BIG IDEA:
LOVE FOR THE BRETHREN PRODUCES ASSURANCE
I. (:17-18) LOVE FACES JUDGMENT DAY WITH CONFIDENCE
A. (:17) Confidence Results from Christlikeness
“By this, love is perfected with us, that we may have confidence in the day of judgment; because as He is, so also are we in this world.”
Love is “perfected” in terms of accomplishing the purpose God has for His love as expressed through us towards others.
Like Him with respect to agape love; just as He “IS” (not “WAS”) — a present comparison that remains valid
B. (:18) Christlike Love Knows No Fear of Judgment
“There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love.”
Law: “Judgment is not the assigning of character to men from without; it is the revelation of character from within.”
Doesn’t cast out fear of all types, but fear of God’s judgment.
Alford: “Because fear, by anticipating punishment, has it even now; bears about a foretaste of it, and so partakes of it.”
II. (4:19 – 5:3) LOVE FOR THE BRETHREN EVIDENCES LOVE FOR GOD
A. (:19) Our Ability to love depends on the divine initiative
“We love, because He first loved us.”
B. (:20-21) Any Claim to love God can be tested by practical love for the brethren
“If someone says, ‘I love God,’ and hates his brother, he is a liar; for the one who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen. And this commandment we have from Him, that the one who loves God should love his brother also.”
C. (5:1) Those who love God will also love God’s children
“Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God; and whoever loves the Father loves the child born of Him.”
D. (:5:2-4a) Love for the brethren means love for God means obedience to God’s commands
“By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and observe 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.”