"God is Love" comes from 1 John

Post date: Sep 27, 2015 4:53:48 AM

16 If anyone sees his brother sinning a sin which does not lead to death, he will ask, and He will give him life for those who commit sin not leading to death. There is sin leading to death. I do not say that he should pray about that.

17 All unrighteousness is sin, and there is sin not leading to death.

1 John 5:16-17

Some examples of the opposition and differentiation between "us" and " the world"

1 Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him.

1 John 3:1

13 Do not marvel, my brethren, if the world hates you.

1 John 3:13

4 You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.

5 They are of the world. Therefore they speak as of the world, and the world hears them.

6 We are of God. He who knows God hears us; he who is not of God does not hear us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error.

7 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.

8 He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.

9 In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him.

10 In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.

1 John 4:4-11

1 John was written to "us" and you can see "us" and "the world" as two distinctly different groups.

1 John is written in strong family terms, "my little children", "brothers" "fathers" etc. The unbelievers in the world around us are not our brothers - regrettably. Please note salvation is all about WHO is you Daddy.

We are commanded to love the brothers five times and to NOT love the world.

15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

16 For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world.

17 And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.

1 John 2:15-17

Off course that does not mean we must be dismissive, derogatory or judgmental and abusive or disrespectful to the poor lost cursed individuals in the world in the world. We must help them as neighbors, but don't miss what the context of this Love of God is.

We were also once in the world and "are saved by grace through faith not off works lest any man should boast".

We must preach to them and endeavor to bring them to the same salvation that we are undeservedly receiving BUT to teach that God's intimacy and affection is towards the disobedient at large is simply not the message in the Bible.

The fervent love we are supposed to feel for the obedient is not the same as for the disobedient.

Lastly please note that the love God had for the world in another book by the same author, John 3 16, was by offering the conditional salvation of the cross, also not ongoing intimacy and affection for the individuals in world.

• Can someone love South Africa, without loving each individual in South Africa?
• Can that person create a filter for salvation that does not benefit the disobedient?
• What is the nature of the love spoken of here?

John 3 16 paraphrased. In this manner God loved the kosmos once in the past, by giving His only begotten Son on the cross, so that those who believe and keep on believing will inherent eternal life and not be destroyed.

This is not what we were taught in Sunday School, I know, but what does the scripture actually teach?

When we stick closer to scripture there will be more power