God Defines Love

In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. – 1 John 4:10 ESV

The most popular holiday in the month of February is Valentine’ Day. Children exchange cards with family and friends. Boyfriends and girlfriends, husbands and wives offer special tokens of their devotion to one another. Stores have prominent displays of heart-shaped candies and treats. Amid all these expressions of love, however, we usually fail to grasp what love really means. In the short verse of 1 John 4:10, we learn three things about love.

First, God defines love. “In this is love…” Definitions of love abound in our American society. The Cambridge dictionary describes love as “to like another adult very much and be romantically and sexually attracted to them, or to have strong feelings of liking a friend or person in your family.” The flaw in this common definition of love is that it’s too shallow and selfish. The love of people for one another pales in comparison to God’s perfect love for us. His love is a holy love, his love is pure love, his love is self-sacrificing love. Jesus says in John 15:13, “Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.” We should never project our understanding of love upon God but instead gain our understanding of love from him and his word.

Second, God declares love. “In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us…” When a young man and woman are dating and getting to know one another better, saying the words, “I love you” is incredibly powerful. The relationship moves from friendship or mutual attraction to something far deeper and meaningful. Unfortunately, as fallen human beings we often declare love when our hearts and minds don’t agree with our lips. When God says he loves us however, he means what he says. God’s love is far deeper and is eternal. It far exceeds anything we could experience from this world. Jesus again says to his disciples in John 15:9, “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love.”

Third, God demonstrates love. “In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” In any relationship, talk of love has its place, but it means little without a significant demonstration of it. To say you love someone is one thing, but to expr your love with your actions is quite another. Even the most noble expressions of love for one person to another, however, do not compare with God’s demonstration of love for us. Romans 5:6-8 says, “For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Notice in these Bible verses, as well as in many others, God demonstrates his love for us and identifies us as sinners at the same time. He loves us, but by showing us his love he doesn’t accept our sin or affirm our sin but delivers us from our sin.

So, throughout this month of February, let’s focus on sharing the love with one another that God has shared with us. Jesus says that as we do so, others will know we’re his followers. Our Lord says in John 13:34-35, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

With a shepherd’s heart,

Pastor David