows they love God, they've been begotten of God. And so it's not earning salvation, it's not a faith that's produced by good works, but it's a faith that naturally loves, naturally produces good works. Because it's not burdensome. For whoever is born of God overcomes the world, and this is the victory that has overcome the world, our faith. You see, your faith is the victory. When John was writing to the young men, and he told them, you have conquered, that's what he's saying here too. How have they conquered? By faith.
Satan may have tried to sift you. Satan may have tried to snatch the seed out of your heart. The enemy may have come and tried to sow different seeds into the fields so that wheat might grow up or thorns might grow up and try to suck out your life. Maybe you've had concerns about this world, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires of this world have encroached on your heart, but your faith has endured and you're producing good fruit. Harvest 20, 40, 100 fold.
Praise God. Who is he who overcomes the world but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God? Everything in this world's order is meant to try to keep you from following Christ. But he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world and the victory has been won if you believe in his Son. That's what this is talking about, right? That's what Edmond John is tying all this together. Because this is the beauty of the blessing that we have. We don't fear torment. We're begotten because God loves us. We're made his children and we get to love others now because he first loved us. What a blessing it is to have such an amazing God.
What's the best verse to summarize this? Well, I have verse 18 and 19 underlined in my Bible, but I would really like to underline verses 4 and 5 as well. So what would you underline in your Bible? Lastly, calling. What are we called to do? Maybe you've been given over to a spirit of fear. Where you think, oh no, God is going to torment me in purgatory or hell or something like that, or I'm going to be judged by God and this is going to be absolutely horrible. Hey, do you believe in Jesus? Do you believe that he's begotten of the Father? Is he your Lord? Do you confess him as Lord with your mouth? Do you believe in your heart that God raised him up from the dead? Then you are a conqueror.
And he's poured out his spirit in your heart, so have no fear. love, love God, love your neighbor. Let's pray. Father, we pray that we would indeed keep your commandments, that we would love as you have first loved us. We thank you that you have done everything necessary for our salvation. And because you are so loving, and because you have given us new hearts, so now we can also love you. and we can love others around us. God, we pray that we would see our brothers and sisters and their needs right in front of our faces and that we would love them well because you, Lord, you have poured out your love for us.
God, please help us. Let your law not be burdensome to us, this law of love, the law of Christ. But God, we pray that we would love truly, biblically, robustly, spirit-filled. Please keep us from growing weary. Thank you for all that you have done. In Jesus' name, amen. May God bless you. May you walk in the joy and peace of Jesus Christ. May you love God. May you love others, for you are more than a conqueror. I'll see you next time, bye.