Bible Studies

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We continue with this study of 1 John where we stopped in Part 1. We are ready to discuss 1 John 4:7-19.

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1 JOHN 4:7-19. I haven't discussed these important verses hardly at all in previous writings, so I will get into more detail here. We are discussing these verses here because they speak of God's love being perfected in us (see above regarding 1 John 2:5), but the interpretation of these verses is quite important for other reasons too.

1 JOHN 4:7, 8. "Beloved, let us love one another [[The apostle John is exhorting all true Christians (but especially those to whom this epistle was originally sent) with the need for us to love one another.]], for love is from God [God is the only source for true love, life, truth, righteousness, holiness, divine order, peace, etc.]; and everyone who loves is born of God [cf. 1 John 2:29; 3:9; 5:1, 4, and 16] and knows God. (8) The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love." Since God is the only source for true love, we must be born of Him to have this love in our hearts (by the indwelling Holy Spirit) so we can manifest it. So too for His righteousness, for example (see 1 John 2:29: "If you know that He is righteous, you know that everyone who practices [who is doing] righteousness is born of Him."). The Gnostics, against whom the apostle wrote this epistle, claimed that they knew God, but John demonstrates that they didn't know Him (cf., e.g., 1 John 2:3-6; 3:8-12; 4:4-6); their "gospel" must be totally rejected.

This viewpoint that we walk in the love of God, or we don't (or that we walk in the light of God, which includes His truth and righteousness, or we walk in the darkness, etc.) is so typical of the New Testament. The New Testament doesn't have much to say about walking in the grey area, with a mixture of light and darkness, righteousness and sin. We are not supposed to live in the grey area.

We must not misunderstand the apostle John here when He says that "God is love." The Bible (very much including the writings of the apostle John) has much to say about the wrath of God, very much including hell. God's wrath is not incompatible with His love. Those who persist in rebellion against God, without repenting and submitting to Him (in faith), which destroys divine order and hurts people who God loves, will ultimately be confronted with His wrath. John mentions the "day of judgment" and "punishment" in 1 John 4:17, 18, and John's Gospel and Book of Revelation have a lot to say about the wrath of God against those who persist in rebellion without repentance. It is clear that those who continue in rebellion cannot have a place in heaven.

1 JOHN 4:9. "By this the love of God was manifested in us [[The KJV and NKJV translate the last two words "toward us

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