1 John 4:7-11 Dear Friends let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. 8 Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. 9 This is how God showed His love among us: He sent His one and only Son into the world that we might live through Him. 10 This is love; not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. 11 Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.
19 We love because he first loved us. 20 If anyone says, “I love God,” yet hates his brother, he is a liar, for anyone who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen. 21 And he has given us this command; whoever loves God must also love his brother.
Now I’m going to keep this as short and simple as possible, and if you have any thoughts questions comments please feel free, I’d love to talk/write more about it. But, for now here is the point/ thought that I’m trying to make in the best way I know how.
God knows us! He knows everything there is to know about us. Our secrets, our thoughts, our motives, when we lie when we judge, and he can see in the dark!
1 Oh Lord you search me and you know me. 2 You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. 3 You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. 4 Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely O Lord.
And yet He still LOVES us! He knows all our junk all our baggage every single sin and He, the perfect one, STILL loves us! We only know a portion of the junk we each have, and yet we will sometimes choose not to love. But who are we not to love one another? He commands us to love one another, and yet we struggle with this.
I am not saying that you need to make everyone your best friend. I’m sure there are people who have done you wrong in a bad way, and simply forgiving them seems near to impossible. However God forgives them as long as they believe in His son and ask for forgiveness, so who are we not to forgive? After all, God forgives us every day and usually for the same sins we committed yesterday and the day before. Ephesians 4:32 Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, and forgiving one another just as God through Christ has forgiven you. Other verses to look at: Luke 6:37 and John 20:23.
What I m trying to get across is that we need to love no matter what. Last night while driving home from a bible study Sandu the local pastor we’re working with, asked Taylor if the Romanians say they love God but hate gypsies can they really truly love God? Of course I said no, but that’s my passion burning a little too hot and flying out of my mouth before thinking. However Taylor, taking time to think, brought up a good point. He said that if they truly love God then God will change their hearts and there hate for the gypsies will change into a love for their brothers and sisters in Christ.
13 Love is patient, love is kind. Love does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no records of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always hopes, always perseveres. 8 Love never fails.
