1 John 4:7-21
Thesis: God pursues a love relationship with mankind.
God Is Love because of His Mercy.
A. Exegesis: Mercy is not getting what we deserve, see propitiation, v. 10.
B. Illustration
One night in 1935, Fiorello La Guardia, mayor of New York City, showed up at a night court in the poorest ward of the city. He dismissed the judge for the evening and took over the bench. One case involved an elderly woman who was caught stealing bread to feed her grandchildren. La Guardia said, “I’ve got to punish you. Ten dollars or ten days in jail.”
As he spoke, he threw $10 into his hat. He then fined everyone in the courtroom 50 cents for living in a city “where a person has to steal bread so that her grandchildren can eat.” The hat was passed around, and the woman left the courtroom with her fine paid and an additional $47.50.
C. Application
- We deserve the just punishment for our sins.
- But God, in love and mercy, gives us more than a second chance. His Son pays the penalty.
God Is Love because of His Grace.
A. Exegesis: Grace is getting what we do not deserve, vv. 18-19.
B. Illustration
A large prosperous downtown church had three mission churches. On the first Sunday of the New Year, all the members of the mission churches came to the city church for a combined Communion service. In those mission churches, which were located in the slums of London, were some outstanding cases of conversions–thieves, burglars, and so on–but all knelt side by side at the Communion rail.
On one such occasion, the pastor saw a former burglar kneeling beside a judge of the Supreme Court of England–the judge who has sent him to jail where he had served seven years. After his release, this burglar had been converted and became a Christian worker. Yet, as they knelt there, the judge and the former convict, neither one seemed to be aware of the other.
After the service, the judge was walking home with the pastor and said to the pastor, “Did you notice who was kneeling beside me at the Communion rail this morning?”
The pastor replied, “Yes, but I didn’t know that you noticed.” The two walked along in silence for a few more moments, and then the judge said, “What a miracle of grace.” The pastor nodded in agreement, “Yes, what a marvelous miracle of grace.” Then the judge asked, “But to whom do you refer?” The pastor said, “Why, to the conversion of that convict.” The judge said, “But I was not referring to him. I was thinking of myself.” The pastor, surprised, replied, “You were thinking of yourself? I don’t understand.” The judge replied, “Yes, it did not cost that burglar much to get converted when he came out of jail. He had nothing but a history of crime behind him, and when he saw Jesus as his Savior, he knew there was salvation and hope and joy for him. And he knew how much he needed that help. But look at me. I was taught for earliest infancy to live as a gentleman; that my word was my bond; that I was to say my prayers, go to church, take Communion and so on. I went through Oxford, took my degrees, was called to the bar and eventually became a judge. Pastor, nothing but the grace of God could have caused me to admit that I was a sinner on a level with that burglar. It took much more grace to forgive me for all my pride and self-deception, to get me to admit that I was no better in the eyes of God than that convict that I had sent to prison.”
C. Application–God chose to save sinners, even dignified and well-to-do sinners, through the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
God Is Love because of His Providence.
A. Exegesis–Romans 8:28-30
B. Illustration
A few years ago at a White House breakfast, President Bush told the story of a little boy who offered up this simple prayer: “God, bless Mom and Dad, my brother and sister; and, God, do take care of Yourself because if anything happened to You, we’re all sunk.”
C. Application–God lovingly orchestrates the events of our lives to prepare us for His service, to conform us to the image of Christ, and to live with Him forever.