Nurturing – 1 John 4:7-12
God Is Love
7 Beloved, let us love one another, because love is from God; everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. 8 Whoever does not love does not know God, for God is love. 9 God’s love was revealed among us in this way: God sent his only Son into the world so that we might live through him. 10 In this is love, not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins. 11 Beloved, since God loved us so much, we also ought to love one another.12 No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God lives in us, and his love is perfected in us.
What does the passage say?
V. 7 Apostle John demands us to Love others. He says that loves is born of God and knows God. Therefore, they can love.
V. 8 He says that since God is Love, the ones who understand His love can love. On the other hand, if one doesn’t know God, means that he or she can’t love.
V. 9-10 The love that God shows is different fro the love that we understand. If the love we want is a love that is centered around my understanding, it might not be the love that God shows. The love that God shows to the world is a love that is sacrificial and love that reaches out to the ones who do not deserve this love.
V. 11-12 That is the reason for us to love others. While we love others, God’s love is revealed in us, and it is completed with us.
What does the passage say to you and me?
The world we live in craves for true love. We seek to it in other places, but the truth is that we can’t find it other than the place it originated. God is Love. God is the origin of Love. There is no other way fo us to find it.
However, if the church, who is called to share this love, fails in their task, people have no other option than to search for love outside of God. Therefore, it is time for us to step up. Step up our game in loving others. We need to see how the word became revealed and completed through us. “No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us” (v. 12 NIV).
Let’s Pray
Lord, help us to love others in the world, according to the love you showed us. Help us to see who needs your love, and help us to look at how we should love them. May your love be revealed through us. In Christ name we pray, AMEN
What are your thoughts?
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