A Daily Walk

Announcer: Today on A Daily Walk, Pastor John Randall explains the difference between religion and a relationship with Christ.

John Randall: Imagine a hiker who falls into a deep ravine. He's trapped. Religion throws down a rope and says, "Climb up!" Christianity, Jesus comes down, lifts us on His shoulders, and carries us to safety.

In Christianity, the approach to God is based on divine grace. It's God coming down to us in Christ, doing what we could never do for ourselves. Church listen, religion says do. The Gospel says done.

Announcer: Well, you don't have to look far these days to see examples of hate. Just turn on the nightly news or go on social media for five minutes. But the Christian should be different. We're called to love just as God loves. We'll give you some reasons to do that today on A Daily Walk. We open First John chapter four with Pastor John Randall.

John Randall: First John chapter four, picking up in verse seven today with a message entitled "A Reason to Love." First John chapter four, verse seven: "Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. Now he who does not love does not know God, for God is love. 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. 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. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another."

Have you ever met someone and immediately know who their parents were? They carry the same resemblance, not just physically, but in tone, personality, and even mannerisms. This week I was talking with my oldest son. In our time together, he made a comment and he said, "Dad, I've been noticing that I do some of the same things that you do. I have the same mannerisms that you have." And I said, "Well, good for you, son. That's great."

How about this? Have you ever looked in a mirror or at a picture of yourself and seen your parents reflected back at you and you're like, "What happened to me?" You wonder about your future. The truth is, we do pick up traits from our parents due to a combination of design, development, and most importantly, discipleship. The Apostle John points out that if we are born of God, we will resemble our Father. And the chief family trait is love.

For a third time in this epistle, the theme of love is mentioned. Here in the fourth chapter of First John, the noun "love" and the verb "to love" appear a combined 27 times. Obviously, you get the emphasis. This should come as no surprise, for John, in writing his Gospel, he referred to himself as the disciple whom Jesus loved.

John's act of self-identification wasn't about highlighting how worthy he was of Christ's love. Instead, I believe that John was often amazed that Jesus would show such unconditional, selfless love to anyone, especially him. John saw himself as the disciple Jesus loved despite his flaws and not because of them. In our message today, John encourages us to love and he shares powerful reasons to love that are rooted in eternal truths. Then he gives us a demonstration of love and the reason for that demonstration.

We begin, first of all, with an exhortation to love, found in verse seven. John says, "Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God." With gentle reinforcement, John calls the believers beloved. He wants them to know who they are, that they are loved by God, and then he urges them to love one another. Now, this command was something that John personally heard and received from Jesus during His ministry.

In John chapter 13, in verses 34 and 35, it says, "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another as I have loved you, that you also love one another. And by this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another." John received this command and now he passes it on to the church.

The reason that we are exhorted to love is because love comes from God. It's not a human emotion so much as God is the origin, He is the source, He is the fountainhead of divine love. I love what W. Griffith Thomas said concerning God's love. He said, "God's love is spontaneous in its source, it is universal in its scope, longsuffering in intensity, self-sacrificing in character, aggressive in action, and constant in duration."

The second reason that we are to love—not only that love is from God—but love is proof that we ourselves are children of God. It says in verse seven, "everyone who loves is born of God and knows God." When you are born again, meaning you accept Christ as your Savior, one of the results of your conversion will be love, which is the fruit of the Holy Spirit's work in your life. This love is one of the signs of a truly transformed life. Our faith in Christ is demonstrated through love for Him and love for others.

Now John is not referring here to natural human love. By that, I mean it's possible to love without divine agape love, but only in limited and incomplete ways. The Bible uses different words to describe love in the scriptures. The Greeks had several words. One was a love that spoke of friendship, a love between friends and families, a certain kind of love that is shared. There was the romantic or passionate love also mentioned. There is storge, which is that Greek word that speaks about a family kind of love between parent and child.

But then there is that word, agape. A divine love which is selfless, unconditional, sacrificial, and from God. Apart from God, people may express forms of love that are meaningful, but often they are conditional, based on emotion or attraction, or they are limited—that is, they can fail, fade, or become very self-centered. Or they are vulnerable—that is, they are affected by hurt, by betrayal, or selfishness.

Agape is the love of God Himself poured out through the Holy Spirit, which enables us to love our enemies, to forgive the undeserving, and to seek the highest good of the other person without expecting return. And that is only possible through God's spirit at work within us. Without being born again, a person cannot fully express agape love because agape is not natural to the fallen human heart. It flows out of God's nature, not ours. But true, enduring, sacrificial love, the kind that mirrors Christ, is only possible through divine enablement.

That is why Paul would write to the Corinthians in Second Corinthians 5:14 and say, "it's the love of Christ that controls us." Jesus said in John chapter 15, "apart from Me, you can do nothing." When the Apostle Paul wrote his letter to the Ephesians, he recorded one of his prayers for them. In Ephesians chapter three, verse 18, this is what he prayed for the church: "that you would be rooted and grounded in love, and be able to comprehend with all of the saints what is the width, the length, the depth, and the height—to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge."

When he wrote his letter to the Philippians from a prison cell, he wrote to them in Philippians 1:9 and said, "And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more." John didn't say it was our great theological knowledge that proves that we know God. In fact, sometimes as the Bible says, knowledge puffs up, but love edifies. He said it was love that demonstrates that we are truly born of God and that we know God.

A third compelling reason to love—listen carefully—not loving, choosing not to love, implies you don't know God. To not love is inconsistent with the nature of God. For verse eight, notice what it says: "He who does not love does not know God, for God is love." Here we find that people are divided into two categories, two groups: those who know God and those who do not know God. The person who doesn't love does not know God because love is the very essence of God's character. God is love is what the Bible says.

It was John Stott who said this concerning love: "For the loveless Christian to profess to know God and to have been born of God is like claiming to be intimate with a foreigner whose language we cannot speak or to have been born of parents whom we do not in any way resemble. It is to fail to manifest the nature of Him whom we claim as our Father and our friend. Love is as much a sign of Christian authenticity as is righteousness." And because God is love, those who claim to know God then demonstrate His love actively and visibly.

Let me give you an example. Perhaps this will help. When a hose is connected to a water supply, water flows through it. When a wire is connected to an electrical source, power flows through it. If a branch of a tree is connected to the root and the trunk system, then the sap flows through the branch. And if we are connected to the Lord, His love, it flows through us.

The Apostle John, following this exhortation to love, presents the demonstration of love in verse nine. "In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him." Here is the example. Here is the greatest demonstration. We say God is love and you say, "Well, how do I know that God is love?" Let me describe it for you right here. Here is the demonstration. A divine rescue mission to save humanity was motivated by divine love.

For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever would believe in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. The love of God was manifested. Do you know what that means? It means that God's love was brought out into the open. It wasn't hidden. It wasn't concealed. It was manifested, demonstrated. In Romans chapter five, verse eight, Paul said it this way: "For God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us."

When did God manifest His love? Listen, it wasn't when we were chasing after God. It wasn't when we were reading our Bibles. It wasn't when we were in fellowship with God's people. It wasn't when we were lifting our hands in worship or serving Him on some mission field. God was loving us and manifested His love long before that ever happened, when we were dead in trespasses and sins. The love of God was manifested, disclosed, so that we could see it and understand it.

This love manifested points to a definite historical event which took place at a given time in the past, specifically referring to Christ's incarnation. When the invisible God became visible and God's love became visible through Jesus, through His words, through His deeds, and especially His loving us enough to die on the cross in our place. When you look at Jesus, there are several things that you can observe about God's love. First of all, it is a love that holds nothing back.

The Bible says that Jesus, having loved His own, He loved them till the end. It holds nothing back. God was willing to give His only Son and make a sacrifice greater than any other in His love for humanity. And the second thing you can consider concerning God's love is that it is a love that is completely undeserved. None could earn it, we couldn't be worthy of it, and yet He manifested, He discloses it to us.

John provides us with the reasons why God's love was demonstrated in this way. He tells us that we might live through Him. The purpose of Christ's mission is the actual impartation of life that results in an ongoing possession of eternal life, age-abiding life. John is talking here about a new kind of life that we receive. It's not just existing, folks. It's not just breathing physically. It's talking about a spiritual life.

Humanity, apart from Christ, is spiritually dead. But when you get saved, you understand, you're alive spiritually. And through Jesus, we receive eternal life. We are born again. This life is only found in Him. The phrase highlights the fact that it is in Him, highlights that true life is only available through Jesus. We don't just receive life from Him, we live through Him. He becomes the continuous source of power, of purpose, and even the pattern for our lives. Jesus is the source of our spiritual life, folks.

How do I know that? Jesus told us in John chapter 14, verse six. He said, "I am the way, I am the truth, and I am the life, and no one comes to the Father except through Me." He's the source of our spiritual life. Jesus said in John 10:10, "The thief does not come except to steal, to kill, and to destroy; but I have come," Jesus said, "that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly." I wonder if you are walking in that abundant life that Jesus has provided for you. He is your source of life.

For He is not only the source, but He's also the sustainer of our spiritual life. He's the one that sustains us, holds us together. Oh, I love what Paul said in Galatians 2:20 concerning the Lord being our sustainer. He said, "I have been crucified with Christ; it's no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me; and the life that I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave Himself for me." Paul is saying the very life that I have spiritually, this abundant life, I am sustained as Christ is living through me.

What a powerful passage that is, that we might live through Him, means that God in His love demonstrated His love by sending Jesus. We now experience real spiritual life. He is the source and He is the sustainer of both our spiritual life. But I think another compelling reason for the demonstration of God's love was that Jesus came to save us. We needed to be saved. We were lost. There was no way for us to be saved. And so in verse 10, it says a second time: "In this is love."

It's a way of saying, this is what love looks like. I'm going to describe for you in this. This is what it looks like, God's love: "not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be"—it's a big word—"propitiation for our sins." For a second time, John says, "In this is love." And he tells us we weren't the ones who were initiating. It's not like we were pursuing God or seeking after Him. The Bible says there is none righteous, no not one, there is none who seeks after God.

So if we are not the initiator, who is? God is. God was the one searching for us. Jesus said, "I have come to seek and to save those who were lost." He's the initiator. He's the one pursuing. He's the one coming after us because of His love for us. I wonder if you know that Christianity is unique among the world's religions.

In most religions, whether it's Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, or even traditional tribal beliefs, people try to reach God through enlightenment or the divine through performing good works, through rituals, through prayers, certain prayers, meditations, moral living, or keeping religious laws. This is man's attempt to try to reach God. In other religions, the approach to God—listen carefully—it's based on human effort. Whether you're good enough to make it, well, we don't know. Do your best and we'll find out in the end.

Imagine a hiker who falls into a deep ravine. He's trapped. Religion throws down a rope and says, "Climb up!" Christianity, Jesus comes down, lifts us on His shoulders, and carries us to safety. In Christianity, the approach to God is based on divine grace. It's God coming down to us in Christ, doing what we could never do for ourselves. Church listen, religion says do. The Gospel says done.

Christianity is God seeking fallen mankind when while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. The underlying idea of religion is this: if I do enough, maybe I'll be accepted or reach the divine. And yet folks, when you read this Bible from Genesis to Revelation, the Bible illustrates God pursuing fallen people.

Our first parents, Adam and Eve, they blew it, big time, in the garden. And what did they do when they hid themselves? They covered themselves with fig leaves. They tried to run from God. And you remember what God said? He pursued them and He said to Adam, "Adam, where are you?" Not only did God pursue Adam, but He also pursued idolatrous Abraham, called him out of idolatry. God sent His prophets to call His people to Himself. And ultimately, He sent His Son. He sought us when we were in our sin, in our rebellion, and our pride. Other faiths that are out there, they offer a system. Christianity offers a person, Jesus Christ, and a relationship through Him.

Announcer: Pastor John Randall explaining what sets Christianity apart from all those false religions in the world. Today on A Daily Walk, we've received an exhortation to love and also saw some reasons to love one another, and then a demonstration of love. This is part of our study in First John. If you miss any part of the journey or would like to hear a message again, visit adailywalk.org or look for A Daily Walk wherever you get your podcasts and at oneplace.com. One more option is our church app. Check out the Calvary South OC church app in your favorite app store.

Pastor John has just come out with a new book titled "The Other Side of Sunday." In it, he offers an honest look at the joys, pressures, prayers, and personal costs of pastoral ministry that often go unseen from the other side of the pulpit. Through heartfelt stories, humor, biblical wisdom, and years of shepherding experience, Pastor John invites the reader into the moments that shape a pastor long after the service ends.

We're making it available to our A Daily Walk listeners for the cost of just $15. Maybe request an extra copy to give to your pastor. Ordering is easy online at adailywalk.org or call us at 877-242-0828. Again, 877-242-0828 and adailywalk.org. Please remember when you support A Daily Walk, you're helping people all over the world have access to the truth of God's Word. Lives are being impacted and people are growing in their daily walk as a result. So thank you for helping us reach out over the radio. Again, make a donation online safely and securely at adailywalk.org or call us at 877-242-0828.

In these difficult days, it is so important that we be praying for one another. So please send in your prayer requests today. We'd love to hear from you. Our email address is adailywalk@gmail.com. That's adailywalk@gmail.com. Well, that's all the time we have for today, but we'll continue through the Bible with John Randall next time. This has been A Daily Walk where you'll never have to walk alone. This program is made possible through your generosity and brought to you by Calvary South OC.