Love one another and overcome the world (1 John 4b)*

1 John 4:7-5:4

Key Verse: “And he has given us this command: Anyone who loves God must also love their brother and sister.” (1 John 4:21).

Introduction: What should a life lived in God look like? How are we to live as His children? God is light, and we are to live in the light. He is truth, and we are to live in the truth. All these commands are to help us to not live in sin, but to live in God.

Today’s passage is the last thematic section of the book of 1 John. It is about how we are to live out our lives in love. It will be divided into four parts: a) God is the source of love (7-10), b) the power and inspiration of God’s love (11-16), c) love is made complete among us (17-20), and d) obey the command to love and overcome the world (4:21—5:4).

1.       God is the source of love (7-10)

Each of these four paragraphs starts with the command to love (7,11,17,21). In this section (4:7-5:4), the word for love (Agape), in verbal form, appears thirty-two times (the entire book contains forty-three instances of this word). All of them are this ‘agape’ love. This is not by mere chance, but rather this was John’s clear intention to distinguish God’s genuine love from any false ideas. The Epicureans and Stoics, as well as the Gnostics, were well acquainted with the concept of love, and they used words like phileo and agape. Ancient Greek philosophers identified five forms of love: familial love (Gr. Storge), friendly love or platonic love (Philia), romantic love (Eros), guest love (Xenia), and divine love (Agape) [Wikipedia]. The people of the world are prideful in the love that they have, practice, and enjoy. They think that they practice love, that Jesus’ teachings on love were not unique, and that Christians shouldn’t claim sole ownership of “genuine” love. Practically speaking, all forms of evil schemes in this world justify themselves in terms of their love for other people.   

When we, as believers, say that we love Jesus, what does this mean? In English, we cannot discern the true nature of that love, at least not by relying on the word alone, for each of us has a different concept of what love is. For a teenager, a father’s love must be the kind of love that accepts his son or daughter unconditionally. Likewise, homosexuals demand to be accepted in love. Is God’s love similar to these?

In English, there is only one word to denote all of love’s different aspects. John used two different words, ‘phileo’ and ‘agape,’ in his Gospel. Each of these words has its own range of meaning and some that overlap with each other.

The differences between phileo and agape are well noted in John 21. Jesus asked Peter twice if he loved (agape) him (21:15-16). Both times, Peter answered that he loved (phileo) Jesus. Each time, he added that Jesus knew he loved [‘phileo’] him. In other words, Jesus knew Peter’s heart and knew there was only phileo love. Even though Jesus asked him twice if he loved (agape) him, he knew that Peter’s love for him fell short of ‘agape’ love. Thus, Peter answered back that he loved (phileo) him, and Jesus knew this without a doubt. Today, it is a very confusing time. That confusion comes to our society because there is minimal laws that require compliance to the basic truths of life.

The word ‘agape’ does not exactly or fully represent the love that God displayed in Christ, and yet, it is the closest to capturing the essence of the love that John was trying to define. Today’s passage explains the origin of God’s love, its nature, power, and role in and among believers, in a most comprehensive way.

In the Old Testament, the word that expressed God’s love was ‘hezed’. This type of love was closely tied with the Law of the Covenant (Exodus 20:6). Boaz, a figure who was representative of the promised Savior’s future coming, showed such ‘hezed’ love for Naomi’s family. This is also similar to the love that John was defining, possessing the same character and nature, even though its manifestation was totally different, since the God who ministered to His people Israel, was the same God who had sent Jesus.

But, the third time, Jesus used the word ‘phileo’, the word that Peter had been answering back this whole time. In this exchange between Jesus and Peter, we can note that there was a difference between the love that Jesus was asking for and the love that Peter was giving. In John’s epistle, the word ‘apage’ or its derivative appears forty-three times; there is no use of ‘phileo’ in this epistle. In this passage, where God’s love is defined far more clearly, ’agape’ appears thirty-two times (out of the total forty-three times). If this is the case, then does the word ‘agape’ fully reflect the love that God has revealed to us?

In today’s passage, John teaches that the love Jesus has for us is unique and different from the other five types of love. We ought to love others with the same love that God showed through Jesus. How does this love come to us?

“Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.” (1 John 4:7b).

When one is born of God, this love comes into our lives for the first time. Before, we were totally unaware of it; we did not even know there was such a thing as this love, for it is impossible for anyone to love others in such a way. Since this love is from God, it is based in His character and nature. Therefore, John said that, if one does not love, he does not know God. This love is made known to us when we are born of God through Christ; it is a part of our knowledge of God. Knowing God leads us to know His unique and genuine love, which cannot be compared to the love that men have for each other. No man has that kind of love until he/she is born of God; simply, such love was not present when we were born in the flesh. The love of the world is always stained in some way with and constrained by an inner drive toward selfishness, self-righteousness, and self-motivation.. Biblically speaking, out of man’s sinfulness, no one can love with the kind of love with which God does. Then, what is the love that God has and has revealed to us?

“He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.” (1 John 4:9b-10).

First, His love has one purpose - to give or to impart life. Our love comes with various motives, most of which are self-centered or for our own benefits. However, the love that God gave us was purely to give us eternal life in Him. This love has one and only purpose to give life to those who are under the power of death. Thus, we are to question the way in which we love others, especially if what we are commanded to do is to help them gain life in God or to soothe his/her comfort.

Second, in order to reveal this love, God sent His Son, Jesus, into this world. In His initiative, He let His beloved Son come to dwell with us.

Third, God’s love was demonstrated in Christ’s atoning sacrifice. This has to do with our sins. He made an all-out effort to do away with every sin that we have committed against Him; He did this by offering Himself as an atoning sacrifice on our behalf. Therefore, this love is the ultimate life-giving sacrifice. When we love our brother or sister, there is inevitably a ‘life-giving sacrifice’, since God’s love in which we are to act is a life-giving sacrifice at its root. If one wants to live by God’s love, and yet does not have the will to sacrifice, then that love is nothing more than that of this world. Such love does not convey God’s love and has no power to impart life.

Jesus came to us in the flesh and gave all that he had on the cross for our sake, like a burnt offering. This is God’s love, and it is the greatest love that we can find. Jesus said this:

“Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one's life for one's friends.” (John 15:13 NIV).

The love that gives life to others has a great impact on those who receive it. The life lived under the power of death has gained a new focus, filled with joy and happiness in God. The believer is a new being, born by and filled with God’s love. Our new being cannot be fully understood without knowing that love, and, when one fully understands that life, his heart is filled with that love. Then, what does this love do in the lives of those who receive it?

2.      The power and inspiration of God’s love (11-16)

This second paragraph starts with a command to love again:

“Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.” (1 John 4:11).

Now, John’s friends are called ‘dear’ or ‘beloved’. This word is also from the verb agape (agapetos, beloved). John is calling them ‘dear friends’. It is possible that he was saying this, because John himself loved them as his friends; moreover, he wished to convey the fact that Jesus loved them and that they were currently standing as his ‘beloved’ people. That is, their being is found in Jesus’ love, and they should not think of themselves apart from that love. This status is spelled out - ‘since God so loved us’ - as the foundation of what they were to do: love one another. We must obey the law; when we violate a law, we will immediately bear the consequences. The traffic law says that we are to drive less than seventy miles per hour. We may get by with eighty mph, but we will soon be caught and must pay a fine, or even face time in jail. This is the way living under the law goes. We must obey the Law. This law is a straitjacket, put on our lives by someone or some outside agent. We don’t like this, and even hate such rules; however, here, we are told we ought to love one another. The word ‘ought to’ denotes something in one’s heart. It is not like a straitjacket that was put on by someone else; it is a drive in one’s heart. Under the law, we can do one thing: obey, but God’s love works in the depths of our being, our heart, mind and spirit, compelling us to reciprocate His love. His love is so powerful, enlightening, and energizing for our being. A life compelled by God’s love in Christ is full of the same love that saved them to begin with. When one’s heart is prompted by Christ’s love, it is different from that of the world. Therefore, we ought to love one another. In other words, we are to respond with positive action to what God has compelled in our inner being for us to do. How? God’s love took the initiative in finding and giving love to others. This love is a distinct, life-giving sacrifice in all its scope. When we do so, what will happen?

“No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us. This is how we know that we live in him and he in us: He has given us of his Spirit.” (1 John 4:12-13).

When we love one another with such love, God lives in us. This is important for three reasons. First, many question when and how we come to see God or how to prove His presence with us. This is demonstrated most clearly when we love others with the love that God first showed to us in Christ. Second, God speaks to each of us individually in a different setting, unique to each person. However, more often, God’s presence is felt when His love is shared among believers. In other words, GOD LIVES in US. He is present in and among those who share His love.  ‘His presence in them’ is expressed this way: “his love is made complete in us.” (1 John 4:12b).

Here, ‘completed’ may mean perfected, or reached a goal. God sent Jesus and had him suffer and die to atone our sins. In and of itself, His love was perfect, and yet that love or salvation is still needed to accomplish what God wants to do in each of our lives, that is to assure us of His presence and give us certainty of our place in His kingdom. In other words, God’s love must make inroads into the depth of the believer’s heart, speaking in terms of the full power and strength that God demonstrated in Jesus’ suffering on the cross. When does the full power of God’s saving love come into our hearts in its full strength? It is when we move our feet to love others by being compelled by the love that we received as we believed in Jesus as our Lord. This is what is meant by his love is made completed in us.

When God’s love is completed in us, then we KNOW that we live in Him and He in us, having His Spirit in us. Just as Jesus’ coming into the world was factual and substantial, so also will His coming into our lives in His Spirit become substantial. That He is and is living are no longer an intellectual ascent but a commanding reality in our lives. Therefore, we say, “He is here and he lives in and among us”. Out of this certainty, what did John and his associated believers do?

“And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world.” (1 John 4:14).

Here, ‘we’ refers to John and his listeners, collectively. This letter was written near the end of his life. As the longest living of Jesus’ disciples, John was the only one left who had actually seen Jesus. Yet, not only John, but also his listeners, ‘have seen’ and ‘testify’ that the Father sent His son to be the Savior of the world. Even though none of John’s readers had seen Jesus, they knew in their hearts that Jesus was the Son of God the Father. This was an exact fulfillment of what Jesus said to his disciples:

“blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed." (John 20:29b NIV).

For us believers, Jesus’ love is completed and we are fully assured of his presence; however, to the people of the world, what happens among us will become a witness to the fact that Jesus is the Savior of the world.

“If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in them and they in God. And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them.” (1 John 4:15).

This is the conclusion of this series of events, which begins when believers love each other. Second, we will feel God’s presence through His Spirit. Third, we will gain the conviction that God is in us, completing in and among us what He began when He allowed His Son, Jesus, to be crucified on the cross. Fourth, the life lived in this union and the message of the source of that joy can serve as witnesses of the message of Jesus’ cross for the salvation of the world. Fifth, we can see that those who acknowledge that Jesus is the Son of God, live in that love and recognize that God’s amazing power is at work through this love. Then what would the inward evidence of this do in the believer’s life?

3.      Love is made complete among us (17-20)

In v12b, John said that, when we love one another, “his love is made complete in us.” This leads us as believers to the certainty of the Gospel message (11-14). What will be its purpose or effect, both now and in the coming ages? Or what does this achieve in our lives? In this paragraph, John answers these questions.

“This is how love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment: In this world, we are like Jesus.” (1 John 4:17).

God’s love is made complete among the believers. When one obeys God’s command to love his brothers and sisters, then His love is made complete in them, i.e., individually. This is how God’s love is completed among the believers. It is important for each believer to have such assurance in His love; however, it is far more important that God’s love is completed among the whole community of believers collectively, through those who take initiative in obeying the command to love. To what does this lead them?

The confidence that we have now in His love leads us to stand in confidence before the Lord on the Day of Judgment. Our confidence in God’s love in Christ is strengthened when we practice this love. This assures us of our salvation and gives us certainty of our welcome into God’s kingdom and escape from His judgment. Peter addressed certainty of salvation in a different fashion (2 Peter 1:2-11), though, at their basic understanding, these perspectives are the same. This certainty starts with the knowledge of God, moves forward with the believer’s efforts to practice love (v7, agape), and then their rich welcome into the eternal kingdom (v11). Many of us aren’t sure of our salvation and lack confidence in God’s love for us in Christ. This is because we have not loved others with Christ’s love. When we do so, then God will certainly impart His love through us. The most disturbing sign of uncertainty in salvation is fear.

Lastly, when God’s love is completed among us, we will have no fear.

“There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. We love because he first loved us. Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen.” (1 John 4:18-20).

The love that God demonstrated in His Son, Jesus, is unconditional and perfect, but, until we put faith in this love and practice it towards our brothers and sisters, it is not completed. Here, how would it be to love others with the love of Christ? As we mentioned before, the most important work we have as we love others, is the inward evidence of God’s presence in us. This brings us great confidence. How strong is this confidence? It is for today, and reaches until the Day of Judgment. In other words, we are fully assured of our place with God, and there is no fear of judgment or death.

What then should our life be like? In this world, we are to be like Jesus (17b), fearlessly expressing his life-giving love! The world does not know this and has no experience of this; it is all odd and strange to them. It has a distinct smell, the smell of a life with God, which connects one to His intimate love and power. Paul expressed this concept differently in 2 Corinthians 2:14.

 “But thanks be to God, who always leads us as captives in Christ's triumphal procession and uses us to spread the aroma of the knowledge of him everywhere.” (2 Corinthians 2:14 NIV).

When one is caught in fear, it is likely that he/she is not made perfect in love. No one can smell God’s love; how then can we implement it in our lives?

4.      Obey the command to love and overcome the world (4:21—5:4).

This last paragraph starts with a command to love. Previously, John had motivated and urged believers to love others (7,11). Now he was conveying Jesus’ outright command to do so.

Previously, we talked about God’s presence, about having confidence, testifying and witnessing the truth about Jesus, and then discerning who is or is not living by this love. This adds one, final issue in handling the world with love. Can we believers overcome the world and its evil, cunning schemes? We know how much the world lures our hearts to be entertained by their ideas. It comes through all kinds of media, in our computers and our phones, which we cannot do without. They appeal to our desires and lead us into sin and judgment.

Can we win the war against the forces of evil and ungodliness in this world? Throughout history, many have sought something good and right, such as the Epicureans and Stoics. Many religions have formed themselves around the idea and intention to do good, yet all human efforts invariably failed to seek God and instead fell into the trap of sin and ungodliness. Even among those who sought Christ, there were failures, and many defected from the truth of the cross and wrapped themselves up in antinomian philosophies, such as Gnosticism and Docetism. Can we win this war against the sin that floods our society? The answer is a resounding yes. In this last paragraph, John teaches us how to overcome the world and win the war against all worldly ungodliness. Jesus commanded his disciples to do this in order to defend themselves against the forces of this world:

“And he has given us this command: Anyone who loves God must also love their brother and sister.” (1 John 4:21).

In the Gospel of John, Jesus did not give his disciples any other commanding teaching, except to “love one another” (John 13:34). This is restated and emphasized in 15:12, 14. Near the end of his private discourse with his disciple, Jesus gave them his command one last time:

“This is my command: Love each other.” (John 15:17 NIV).

This stands as the one and ultimate command from Jesus. He gave this teaching in the form of a command, recognizing and challenging the forces of this world, which oppress our hearts. This command is not like the Law of Moses, because Jesus had shown his love through his life, and that love remained in his disciples’ hearts. That love, living in the depths of their hearts, worked as the resource for loving their brothers and sisters. By putting this teaching as a command, Jesus demonstrated that he wanted his followers to put all of their efforts into loving their brothers and sisters.

John was about ninety years or older by the time he was writing this letter. He had gone through more than forty or fifty years of life in Christ. He had seen many believers and God working among many in the believing community. Now more than ever before, near the end of his life, John came to know how important this command was to the believers’ lives, in regard to their power in Christ and in overcoming the forces of evil in this world. So, he charged this command to ANYONE who loves God. This also reminds us of the last question that Jesus asked Peter: “Do you love (phileo) me?” (John 21:15). Jesus asked Peter twice if he loved (agape) him. Peter answered back twice that he loved (phileo) Jesus. The third time, Jesus asked if Peter loved him by using the word phileo.

There is a difference between agape and phileo. Peter could not say that he loved (agape) Jesus with a fully committed heart and pure love. He loved (phileo) Jesus as best he could. Yes, many of us know that our love is often not up to par with that of Jesus.

Here, John commands that, anyone who loves God, must also love their brothers and sisters. In this letter, he labored hard to explain what God’s love is; it gives new life, through sacrificing one’s life, leading to the believer’s rebirth in God. Feeding Jesus’ sheep is the way for us to demonstrate our love to God. This love is not the kind of love that we see in this world; rather, this is the love that God showed through the life of Christ. The word agape barely captures the width, depth, and height of this love. However, no other word for ‘love’ matches as closely to the love of Christ. Therefore, John strongly says that, ‘anyone who loves (agapao) God MUST also LOVE (AGAPAO) their brother and sister.

How is this possible?

“Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves the father loves his child as well. This is how we know that we love the children of God: by loving God and carrying out his commands.” (1 John 5:1-2).

Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is BORN of God. He/she is His child and love Him as their Father. Since we are born of our Father God, we are also brothers and/or sisters to all who are born of God. In this new birth into His new family, not only are we to love our new Father, but we are also to love His children, His sons and daughters.

How does one know that he is born into God’s new family? Or how can they know that He loves His children? It is by loving God and carrying out His commands. This is a very pointed command. In our love for God our Father, who rescued us from the power of sin and death, we are to carry out His command. Carrying out His command is an expression of our love for Him.

There are many facets of our life in God: worship, offering, teaching, and preaching His words, etc. However, none of them are more important than this one command - to love our brothers and sisters in Christ. By nature, we hate to carry out someone else’s command, but this demand derives its power from God’s love and helps us to be certain of our victory.

“In fact, this is love for God: to keep his commands. And his commands are not burdensome, for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith.” (1 John 4:3-4).

It is a little difficult to make a quick connection between these two verses. Here, God’s commands are compared to the Law of Moses, which utterly failed Israel. The law was to combat our old sinful nature, but when we are born of God, He gives us tremendous power. This power is the love that Jesus showed and imparted to us; it comes alive when we obey His command to love our brothers and sisters. In other words, when one is born of God, he/she is born with power that is far stronger and mightier than any power in this world. This power is found in Christ’s love, and comes alive when we obey the command to love others.

The ultimate victory is here and is seen among believers as they love their brothers and sisters. The forces of evil and the powers of this world cannot do anything against such love; its power is resilient and enduring to overcome all worldly powers.

What does this teaching tell us? First, this love is from God and it is life-giving. It comes to us through Christ’s suffering, death, and resurrection. It is given to us through the process of our new birth into God’s family. When we carry out this love, God’s power and love are perfected in us and made complete in our lives. This is how we can be certain that we are in Him and He is in us. In this certainty, we can be bold witnesses of God’s call for the world. All can have life when they come to believe in God’s love, as shown through Christ. Second, this love leads us to victory when we carry out Jesus’ command to love our brothers and sisters. May God bless us with this victory as we obey His command to love each other!