1 John 4:7-12: a reflection

7Beloved, let’s love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. 8He who doesn’t love doesn’t know God, for God is love. 9By this God’s love was revealed in us, that God has sent his only born Son into the world that we might live through him. 10In this is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son as the atoning sacrifice for our sins. 11Beloved, if God loved us in this way, we also ought to love one another. 12No one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God remains in us, and his love has been perfected in us.

John calls us to love one another, and grounds that call not in our own effort but in the love God has already shown us: he loved us first, sending his Son as the atoning sacrifice for our sins. Beloved, let us love one another, John writes, for love is of God. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son as the atoning sacrifice for our sins. Beloved, if God loved us in this way, we also ought to love one another. The call to love one another does not rest on our own generating of love, but flows from God's love for us: he loved us first, at the cost of his Son, and this love, received, becomes the source and pattern of our love for one another. This shows loving one another because God first loved us, sending his Son. Love one another, because God first loved us in sending his Son. God's love for us is the source and pattern of our love. Love flows from having received God's love, not from our own effort. Because God so loved you, love one another.

Notice how John grounds the call to love. He does not simply tell us to love one another as a duty to be performed by our own effort; he grounds it in the love God has already shown us. In this is love, he says, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son as the atoning sacrifice for our sins. God loved us first, before we loved him, and at great cost, giving his Son for our sins. And from this, John draws the conclusion: if God loved us in this way, we also ought to love one another. Our love for one another flows from God's love for us, received and known. This shows us where love comes from and how to grow in it. We do not generate love for others out of our own resources, straining to produce it by effort; love comes from God, and flows from having received his love for us. As we take in how God has loved us, first, freely, at the cost of his Son, this love becomes the source and pattern of our love for others: we love because he first loved us. The way to grow in love for others, then, is first to receive and dwell in God's love for us, from which love flows. We do well to love one another, not by our own straining, but out of the love God has shown us, letting his love for us become the source of ours. Love one another out of the love God has first shown you. God's love for you is the source and pattern of your love for others. Do not strain to produce love; receive God's love, from which love flows. Because God so loved you, at the cost of his Son, love one another.

That is worth taking to heart, for we love one another not by our own effort but out of the love God first showed us in sending his Son, and his love is the source of ours, as John grounds the call to love. We can try to produce love for others by our own straining; but John grounds our love in God's love for us, that he loved us first and gave his Son for our sins. Love flows from his love. Do not strain to generate love from your own resources; receive God's love for you, first and free and costly, and let it become the source of your love for one another. Love one another out of the love God has first shown you, letting his love for you, given at the cost of his Son, become the source and pattern of your love, as John calls us to love one another and grounds that call not in our own effort but in the love God has already shown us, that he loved us first and sent his Son as the atoning sacrifice for our sins, so that if God loved us in this way we also ought to love one another; for the call to love does not rest on our own generating of love but flows from God's love for us, since he loved us first, before we loved him and at the cost of his Son, and this love received becomes the source and pattern of our love for one another, which shows us where love comes from and how to grow in it, since we do not generate love for others out of our own resources by straining to produce it, but love comes from God and flows from having received his love for us, so that as we take in how God has loved us first, freely, and at the cost of his Son, this love becomes the source of our love for others, and the way to grow in love is first to receive and dwell in God's love for us, so that we do well to love one another out of the love God has shown us.

Lord, John calls me to love one another, and grounds that call not in my own effort but in the love you have already shown us: you loved us first, sending your Son as the atoning sacrifice for our sins. Beloved, let us love one another, John writes, for love is of God. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son as the atoning sacrifice for our sins. Beloved, if God loved us in this way, we also ought to love one another. The call to love one another does not rest on my own generating of love, but flows from your love for us: you loved us first, at the cost of your Son, and this love, received, becomes the source and pattern of my love for others. Show me how John grounds the call to love. He does not simply tell me to love one another as a duty to be performed by my own effort; he grounds it in the love you have already shown us. In this is love, he says, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son as the atoning sacrifice for our sins. You loved us first, before we loved you, and at great cost, giving your Son for our sins. And from this, John draws the conclusion: if you loved us in this way, we also ought to love one another. My love for others flows from your love for me, received and known. This shows me where love comes from and how to grow in it. I do not generate love for others out of my own resources, straining to produce it by effort; love comes from you, and flows from having received your love for me. As I take in how you have loved me, first, freely, at the cost of your Son, this love becomes the source and pattern of my love for others. Take that to my heart. Keep me from straining to produce love out of my own resources; help me receive your love for me, Lord, given first and freely at the cost of your Son, and let it become the source of my love for others, that I may love one another because you first loved me.