LEARNING DAILY

 

1 John 4:19, We love Him because He first loved us.

 

The New Living Translation says, ”We love each other because He first loved us.” The message here, in my opinion, is our ability to love God and others is due to the love He first showed us through His Son. When we accept the gift of God’s salvation that comes though the saving grace of Jesus Christ, we receive the ability to truly love Him and others because His nature is love. We become a new creation that has God’s nature -- love. God’s love is different from that of an unbeliever. God’s love is holy. God’s love is unconditional. God’s love is zealous. God’s love is sacrificial.

 

1 John 4:8 tells us, “He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.” You and I are not to just be a “loving person”; we are to be like God. I can speak for only me. When I got saved, I learned and lived an entirely different meaning for love. That meaning came because of my intense desire to study and know who God was (is). Over years of study, I have learned that love is rooted in the character and nature of Almighty God. He is the originator, the origin of all true love. Biblical love is about walking the narrow way to eternity with the Holy Spirit’s help, trying to be the best possible person who wants the very best for others while asking for nothing in return (paraphrased from the notes in the David Jeremiah Study Bible). You and I cannot have that kind of love without God in our lives.

 

You and I are exhorted to love others, to be concerned about them and their welfare, their walk on the narrow way. This is not some sort of feel-good thing toward others but a genuine desire to help others in their needs. Because we have experienced His love and His forgiveness, we are to extend the same to others. Sometimes that means we are to love those who are difficult to love. All of us face situations like this. When we do, remember how unlovable we were when God first loved us. He forgave us and loved us with an unconditional love. When we extend that kind of love to others, when God’s real love abides within us, our actions and our attitudes reveal God to those around us.

 

Let me finish with one more verse. “If you love Me, keep my commandments.” (John 14:15). If you and I love Him, we will do everything we can to live each day in His righteousness and walk on the narrow way to His kingdom as He desires. I am not sure there is a greater way to express our love for God than to walk according to His commandments and his desires for us. Obviously, this does not happen immediately; it is a continual work going on in us and will continue until we walk into heaven. God has always desired, demanded that His people be obedient to Him before everything else. We are not able to do this on our own. He knew that. Because of that He sent the Holy Spirit to help us.

 

“Love for Jesus Christ is demonstrated by keeping His commandments. Obedience that flows from love is very different from obedience performed out of obligation.” (David Jeremiah Study Bible). Love God, love others with the love that God loves you with.