Love Demonstrated

 "Love And Friendship" by xedos4 / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Many of us are well acquainted with 1 Corinthians 13 as being the "love chapter" in the Bible.  We hear it at weddings and funerals.  We look to it for the proof we will understand the things we do not presently understand.  However, 1 Corinthians 13 is not the the only chapter in the New Testament that speaks at length about love...
 1 John 4:7-20 tells us that God is love (KJV, 1 John 4:8b).  It speaks about our love towards one another, and it gives us insight about what love has to do with knowing God.

Verses 7 and 8 let us know that if we are born of God we will love one another, but the person that does not know God does not love.  Because God is love (1 John 4:8b).  In fact he demonstrated His love, by sending his only, unique, one of a kind Son into the world, that we might live through him  (1John 4:9b).  The point is made in verse 10 that it was God that loved us, and sent His Son to pay for our sins.  So why is it important to understand that God loved us first?  I believe it is important, based on what I have read in 1 John, to understand God reached down to us.  We didn't start searching for Him first.  He loves us, because He is love.  And we cannot truly love, if we do not know Him.  But we can know God and be filled with His Spirit, if we confess that Jesus is the Son of God ( 1 John 4: 15).

The aforementioned is very important, because we cannot obey the command in verse 7 if we do not really believe that Jesus is the Son of God.  Many times we read 1 John 4:7 as a stand alone verse, Beloved, let us love one another:  for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God (KJV).  Yes, this is true and it is beautiful, just like the verse I have cherished since I was a child, God is love (1 Jn.4:8b).

However, we get to the last verse, that tells us, If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar:  for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen? ( KJV, 1 John 4:20).  What is your reaction to this?  Do you think John is ending on a negative note.  I don't think so.  I think this is a continuation of his warning to be discerning of spirits in verse 1.  Love is more than a feeling.  Love is action, so if actions do not match what someone says, it raises doubt about whether they really are followers of Jesus.

This is something I have always wanted to steer away from, because I don't want to be a Christian who is judging others.  But we need to be careful about who we believe to be authorities on God's word.  There are false prophets.  I am fairly sure I have known at least one.  However, I do not dwell on that, because I also realize Christians can still struggle with the flesh, as Paul teaches in Romans 7:14-22. But, I will not talk about that today, other than to say, I am glad God helps us to understand what we struggle with even after we become believers.

Therefore, let us love one another, as we are taught in God's Word.  Let those of us who believe that God sent Jesus in the flesh, that He was born of the virgin Mary, that He was crucified dead and buried, that He arose from the dead on the third day, and He ascended into heaven -- let us not argue over petty things, let us be forgiving of one another, let us be patient and kind, let us love one another with love that is born of God, and let there be no jealousies among us.   If our brother hurts us, and he never says he is sorry, we must still love him.  It may be a love that has sorrow in it, because of a bond broken.  But better sorrow, than nursing bitterness and anger in our hearts.  We can recover from that kind of hurt if we love with the love of the Holy Spirit in us.  That is a choice  we have to make:  and this choice demonstrated brings freedom.

Do you desire a world where Christian brothers and sisters demonstrate the love of God in their lives, towards God, towards one another, and even love their enemies?  Do you ever wonder what it would be like to live in that kind of a world daily?  I do.  Therefore, after I have believed in my God and Savior, it begins with me.  And it begins with you.  Love, it is of God.