In First John, chapter 4 the Bible makes a very interesting and often overlooked statement. It says, “Beloved, let us love one another for love is of God and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God for God is love.”
On the surface, that just seems like a nice Bible verse. But let’s look closely at what it says. It says if we do not love, we do not know God. That’s a powerful statement! This verse says that without love in our hearts we do not know God.
When Jesus was talking with His disciples in John 13:34, He explained to them how other people would know that they were His disciples. He didn’t give them a gold embossed certificate that they could display on their office wall saying they had passed the requirements to be a disciple. He didn’t say that they would have a certain type of robe or suit to wear that would set them aside.
The only thing He said that would set them apart from others, the thing that would let others know that they were His disciples, would be one thing and one thing only. They would have love for one another.
Sometimes when we think of love, those who lived though the sixties think of hippies walking around in bell bottoms, giving the peace sign and saying, “Love, brother.”
Well, that’s not what we are talking about. We are talking about a godly, supernatural love, not the kind of love that comes from ourselves, but the kind of love that can only come from God the Father. This love will cause you to love those who are not lovely and to be more specific, it will cause you to love those who hate you.
You may be asking yourself if this “love” is really as important as I am making it out to be. Well, the answer is, yes. It is extremely important! Romans 13:8 says he who loves another has fulfilled the law and the Bible tells us that “perfect love casts out fear.”
We know faith is important. We are saved through faith. We are healed by the prayer of faith. Anything that is not of faith is sin and Hebrews 11:6 says that without faith it is impossible to please God. So why am I saying this?
Well, as important as faith is, the Bible tells us in 1 Corinthians 13:2 that we can have all faith, even enough faith that we could move mountains, but if we do not also have love, we are nothing. The last verse of that chapter says, “Now abide faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love.”
While we were in sin, God sent His Son Jesus to die for us. Then, God raised Him from the dead so that we who accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior can have eternal life. When we accept Jesus, we become children of God. And as His children we should have the same character as our Father.
We should not only love one another, but we should love those who do not deserve it. That’s what God did when He loved us. And when we truly love Him, that’s what we will do.
- Larry
On the surface, that just seems like a nice Bible verse. But let’s look closely at what it says. It says if we do not love, we do not know God. That’s a powerful statement! This verse says that without love in our hearts we do not know God.
When Jesus was talking with His disciples in John 13:34, He explained to them how other people would know that they were His disciples. He didn’t give them a gold embossed certificate that they could display on their office wall saying they had passed the requirements to be a disciple. He didn’t say that they would have a certain type of robe or suit to wear that would set them aside.
The only thing He said that would set them apart from others, the thing that would let others know that they were His disciples, would be one thing and one thing only. They would have love for one another.
Sometimes when we think of love, those who lived though the sixties think of hippies walking around in bell bottoms, giving the peace sign and saying, “Love, brother.”
Well, that’s not what we are talking about. We are talking about a godly, supernatural love, not the kind of love that comes from ourselves, but the kind of love that can only come from God the Father. This love will cause you to love those who are not lovely and to be more specific, it will cause you to love those who hate you.
You may be asking yourself if this “love” is really as important as I am making it out to be. Well, the answer is, yes. It is extremely important! Romans 13:8 says he who loves another has fulfilled the law and the Bible tells us that “perfect love casts out fear.”
We know faith is important. We are saved through faith. We are healed by the prayer of faith. Anything that is not of faith is sin and Hebrews 11:6 says that without faith it is impossible to please God. So why am I saying this?
Well, as important as faith is, the Bible tells us in 1 Corinthians 13:2 that we can have all faith, even enough faith that we could move mountains, but if we do not also have love, we are nothing. The last verse of that chapter says, “Now abide faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love.”
While we were in sin, God sent His Son Jesus to die for us. Then, God raised Him from the dead so that we who accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior can have eternal life. When we accept Jesus, we become children of God. And as His children we should have the same character as our Father.
We should not only love one another, but we should love those who do not deserve it. That’s what God did when He loved us. And when we truly love Him, that’s what we will do.
- Larry
