Our God is Love

This I command you, that you love one another. John 15:17

As we approach Valentine's Day this week, I thought it would be an opportune time to look at why we as Christians are to love one another.

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

Certainly, we can only love because we were first loved by God. And God is love.

The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love.
I John 4:8

And if we are His children, then we have His DNA. We are part of the family of God - and God's family is marked by love. All His saints bear His image. If He is love, then we are love.

We have come to know and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. I John 4:16

When we love God, we can also love others. But our actions must imitate our thoughts and feelings. If we claim to love God, but don't love our brother, we're really not loving God.

If someone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for the one who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen. And this commandment we have from Him, that the one who loves God should love his brother also. I John 4:20-21

This is the commandment we have from Him! The one who loves Him should love His brother also.

Heart check: how are you doing on this?

When we receive Christ, we become children of God. We are born of God.

But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. John 1:12-13

Those who are born of God cannot live in enmity.

By this the children of God and the children of the devil are obvious: anyone who does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor the one who does not love his brother. I John 3:10

Finally, brethren, rejoice, be made complete, be comforted, be like-minded, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you. II Corinthians 3:11

We love our brothers because they are our BROTHERS! We are heirs of the same immortal bliss.

The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him. Romans 8:16-17

Because we are brothers, our hearts are bound by love, which is the perfect expression of unity.

Beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity. Colossians 3:14

It really should be our goal, as the last verse of this hymn states, that the world would look at us and marvel at how we love one another.

A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another. John 13:34-35

As you think about love this week, ask God to show you how you can love your brothers better. I will be praying with you, that our Lord would cause an increase in our love for one another.

May the Lord cause you to increase and abound in love for one another.
I Thessalonians 3:12


Our God is Love
Anonymous

Our God is love; and all His saints
His image bear below;
The heart with love to God inspired,
With love to man will glow.

O may we love each other, Lord,
As we are loved by Thee;
For none are truly born of God
Who live in enmity.

Heir of the same immortal bliss,
Our hopes and fears the same,
The cords of love our hearts should bind,
The laws of love inflame.

So shall the vain contentious world
Our peaceful lives approve,
And wondering say, as they of old,
"See how these Christians love."