Are We Loving Others Like We Should?

Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.

⁸ He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.

-First John 4:7-8 (King James Version)

Are we truly loving others the way God loves us? In these verses, John is providing for us a acid test. A test to know if we really know God and follow God the way we should.

Verse 7 says, "Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God;" I'm going to stop right here. John is teaching us to love each other, because God is love. God is love. That would be just a statement unless it was backed up with examples. Verses 9-10 give that example. "In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins." God demonstrated His love for us through Jesus, even when we didn't love Him in return. The rest of verse 7 says, "and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God." Since God is love (and we proved that in verses 9-10), then those who claim to follow God must show that same kind of love, right? People will make the assumption that these verses are talking only about loving others who are Christians. Let's assume that is right (I don't believe that is the case, but for the sake of argument, let's go with it), can this be done? You say "Of course it can!" How many churches have split because of a difference of opinion? How many people left a church because of a stupid, petty reason that is based, not upon the Word of God, upon man made doctrine? Assuming that John meant we should only love those who are followers of Jesus, the fact remains that we cannot even do that!

Since we prove our love for God by loving others, verse 8 shows that we can show our lack of love for God by showing a lack of love for others. "He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love." Are you showing God's love to others. Not just to other "Christians" but even to those outside the church. God showed His love to all people when He sent Jesus to be the payment for our sins. This sacrifice wasn't just for those who already followed God, it was for all people. That is the type of love we should emulate. Think About It.