1 John 4
Scripture:
1 John 4:7-11
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.
Observation:
In this passage and throughout this entire chapter John echoes the theme that resonates through this entire book: love one another. He hammers home the point that there is one clear quality that identifies those who are “from God,” and that quality is that they love people the way Jesus loved us. This quality helps discern whether someone is “in the light” (1 John 2:9-10), whether they are “children of God” or “children of the devil” (1 John 3:10), or whether a prophet is true or false (1 John 4:1-3). And the beauty of this quality is that it is not something we have to create, define or develop on our own. It comes from God, it is demonstrated through the life of Jesus, and we simply respond to his initiative.
Understanding:
Too often we want to qualify people as “in” or “out” by nitpicking their doctrinal points or evaluating their particular spiritual practices or church participation. John makes a remarkable statement, “everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.” This is the qualifier. Do I love like Jesus? Do they love like Jesus? But how do we know what that love is – what it looks like? It looks like what Jesus did for us. “This is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.” Then, in a stunning challenge he tells us in verse 11 we should love like this - like Jesus. Go into their “world.” Be among the broken, hurting, sinner; walk with them; demonstrate God’s lovingkindness toward them; lay down your life for them. And again, He gives us the power to do it – we “live through him.” (v.9)
Life Application:
Lord, I don’t want to complicate what you’ve asked me to do and empowered me to do. I want to live through you today and love like you demonstrated. Let me lay down my agenda – my “life” – to take up your agenda. I am willing for my schedule to be interrupted by you in order to respond in love. Help me see those I interact with today through your eyes – even those I don’t know or don’t like - and empower me to treat them with grace, lovingkindness, mercy and understanding. Let the love that you’ve poured into my life spill all over those whom encounter today.
– Chris Hansler
Chris is the Regional Executive Director for Pacific Open Bible. He has been a pastor for 36 years and loves his wife, his kids and the church deeply. More than anything else, he wants people to know, experience and live in the gracious love of Jesus that has captivated his life.