Loving One Another

This week, as we continue growing in the revelation of God’s love for us, we turn our attention to the second greatest commandment given by the Lord Jesus: “You shall love your neighbour as yourself” (Matthew 22:39). We cannot truly love others until we first understand how deeply God loves us. Our revelation of His love not only fuels our faith (Galatians 5:6), but also transforms the way we relate to those around us. The more established we become in God’s love, the more naturally we reflect that love to others.

John gives us a profound revelation of the love of God, saying, “In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him” (1 John 4:9). God’s love was not merely declared – it was demonstrated. Out of love, “the Word became flesh and dwelt among us” (John 1:14), and “while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). John continues, “In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins” (vs.10). This is the foundation of our relationship with God: He loved us first. Our love for Him is simply a response to the love He has already shown us. As we grow in this revelation, our faith is strengthened, because everything in God’s Kingdom functions through spiritual knowledge. Peter therefore writes, “Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord” (2 Peter 1:2). The more we know Him and His love, the more fully we experience His grace, life, and divine nature.

Having established God’s love towards us, John then exhorts us, “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God” (1 John 4:7). The true evidence that we know God is not merely found in our words, nor is it measured by how frequently we attend church, how eloquently we pray, or even our ability to speak in other tongues – it is revealed in the way we love others. John states this plainly, saying, “He who does not love does not know God, for God is love” (vs.8). God’s love is never selfish; it always gives, serves, forgives, and places others before itself. Just as Christ laid down His life for us, we are called to love in ways that are practical, sacrificial, and sometimes even inconvenient. This is why Paul exhorts us, saying, “above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection” (Colossians 3:14). Love is the highest expression of Christian maturity because it binds together every godly virtue. John goes on to say, “If God so loved us, we also ought to love one another … If we love one another, God abides in us, and His love has been perfected in us” (vs.11-12). God’s love reaches its intended purpose when it flows through us to others. Every act of genuine love becomes a testimony that Christ lives in us. This is why John later writes, “If someone says, ‘I love God,’ and hates his brother, he is a liar” (1 John 4:20) because love is not merely something we confess; it is something we live out practically.

Church, may we continue growing in the revelation of God’s love, remembering that He loved us first and demonstrated that love through His Son. As we abide in His love, may it transform our hearts and become evident in the way we love, serve, and care for others. May our lives become a testament of the God who dwells within us, reflecting His very nature through patience, kindness, compassion, and generosity. Hallelujah!

Prayer

Father, thank You for loving us while we were still sinners and for demonstrating Your love through Your Son, Jesus Christ. May we continue to grow in the understanding of Your love for us, so that we can love others as You have loved us. May Your love be perfected in us as it flows through us to those around us, and may our lives reflect Christ in all that we do. In Jesus’ name, Amen.