“Beloved, let us love one another, because love is from God; everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, for God is love.” (I John 4:7 – 8)
I can rarely read this verse without remembering the little refrain I learned in youth group. It utilized just the first two verses cited here. If you would recite the two verses in a sing-songy sort of way, you would be very close to the actual tune. I do not think it was intended by the writer of I John to evolve that; but neither do I think he would be displeased that it was remembered in that way, and hopefully acted upon.
“God’s love was revealed among us in this way: God sent his only Son into the world so that we might live through him.” (Verse 9)
I am not sure, as I ponder about it, that we fully appreciated that God sent the Jesus Christ aspect of the Divine, separating out that aspect from the God-self. (Excuse the Triune theology gymnastics.) It was not a “Son” as if the Lord God was the progenitor. But it was an aspect of the Divine devised and sentenced to death. If we would abhor sending one of our children out into the world, knowing that death was the outcome – would we be able to do that?
“In this is love, not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins. Beloved, since God loved us so much, we also ought to love one another.” (Verses 10 – 11)
The Divine does not need our love; not the way we need sustenance. The Divine was the Divine long before creation and the calling of humanity into relationship. There is nothing we can do to add or take away from the Divine. What we can do is enter into relationship with the Divine, and with one another to perpetuate the love that first brought creation into being.
“No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God lives in us, and his love is perfected in us. By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. And we have seen and do testify that the Father has sent his Son as the Savior of the world.” (Verses 12 – 14)
I say again, the Divine does not need us or our love. But we need each other; furthermore, we need the unconditional love and acceptance that the Divine shows for us. The Divine and Jesus the Messiah knew that this love needs to be felt by creation. But the Divine, and Jesus the Messiah after His ascension, were Spirit. And creation needs skin to skin compassion etc. That the Divine’s love lives in us, means that we show that love (as much as we can) to others. That it is not perfect means that the ones we love need not be perfect in order to have that love. We testify to the unconditional love of the Divine. That same love motivated the Divine and Jesus the Messiah to undertake for us. Then, we undertake for others.
“God abides in those who confess that Jesus is the Son of God, and they abide in God. So we have known and believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and those who abide in love abide in God, and God abides in them. Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness on the day of judgment, because as he is, so are we in this world.” (Verses 15 – 17)
The commentators say that “we may have boldness on the day of judgment” because of our love to God & our resemblance to Jesus the Messiah. But I tell you, beloved reader, if we have not ACTED on & out of that love, it will gain us nothing. Love in its best sense and ability is a verb, not a noun. As we read on, we see where/how the commentators may built their theology.
“There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear; for fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not reached perfection in love. We love because he first loved us.” (Verses 18 – 19)
The fear referred to, according to the commentators, is fear for the future as in the world to come. But this is love the noun. And I agree that fear for that which comes after death is wiped away by the love we have been given by the Divine. There is more though.
“Those who say, “I love God,” and hate their brothers or sisters, are liars; for those who do not love a brother or sister whom they have seen, cannot love God whom they have not seen. The commandment we have from him is this: those who love God must love their brothers and sisters also.” (Verses 20 – 21)
We all dwell at the intersection of daily life in this world and the law of love & compassion that the Divine sent into the world through Jesus the Messiah. The intertwining of love the noun and love the verb. Each day we need to gather up the love the Divine sends us and act out that love in our lives. May the Divine fill you with love and lead you in the good path of acting out of love. Shalom & Selah!
A Simple Desire 
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