1 John chapter 4, verses 7-21.

In verse seven, we learn the source of love: love is from God. Without God, there is no love. Now remember, this is agape- someone described it as love that decides to love ahead of time. This love is not earned nor does it contingent on being reciprocated. God loves us whether we love God or not.  God is the source of all agape love. Without God, humans would not have the ability to love. Our ability to love is a gift from God. When we love, this  is proof that the divine seed has been sown in us. In verse 8, we read, God IS love.” God is the essence of all love. To understand this, we must understand that God is not some abstract idea or principle, but as we see throughout the Hebrew scriptures God is a dynamic, active force in the world. To say God is love is to say that God loves.

Some might ask the question, does this mean when something tragic happens God made it happen because of love? No, there is sin and evil in the world, and God gave humans free-will, the right to make choices, both good and bad-  but God can and does work all things for the good of those who love God- it doesn’t mean bad stuff won’t happen, it means that God can bring about redemption of even the worst of our circumstances through love.

In verse nine, the elder reminds us that God’s love is not hidden, but visible in the person of Jesus Christ. Jesus’ life was the embodiment of love.  Jesus not only taught us how to love, he showed us. We love, the elder reminds us, because he first loved us.  

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