Look for Love

09.05.12

1 John 4.7 7 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. ESV

How would you define love in your experience? Ever have a fight with your spouse? What about a child who keeps on pushing your buttons and pulling your chains? Is there anyone you can think of that you’d just rather not be around? How does love fit in these circumstances or situations?

John wrote his letter to believers to help them to combat the assaults on their faith. There were many false prophets then who were (as they are now) perverting faith in Christ by adding to it with rules, regulations, or hoops to jump through; or they were taking away from it by trying to change the simplicity of relationship with Jesus by omitting the basics of love. So when John said, “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God.” the beloved he was writing to were those who knew Christ and were being assaulted with misinformation and disinformation about God and love.

John said, wait a minute! Whoever loves has been born of God and knows God: are you loving the brethren? How would you define or describe love in your experience? Because despite all this other stuff you’ve been hearing, here is the bottom line: love is from God and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. It all boils down to love.

Most of the “love” I see these days borders on irritated tolerance: I love you, but OMG you bug the crap out of me! There aren’t kind words. There isn’t selflessness. Life has to be more than snipping and bickering at each other. Life has to be more than trying to find ways to kill my irritations by taking it out on you. A life that reflects irritated tolerance is a life that is not of God…at least according to the Apostle John.

John lived with Jesus for three years. John saw love up close and personal. John knew love because he knew God. And so he knew when he didn’t see love that God probably wasn’t around. And when John saw false religion and false professors he knew what it was and who they were because they didn’t have the birthmarks of God’s love: whoever loves has been born of God.

So, I guess we need to define love in order to recognize true love. Jesus said the two greatest commandments were these: 1. Love the Lord your God with all of your heart, soul, mind, and strength. 2. And love your neighbor as yourself. And then Jesus defined love this way: if you love Me, keep my commands. Love defined: love God with all that is in you to keep His commandments, and love other people – look to meet their highest good – as you would for yourself.

Want to know if you’re truly a believer? Look for love…