|
"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."
(1 John 4:7-8)
This week in our devotions, we are focusing on the word love: what it means and what it does not mean. I think of the Beatles' song, "All You Need Is Love." Here are the primary and oft-repeated lyrics in the song:
All you need is love
All you need is love
All you need is love, love
Love is all you need
However, when you study the remaining lyrics, you quickly discover that John Lennon is not writing about biblical agape love that is best defined (I believe) by the word sacrifice. Rather, Lennon writes more about loving yourself and simply being at peace with the way things are. For example, the song says, "Nothin' you can do, but you can learn how to be you in time. It's easy."
In 1 John 4:7-11, John uses the Greek word agape 11 times. Love is indeed all we need, just not the love of self, but true love for God and others, demonstrated in the way we live and give. The popular definition of love is tainted with notions of self. We love out of ulterior motives — what's in it for me. But for the Christian, love is not this selfish, emotional, sentimental, mystical feeling. Agape love is, as stated already, best defined by the word sacrifice. If you say you love God, others, your family, or your church, then you are saying you sacrifice for them. You are more concerned for them than yourself.
The greatest demonstration of this love is God giving His only Son, Jesus Christ, to die for the sins of the world. Jesus sacrificed His life so you and I can be forgiven of our sins and spend eternity with Him.
The very essence and nature of God is love. God is love all the time, and all the time, God is love. To say that God is love is, in the words of John Stott, "the most comprehensive and sublime of all biblical affirmations about God's being." (Source: Stott, The Epistles of John, p. 160)
|
Apple
Spotify
Deezer
YouTube
