“Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. 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.” (1 John 4:7-10 NIV)

“All you need is love.” So sang the Beatles in 1967 in a song written by John Lennon. Although that sentiment may sound naive and simplistic, if we realise what love really is then perhaps this is all we need in our lives. Even Jesus boiled down the Ten Commandments to just two commands.

“‘Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?’ Jesus replied: ‘“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.” This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: “Love your neighbour as yourself.” All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.’” (Matthew 22:36-40)

What is life really about? It really is all about love: love for God and love for each other. It is all about love.

John, writing to Christians, emphasised love over and over again. Love is what shows that we really know God and have a relationship with him. We love each other because of the relationship we have with him. If we don’t – or won’t – love others, then this is proof that we don’t really know God either. If we don’t know God then we do not have a relationship with him.

God defined what love is: he sent Jesus so that we can live. He did this, not because we loved him, but because of his love for us. God did not owe anyone anything, but because of the love he has for the people he made he sent Jesus to pay the price for all of our sins. This shows us what love is really about.

We, in turn, love in the same way – not because people love us or treat us a certain way but because we received God’s love when we didn’t deserve it. Therefore we love others even if they don’t deserve it. Love is not something that can be earned. We cannot earn God’s love; others cannot earn our love. Love is always freely given.

But what is love? It isn’t a warm, mushy feeling, although that is one aspect of love but not what John was writing about. The Greek word used for love in this text is agape. This is seen what what we do and how we treat other people, the same as God’s love for us is seen in what he did for us – and all humankind. Love is an action, it is doing what is best for others.

“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 4:11-12)

It is because God loved us that we must love others. God provided a way that we can repair our relationship with him by having our sins forgiven – sin separates us from God.

What does this say to us? We need to love other people in the same way. Think about it: we love God even though we haven’t seen him. Why, then, can’t we love those that God has made that we can see? When we love, God’s love is seen in us. Think about it!

Image by Bessi from pixabay.com. Free for use.

Readings for next week: Titus 1-3; 1 John 1-5; 2 John; 3 John