“GOD IS LOVE”

8 “Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.”

1 John 4:8

One of the most sobering thoughts in Christianity is that God is love. What does this statement actually mean? How can we reconcile this concept when we think about the wars approved by God in the Old Testament?

Yesterday, we learned that faith in God should result in love for others. Love is not fondness of someone; it is a disposition to seek one’s best interest even if it means inconvenience on our part.

Let’s pick up from where we left off.

John creates a contrast from his previous positive statement, saying that whoever does not love (agapao, selfless love) does not know God. In context, the false teachers claiming to know God, by their lack of love for others, prove that they do not belong to God.

The second part of the verse shows the reason why John said this: because God is love, that is, God’s very nature is love. In the Bible, different figures of speech are used to describe God, i.e., God is light, God is a rock. In this case, God is love. To better understand this statement, we shouldn’t think that love is simply one of God’s many things He does. He is not just a loving God. Instead, everything God does—including rendering justice—is a loving activity. Thus, God is love.

The Bible says that love does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth (1 Corinthians 13:6). With that in mind, God has to punish evil and injustice. Since God is love, He does not sweep wickedness under the rug; rather, He upholds justice and punishes evildoers. But God is not a temperamental cosmic jail guard who beats people up when they misbehave. Instead, He waits patiently, extending His mercy and giving people ample time to repent and come to Him for forgiveness.

By implication, love finds its source and meaning in God. There is no true love outside of God. Therefore, whoever claims to know God should live a life of selfless love for others. To have this kind of love is the natural result of knowing God on a personal level. This love is seen in how we live and interact with others.

For this reason, we choose to love people even when they are unfriendly toward us. We seek their best interest even when we get nothing out of it. We have the power to love people because God has filled our hearts with sacrificial love for others.

Pursue the Savior today!