1 John 4:20  [20] “If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?” I want you to think about the first phrase of our verse today, “If a man say”. People will say a lot of things, but just because someone says something, that doesn’t make it true. In fact, the Bible teaches us here that if a man says one thing, but his life doesn’t back it up, then he is a …

1 John 4:19 [19] “We love him, because he first loved us.” I’m always amazed at how the Bible can say so much in one phrase or verse. This is a simple, but profound, text when we consider it. If we are not careful, we can read it, and not truly take in all that it has to say to us.  First, think about the reverse in this verse. The first phrase declares that we love him. Can you truly say that today? Do you love Christ? If the answer is yes, then pause for a moment and consider the …

1 John 4:18 [18] “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.” Fear is an emotion that every individual has to face. No one likes to live in fear, but we all know what it’s like to have to deal with it. Our verse has a lot to say about this subject. I want you to examine with me four fundamental truths about fear.  First notice the truth about fear. The Bible says, “There is no fear in love”. A child who knows …

1 John 4:17 [17] “Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.” There are a lot of future events that I look forward to in eternity, but I have to be honest that there is one I greatly dread. I both fear and dread that great judgment morning. Standing before the creator, and giving account for the deeds I have done, and the life I have lived, is not something I’m looking forward to when I leave this world.  The Bible says …