Open Love's Door

This morning I felt led to read from John's first letter.  His writing was meant to help the church combat a wave of gnostic and heretical teachings that were popping up.  It is interesting how John's encouragement was to double-down on loving one another.  Here are the verses for reflection - 1 John 4:7-21 NIV:

[7] "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. [12] No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us. 

[13] This is how we know that we live in him and he in us: He has given us of his Spirit. [14] And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. [15] If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in them and they in God. [16] And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. 

God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them. [17] This is how love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment: In this world we are like Jesus. [18] There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. 

[19] We love because he first loved us. [20] Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen. [21] And he has given us this command: Anyone who loves God must also love their brother and sister."

I so appreciate John's focus on love, and how he encouraged the people love one another, over and over again.  This is the one command that Jesus gave us, and as such it should be our primary motivation and action.  

I had an interesting dream this morning where I was working with an evangelistic ministry and they were complaining on how their programs were not very successful in seeing people's live changed.  They were doing things like sponsoring nights for certain types of workers, but the focus was always on salvation.  They were more worried about the success of their programs than they were about the people they were inviting.  I encouraged them to maybe try to actually get to know the people, to develop real relationships, to learn about their lives and invite them into their own lives.  I encouraged them to take the humble approach of love rather than the judgmental approach of "you are sinners and need to repent" and constantly focusing on numbers rather than real people, and loving them.

As I started reading the verses above, I saw a parallel between what John was saying and the theme of my dream, that of loving one another.  A John clearly points out, our love is closely related to our experience of God.  He said "God is Love. Whoever lives in love lives in God."  That really is an amazing statement!  I believe that the most important thing in the Kingdom of God is relationships, and here John equates our loving relationships with living in God, and God living in us (vs 15 & 16)!  According to John, we know this is true by our experience of the Holy Spirit (vs 13), and the Spirit testifies about the truth of Jesus and the Glory of the Father.  

In the face of opposition, false teaching, false prophets and confusion, John encourages his brothers an sisters to press into love and loving one another.  I am reminded of something Pater wrote - 1 Peter 4:7-8 NIV: "The end of all things is near. Therefore be alert and of sober mind so that you may pray. [8] Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins."  In looking at the original Greek, while the word kalupto means to cover over and conceal, in this context it is not referring to some sort of enablement but rather a procuring of pardon from God (according to Thayers Greek Lexicon).  

In my view this basically means our love of one another, in spite of our sin, can provide that assurance God Loves us and forgives us. I know that is stretching the definition a bit, but if our love for one another is a major way we experience God, then it makes sense to me that our understanding of God is impacted by our experience of love from one another.  Taking this one step further, many people struggle with Christianity and the reality of God, because of their experience with "Christians" behaving badly!  

Oh that the world would experience the Love of God through the Church, rather than judgment!

Oh that we would learn to walk in Love, to express the Love of God for one another, to love deeply!  Let us press into this loving expression, and experience God's love for ourselves!  Let us open the door of God's love for one another!

Lord, help us to love one another as You commanded!

Amen and Amen!