Jesus was pretty adamant that believers are to love one another. He said it was proof to others of our being His followers.
Sadly, 1 John 4:7 has been misused far too often to endorse free love, sexual promiscuity, and to apply salvation where there is none.
These notions have eternal ramifications.
The love that John was writing about is the agape love of God, the all-knowing, unending, unconditional love of the Father for His creation.
We humans don’t have the capacity for
that kind of love outside a relationship with God through salvation in Jesus.
Oh yeah, we can fake it at times. We can grit our teeth and love that person for the brief time we’re around them, seeming to accept them and fawn over them while our heart toward them is black as pitch.
To the watching world we’re loving them, but to the Creator of all, we are not. He sees our hearts. He knows our thoughts. We aren’t fooling Him, only ourselves and maybe a few around us.
That faked love is not the love from God. It is not the love that proves our relationship with Him. It is deceit and that has nothing to do with God. Tolerance of a person is not love for them.
Through our salvation relationship, we get to truly know God. Not just know about Him, but know Him. As we spend time with Him, we progressively perceive Him, recognize Him, and get a better understanding of Him, His thoughts, and His will.
Today is the day to begin to examine yourself. Are you living and showing the agape love of the Father? Do you truly know Him? Are you living out His will for you by showing His love to others?
Coffee, Bible, Journal.
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