Pastor Chris’ Corona Quarantine Epistles to the Flock of AIC Ngong Road, in Dispersion and Isolation. 90th. Edition.
Dear Strangers and Aliens in this World,
In our passage today (1 John 4:7-11), we have gone around the circle and come back to love. We need to understand what is happening here. John’s thoughts are revolving around the theme of true faith and the contrast of the lie. The bottom line is that true faith issues in love and godliness, while a lie demonstrates indifference, hate and unrighteousness. What this should communicate to us is that our attitudes and relationships are the gauge of our faith. John keeps coming back to this, because it at the very core of our commitment to Christ.
A Simple Distinction (vv. 7-8). In this exhortation to love one another, John declares that love has its home in God, so to love is to be godlike. This is the implication of the phrase “knows God.” It is not the knowledge of facts but the experience of engagement. This kind of encounter with God brings about transformation. It follows that the opposite is true – the absence of love proves the lack of a personal experience with God. It is a simple statement but one that is loaded. As the popular play on words states, “No God, no love; Know God, know love.”
A Special Demonstration (vv. 9-10). This passage echoes another (Romans 5:8), that also talks about God demonstrating his love toward us. Manifestation of Love (v. 9). Our understanding of love all goes back to God’s action when he sent his only son to bring us life. Love is about reaching out and God did precisely that. What we ought to remember is that God did not reach out to us because we were attractive or had earned the right, but a holy God reached out to sinners. Love is not about those we like. Mediation of Liberty (v. 10). One loaded word that first appeared in Chapter 2 verse two is propitiation. The word is also translated as expiation (RSV) and atoning sacrifice (NIV). Propitiation means to appease anger. God is angry at sin and demands justice. When Jesus died, he took the punishment that satisfied God’s justice. Expiation means to cover guilt so that it cannot be seen. When God looks at us who are in Christ, he sees Christ in his holiness and not us in our sins. Atoning sacrifice means a sacrifice that makes amends for a wrong done and facilitates reconciliation. In this way, we have the freedom to approach God without the fear of guilt.
A Sincere Desire (v. 11). The fact that God loved us 1) when we were unlovable and 2) at his own cost, should encourage us to love one another. No one can be more unlovable than we were when God came to us and we could never pay so high a price to love others, as God did to love us. Let us love one another.
Your Loving PastorChris.