God is Love (1 John 4:7-12)
“Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us, and his love is perfected in us.”
Yes friends, God is love. In 1 John 4:7-12, we are instructed that since God is love, we are to love one another. It is implied that those who do not love does not love God, nor do they know Him. The reasoning is that if they knew God, they would know that God is love.
Through God’s love, He made manifest among us by sending his only Son into the world, so that we might live through Him. God did not send His Son into the world because we loved Him, but because God loved us so very much that He sent His Son into the world to be the propitiation for our sins. Therefore, if God loved us this much, we ought to love one another. Since no one who is living now has ever seen God, if we love one another, then that is a sign that God abides in us, and His love is perfected in us.
The love of our Heavenly Father for His own Son is the source that binds all believers together as a family. By our Heavenly Father who has willfully given us His only Son, He has introduced us to perfect love and eternal life. By Christ Jesus coming into the world, He turned His Father’s righteous anger away from us and Jesus satisfied God’s justice in our place. Jesus did this to fulfill God’s love for us.
We should be comforted that God does love us so very much that He was willing to send His only Son as a living sacrifice for the redemption of our sins. If we say that we love God, then we must love one another as Christ loved us.
One of the most important commandments that Jesus told us was to love God with all our hearts, soul, and mind, and to love our neighbor as ourselves (cf. Matthew 22:37-39). And if we have love for our neighbor, then we love God. If we do not have love for our neighbor, then we do not love God.
Once you invite Jesus into your heart, the Helper which is the Holy Spirit will live in you and help you with your faith. He will teach you. Your life will start to change. Your hatred for others will dissipate and through the Holy Spirit, you will have love for those who have hurt you and ridiculed you. You will have the love of Christ Jesus in you. That is how you can love others. I pray that you will find the peace and love of God only found through a relationship with Christ Jesus.
Prayer: Dear Jesus, I ask that you forgive me of my sins and those who I have sinned against. Please help me to forgive others as I have been forgiven. I ask that you help me to love others as you have loved me. Amen.
Copyright © September 30, 2023. Written by Joseph T. Lee for Marketplace Evangelism Ministries Inc. All Rights Reserved.
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