1 JOHN 4:7-12
Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us.
Main Idea
God is love - and we know this because of Jesus Christ.
Outline
1. Known in our spirit (vv 7-8)
2. Shown in our Savior (vv 9-10)
3. Completed in our connections (vv 11-12)
Pre-Questions
How does the statement “Love is love” reflect contemporary culture’s view of love?
What are the potential dangers of reducing love to a mere emotion or preference, as the phrase might suggest?
Discussion Questions
How does the biblical definition of love differ from this cultural perspective? Refer to passages like 1 Corinthians 13 and John 15:13.
How do love and truth coexist in the Bible? Why is it essential that they are not separated?
How does the Bible call us to love others in a way that includes accountability and correction (see passages like Matthew 18:15-17)? Why might some people view accountability as unloving, and how can we gently correct this misconception within our communities?
How can we lovingly engage with those who hold to the “love is love” ideology while staying faithful to biblical truth? How can the church and its members model a love rooted in truth and accountability rather than mere affirmation?