The Way Of Love

The Way of Love In order to read the book of 1 John, we must rightly divide it. When the letter was written, it was not subdivided into chapters and verses. That was done later by men in an attempt to make the word more researchable and palatable for reading. When this letter was divided, the division at chapter 5 was placed in the wrong place. I order to understand the first few verses, it must be read in light of the last few verses of chapter 4. 1 John 4:19-5:2 KJVR We love him, because he first loved us. (20) If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen? (21) And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also. (5:1) Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him. (2) By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments. Translation is difficult so, read it out of the message bible 1 John 4:19-5:2 MSG We, though, are going to love--love and be loved. First we were loved, now we love. He loved us first. (20) If anyone boasts, "I love God," and goes right on hating his brother or sister, thinking nothing of it, he is a liar. If he won't love the person he can see, how can he love the God he can't see? (21) The command we have from Christ is blunt: Loving God includes loving people. You've got to love both. (5:1) Every person who believes that Jesus is, in fact, the Messiah, is God-begotten. If we love the One who conceives the child, we'll surely love the child who was conceived. (2) The reality test on whether or not we love God's children is this: Do we love God? Do we keep his commands? Read carefully verse 21. Remember last week we studied how lover is the power behind faith (Gal 5.6) and how this affected the scripture. When we read “faith” or “belief” it is possible to substitute “love”. Read Heb 11.6, substituting “love” Now look back carefully at 4.21. If we say we love God and we don’t love people, can we really say we love God? 1 John 5:3 KJVR For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.

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Grievous: barús; Burdensome, in the pl. heavy burdens, What are the commandments of God concerning love – need scripture? Matthew 22:37-40 KJVR Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. (38) This is the first and great commandment. (39) And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. (40) On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets. These commandments are not grievous, but are they easy? Luke 18:18-25 KJVR And a certain ruler asked him, saying, Good Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? (19) And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? none is good, save one, that is, God. (20) Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honor thy father and thy mother. (21) And he said, All these have I kept from my youth up. (22) Now when Jesus heard these things, he said unto him, Yet lackest thou one thing: sell all that thou hast, and distribute unto the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, follow me. (23) And when he heard this, he was very sorrowful: for he was very rich. (24) And when Jesus saw that he was very sorrowful, he said, How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God! (25) For it is easier for a camel to go through a needle's eye, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God. Rich: ploúsios; Figuratively meaning happy, prosperous, lacking nothing To truly obey his commandments is best defined here. John 6:55-68 MSG My flesh is real food and my blood is real drink. (56) By eating my flesh and drinking my blood you enter into me and I into you. (57) In the same way that the fully alive Father sent me here and I live because of him, so the one who makes a meal of me lives because of me. (58) This is the Bread from heaven. Your ancestors ate bread and later died. Whoever eats this Bread will live always." (59) He said these things while teaching in the meeting place in Capernaum. (60) Many among his disciples heard this and said, "This is tough teaching, too tough to swallow." (61) Jesus sensed that his disciples were having a hard time with this and said, "Does this throw you completely? (62) What would happen if you saw the Son of Man ascending to where he came from? (63) The Spirit can make life. Sheer muscle and willpower don't make anything happen. Every word I've spoken to you is a Spirit-word, and so it is lifemaking. (64) But some of you are resisting, refusing to have any part in this." (Jesus knew from the start that some weren't going to risk themselves with him. He knew also who would betray him.) (65) He went on to say, "This is why I told you earlier that no one is capable of coming to me on his own. You get to me only as a gift from the Father." (66) After this a lot of his disciples left. They no longer

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wanted to be associated with him. (67) Then Jesus gave the Twelve their chance: "Do you also want to leave?" (68) Peter replied, "Master, to whom would we go? You have the words of real life, eternal life. Flesh = word Blood = spirit We must fully eat of his word and fully drink of his spirit. Any attempt to work through the flesh or through your will is destined for failure and not acceptable. How do we then justify the following verse? Matthew 11:29-30 CEV Take the yoke I give you. Put it on your shoulders and learn from me. I am gentle and humble, and you will find rest. (30) This yoke is easy to bear, and this burden is light. The key is found in verse 28 Matthew 11:28 KJVR Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Part of our loving him is to set down every burden and pick up the burden he has for us. 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 KJVR Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, (5) Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; (6) Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; (7) Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. Suffers long: makrothuméō long suffering drawn from 2 words : makros – long and thumos – wrath or anger Kind: chrēsteúomai; kind, obliging, willing to help or assist Envy: zeloo: to covet earnestly Vaunteth: perpereuomai brag Puffed up: phusioō proud and haughty Unseemly: aschēmoneō behave self uncomely (unseemly). Seek not own: dzay-teh'-o heautou seeks its own way Not provoked: paroxunō 1) to make sharp, sharpen 1a) to stimulate, spur on, urge 1b) to irritate, provoke, arouse to anger 1b1) to scorn, despise 1b2) provoke, make angry 1b3) to exasperate, to burn with anger 3

Think no evil: logizomai kakos To recon, consider, put together in your mind 1) of a bad nature 1a) not such as it ought to be 2) of a mode of thinking, feeling, acting 2a) base, wrong, wicked 3) troublesome, injurious, pernicious, destructive, baneful Rejoices not in iniquity sugchairō adikia Is not happy about 1) injustice, of a judge 2) unrighteousness of heart and life 3) a deed violating law and justice, act of unrighteousness Rejoices in truth sugchairō alētheia 1) subjectively 1a) truth as a personal excellence 1a1) that candour of mind which is free from affection, pretence, simulation, falsehood, deceit

Beareth all things 1) deck, thatch, to cover 1a) to protect or keep by covering, to preserve 2) to cover over with silence 2a) to keep secret 2b) to hide, conceal 2b1) of the errors and faults of others 3) by covering to keep off something which threatens, to bear up against, hold out against, and so endure, bear, forbear Believeth all things 1) to think to be true, to be persuaded of, to credit, place confidence in 1a) of the thing believed 1a1) to credit, have confidence 1b) in a moral or religious reference

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1b1) used in the NT of the conviction and trust to which a man is impelled by a certain inner and higher prerogative and law of soul 1b2) to trust in Jesus or God as able to aid either in obtaining or in doing something: saving faith 2) to entrust a thing to one, i.e. his fidelity 2a) to be intrusted with a thing Endureth all things 1) to remain 1a) to tarry behind 2) to remain, i.e. abide, not recede or flee 2a) to preserve: under misfortunes and trials to hold fast to one’s faith in Christ 2b) to endure, bear bravely and calmly: ill treatments

With all this mind, how difficult is it to truly put down everything and pick up the cross? Mark 10:25-27 KJVR It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God. (26) And they were astonished out of measure, saying among themselves, Who then can be saved? (27) And Jesus looking upon them saith, With men it is impossible, but not with God: for with God all things are possible. The problem generally does not lie with the cross that Jesus will give us, but in the crosses we pick up in life that work against the cross of Jesus. We have to seek him to identify all those things that work against the cross and love him enough that he will take them away. It’s the taking away process that can be tough. 1 John 5:18 KJVR We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not; but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not. How are we begotten? 1 John 4:7 KJVR Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.

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