God is Love

2 Timothy 1:7 (WEBBE): For God didn’t give us a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and self-control.

Love is a very large and important subject. Many books have been written about it (besides the Bible which is about the God that is love). Unexpectedly this has been a difficult subject for me to write about, because there are sooooo many scriptures about love. It feels like if I start writing, I will have to quote half of the Bible! Only after much prayer and listening am I now at a place to share this specific message with you.

John 3:16 (WEBBE): ¹⁶For God so loved the world, that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life.

The Greek word in John 3:16 is the verb form of ἀγάπη (agapē), which is the word for love in 2 Timothy 1:7. The same kind of love that prompted God to give His Son for us is the kind of love that we now have. Lets explore the connection between all these things as described beautifully in 1 John 4.

1 John 4:13-15 (WEBBE): ¹³By this we know that we remain in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. ¹⁴We have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son as the Saviour of the world. ¹⁵Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God remains in him, and he in God.

Jesus came to the earth because God loved us so much. Because of His sacrifice, our relationship with God was restored and we can remain in God and God in us.

1 John 4:16-17 (WEBBE): ¹⁶We know and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love, and he who remains in love remains in God, and God remains in him. ¹⁷In this love has been made perfect amongst us, that we may have boldness in the day of judgement, because as he is, even so we are in this world.

If we really are as He is in this world, that means that we also should be love!

1 John 4:18-19 (WEBBE): ¹⁸There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear has punishment. He who fears is not made perfect in love. ¹⁹We love him, because he first loved us.

God loved us first, long before we were even born. When we got saved, we became a new creation and that is why we can love Him in return.

1 John 4:21-22 (WEBBE): ²⁰If a man says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who doesn’t love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen? ²¹This commandment we have from him, that he who loves God should also love his brother.

The more we renew our minds to be like the mind of Christ (see Romans 12:2), the more our lives will resemble Christ. If we really walk with God and is filled to the brim with Him, then His love will permeate all aspects of our lives. And then loving your brother is easy, because you will naturally see people through the loving eyes of Jesus.