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Story of Three Rings:

• Ring 1- “I love you’s” were exchanged, but it was built on infatuation.
• Ring 2- “I love you’s” were exchanged, but we loved that the other loved Jesus and struggled loving the whole of each other.
• Ring 3- “I love you’s” were slow to happen. A full yielding of self, changed that.

Observation:  Love felt intense in all three, but fullest form of love was exclusive to one.  Yet, that love was so limited as compared to how that love has matured and grown as we both have grown as God’s love for us has matured us. 

Two things I learned through heartbreak and breakthrough to true love.

1. Loving someone or something doesn’t mean it’s pure, healthy, or even rooted in truth.
2. Loving someone or something does not measure to the fullness of the holy love of God. Loving someone with that kind of love comes with time and the work of God.

Pray

Read 1 John 4:7-16

Verse 7-  “Dear friends…”

If you are born again, love will become a growing descriptor of you. (7)

• We are born again by His Spirit; therefore, the Spirit’s work begins the work of transformation.

• At our re-birth the journey has just begun.
  • The beauty of first love is the passion and energy—that is a good thing!

Love is defined by God. (8)

• John gives three attributes of God. Wiersbe
  • God is spirit- the essence of who He is. John 4:24
  • God is light- the nature of who He is (truth, purity). 1 John 1:5
  • God is love. His heart’s drive. 1 John 4:8

“Love does not define God, but God defines love.” Wiersbe

• His love is holy, pure, active, and built on truth. 1 John 3:18

• Most of all, His love is not self-centered it is others minded!

Implication (7-8):  If you truly know God, then your love for people will grow. (8b)

God’s love shown to us (9-11)

• He withheld nothing. (9)

Romans 8:32 “He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?”

• His love is not based on our merit. (10a)
  • Our love for Him is not the impetus for His love.
  • He initiates regardless of the state of our rebellion.
  • Loving on a person that you simply don’t want to or are not feeling it.

• His love does not settle but goes to the fullest end to make right the relationship. (10b)
  • He went for full atonement.
  • Didn’t settle for giving us a taste of His love that would be temporal.

Implication (9-11): “Dear friends…” This kind of love should compel us to love others! (11)

Be assured that you are God’s child. (12-15)

• When you love people simply for their benefit, be assured you truly know God. (12)
• When you are feeling compelled and convicted to love others sacrificially, be assured you know His Spirit is in you. (13)
• Loving a person when it is not convenient or fulfilling.
• When you testify that God sent Jesus to save the world be assured that the Spirit is at work in you. (14)
• When you say that Jesus is truly the Son of God you can be assured God lives in you. (15)  Romans 10:9-10

Growing in God’s love. (16)

1. Don’t grow weary in getting to know Him and His heart.

2. Making Him and your love for Him the center (orbit) of all that you do.

Benediction:

Ephesians 5:1-2  “Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children ² and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.”