Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. ~ 1 John 4:7
After what has seemed like a very long time, our pastor returned to the pulpit yesterday after some vacation time and some time fulfilling obligations. He picked up where he left off in the morning service with a sermon on election from the Canons of Dort, and yesterday afternoon he continued on in his series on 1 John.
This passage of 1 John describes the child of God who truly loves, the one who has had victory over what our catechism describes as our natural hatred of God and our neighbor. This victory is rooted in God's nature because, as we are told several times here, God is love. Some would claim that this is the only place in Scripture where God is identified with one of His attributes, and they would elevate love over all other attributes of God. Other places in Scripture do identify God with His attributes, and one example would be where we are told that God is holy. Because God is love, those who are born of God can love.
We also draw from this passage that there is no possibility for those who are in the world to love. When people in the world are said to love, it is because culture has redefined love. Culture tells us that "love means never having to say you're sorry," and and that we can express love to one another through sexual relationships outside of marriage. In reality, hatred would have us never say we're sorry, and hatred is expressed in sexual relationships outside of marriage. Only Christians can truly express love.
This victory over hate has been revealed in Jesus Christ, and particularly in His incarnation. In chapters 1, 2, and 4, John has told us that God shows true love, first in sending His Son and then in the sacrifice of His Son for our sins. Again, many in the world would say that love is ignoring the sins of others. They would say, "God must have hated His Son because He sent Him to suffer and die. No one who truly loves would expect another to suffer." But real love is not that God ignores our sin but that He sent His Son to pay for our sin in sacrificial love.
When we love others, however, it is not a payment; it is our act of gratitude, our obedience to God's command. And it is a wonder that what God commands us to do (love one another) becomes our greatest source of blessing--to love and be loved.
This victory over hate is realized through the Spirit, who does God's work in us, producing in us love for one another and for God. And it has been reported by the apostles (v. 16), who literally saw and then testified to the love of Christ. And now in response we testify to what the apostles have declared: God at work in us.
The last part of this passage discusses some of the results of this victory. We have no fear at the future judgment, because "perfect love casts out fear." And this love results in fellowship with both our brother and God.
