The Love Of God

Re-reading 1 John challenges me again and again on Love. And no... I'm not referring to sensuality and humanism. But the kind of love that God has instituted, demonstrated and represented.

You cannot read 1 John and avoid the confrontation of truth and love. It is so rich and powerful. And it points to the fact that there is room for growth and perfection.

The proof of loving God is loving fellow brothers and sisters (1 Jn 4:21).

The proof of loving fellow brothers & sisters is loving God (1 Jn 5:1).

The proof of loving God is obeying ALL His commandments (1 Jn 5:2).

The proof of obeying all His commandments is true FAITH in Christ (1 Jn 5:3-4).

Because His commandments are not burdensome (1 Jn 5:3) if we really put our faith in Christ ----> faith empowers us to overcome the world (1 Jn 5:4), which includes the power to obey all His commandments. 

The opposite is true. If we find it challenging and burdensome to obey any of His commandments, it shows that we haven't put our faith in Christ in that area.

Love in itself requires faith. The way to walk in love is to walk in faith. You love people BY FAITH. That's God's standard of love. We love because He first loved us (1 Jn 4:19). The more we know His love, the more love casts out all fears, resulting in us walking in pure faith (1 Jn 4:17-18). For faith works through love (Gal 5:6).

Love drives out all fears, except the fear of God, because the latter does not involve torment (1 Jn 4:18). Since the fear of God is the beginning of wisdom (Prov 9:10), the love of God is on the same side as the wisdom of God. Any fear that masks itself as the wisdom of God is NOT the love of God, because the wisdom of God is the love of God without fears. The love of God results in boldness, confidence and faith.

To love people wholly, we must love God wholly by obeying His commandments fully. And to obey His commandments fully, we need to walk in faith fully. To walk in faith fully, we must know His love perfectly. To the degree that we know His love, to that degree we will walk in faith (without fear) to love His people.

We have no excuse either way. There is no nitpicking in the Word of God. It is so explicit in 1 John that there is no grey area to live in. What a privilege it is to grow unto that perfection.