Am I growing in my love for others?

As John moves on, and says, “Beloved let us love one another,” (1 John 4:7), it may seem as if he is switching gears from talking about discernment between spirits of truth and and spirits of error but he is actually saying this is a good test to see if someone actually knows God or not.

“He who does not love does not know God, for God is love” (1 John 4:8)

John calls his readers “Beloved” —those who have been born of God are lavishly loved (filled up, content, satisfied by Him). So, because they are drawing from the well of His Living Water, and are secure in that, they should overflow in that and love others!

“Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.” (1 John 4:7)

If you are born of God and love God, you will love other people. If someone does not, that is a major RED FLAG that they may not know God and is absolutely not someone from whom you should take counsel.

Furthermore, you can’t grow in your relationship with God without growing in your love for others.

For as we know Jesus and experience Him, we begin to have eyes to see others as He does.

If we don’t, let’s ask Him to help us to do so! He will answer that prayer even about those who are hard for us to love!

He will help us remember, He loved us before we ever loved Him. He loved us when we were messed up, confused, lost, …you name it!

“In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.” (1 John 9-11).

Because He loved us this way, we are to love others this way! We can love others this way!

We are never to call sinful things right, but we are to care for the souls of those caught up in sin. We should pray for them and love them so they might see Jesus in us.

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Note – this is a continuation of my study of 1 John. Go to this page on Facebook or kimjaggers.com to see other posts on this wonderful book of the Bible.