1 John 4:7-12… 7) Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. 8) Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. 9) This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. 10) This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. 11) Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12) No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.
John the apostil gives us plentiful reasons for believers to love one another. One is that since God is the source of love, it is only natural that those who belong to Him should love each other. In fact, one might say that people who do not love God really do not know Him.
Another reason for believers to love is God’s gift of His Son. Jesus was the Father’s unique and only Son, whom the Father sacrificed so that we might receive eternal life. How can we respond any other way but to love Him and one another?
Love is powerful – we understand, and we all seek to have it. We all need it. Love is the basic human need. But what is love? How do you and I describe love? The word sounds so simple yet defies a simple definition. If there ever was a topic which could qualify as the most thought about, written about, talked about, and sung about, it is certainly love. Love links us with God. Our text says that love comes from God. And it also says that God is love.
And when our text says that God is Love it is saying something about the very nature of God Himself. Scripture teaches that the dominant distinctive characteristic of God is love. God is characterized by love. In fact, this is so true that it defines those who belong to God. Our text here gives us this test for determining who has been born of God and for who know God. Those of us that declare our love for God should live lives characterized by that Love.
Think how difficult this must have been for Christ – He left His throne of glory knowing that He would have to offer the sacrifice of His life to save us from our sins. Christ humbled Himself for us being made in human form. Christ gave Himself daily for us as He walked the dusty roads of Palestine ministering to people. And finally, Christ offered Himself up willingly as a sacrifice for our sins, enduring the shame and humiliation of the Cross and suffering terrible pain at that moment as He cried out – My God – My God Why Have You Forsaken Me – when He took upon himself the sins of the whole world.
We should never be able to say to God, “Show me!” He has shown us. Look at the cross. Do you not see there the love of God? Consider Jesus hanging there in agony and pain. Consider the crown of thorns pressed down upon His brow. Consider the stakes driven through His hands and feet. Consider the beating He had already endured so much so that He was unrecognizable. Consider what he suffered. He did it all for love. He did all for us. That is the love of God demonstrated.
Scripture teaches that people – you and I are not able to see God – However people can surely see us. How is our love life? Is our life manifesting the love of God in word and deed? Even small acts of love can have a powerful effect. Love is powerful. We must never underestimate the power of the smallest deed done in love… To God Be the Glory Great Things He Has Done…
Would you pray this prayer with me…? “Lord Jesus, come into my heart. Forgive my sins. I want my life to change. My thoughts and my attitude need to change. I do not have peace in my heart. I really want that peace, joy, and happiness that I long for. Please let the Holy Spirit help me be the kind of Christian that will bring honor to Your Name.” Amen
