God is Love
“God is love”. This phrase written by John in 1 John 4:16, has powerfully echoed throughout the last 2,000 years. But what does it mean? Does it mean that God is the essence of love? Meaning God isn’t really a person, but just a love force? No, because John has been very clear to say that God is a person or being revealed to us through Jesus Christ, whom he saw, heard, and touched. Rather, John is saying that God is the source of love, true agape love originates with God. So the only way we can truly love God and others genuinely and consistently is if we have God’s love within us, which only happens if we are in relationship with God and receive his Spirit, which only happens when we receive Jesus Christ by faith. Then his love can be made complete in us.
Too many read portions of this letter and conclude, “I must know God then because I love other people.” But John is also clear that unless you believe in Jesus as God’s Son, that he died for your sins, then that love you have for others does not come directly from God because you are not in relationship with God (1 John 4:15). Then where does that love come from? Jesus said anyone can love those who love them, even “sinners” (Luke 6:32) because we are all created in God’s image and God is love (although we are marred by sin and the outcomes of the Fall). But can we love those who are difficult to love, our enemies, those who persecute us, those who seem unloveable? That is the real test of whether you have God’s love within you because you know him and he lives in you and you in him.
We can see God’s love most clearly in the sacrificial price he was willing to pay on our behalf by sending his Son Jesus to earth as one of us to die 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 (1 John 4:10).” This not only helps us understand what God like love really is (agape in the Greek), it sets the bar for the love we should have toward others. Love as an action to do for others as God had done for us (1 John 4:11). Is our love sacrificial like God’s? Are we putting the needs of others ahead of our own (and not just those who love us) (Phil. 2:1-11)? If not, our love is not agape love, it is another kind of love (like familial love, or friendship love, or romantic love). We need God’s s love to love others. Do you know God? Have you trusted in Jesus? If not, the place to start is with a relationship with God through Jesus. Receive Jesus as God’s expression of love, His Son, who died for your sin so you can know God and be in relationship with God without the barrier of sin. If you do know God, pray for more of God’s love so you can love as he loves, and for him to give you opportunities to exercise his love and show it to those who do not themselves show love to us, or are difficult to love.