Scripture Union Daily Guide 27th June 2020 – God’s Love And Ours
TODAY’S TOPIC: GOD’S LOVE AND OURS
OPENING PRAYER: May the meditation of my heart be acceptable unto you, O Lord as I read from your word.
SCRIPTURE: 1 John 4:7–21
Knowing God Through Love
7 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. 8 He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. 9 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. 10 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. 11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.
Seeing God Through Love
12 No one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God abides in us, and His love has been perfected in us. 13 By this we know that we abide in Him, and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit. 14 And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son as Savior of the world. 15 Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. 16 And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him.
The Consummation of Love
17 Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world. 18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love. 19 We love [a]Him because He first loved us.
Obedience by Faith
20 If someone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, [b]how can he love God whom he has not seen? 21 And this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God must love his brother also.
Reflection
• What does the passage teach about God the Father, God the Son or God the Holy Spirit?
• Is there any command for me to obey?
Today’s Outline: Scripture Union Daily Guide 27th June 2020
Look at the contrast in v.7 and v.8. God showed his love for humankind by sending his only Son into the world to give us eternal life through him (vv.9–10; cf. John 3:16). Notice how this should challenge us to reciprocate the same love to others (v.11)?
In fact, we owe love as a debt to others in appreciation of the love God showed towards us (Romans 13:8). Loving one another is a sure proof that we truly love God (v.12). God loved us when we were unlovable (cf. Romans 5:8).
Find other reasons why we should love each other (vv.12–13; see also Romans 5:5–6). Read v.15 again and identify the proof that we are abiding in God and he in us. According to v.16, what are we expected to know and believe about God’s love for us? Note why God’s love is perfected in us (v.17); why we should love God (v.19) and the acid test of our love for God (vv.20–21).
⁂ Any new insight or reinforcement of what you already know?
Practice/Word Application
• So then: If you have the love of God in your heart, how are you showing this love to those around you? Let James 2:15–17 be your guide. Are you known for your charitable deeds? Let love be your watchword always.
Prayer
• Turn v.17 into prayer for yourself and other Christians.
• Pray and commit the work and studies of the coming week into God’s hand.
• Offer a prayer of faith in line with Exodus 4:12
Read the Bible in one Year: Deut. 4–6; Acts 2:1–21
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Scripture Union Daily Guide 26th June 2020