Let Us Love One Another

1 John 4:7-8

“⁷ Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. ⁸ He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.”

We are admonished by John the Apostle to love one another. Love is mentioned repeatedly in the Bible.  Here are some statistics on how many times it is mentioned in the different versions:

·       English Standard Version: 684

·       King James Version: 442

·       New American Standard Bible: 479

·       New Living Translation: 759

·       New International Version: 686

·       The Message: 611

Why should we love one another? We should love one another because love is of God and God is love.  Love is defined as an intense feeling of deep affection, a great interest and pleasure in something, (v.) feel deep affection for (someone).  The ancient Greeks have five to eight words for love:

·       Storge: affection

·       Philia or Phileo: friendship 

·       Eros: sexual, erotic

·       Agape: unconditional, divine, selfless

·       Ludus: flirtatious, playful, casual, uncommitted

·       Pragma: committed, long-standing

·       Philautia: self-love

·       Mania: obsessive, possessive, addictive, dependent

The scripture states that God is love.  Not only does He love us but He is love.  The verb “is” – the present tense third person singular of “be”.  Be means to equal in meaning: have the same connotation as; to have a specified qualification or characterization. God has the specific character of love.  His love is so intense, deep, faithful, and unmeasurable.  We can’t even fathom (to measure by a sounding line; to penetrate and come to understand) how much He loves us. He loved us so much that He gave His only Son, Jesus to die for our sins.  He died for us to have eternal life.  He suffered great humiliation and pain so that we could live with Him in eternity.  If we do not accept Him as the Lord of our lives, we will spend eternity in hell with the enemy, the devil. 

Jesus came and gave His all so that we could have eternal life and peace in heaven with God.  What love! Jesus says in John 15:12-13, “My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” Jesus laid down His life for us and called us friends.  Even when we were sinners, He died for us. 

We cannot say that we know God if we do not love one another. God commands us to love one another, Matthew 22:37-39, ³⁷ Jesus replied, “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’^[e] 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. ³⁹ A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.” Not a suggestion, but a commandment. 

Jesus also said in John 13:35 “Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.” This is how the world is going to know that we belong to Jesus by how we love one another.  If we give our lives to God, we can develop the fruit of the Spirit, which is love.  The world needs to see us loving one another not just in word but deeds as well.

People often say that they love others and continue to treat them harshly.  1 John 4:20-21 says, “²⁰ If someone says, “I love God,” but hates a fellow believer,^[c] that person is a liar; for if we don’t love people we can see, how can we love God, whom we cannot see? 21 And he has given us this command: Those who love God must also love their fellow believers.”  If we say we love God and don’t love people, we are deceiving ourselves.  The Bible clearly calls that person a liar.  We must not only say that we love each other but we must treat each other kindly and loving. 

If you are of God, you must learn to love others.  Let the Holy Spirit help you to develop the fruit of the Spirit, love. So, let us love one another and the world will see Jesus. Then they will accept Him as their Savior.  It is Good news!!