Key verse: 1 John 4:11-12 - KJV
11. Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another. 12. No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us.
1 John 4:7-12
Love has been described as the unselfish, loyal and benevolent concern for the good of another. The key word in this description for us, is good. For us to love our neighbor, we must pursue, deliberately, the good of our neighbor. This is what makes us true children of God. Whenever we do things that do not augur well for our neighbor, we act outside of love and in such circumstance, we deny God or the knowledge of Him. No matter what justification we try to paint, God sees our hearts and therefore our desires. We cannot through vague self-justifications deceive or sway God. Abner had killed Asahel, Joab’s brother in battle, albeit in self-defense. Abner had entered into a truce with David the king. He also had explained the circumstance of Asahel’s death to Joab who pretended to understand. Joab nevertheless plotted to and killed the unassuming Abner after he visited David. Joab was of the view he could justify his deeds, but did he? He murdered a good man for nothing and bore the guilt until he was killed therefor in subsequent years.
God abhors evil. He first loved us. He did not think of our abominations and abominable position before giving us His only begotten Son to stand in our stead. The reason He did this was to have us reconciled unto Himself, in love. Like He is, He wants us to be in love. Whatever we do or purpose towards one another that is not good is not done in love and God is not in it, no matter what. Oh! The fellow has been such a despicable person? And so? The requirement of God is that we love the fellow not based on his love for us but as we would have people love us. His main essence is that through love, we may gain one another back as brethren in spite of all. Begrudging your brother, digging a pit for him to fall into because you assume he offended you; raising up false testimonies against him and raising witnesses against him to authenticate your falsehood just like Jezebel did against Naboth cannot be right. It is not love and therefore a denial of God.
Everyone that fails to love knows not God. Those who know not their God are in danger of hell fire. Knowing God is doing love. We have no option in the matter: love and live. The converse is also true: love not and live not. What shall it be?
Pray: Father, please keep me perpetually in love that I may live in Jesus name.