"God is Love"

1 John 4

In this chapter of 1 John 4 the apostle John expresses the truth of “God is Love”.

This isn’t the first time this phrase is used in the bible. There are many different adjectives that describe what God is.

Phrases like “God is Love”, “God is Light”, “God is Faithful”, “God is Good”, “God is Patient”, “God is All Knowing”, and etc. (I CAN GO ON AND ON LOL)

John tells us the why, how, what not to do, and our new command.

How and why God is Love? In verse 10 John explains. “This is love: He loved us long before we loved him. It was his love, not ours. He proved it by sending his Son to be the pleasing sacrificial offering to take away our sins.”

This isn’t old news in the bible. In John 3:16 John earlier explains what God did for us. “For he gave his only be gotten son to die on the cross for our sins.” This is the action that backs up verse 10 in this chapter.

With Jesus paying the price for our sins the result is for us to love one another unconditionally. God loved us so can show that same love to our brothers and sisters. We cannot say we “Love God” but have hatred towards one another. John explains that this isn’t what we are supposed to do.

God has given us all a new command. That command is to love. In this chapter, verse 21 says, “For he has given us this command: whoever loves God must also demonstrate love to others” This also isn’t the first time this new commandment is mention.

In the gospel, Jesus presents a new commandment in the book of John. John 13:34-35 says, “So I give you now a new commandment: Love each other just as much as I have loved you. For when you demonstrate the same love, I have for you by loving one another, everyone will know that you’re my true followers.”

Expressing love to one another looks different in many ways.

We should center the way we live around love. For when we do this, we’re ultimately centering our lives through God. God wants us to share his love with others. We’re obligated to show his character with the world.

God is LOVE!

Choose LOVE first!