Resource Detail

2026 1 John Lesson 6

GOD IS LOVE 

1 John 4:1-21

Key Verse: 4:10

1. Why does John tell believers to test the spirits, and how can we discern whether a spirit is from God (1–3)? How can believers recognize the Spirit of truth and the spirit of falsehood (4-6)?
2. What does John mean by the statement, “God is love” (7-8)? What does “one and only Son” reveal about the depth of God's love for humanity (9)? What does it mean that God loved us before we loved Him (10)?
3. How does loving one another make the invisible God visible to the world (11-12)? How do we know that God lives in us and that we live in Him (13–15)? How does perfect love give believers confidence on the day of judgment (16-18)?
4. Why is God’s prior love the foundation of our love for Him and for others (19-21)? How can our church demonstrate that our love for God is genuine through the way we love one another?

2026 1 John Message June 21, 2026

GOD IS LOVE

1 John 4:7-21

Key Verse 4:7-8

Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.

As I was preparing this message, I came across a very moving story. Have you ever read the book Kisses from Katie? It was written by Katie Davis Majors, a young woman from Tennessee. In high school, she was the class president, the homecoming queen, and one of the top students in her class. She had every opportunity to pursue the American dream. After graduating from high school, however, she went to Uganda on a short-term mission trip and served at an orphanage. There, she encountered children living in desperate circumstances. As she spent time with them, she became convinced that God was calling her to serve in Uganda. At the age of nineteen, she returned there to care for orphaned children. Over time, she adopted thirteen girls and later founded Amazima Ministries, which continues to serve vulnerable children and families in Uganda today. One statement from the introduction of her book especially touched my heart. She writes: “Slowly but surely I began to realize the truth: I had loved and admired and worshiped Jesus without doing what He said. ... I wanted to actually do what Jesus said to do. ... So I quit my life. ... People often ask if I am afraid. I am much more afraid of remaining comfortable. ... I am much more terrified of living a comfortable life in a self-serving society and failing to follow Jesus than I am of any illness or tragedy.” Those words are challenging. As we learned last Sunday, love is sacrifice. Love is action. Katie Davis put the love of Christ into practice, and her life became a living testimony of God’s love.

Today, the Apostle John takes us even deeper into the source of that love. Twice in this passage, he makes one of the most famous statements in the entire Bible: “God is love.” Throughout John’s letter, we have repeatedly heard the command, “Love one another.” But that raises an important question: Why should we love one another? The most fundamental reason is this: We should love one another because God is love.

Verse 7 says, “Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.” Love comes from God. In other words, God is the source of love. Love does not begin with us. Love begins with God. We want to love and be loved. We experience joy when we love others and when others love us. Yet we are not the source of love. Our love is limited, imperfect, and often self-centered. It is easy to love people who love us. It is easy to love people who are kind to us, who respect us, and who make us feel good. But what about people who hurt us? What about people who disappoint us, betray us, or treat us unfairly? By nature, we tend to love those who are lovable and avoid those who are difficult to love. That is where our human love reaches its limits. Our human love can also change very quickly. A relationship that once seemed unbreakable can suddenly fall apart. Many marriages end because people say, “We just don’t love each other anymore.” We often make a decision: “From now on, I am going to love this person.” But when you see that person’s face or hear that person’s voice, suddenly that decision disappears.

Why does that happen? Because love does not originate in us. We do not have the power within ourselves to love others. The source of love is God. Love belongs to God because love flows from God’s very nature. This means that if we want to love our brothers and sisters, we cannot rely on our own strength, emotions, or determination. We must first come to God, the source of love. As we receive God’s love, His love begins to flow through us to others. That is why John says that everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. There are different kinds of love. The love between a man and a woman is often called eros. The love between friends is called philia. But the love that John is speaking about here is agape—the love of God. Agape is unconditional love. It is sacrificial love. It seeks the good of others rather than its own benefit. When John says, “Everyone who loves,” he is talking about the unconditional and sacrifical love of God.

When we know God and experience His love personally, His love begins to transform us. We start loving people we could not love before. We start forgiving people we could not forgive before. We start serving people because God has first loved us. On the other hand, verse 8 gives us a very strong warning: “Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.” Because God is love, refusing to love others is evidence that a person does not know God. It shows that God’s love is not at work in that person’s life. That is why our love for our brothers and sisters is such an important sign of whether God is living in us or not.

God is love. This does not mean that love is simply one of God’s many attributes. Love is the very nature of God. Because God is love, everything He does flows from His love. When God blesses us, it is because He loves us. When God disciplines us, it is because He loves us. Even when God seems silent, and we do not understand what He is doing, He is still acting out of love. Therefore, in any circumstances, we must trust God’s love. When we experience joy, we trust His love. When we experience sorrow, we trust His love. When God answers our prayers, we trust His love. When His answer seems delayed, we still trust His love. Why? Because God is love.

How did God reveal His love to us? Verse 9 says: “This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world.” God demonstrated His love for us by sending His one and only Son into this world. Let me ask you a question. Is there anyone here who has an only son or an only daughter? If so, you know how precious that child is. Parents treasure their children more than anything else in the world. They would gladly sacrifice their time, energy, comfort, and possessions for their children. Many parents would even be willing to risk their own lives for them. But let me ask another question. Is it easier for parents with several children to give up one of them? Of course not. Whether you have one child, two children, three children, or ten children, every child is precious. Every child is loved. Every child has a unique place in a parent’s heart.

There was once a Native American family living in a small village. They had several children, but life was very difficult. Every day was a struggle just to put food on the table. One day, an American missionary couple came to their village. They genuinely loved the people there. They shared food with the hungry, taught children how to read and write, and cared for the sick. Over time, the villagers came to respect and appreciate them. But the missionary couple carried a burden of their own. They had no children. One day, they visited the Native American family with several children and carefully made a proposal. “We would like to adopt one of your children,” they said. “We will love and care for the child as our own. We can provide good food, a good education, and many opportunities. We would also like to help support your family financially so that your other children can have a better life as well.” The father thought: “This would be good for the child. And it would help our family too.” Eventually, he agreed. That day, the missionary couple took one of their children home with them. But that night, the father could not sleep. He kept seeing his child’s face in his mind. Memory after memory flooded his heart. As the night went on, his heart began to break. He tossed and turned all night long. “What have I done?” He deeply regretted his decision. Early the next morning, as soon as the sun came up, he ran to the missionary couple’s house. With tears in his eyes, he said, “I’m sorry. I just can’t do it. I’ll give the money back. But please give me my child back. I cannot let my child go.”

It was heartbreaking for that father to let even one of his many children go to a wonderful missionary family. Yet God did something far greater. He sent His one and only Son, Jesus Christ, into this world. And what kind of world was it? It was not a good world. It was not a world that loved God. It was not a world that was waiting with open arms to welcome His Son. It was a fallen world, corrupted by sin. A world filled with pride, greed, hatred, lies, and violence. A world that rejected God. A world that rebelled against its Creator. Most parents would gladly send their children to a safe place where they would be welcomed, loved, and protected. But who would send a beloved child into a place where that child would be rejected, mocked, abused, and eventually killed? Yet that is exactly what God did. He knew that Jesus would be misunderstood, rejected, betrayed, beaten, and crucified. And yet God sent Him anyway. Why? Because God is love.

God sent His one and only Son into the world so that we might live through him. Verse 10 explains this even more deeply. “This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.” What does “atoning sacrifice” mean? It refers to a sacrifice that removes sin and restores a broken relationship between God and sinners. In the Old Testament, the high priest would enter the Most Holy Place once a year on the Day of Atonement. He would offer a sacrifice for the sins of the people. But those sacrifices had to be repeated year after year because they could not permanently remove sin. However, Jesus became the perfect sacrifice of animals for our sins. As the Son of God, He alone was qualified to take our place. On the cross, He bore the punishment that we deserved. He died so that we might be forgiven. Because of His sacrifice, anyone who repents and believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins and the gift of eternal life. This is how God demonstrated His love for us. Therefore, the Apostle John once more reminds us of Jesus’ command: “Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another” (11). The reason we should love one another, then, is very simple and very profound: Because God is love, and love comes from God.

Verse 12 says, “No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.” God is Spirit. We cannot see Him with our physical eyes. Because of this, many people struggle to believe in God or know that God is love. So how can people know the invisible God? The answer is very clear: When believers love one another, the invisible God becomes visible through them. People cannot see God directly, but they can see God’s love reflected in the love for one another among Christians. In that sense, the church becomes a living demonstration of God’s presence. One of the most powerful ways to proclaim the gospel is through our loving relationships. When people see genuine love among believers, they begin to see evidence that God is real. They begin to understand that God is love. But if we do not love one another, we fail to demonstrate God’s love to the world. We may talk about God’s love, preach about God’s love, and sing about God’s love, but our message loses credibility if people cannot see that love in our lives.

Last week, I received several urgent messages from M. Alex Safos. His right arm had become severely swollen, and he needed medical attention right away. To make matters worse, his hearing aid was not working, so he could hardly hear. When M. Andrew and Sarah Choi heard about his situation, they immediately went to Alex’s home and took him to the hospital. They first brought him to an urgent care center, but after examining him, the doctor told them that he needed to go to the emergency room immediately. So Andrew and Sarah took him to the ER. Thankfully, Alex received the treatment he needed, and his arm began to recover. He was discharged from the hospital the following day. Throughout this entire situation, M. Andrew and Sarah served him with great love and care. They gave their time, energy, and attention to help a brother in need. Through their actions, they demonstrated that God is love.

I thank God for the loving fellowship that our church members enjoy in God’s love. Last week was no exception. One Fellowship celebrated two birthdays together. Another held a farewell gathering. Our church’s Fellowships continue to meet, study God’s Word, and share the love of God together. Last Friday was the Juneteenth holiday. Samuel Lee’s Fellowship organized a picnic at Sunken Meadow State Park. This is the same place where our church usually holds a Memorial Day picnic. However, some members of Samuel Lee’s fellowship were unable to attend the Memorial Day picnic because of various circumstances. So they decided to go together this time. They enjoyed a barbecue, walked along the beach, and spent meaningful time in fellowship. When I saw the pictures, everyone looked happy. There were smiles everywhere. As I reflected on those pictures, I was reminded that this kind of fellowship comes from God and that God is love.

Last Friday, our volleyball team traveled to Maryland for a tournament, and they successfully defended their championship. Congratulations to our NY UBF volleyball team! I also had the opportunity to enjoy some wonderful fellowship that same day. A group of us traveled to Highland Park, New Jersey, for a tennis fellowship. More than fifteen brothers and sisters came from New Brunswick, Philadelphia, Trenton, Highland Park, and New York. We had a great time playing tennis, catching up, and enjoying one another’s company. The New Jersey UBF ministry generously provided lunch, drinks, and many other refreshments. Afterward, M. Joseph and Josephine Sohn invited us to their home for dinner. They served delicious hamburgers grilled over charcoal, and we enjoyed a wonderful evening together. It was encouraging to see the beautiful house church ministry that Joseph and Josephine are building together with their four children. M. Joseph Sohn shared that he was very happy and joyful that we came to visit his house church. We spent time talking, sharing, and praying together.

The theme of our upcoming Northeast Regional Summer Retreat is “Koinonia: Fellowship.” About 200 brothers and sisters are expected to gather from New Jersey, Trenton, Highland Park, Newark, Springfield, Tampa, Florida, and New York. We are praying that this retreat will be a time of genuine fellowship in Christ, where we can love one another and get to know one another more deeply. Too often, our relationships remain on the surface. We greet one another on Sundays, exchange a few words, and then go home. But Christian fellowship is meant to be much deeper than that. God calls us into a relationship where we share our lives, encourage one another, pray for one another, and grow together in Christ. My prayer is that through this retreat, our relationships will grow into genuine loving fellowship. As we study God’s Word, worship together, share meals, play games, and spend time in conversation, I pray that we will experience the love of Christ in a deeper way.

As we conclude, let’s read verses 19–20 together: “We love because he first loved us. Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen.” Do you know that God is love? Do you love God? If your answer is yes, then I would like to ask you another question: Do you love your brothers and sisters? John makes a very strong statement here. If we cannot love our brother or sister, how can we claim to love the God whom we have never seen? Therefore, we must remember this word of God: “Anyone who loves God must also love their brother and sister” (21). May God help us to experience His love more deeply. May His love transform our hearts. And may God help us to love one another, as Jesus has commended us. Amen.