7 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. 8 Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. 9 In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. 10 In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12 No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us.
13 By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. 14 And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. 15 Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. 16 So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. 17 By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as he is so also are we in this world. 18 There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love. 19 We love because he first loved us. 20 If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. 21 And this commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother.
Love gives us confidence for the day of Judgment. I hear many people talk about the various things they love. People often will say they love, chili cheese fries or hot dogs. Other people will say they love their girlfriend or boyfriend. Even others will talk about no-longer loving their spouse. But is this what God is? Does St John mean that God is infatuation with us emotionally and we could fall out of this relationship if we do not have enough cheese, bun, physical appearance, ability to make you giggle, or even treat him nice.
The Love St John is talking about goes well beyond love of chili cheese fries or even spouse. The Love of God is perfect. God loves us not because of who we are or what we can do or don't do. God loves us because he made us. God loves us and keeps working with us even when we reject, deny, and even hate him. God has shown this love through his Son Jesus Christ.
God is love. This Love is made perfect within us through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. This Love gives us confidence for salvation even on the day of Judgment. The Love, we have for chili cheese fries or even boyfriend/girlfriend, is fickle. But God's Love is not because it gives us certainty. It is this Love that should also be reflected when God commands us to love our neighbor as Christ has loved us.
The Love St John is talking about goes well beyond love of chili cheese fries or even spouse. The Love of God is perfect. God loves us not because of who we are or what we can do or don't do. God loves us because he made us. God loves us and keeps working with us even when we reject, deny, and even hate him. God has shown this love through his Son Jesus Christ.
God is love. This Love is made perfect within us through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. This Love gives us confidence for salvation even on the day of Judgment. The Love, we have for chili cheese fries or even boyfriend/girlfriend, is fickle. But God's Love is not because it gives us certainty. It is this Love that should also be reflected when God commands us to love our neighbor as Christ has loved us.
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