1 John 4:7-10

1 John 4:7-10

Beloved, we should love one another because love is out of God and everyone who loves has been born out of God and knows God.  The one who does not love does not know God because God is love.  In this the love of God was being revealed in us: that God has sent His one and only Son into the world in order that we should live through Him.  Love is in this: not that we have loved God but that He loved us and He sent His Son as propitiation concerning our sin.

Thoughts for Today

First Thought:

Here’s the blunt end to John’s point.  Love isn’t an emotional feeling we have towards another person.  Love is what God does: forgiving our sinfulness when we don’t deserve it – and even making a sacrifice of Himself to accomplish it. 

Love isn’t some melting of the heart when a cute person walks by.  That’s probably more closely related to lust than love. 

Love isn’t that feeling of personal attraction to one particular person.  If that were true, then we could only love our spouse.

Love isn’t an emotion tied to procreation.  If that were true, we could only love our children.

Love is what God does.  Love is forgiving others when they don’t deserve it.  Love is thinking the best of others when they deserve judgment.  Love is offering new life when judgment and death should follow instead.  That’s why God is love.  That’s why love is so difficult for us to attain.

How does John’s definition of love differ from the world’s definition?  How does John’s definition of love differ from your own?  How well do you live up to John’s definition of love?

Second Thought:

Having said that, now let’s return to John’s exhortation.  We should love one another.  That doesn’t mean we should have that warm emotional gooey feeling inside of us towards everyone around us.  It means that we should live our life having a position of forgiveness.  We should live our life willing to even sacrifice of ourselves when the people around us fail.  Of course, there is the question of who should receive this posture from us?  John’s context throughout this whole letter has been that we should love one another – that is, we should love other people who are out of God as we spoke yesterday.  That much is for certain, and that is certainly John’s point.  However, let’s also remember who God loves.  God loved us while we were yet sinners.  (Romans 5:8)  We are bound by faith to love other Christians.  But if we want to be like God, our love will extend to the world as does His love.

Do you feel the invitation to love?  Do you feel the challenge in love?  Which is the stronger pull for you?  Which is more difficult?

Third Thought:

Not only do we imitate God’s perfect love, but this allows us to know God.  To know means so much more than to just have academic awareness of something.  In the Bible, to know a person means to have an intimate relationship with them.  Through love, we know God deeply.  To sacrifice for the benefit of other people and forgive them when they are undeserving gives us the ability to know the depth of God.  Knowing doesn’t come through academic pursuit alone.  Knowing comes from putting what we learn (faith/believe) into practice (do/obey).

Do you know God?  When do you grow in knowing God the most?

Passage for Tomorrow: 1 John 4:11-13