33. 1 John 4:9-11: Love In Action

1st John chapter 4 starting in verse 9. Hear now the inspired word of God. By this the love of God was manifested in us that God has sent his only begotten Son into the world so that we might live through him and this is love not that we love 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. Let's pray. Father once again as we prepare to look into your word and we read these words penned by the Apostle John under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit may we be spurred on by the love God has for us to loving one another.

That's our simple prayer we ask this in Jesus name. Amen. Please be seated. In 1979 I attended a rather unique event which took place in the Adirondack Mountains right here in New York. It was a conference for Christian police officers.

Police officers from all over the northeastern United States and even Canada attended the event which ran from Wednesday to Sunday in late September. Being a police officer in our society has its own set of unique problems which are further complicated by being a Christian.

So there were some excellent speakers addressing topics that police officers face in both their professional and private lives. In addition to that and of extreme importance the food was delicious and the fellowship was very encouraging.

But the highlight of the conference actually occurred on Saturday night in the lounge during a time of informal fellowship. There was singing of hymns accompanied by a guitar. Those times were interspersed with times of prayer, sharing of testimonies.

It was a time when the more mature men in the faith were able to address the younger men and how to handle their particular and unique struggles. It was an extremely personal and emotional and spiritual time.

Bonds of Christian friendship were formed at that conference that have lasted for lifetimes. Well the evening lasted well into the night with people reluctant to leave, not wanting to miss anything. But the night finally ended and we met again for Sunday morning worship followed by a gourmet meal and then the trip home down the mountain.

Monday morning it was back on the streets again. For some it was driving a patrol car, others it was traffic duty. For me it was back on the trail of another murderer, business as usual. What a letdown from such an inspirational weekend to back to the normal grind.

For us it was both figuratively and literally a mountaintop experience. But the conference was not merely an emotional event. We were challenged by the preaching of the word and the fellowship of the Saints.

And the challenge was to bring what we learned over the weekend back to our workplaces and to our families. Failing to accomplish that would render the conference nothing more than a glorified social event.

And interestingly enough I believe that John is alluding to that very situation in our text for this morning. Let me read the text again. We'll start with 1st John 4 verse 9. By this the love of God was manifested in us that God has sent his only begotten Son into the world that we might live through him.

And this is love not that we love God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Just put your finger there for a second and look at the context of that because it's followed by verse 11.

Beloved if God so loved us we also ought to love one another. Context is very important here. Remember John has given us various tests in this epistle to aid in our assurance of faith. He wants us to know that we are saved.

And one of the extremely important tests if you remember was the test of love. And commencing in chapter 4 verse 7 we've seen it's somewhat of a summary and maybe even an expansion of the concept of the love of God.

Remember at the very heart of the teaching in this whole epistle is God is love. You cannot begin to understand love if you don't begin with Almighty God. And then last week we looked at verses 9 and 10 as the epitome of love.

Two great attributes of his love are emphasized in those two verses, verses 9 and 10. The greatness of his love caused him to sacrifice his only begotten son to save us wretched sinners. That's verse 9.

And then the fact in verse 10 is that his love for us, it was his love for us, not our love for him behind such a sacrifice. He loved us first in order for us to be able to love him. Now if you can apprehend those thoughts, which is not easy to do, then they must lead to action on our part.

For when you have been faced with the truth and the reality of God's love, verse follows, verse 11 follows, beloved if God so loved us we also ought to love one another. For seeing God's truth in his word is having an encounter with the living God.

Reading his word and seeing him in the word is equivalent to seeing him on the mountaintop. Now why do I say that? Because don't forget, John the author of this epistle was on that mountaintop. That's why we read Matthew 17 this morning.

So I want to take another little digression this morning and look into verse 17, I mean chapter 17 of Matthew as it relates to our text, 1 John 4 verses 9 to 11. So we'll be bouncing back and forth a little bit.

Look at verse 1 of Matthew chapter 17. After six days Jesus took with him Peter, James, and John, his brother, and brought them to a high mountain by themselves. Now notice this is what's called the transfiguration.

The transfiguration occurred within a few days after Peter's confession and the promise of Christ to build his church in Matthew 16. Jesus has just confirmed that he is the Son of God to his disciples.

He is God incarnate and the transfiguration was a demonstration of that very truth. Jesus Christ is God in every sense of the word. And the timing of this event is noteworthy. Besides confirming that he was the Christ, Jesus had foretold of his coming suffering, crucifixion, and resurrection.

And his transfiguration was in part at least preparation for those events in the days to come. And notice who is with them in that verse, Peter, James, and John. Jesus took only three men with him, not all twelve.

What's noteworthy is that Jesus specifies three witnesses with him. Remember this transfiguration is a most important occurrence in that it takes place on this mountain and so witnesses are needed to testify about it at the proper time.

The scripture tells us, let every fact be confirmed by the testimony of two or three witnesses, especially in important matters that are to be confirmed by such witnesses. The Old Testament civil law required it.

So the transfiguration was an event that needed confirmation of three witnesses. Now at first in verse 9 of Matthew 17, Jesus tells his disciples, don't tell anyone what you've seen until his resurrection.

They are to be witnessed, then they are to be witnesses to this important event that revealed Jesus in all his deity. In fact, listen to Peter's confirmation of this in his second epistle. Referring to this event, Peter writes in chapter 1 verse 16, for we did not follow cleverly devised tales when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Now notice he's saying, where did I get this from, these things I'm telling you? He says, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. For when he received honor and glory from God the Father, such an utterance was made to him by the majestic glory, this is my beloved Son with whom I am well pleased.

And then he continues in verse 18, just so we don't miss it, and we ourselves heard this utterance made from heaven when we were with him on the holy mountain. It's not that germane to the text this morning, but it's important in the whole scheme of things.

Look at verse 19 of 2nd Peter 1, and so we have the prophetic word made more sure, to which you do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts.

Peter confirms that he, James and John, were confirming witnesses and that means the prophetic word is even more sure. And then where did this all take place? Verse 1 tells us he brought him up to a high mountain.

Now there's all kinds of speculation as to which mountain, I don't really care. What is important, that is, it was on a mountain, because mountains have great significance in biblical symbolism. Mountains signify power and authority.

Remember the stone in Daniel chapter 2, the stone that was cut without hands and was thrown and smashes the idols. And what does it do? It becomes a mountain and fills the earth. Mountains are also a place where God meets with man, and so we should not be surprised that the transfiguration takes place high on a mountain.

Let's look at the events as Jesus and his three disciples go up this mountain. Verse 2, Matthew gives us, Matthew gets right into the heart of it, he doesn't beat around the bush, and he was transfigured before them.

And his face shone like the sun, and his garments became as white as light. Scripture tells us in some way Jesus changed form in front of him. The word that Jews are transfigured is the same word from which we get metamorphosis.

It can have a physical meaning, to change form as a caterpillar changes into a butterfly. That's certainly one way the word can be used. But the scripture uses the same word in other ways. Romans 12, 2, and do not be conformed to this world but be transformed.

It's the same word, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind that you may prove what the will of God is that which is good and acceptable and perfect. Scripture tells us that as a Christian goes through, he goes through a metamorphosis by the renewing of the mind.

It's the same word that's used again in 2nd Corinthians 3, 18. But we all with unveiled face beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord the Spirit.

So we can see it's used in different ways. However, in the present instance, the transformation, the metamorphosis, is more of a revealing of the divine nature of Jesus Christ, breaking through. Remember that Christ was fully God and fully man in his earthly ministry, and he still is.

He didn't stop being God. He took upon himself another nature. He took upon himself the form of a man. That's what Paul talks about in Philippians chapter 2, starting in verse 5. This is a very important portion of Scripture and it tells us some things about his transformation.

He says, have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who although he existed in the form of God, that same word morph right there, did not regard equality with God a thing to be graced, but he emptied himself taking the form, it's that same word again, of a bond servant and being made in the likeness of men, and being found in the appearance of a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on the cross.

So on this mountain, the form of Jesus changed before the disciples eyes and his face began to shine like the sun. Even his clothing began to shine from his radiant glory. The divine nature of Jesus is revealed to his disciples and he begins to radiate the glory of God.

You know, we can't help but be reminded of the story of Moses up on the mountaintop. When Moses says, remember he asked the unthinkable, I want to see you God, and God said, you couldn't handle it. He says, but I'll hide you in this cleft of the rock and I'll pass by in all my glory, and you can see the backward glance of my reflected glory, and that backward glance of his reflected glory caused Moses to, his face to shine, and it's shown so brightly that he scared the people when he came off the mountain, he had to wear a veil over his face.

That's somewhat similar to what's taking place here, but even more so, because Jesus revealed himself to his disciples in all his deity. Matthew Henry writes of this, the face of Moses shone but as the moon, with the borrowed reflected light, but Christ shone as the sun, with an innate inherent light, which was the more sensibly glorious because it suddenly broke out as it were from behind a black cloud.

The presence of God is an awesome thing to behold, but then something interesting happens. Look at verse 3, and behold Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with him. Notice that he begins with the word behold.

Now we've seen that word before. We've seen that that word is used to express surprise, or make an exclamation. In fact, we should probably read it when we read it, say behold, whoa, something surprised, something unexpected, and behold, what is unexpected here is Moses and Elijah appeared with Jesus on their mount, and they're talking with him.

In fact, Luke's account tells us what they were talking about. In verse 31 of Luke 9, Moses and Elijah, who appeared in glory, were speaking of his departure, which he was about to accomplish in Jerusalem.

I find that fascinating. Jesus spends some times talking with Moses and Elijah about things that are about to take place shortly in Jerusalem. Makes perfect sense though, doesn't it? They're discussing the events that are the turning point of all of history.

Remember how the Holy Spirit has structured this gospel of Matthew. Matthew's intent is to show the Jews, very specifically, it's a Jewish gospel, to show the Jews that Jesus is the Messiah, the King of the Jews.

Jesus in Caesarea Philippi had just asked the disciples, who does everybody say that I am? And then he's put, but all right, but who do you say that I am? And Peter responded with that great confession, you are the Christ, the Son of the Living God.

And then immediately after he reveals that to them, he says, I have to be delivered and suffer and die in Jerusalem. Now on this mountain, these three blessed disciples see him in all of his glory. His glory is breaking through and radiating, and Moses and Elijah appear, and the very thing that he is speaking to Moses and Elijah about is just what he told the disciples.

I'm going to be crucified, I'm going to be beaten, but I'm going to raise from the dead. A lot of people ask, why Moses and Elijah? Well, we can't say positively because the text doesn't tell us, but I think a good supposition here is that, well, Moses represents the law, Elijah the prophets.

And remember the words of Christ in Matthew 5 17, do not think I came to abolish the law or the prophets. I did not come to abolish, but to fulfill. What Moses and Elijah foreshadowed, Jesus fulfills.

The things they spoke about were ultimately all of Christ, because that's what the whole Old Testament is about. Remember, Jesus reminded the disciples on the road to Emmaus, when they were wondering about these things, they couldn't figure it out.

And Jesus says in verse 27, Luke tells us, and beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he explained to them the things concerning himself in all the scriptures. Christ is the last word of everything.

Writer to Hebrews said, God, after he spoke long ago to the fathers and the prophets, in many portions and in many ways, in these last days has spoken to us in his Son. Christ is the end of all things.

He is the beginning of all things. He is the Alpha and the Omega, the fulfillment of all things that is at hand. And that point is not lost on Peter, because look at what, further in verse 4, and Peter answered and said to Jesus, Lord, it is good for us to be here.

If you wish, I will make three tabernacles here, one for you and one for Moses, one for Elijah. Don't criticize Peter too quickly here. He sees this event as something truly magnificent. Imagine, men of the stature of Moses and Elijah, right here, he's looking at them with his own eyes.

Now we're not told how he knows they're Moses and Elijah, but there's no doubt in his mind. Can you imagine what's going on through Peter's mind? This is a miraculous event. Jesus is shining like the sun.

Even his clothes are shining brightly. This is an event of historical and theological importance. Two heroes of the faith somehow appear, and they're discussing great theological truth. They're discussing eschatology.

Peter wants to treasure this moment. He wants to memorialize it by what is taking place. Peter's thinking, this is something I don't want it to end. So he makes a suggestion. How about we build three tabernacles, sacred tents, dwelling places for the three of you, for you and Moses and Elijah.

I think it's safe to say that Peter was speaking for all three disciples. They did not want to leave. They wanted to remain on that mountain and bask in the glory of God. I don't believe Peter's being arrogant.

I think, in fact, even the words, if you wish I will do this, is his words. I think Peter's mindset is perfectly natural. Peter doesn't want to miss a thing, but Peter does miss a point, something that you and I are privy to, and that is we have hindsight, because there was no need for tabernacles for these three.

Moses and Elijah, they were already residents in heaven, and Christ, he came and tabernacled among his people. The New Testament Church is the tabernacle of Christ. Christ was building his church, not an earthly tabernacle or temple.

In fact, even the temple that was standing in Jerusalem was slated for destruction. Christ dwells with his people, in his people, in the New Covenant, and it is his people who comprise his church, not buildings or other structures.

We marvel at the building that God has provided for us, and in almost miraculous ways, but he's been so gracious for us in providing this, but you occupying the pews, you're the church. This is a building that is on loan from God, but Christ doesn't even get the opportunity to answer Peter.

God interjects, and in verse 5 we read, while he was still speaking, behold, there's another behold, surprising, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and behold, two beholds, double surprise, a voice out of the cloud saying, this is my beloved son, with whom I am well pleased, listen to him.

Peter hadn't even finished when God speaks from the cloud, and here again we see some very typical biblical language about how God manifests himself on earth. He comes in a cloud. He led Israel by a pillar of a cloud.

He descended on the mountain with Moses in the form of a cloud. When God was to signify his presence among the nations of Israel, he came down in the form of a cloud, and on this mountaintop, the very presence of God is manifested in the bright cloud that overshadowed them, and again God speaks from the cloud.

This is my beloved son, with whom I am well pleased, listen to him. Same words that came from heaven at his baptism. What these three men are witnessing with their own eyes, the glory of God revealed in the person of Jesus Christ, they now hear with their ears as God himself testifies that this is his son.

But notice that God doesn't just call him son. He says, this is my beloved son. His beloved son who took upon himself the likeness of sinful flesh to accomplish redemption for all those whom the Father had given to him.

The love of God the Father to God the Son is a perfect love that needs nothing to be added to it. It is a complete love that is perfect in harmony one to the other. And in that perfect love, God sent his beloved son to suffer and die for his people.

That is amazing love. You know, being a former police officer, I know the military men can understand this as well, there's times where you have to put your life in other person's hands. And you're willing to lay down your life, but not my son.

I'm not willing to give my son for any of you. But God did. He gave his only begotten son. And in that perfect love, the son willingly complied with all the wishes of his heavenly Father. And so the Father says of him that he is well pleased with him.

I love that phrasing. What would we say? I'm proud of you. But God doesn't say that. He says I am well pleased. Because Jesus doesn't do his own will, he does the will of the Father perfectly. So that the testimony of God the Father about him is that he is well pleased.

His pleasure in the Son is perfect, lacking nothing. There is no way in which the Father isn't pleased with his son. And so he says that, listen, listen to him. And what was the response of the disciples?

Well, verse 6, when the disciples heard this, they fell on their faces and were much afraid. These three men, think about these three men, they'd seen just about everything. They'd seen the sick healed, they saw lepers cleansed, demons cast out, they saw the dead raised back to life, they saw 5 ,000 men fed from a handful of food, they saw the storm calmed by the spoken word of Christ, they saw Jesus walk on water, they saw him display a wisdom that made every one of his opponents look foolish.

And now they see him radiating like sunlight and even his clothes shining. And then Moses and Elijah, men from an age a thousand years ago, appear in front of them. And they meet all of these occurrences with a variety of reactions.

But when the glory cloud of God covers the mountain and they hear the voice of God, they become afraid. They tremble. They had the good sense to fall on their faces and to tremble before the Lord God Almighty.

You know, we hear so much flippant talk from foolish men these days about what they intend to see God when they see him. I want to tell you again this morning that in the presence of Almighty God, no man can stand.

The glory and majesty of the living God is an awesome thing. And apart from being saved by the atoning blood of Jesus Christ, the presence of God is something that all men should fear. As the writer of the Hebrew says in 1031, it is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

But then we get a great picture of our salvation even in these verses. Look at verse 7 of Matthew 17. And Jesus came to them, touched them, and said, arise and do not be afraid. They're on their faces, trembling, fearful.

They don't say, they don't muck it up deep down inside of them. No, Jesus comes to them. These men were incapable of doing anything but trembling with fear. But Jesus came to them and touched them and said, arise, do not be afraid.

There is nothing to fear in Christ. Paul said in Romans 831, what then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us? And so they get up. They obey the voice of God and they listen to Jesus.

And in verse 8 tells us, and lifting up their eyes they saw no one except Jesus himself alone. They open their eyes. The experience is over. Everything is back to normal. They descend from the mountain.

And what do they do when they came off the mountain? They went back to work. There was a demon that had to be cast out. They had taxes to pay. Read the text. The second thing they did when they came off was pay taxes.

Jesus had called them to a purpose in life. And that purpose was the work of the kingdom. That was the priority. I believe with all my heart that John had these events of that day on his heart when he wrote this section of his epistle.

For what is John telling us to do in verses 9 to 11? He says, when you come face to face with the truth of the manifest love of God, you must respond to it. Whether you have a mountaintop experience or you come face to face with his love simply by reading the Holy Scriptures, you cannot remain the same.

Don't make the mistake of the three disciples. They wanted to stay on the mountain. But the glory cloud lifted. The experience was over. And it was back to the difficult and daily work of the kingdom.

So what is John telling us? When you're faced with the truth of the love of God, that he in his love for the world gave his only begotten son. I love the way John puts it. God so loved the world. Learn from it.

Learn from it. Contemplate on it. Yes, we should do that. It's good to take time to bask in the glory of God. But the learning and contemplation of great doctrinal truth is not meant to be the end in and of itself.

It must lead to action. First John 4, 9 to 11 is a case in point. When you see the love of God manifested by the sacrifice of God's only son, and that this love was initiated by God and him alone, then beloved, we ought also to love one another.

By the way, when the Bible speaks in such terms as ought, that's not a suggestion. It's not merely a good idea. It's an imperative. And this is very clear if we just go back one verse to verse 8 of John 1, John 4.

The one who does not love does not know God. For God is love. If the love of God doesn't move you to love one another, then according to the Apostle, you don't know God. So you can see that John is not being repetitive in his admonition to love one another.

Each time he uses, each time he says this, he's either summing up a point that he's making about love, or he's emphasizing a new reason to love one another. No repetition, or any repetition, is for emphasis alone.

I will tell you this. I have not forgotten that first conference I attended in the mountains of New York. I attended several others in years gone by. I've also attended numerous pastors conferences as well.

And conferences such as these can be extremely beneficial. They're helpful if they are teaching biblical truth and fostering biblical fellowship. They should be designed to assist the mission of the local church, not replace it or hinder it.

But the goal is always love. Paul agrees with John as he wrote to Timothy in 1st Timothy 1 .5. But the goal of our instruction is love from a pure heart, and a good conscience, and a sincere faith. And so one last time this morning, if God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son as a propitiation for our sin, beloved, we ought also to love one another.

If you're here this morning and you're not a believer, can't even understand the experience of what it means to be loved by Almighty God. Fall on your knees, repent of your sin, ask God to forgive you of your sin.

Because it was his great love that sent his son to die that you might have eternal life.