Love is a serious thing. It’s not just an emotion. It is the emotional part of the plan of salvation. It’s in the emotional part of creation of man. God gave mankind his strength and knowledge. He put his heart in us. Without our human heart we will die. If we’re saved we’ll go to heaven. If you’re not saved, you need to be today. God’s love is a prevailing motion.
John wrote how needful it is for us to love one another. As expressed by the world, love has become an abomination to God. Any and all kinds of love are accepted. Do not look to the world for a definition. Look to the throne of God. He says ‘I love you and I have proved it.’ The Bible says in Romans 5:8 but God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
John didn’t say this scripture is a suggestion or an option. He didn’t say measure what we do according to ourselves. It’s not just a nice thing to do when you feel good. You aren’t bitter to someone because they are bitter toward you. You are not hateful to someone because they are hateful to you. That’s not in the Book—not in God’s book. It is in the book the devil would have us believe. Satan subtly puts people at variance with others. There are mean men and women in the Bible. Don’t let it happen to you. There is only one devil; don’t let him get to you.
I thank God that John tanned our hide in this scripture. By our acts of loving one another people will know we are Christians. Fighting against each other ought not to happen. I John 4:21 says and this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also. This is a COMMANDMENT FROM GOD. This is not a suggested use. Labels will tell us the intended use of something. Candy doesn’t have an intended use. If you want the candy from God, you first have to eat the meat and taters.
I John 4 gives us these verses.
7 Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.8 He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.9 In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.10 Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another. 13 Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit.14 And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world. 16 And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.17 Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.
If God loved me that much, the least I can do is love him and my brothers and sisters. Ask yourself if you really love God. Do you really love your brother and sister? When we stand before God in judgement, we’ll be scared. If we have loved as we should we won’t find ourselves alone. We will be there for each other. Verse 18 tells us there is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.
The only way to heaven is love. Verses 19-20 tell us we love him, because he first loved us. If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?
Hope may get dim. Faith may get weak. Love can endure. The Apostle Paul said now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity. He’s talking about love, a love that is shown. Do you need to show God your love a little on this Valentine’s Day? Do you need to be more loving to others? Today is the day to start again.
Adwolfe Freewill Baptist Church 