Text: 1 John 4:13-21. As we continue our discussion in 1 John 4, we dig a little deeper into the theological and practical concept that "God is love." The love of the Lord is the foundation of all Biblical teaching and discipleship. In fact, love is the greatest command: "Love the Lord God with all your heart, mind, and soul and love your neighbor as yourself."
To love as God loves we need to "know" a few things...
1. We must know God - The way that He loves. His holiness, compassion, character, and hatred of evil.
2. We must know the Cross - The sacrifice of Jesus is the pinnacle of God's love. He is our atonement and propitiation for our sins.
3. We must know our brother/sister - This requires effort and time.
We need to love others in the way they "need" to be loved. While the level of love is the same, the way this love is shared depends upon the situation and the individual. God gives us what we need. Sometimes He gives us undeserved gifts. Sometimes He gives us instruction. Sometimes He gives us time. We need to take the time to do the same for others. There are also some challenging thoughts that need to be discussed in this chapter. Join us as we consider the wonder of God's love and how we can and should love as He loves. "Love casts out fear."
Enjoy and God bless.
