“LOVE INSEPARABLE”

2 “By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments.”

1 John 5:2

I once talked to a man who shared about his fondness for being in the company of Christians. As a boy, his mother would take him to church every Sunday and attend lessons for kids. He recalled how friendly and warm the community was, that each time he was at church, he felt safe.

But when he grew up, their family moved and thus stopped going to church. He is now a father and wants his daughter to have the same experience. I told him about the wonderful opportunity he was given to raise a child, and that exposing her to a church community would be a great decision.

During our conversation, I asked him about his relationship with God. He said, “I don’t know. I don’t think I know God on a personal level. I don’t read the Bible or pray. All I know is that I enjoy being around Christians.”

Yesterday, we learned that our all-inclusive love shows that we truly love God. Today’s blog reciprocates the previous.

Verse 2 reverses the expectation and says that love for fellow believers is seen in love for God. John’s point is quite straightforward: just as one cannot love God without loving His children, so one cannot love the children of God without loving God also.

How is this love for God shown? According to John, by obeying God’s commandments, which mirrors Jesus’ words to the eleven remaining disciples just before He was arrested (John 14:15).

The writer lays the foundation of Christian love. A person who is genuinely converted possesses a love for both God and fellow Christians. We cannot separate the two. We can’t say we love God but not the church, nor can we say we love Christians but not Christ.

37 And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. 38 This is the great and first commandment. 39 And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”

Matthew 22:37-39

Pursue the Savior today!