But Perfect Love Casts Out Fear 愛既完全就把懼怕除去 約壹 1 John 4:7-21

I. There are different kinds of love. 有不同的愛. Eros: Erotic, Sexual love (愛情,性愛) Storge: Family affection (家人之愛) Phileo: Fondness of others (友愛) Agape: Profound, spiritual, unselfish love, rooted in our Lord (聖愛,或簡称’愛’)

Words for “Love” in the Bible NT (NASB) 新約聖經所用的”愛”字 Eros - 0 Storge – 0 Phileo - 25 Agape - 315 Agape (n) - Love - 116 Agapao (v) - To Love - 137 Agapeetos (adj) - Beloved - 62

II. Characteristics of God’s perfect love 神完美的愛有許多特質 (agape) God’s perfect love / God is love (神的愛) Sacrificial love (自我牺牲) Demands no return (不求回報) Increases the value of the loved one (增加被愛者的價值) Not deserved / attractive / lovable (不配得的/不美的/不可愛的) Greatest commandment (最大的誡命) Greatest spiritual gift (最大的属灵恩賜) Greatest value (最高的价値) Believers’ most important characteristic (基督徒最重要的特点) No fear (没有懼怕)

約 John 13:34–35 (NIV) 34 “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35 By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” 34 我賜給你們一條新命令，乃是叫你們彼此相愛‧我怎樣愛你們，你們也要怎樣相愛‧ 35 你們若有彼此相愛的心，眾人因此就認出你們是我的門徒了‧

林前 1 Cor 12:31–13:3 (NASB) 31 But earnestly desire the greater gifts. And I show you a still more excellent way. 1 If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. 3 And if I give all my possessions to feed the poor, and if I surrender my body to be burned, but do not have love, it profits me nothing. 12:31 你們要切切的求那更大的恩賜，我現今把最妙的道指示你們‧ 13:1 我若能說萬人的方言，並天使的話語卻沒有愛，我就成了鳴的鑼，響的鈸一般‧ 13:2 我若有先知講道之能，也明白各樣的奧秘，各樣的知識‧而且有全備的信，叫我能夠移山，卻沒有愛，我就算不得什麼‧ 13:3 我若將所有的賙濟窮人，又捨己身叫人焚燒，卻沒有愛，仍然與我無益‧

III. Children of God will manifest God’s perfect love. 神的兒女要活出/彰顯出完美的愛 III. Children of God will manifest God’s perfect love. 神的兒女要活出/彰顯出完美的愛. (約壹 1 John 3:10-18, 23; 4:7, 21; 約 John 13:34-35; 15:12-13; 利 Lev 19:18; Deut 6:5; Matt 22:37-40; Mark 12:30; 罗 Rom 13:10; 12:10; 加 Gal 6:10) 約 John 13:34–35 (NIV) 34 “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35 By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” 34 我賜給你們一條新命令，乃是叫你們彼此相愛‧我怎樣愛你們，你們也要怎樣相愛‧ 35 你們若有彼此相愛的心，眾人因此就認出你們是我的門徒了‧

IV. Perfect love reflects the character of God. 完美的爱反映神的品格 IV. Perfect love reflects the character of God. 完美的爱反映神的品格. (約壹 1 John 4:7-8) 約壹 1 John 4:7–8 (NASB) 7 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. 8 The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love. 7 親愛的弟兄阿，我們應當彼此相愛‧因為愛是從 神來的‧凡有愛心的，都是由 神而生，並且認識 神‧ 8 沒有愛心的，就不認識 神‧因為 神就是愛‧

Love is from God. 愛是從神來的. God is love. 神就是愛. Perfect love reflects the character of God. 完美的爱反映神的品格. (約壹 1 John 4:7-8) Love is from God. 愛是從神來的. God is love. 神就是愛.

V. Perfect love was exemplified by Christ. 基督為完美的爱立下完美的榜樣 V. Perfect love was exemplified by Christ. 基督為完美的爱立下完美的榜樣. (約壹 1 John 4:9-11) 約壹 1 John 4:9–11 (NASB) 9 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. 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. 9神差他獨生子到世間來，使我們藉著他得生，神愛我們的心，在此就顯明了‧10不是我們愛 神，乃是 神愛我們，差他的兒子，為我們的罪作了挽回祭，這就是愛了‧11親愛的弟兄阿，神既是這樣愛我們，我們也當彼此相愛‧

VI. Perfect love is a proof of Christians’ true faith. 完美的愛是基督徒真信心的証据 VI. Perfect love is a proof of Christians’ true faith. 完美的愛是基督徒真信心的証据. (約壹 1 John 4:12-16) 約壹 1 John 4:12–16 (NASB95) 12 No one has seen God at any time; if we love one another, God abides in us, and His love is 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 We have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son to be the Savior of the world. 15 Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. 16 We have come to know and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. 12從來沒有人見過 神‧我們若彼此相愛，神就住在我們裡面，愛他的心在我們裡面得以完全了‧13神將他的靈賜給我們，從此就知道我們是住在他裡面，他也住在我們裡面‧14父差子作世人的救主，這是我們所看見且作見證的‧15凡認耶穌為 神兒子的，神就住在他裡面，他也住在神裡面‧16神愛我們的心，我們也知道也信‧神就是愛‧住在愛裡面的，就是住在 神裡面，神也住在他裡面‧

VII. Perfect love brings about Christians’ confidence in judgment VII. Perfect love brings about Christians’ confidence in judgment. 完美的愛使基督徒能在審判的日子坦然無懼. (約壹 1 John 4:17-21) 約壹 1 John 4:17–21 (NASB95) 17 By this, love is perfected with us, so that we may have confidence in the day of judgment; because as He is, so also are we in this world. 18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love. 19 We love, because He first loved us. 20 If someone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for the one who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen. 21 And this commandment we have from Him, that the one who loves God should love his brother also. 17這樣愛在我們裡面得以完全，我們就可以在審判的日子，坦然無懼‧因為他如何，我們在這世上也如何‧18愛裡沒有懼怕‧愛既完全，就把懼怕除去‧因為懼怕裡含著刑罰‧懼怕的人在愛裡未得完全‧19我們愛，因為 神先愛我們‧20人若說，我愛 神，卻恨他的弟兄，就是說謊話的‧不愛他所看見的弟兄，就不能愛沒有看見的 神‧﹝有古卷作怎能愛沒有看見的 神呢﹞‧21愛 神的，也當愛弟兄，這是我們從 神所受的命令‧

約壹 1 John 4:17-19 17 By this, love is perfected with us, so that we may have confidence in the day of judgment; because as He is, so also are we in this world. 18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love. 19 We love, because He first loved us. 17這樣愛在我們裡面得以完全，我們就可以在審判的日子，坦然無懼‧因為他如何，我們在這世上也如何‧18愛裡沒有懼怕‧愛既完全，就把懼怕除去‧因為懼怕裡含著刑罰‧懼怕的人在愛裡未得完全‧19我們愛，因為 神先愛我們‧

VIII. Personal response 個人回应