1 John 4. If I asked you what the “love chapter” in the Bible is, most people would say 1 Corinthians 13. Yet, I believe an argument could be made for 1 John 3-4 as the true love chapters of the Bible. In 1 John 3 we explored the word John uses for love – agapaō. To agapaō something means to totally give oneself over to that something; to be totally consumed with it; totally committed to it. What we agapaō is what we put first in our lives. All our intentions and abilities are focused and consumed with this one thing.

God’s agapaō for us is a deliberate, active, and self-sacrificial love. He has loved us in a self-sacrificial manner. 1 John 4 is the third time John takes up the topic of love, this time speaking to the very nature of God as love and to His loving activity in Christ and us. The central phrase in this chapter is “love one another” and we see it in three ways:

First, “love one another” (1 John 4:7) is an exhortation. John’s call to love one another here is based on the eternal nature of God. John states that “Love comes from God” (1 John 4:7) and “God is love” (1 John 4:8). God is agapaō, the source of true selfless love and the embodiment of this generosity of spirit towards others. To add emphasis, John restates this identity marker for God again “God is love” (1 John 4:16). This does not mean that loving is simply one of God’s activities, it means that everything God does is done out of agapaō love. Love is who He is, part of His nature.

Secondly, “love one another” (1 John 4:11) is a statement of duty. God has demonstrated His love for us, while we were still sinners. “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. If God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. “ (1 John 4:10-11) So great a love has been demonstrated towards us, our response is to turn and love others in a similar manner. This is our duty.

Finally, “if we love one another” is a hypothesis. “If we love one another, God abides in us and His love is perfected in us.” (1 John 4:12). This is not to say that if we start loving, then God comes to live in us. Quite the opposite. When God comes to live in us as the Holy Spirit, we are filled with His love for other people, and this demonstrates that we belong to Him.  God’s love is seen by other people in how we love and treat them. This agapaō is our witness – the sign of God’s indwelling presence within us.

“We love because He first loved us.” (1 John 4:19). John is clear again, “Whoever loves God must also love his brother.” (1 John 4:21).

How are we doing with the loving one another challenge? Is your heart full of the love that God has for you? Do you find that you are full of fear or joy? The love of God casts out fear and replaces it with peace and joy. Does the love of God flow out from you towards other people? We are called to agapaō other people because God has offered agapaō to us!