4/13/25 Weekly Bible Lesson: All You Need is Love

Background of Text —

Fake friends, fake news, and especially fake Christians can breed hostility in our society. No one likes to be lied to, and when people discover they have been deceived, the fallout can impact relationships, elections, and, sadly, the reputation of the church. When fake Christians play the game of church, they can only fool others for so long. When the jig is up and they are found out, their phony faith can leave lasting damage. John addresses these issues in 1 John, shedding light on the importance of God’s love and the role it plays in our everyday life. In the church, all you need is love, but it must be a love that is authentic and true. 

When it comes to the difference between true Christians and fake Christians, John indicates there is a pretty simple code for telling them apart: true Christians obey Jesus and fake Christians do not. As soon as we read this, we realize we have known plenty of Christians, ourselves included, who have sinned. Is this text teaching God’s people can attain sinless perfection? If so, how come we haven’t reached that point in our own walk? I don’t know about you, but I can’t get through a single day, sometimes a single hour, without missing the mark in some way, large or small. John is not saying true Christians can avoid sin altogether or attain perfection, but he is saying Christians can and should guard against habitual sin. As the saying goes, “Christians are not sinless, but they should sin less.” 

Understanding 

John addresses this spiritual community as his “dear children” and tells them not to sin. As their spiritual father, he knows them well and is perfectly aware of their limitations. He knows it is an impossible task, so he immediately reminds them that when they do sin, the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ still covers them. Even now, Jesus continues the cleansing from the throne of heaven. We have the beautiful promise from 1:9, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” 

The “obedience test” is not the only way to distinguish between true Christians and fake Christians. In addition to their commitment to obey God, true Christians are marked by a profound love for others. This love originates in God. Because He loved us first and sent Jesus to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins, we love others. In this way, God’s love is made complete in us. 

In a world full of fake people, fake news, and fake doctrine, the children of God should stand out as genuine and authentic. How can we make sure we stand out from the fakers? Here are just a few practical ways to be the real deal in a fake world: 

Walk the Walk 

It is not enough to go to church on Sunday, sing a few worship songs, and shake the preacher’s hand. John wrote, “Whoever says, ‘I know Him,’ but does not do what He commands is a liar” (1 John 2:4). In our everyday lives, which includes Monday through Saturday, we are to live lives of integrity and obedience. Not only are we actively doing good things, but we are also resisting the bad things. We know perfection is not within our reach, but certainly we can guard our mouths and stay away from gossip, bad language, and inappropriate jokes. We can protect ourselves against impure desires by guarding what gets past the eye gate and the ear gate. Whatever weaknesses we face, we must not allow the way we live six days of the week make us liars on the first day of the week. We must walk the walk. 

Look like someone who loves people. 

I know that sounds a little silly, but the resting angry face and the resting tired face are real things. You would think when the love of God overflows in our lives, it would naturally show on our faces. Sometimes it does—and sometimes it requires some effort. We cannot afford to walk around with faces that do not match the love we have for God and for others. We can convey openness, eagerness, love, and acceptance simply by adjusting our facial expressions. The love of God should be written all over us. Let’s work on our resting happy faces.  

See what is possible in every person.  

When Jesus told His disciples it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven, they were astonished: “Who then can be saved?” It was in response to this question Jesus gave the much remembered but much misunderstood line, “With God all things are possible.” I may not be able to use this verse as scriptural proof that someday I will play basketball in the NBA or own a Fortune 500 company, but I know for certain what this verse does mean: there are no lost causes. We must never hold the cross hostage, only offering the Gospel to people who “look the part.” John affirms Jesus is the atoning sacrifice for our sins and for the sins of the whole world (1 John 2:2). As long as someone has breath in their lungs, salvation is possible.