Ought to Love One Another (1 John 4:7-11)

“Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.” (1 John 4:7-11 NKJV)

Christians ought to love one another, brothers and sisters in Christ. It’s a sensational command for not all brothers and sisters in Christ are lovable, some (maybe many), even difficult to get along with. Nevertheless, we ought to love another, for love is of God. We did not love God first but He did. He loved us first not because we were lovable but because He is love. We were even the enemies of God when He still loved us by giving His Son Jesus Christ unto us. He who is born of God and knows God loves one another. He who doesn’t know God cannot love, for God is love.

We came to Christ Jesus through His love that we might live through Him. When we continually remain in Christ, we can manifest His love. Since we have been in Christ, we no longer live our life but His life in us. He is in us and we are in Him. What He has is what we have and what He is, what we are. What we do by faith in Him is what He does within us.

 God loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Once we were loved and liberated from the dark power of evil by the Father through Christ Jesus, there is nothing which can break off our love relationship with Him. We still fail and make mistakes. Yes, we sin. But even the falls and failures cannot cancel out the sonship because Jesus Christ is our propitiation for our sins continually. It doesn’t excuse our faults nonetheless. It doesn’t say that we can continue to sin. What it says is when we handle our sins rightly Jesus Christ is the propitiation forever. Repentance with contrite heart is to lead a way to Christ Jesus and His grace over and over again.

Apostle Paul says in Romans why we have such a wonderful Savior forever. “But the free gift is not like the offense. For if by the one man’s offense many died, much more the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abounded to many. And the gift is not like that which came through the one who sinned. For the judgment which came from one offense resulted in condemnation, but the free gift which came from many offenses resulted in justification. For if by the one man’s offense death reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.” (Romans 5:15-17 NKJV)

It’s a free gift forever. Just like we are so loved by God, we ought to love one another.