Love God, Love People
In 1 John 2:1–6; 4:9–17, the apostle John tells us that inevitably, we will fall short of God’s desire for how we live and we will sin. But because of God’s love for us, He sent His Son as a sacrifice to atone for our sins and give salvation to all that believe on Him. As Christians, our loving response to God’s sacrificial love is to be obedient to His word and to love others. By this, we show that we love God and that He lives in us. And because He lives in us, through the Holy Spirit, we can live boldly in our relationship with God and live confident in our salvation. I pray that God’s love will be perfected in you and show forth in your love for others. Amen
My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world. (1 John 2:1–2)
God’s desire is that we do not sin. But Jesus is our advocate, so that whenever we fall short and succumb to sin, we can repent and come before God’s throne of grace to receive forgiveness and be restored into relationship with Him. Jesus is able to do this because His sacrifice on the cross atoned for our sins once for all. And His sacrifice was also sufficient to atone for all the world’s sins.
We know that we have come to know him if we keep his commands. Whoever says, “I know him,” but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in that person. But if anyone obeys his word, love for God is truly made complete in them. This is how we know we are in him: Whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did. (1 John 2:3–6)
Knowing about God is not the same thing as knowing God. Our claim to know and love God is evidenced by our obedience to God, just as Jesus was obedient to Him. Failure to be obedient to God belies any verbal claim we make that we know and love God. Jesus was obedient to God. When we live obedient to God we are following Jesus and His example.
This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us. (1 John 4:9–12)
Love is an action word. God demonstrated His love for us by sending His Son to the world to be sacrificed, giving us the opportunity to receive eternal life if we believe on Him. Remarkably, it was God who took the first step and demonstrated His love for us (even though we were still in sin). He didn’t wait for us to make the first move. We respond to His love by loving Him. Likewise, we are called to love others (who aren’t perfect) just as God loved us. No one has ever seen God, but our love of others is the evidence that God lives in us and His love is in us.
This is how we know that we live in him and he in us: He has given us of his Spirit. And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in them and they in God. And so we know and rely on the love God has for us.
God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them. This is how love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment: In this world we are like Jesus. (1 John 4:13–17)
We have received the Holy Spirit to confirm that God lives in us. We believe and acknowledge that Jesus is the Son of God who has been sent into the world as our Savior. By this, we are saved. We can rely on God’s love for us in our daily living. Because God is love, we are in God’s will and God’s love lives in us when we love each other. And His love gives us confidence that He will make our salvation complete in the day of judgement. In this, we can live right now like Jesus (glorified, righteous and bold).
How do you know that you know God and that you are saved? If you know and love God, it will manifest itself in your obedience to His word and your love of others. Belief and confession that Jesus is the Son of God who died for our sins, is necessary to be saved. But a transformed life demonstrates that His Spirit lives in us and that gives us confidence of our salvation. God is love and we do not truly know Him without obedience to Him and demonstrating His love toward others. When you love God, you show it through your obedience to His word and your love of others. These things are evidence that you know Him and He abides in you. And you can then live confident in your salvation. As the saying goes, (IYKYK) If you know, you know…. and if you truly love Him, you know!
Blessings, Rev. Glenn
