Good morning!
Text: 1 John 4-5; Isaiah 31
In 1 John 4:11 we find these words;
“Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another,”
and in 4:20;
“If anyone says, ‘I love God,’ and hates his brother, he is a liar.”
The concept is simple – Jesus loves all the believers, and so if we love Him, we will also love those whom He loves. It follows that, if we hate another Christian (“brother”), we probably do not love Jesus.
These words sound like our love for one another is a “litmus test” for whether we even are among the redeemed. Maybe…but we are also all works in progress, and when we are loveless it can be that pesky old nature flaring up. Do we love one another in the church? Is there someone in our church family who irritates and annoys us? We are all different, and sometimes personalities do not mesh so there can be friction and even sparks. But is there love? Love is a choice, not a feeling. If I lack love, it is solid evidence that there is trouble between me and the Lord. A lack of love towards my brothers and sisters in the Church tells me I need to get with Jesus and get right with Him…. right away.
in Him, Mike