What’s the definition of love?
Perhaps the best definition is recorded in John 3:16. “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
Love is, in fact, the theme of much of John’s writing. In this week’s lesson, John delves deep into the topic to make sure we don’t underestimate the importance of love among God’s children.
If you know God’s love…
John begins with an admonition to love as we are loved. Since Jesus gave his life for us, “we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers (1 John 3:16), sharing from the abundance God has given us. God’s love is so unconditional, undeserved and unending, there should be no end to the love we share with others.
As we talk about love, however, we need to be clear about what love is—as well as what it isn’t. Love isn’t a gushy feeling like the first stages of puppy love. Nor is it concerned with equality or fairness.
Love isn’t limited to those who love us back either. We are taught to love our enemies and friends equally. “Do not gloat when your enemy falls; when he stumbles, do not let your heart rejoice, or the Lord will see and disapprove and turn his wrath away from him” (Proverbs 24:17-18).
Pure love is selflessly motivated, being more concerned with the needs of those around us than our own needs. As Paul teaches: “Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves … . Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn” (Romans 12:10, 14-15).
The command is to love freely and unconditionally, just as God loves us.
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The act of love
Notice that love almost always is spoken about in terms of action. “Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth” (1 John 3:18).
In Romans 12, Paul talks about sharing, practicing hospitality, feeding and giving something to drink. Jesus ate with publicans and sinners, fed his followers, and healed the sick and lame. This is the example we should follow.
Can this kind of love be mustered? Of course not. When we operate in our own strength, love is impossible. Without Christ, Paul says we walk in the way of the world and the spirit that works in the disobedient. “All of us lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath” (Ephesians 2:3). So while we know we ought to love, our nature makes it difficult.
As was discussed last week, we can only love when we are plugged into Jesus. John says “love comes from God” (1 John 4:7). He alone can infuse us with perfect love. “God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us” (Romans 5:5).
Loving others, then, is merely an overflow of the love God gives us through faith in Christ Jesus. The trick is to “remain in his love” (John 15:10), because we can only receive love to the degree we allow him access to our hearts.
Love is the measuring rod of our faith
That being the case, we can know how well we’re plugged into Jesus by honestly measuring the degree of love that flows from us. “If anyone says, ‘I love God,’ yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen” (1 John 4:19).
How do we root ourselves in God’s love while dealing with the challenges of life? Sadly, there’s no easy answer. This world isn’t committed to relationship with God, so to pursue righteousness, you must be willing to walk the “wrong” way, against the flow of popular opinion.
The trick is to remember love can’t be manufactured. It’s a gift. Our work is simply to “remain.” We must focus on getting to know God better. We must treat every day as a new opportunity to learn more about his infinite grace and mercy. Every word of Scripture must be seen as another piece of the puzzle of who he is, and prayer as access to the one who gives us everything we need to obey him.
It’s true. Love, the way God commands, is impossible in our own strength. But we can do it in His power. Let’s ask for the gift and then plug into Jesus, who always delivers what He promises.
Food for thought
Read 1 Corinthians 13. This is a good break-down of the way God loves us. Now consider a relationship that’s important to you. How pure is your love for this person? Ask God to purify your love so He can love this person through you.
Now consider a difficult relationship, or someone who is hard to love. Is it possible for you to love this person with 1 Corinthians 13 love? Ask God to help you love him or her as He does.
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