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. 1 John 4:7-8
Love, they say, makes the world go round. John, the author of this letter, returns to his favorite subject- love.
John provides a social test of love here in this verse. What evidence can someone give to demonstrate that they love God? John argues that loving one another proves that we are born of God. The second greatest commandment is to love your neighbor as yourself(Mark 12:31).
A true understanding of God must include the revelation that “God is love”, which means God is the source of love.
It means that at the root of all God does, is love. How do we know that God is love? Do the other religions of the world teach and show that God is love?
The testimony of the Bible is that God showed His love to us by sending His Son for our salvation. 1 John 3: 1-3 highlights the reality of experiencing God’s love by being born again in Christ Jesus and turning away from sin and its enslavement. Love flows from the heart of God to us through the Holy Spirit. God’s love then flows through us to others, helping us love our fellow people.
Love is the most powerful force that can solve many of the world’s problems. Love is the very nature of God. We may not agree with everyone’s opinion, but we can still love them. In the words of Jesus Christ, “Love your enemies, pray for those who persecute you, thus acting as true children of God” (Matthew 5:44).
