The objective of this lesson: To stress the importance of allowing God to teach us how to love each other and the importance of our placing our faith in Jesus Christ.
The time for today's lesson could easily be spent on the process of translation, on the uniqueness of Jesus as the Christ, and on religious technicalities. These things would mean little to most of us as we seek to be God's people. Rather than focus on those things, this study seeks to challenge students to an awareness of what it means to belong to God.
The matters of when and why "only begotten son" was used to translate 1 John 4:9, why Jesus was unique, why use "begotten" since God is neither human nor sexual, the rise and emphasis of gnosticism, etc. could consume the lesson and the time allotted for the class. While such a focus has merit in a scholarly study, most Christians could listen to such discussions and not be edified. The focus of these remarks hopefully (a) is rooted in the text and (b) causes Christians to reflect on the essential nature of love, and (c) the importance of placing our trust in Jesus Christ.
At times, Christians become so consumed with technical understanding (a) that faith in the Christ and (b) reflecting God's character in our lives become irrelevant religious considerations. Where we "stand" regarding an "issue" and how "knowledgeable" we are in our "issue position" becomes more important than faith in God's Christ or reflecting God's character in our lives.
Today it seems too common for Christians to exchange their "stance on humanly produced or emphasized issues" for faith in Jesus Christ.
The two ongoing challenges that face the man or woman in God daily are (a) loving people and (b) maintaining confidence in God's great love for us.
The issues that face most Christians daily do not focus on technicalities but on "How do I live and act in this situation?"
As a Christian, how do I relate to an imperfect spouse? How do I react to children who disappoint or hurt me? How should I let injustices in the unbelieving world impact the person I am? How should I let imperfections in the church affect me? How am I to react to a brother or sister that feels justified in hurting me? How do I relate to brothers or sisters who are very much unlike me?
How do I show love in this situation when a person is not behaving in a lovable manner?
If I am to believe God forgives me, why do I continue to feel so guilty? If God pardoned me, why do I feel so condemned? If Jesus is my redemption, why do I feel so far from God? If Jesus' resurrection is my hope, why does everyday life tear me apart with endless faith challenges and stomp a broken me with never-ending temptations?
How do I show faith in Jesus Christ when I really struggle with my own humanity?
John wrote to Christians who struggled with people among them who claimed great godliness (a) while substituting "special knowledge" for faith and (b) rejecting those who rejected their "special knowledge." These were people who said, "Being saved is merely a matter of having special knowledge, and we have that knowledge--so listen to us.
It is quite important for us to realize that (a) John wrote to Christians who were struggling and (b) focused on things they struggled with on a regular basis.
In today's text, notice the obvious. First, God is not displayed; He is evidenced. No one sees Him. People can see the evidence of Him in the way we love. Knowledge of God is evidenced in becoming a person of love because love is an important part of God's character. The Spirit of God in a person results in the person becoming more loving.
It is easy not to see the obvious.
Christians need to understand God is evidenced, not seen. God is evidenced in the way the values which shape His character transform our lives. Nothing changes us to the obvious degree as does the way His loves changes the way we love. His love was (is) expressed in kindness shown to the unlovable. His love is not about selfish pleasure, but about unselfish kindness. Those touched by Him show His love to His children--much easier said than done!
God defines what it means to love. Christians learn the true meaning of love from God and His actions. In love, God sent Jesus to be a propituation/expiation for our sins (the gracious replacement for our sins). God did not do this because we are lovable and inoffensive. God did this in spite of the fact that people are unlovable and offensive. God loved us with a love that (a) ignored treating us with the justice we deserved and (b) treated us with grace which we did not deserve.
God's love involves a concept that is not common in our society. In many relationships what people call love has more to do with self-gratification than a commitment to kindness. To grasp God's definition of love it is essential to change concepts of love. God must both reveal the concept as well as give the definition.
By His actions in Jesus, God introduces us to a love that exists, not because of the desirability of the loved, but because of the nature of the one who loves. That is most unnatural in this world and its relationships!
Illustrate God's love by noting Romans 5:6-8. God paid the full price of human redemption with no assurance that human free will beings would respond to His sacrifice. Christ died for sinful people, not good (in the sense of godly) people.
Those who are in Christ are dedicated to this kind of love. This kind of love refuses to hate another person in Christ!
This is the concept of love that fuels the commitment of the Christian who belongs to God. In showing kindness to the unlovable, God does not ask us to do something He has not done.
No one sees God! They only see God in the person who belongs to God. They see God in the person because they see God's love in the person. The kind of love that moved God to send Jesus to remove our sins is the kind of love that motivates Christians to love each other and to be kind to those who do not believe.
We will not and cannot show people God. We can and should show people the evidence of God. We as Christians show the evidence of God by being a living demonstration of the impact of God on our lives. It is the obvious change in the values we live for that evidences God's impact on our lives. His values become our concepts.
Second, Christians were not ashamed to acknowledge that Jesus is God's son. When John wrote, it could be quite dangerous to affirm faith in Jesus as God's son. The circumstances were not at all like the circumstances in a democracy where it should be safe to affirm faith in Jesus. In John's age, to affirm faith in Jesus as a world Savior often produced disastrous consequences.
From the beginning of Christianity, commitment to Jesus Christ was not a matter of convenience. Instead of being a matter of convenience, it was a matter of destination--not in physical life, but after physical death. Often it was a sacrifical, costly commitment.
Affirming faith in Jesus as Savior was not a matter of convenience but a matter of appreciation. God did the inconvenient in sending and sacrificing Jesus. They were willing to do the inconvenient in acknowledging what God did in Jesus.
Only those with appreciation for what God did for us in the death and resurrection of Jesus will make this commitment. It will always be a faith commitment.
We are not talking about intentionally producing unnecessary resentment. We are talking about not being ashamed. It is the contrast between provoking resentment through obnoxious behavior and expressing appreciation for someone who has blessed and delivered us.
Christians do not provoke unnecessary resentment. Resentment occurs when people reject who we are and how we live. Resentment occurs, not because we are obnoxious, but because our values are not the values of those around us. Ironically, the same values that cause some to resent us also cause others to be converted to Jesus Christ.
God's love for us was a matter of character. Our love for God's work through Jesus is a matter of character. It is because of who God made us to be in Jesus that we are who we are and act as we act. A Christian's love is not centered in his or her pleasure, but in the other person's need.
We must not condense response to Jesus Christ to rituals, steps, or procedures. The core of this faith commitment is found in who we are because of our relationship with God through Jesus. It will always be a matter of Christian character based on God's values and principles. Our responses are never based on other's actions, but on God's actions toward us.
God's great concern for us is seen in His love that sent us Jesus!
We always measure God's kindness in His gift of Jesus. We never determine our response by considering the bad behavior or hateful deeds of others.
For Thought and Discussion
The focus is on the meaning of belonging to God.
Where we "stand" on an "issue and how "knowledgeable" we are in our "stand" becomes more important than a focus on Jesus Christ.
The two great challenges are loving people and maintaining confidence in God's great love for us.
They struggled with people who claimed great godliness (a) while they substituted "special knowledge" for faith in Jesus Christ and (b) rejected those who rejected their "special knowledge."
The discussion should include these facts: God cannot be seen, but He can be evidenced in the impact His love has on our lives.
God defines what it means to love.
He sent Jesus to die for our sins and make relationship with Him possible.
His kind of love exists, not because of the desirability of the loved, but because of the nature of the one who is loved.
No one sees God.
They are not ashamed to acknowledge that Jesus is God's son.
Link to Student Guide
Lesson 6