My reflection on 1 John 4:7-21.
In this section, John continues his argument that love is the test for true Christianity. The fact that John spends so much time on this tells us that this is close to his heart.
The reason that one who does not love does not know God is based in the nature of God as love. God is love. It is not that God is loving (although he is), but God is love. This is one of the strongest arguments for the trinity. God cannot rely on his creation for his nature. Therefore, God had to be love even before he created anything. God was love because there is eternal love between the Father, Son and Spirit.
It is important to not turn this around as love is God. God is not made up of the emotional feelings we experience. Love is a demonstration of our desire to follow God, but love is not God. God is love.
The nature of love is based not on what we do but on what God has done through Jesus Christ. It is interesting that the focus is not on the love of Jesus but on the love of the Father in sending his Son. The love that we show toward others should be a response to the love the Father has shown us. We are to love God. We cannot see God but we can see the people around us. John’s argument is that if we cannot love those we can see, we cannot love the One we cannot see.
John is a master of blending love and theology. They are not separate subjects as so many people today believe. He transitions smoothly from the test of love to the test of right theology. Christians must confess that Jesus is the Son of God. As John has argued previously, it is essential to have a proper understanding of the incarnation. Jesus as the Son of God is the Father’s gift of love to us.
- 1 John
- God is Love
- John
- Love
