Reading: 1st John 4:7-21

1st John 4:12b – “If we love each other, God remains in us and his love is made perfect in us.”

Our passage begins with John imploring us, “dear friends,” to love one another. The foundation for this charge is built upon two things. First, love is God. Love comes from God. God is love. Second, those who practice love are born from God and know God. There is a relationship formed as a believer professes Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. This relationship is grounded in God’s love.

All relationships are two-way. The apostle John first establishes proof of God’s love for us in the fact that God sent Jesus to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins. John also reminds us that God has given us the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit. This is the second proof. This is how God’s love remains in us and enables the relationship to be two-way. We next read about how we offer proofs of our love of God through our love for one another.

In verse 12 we read, “If we love each other, God remains in us and his love is made perfect in us.” John Wesley picks up on this idea in what he called ‘going on to perfection.’ Wesley understood the Christian faith as a process of unending growth. Loving more and wider changes the believer for the good, maturing and deepening our faith. Now, this call to love and the process of maturing in our faith – they are not easy.

John reflects this as he writes these words of encouragement: “Perfect love drives our fear.” To love one another as God loves us will call us to risky places, to challenging conversations, to situations where we lie self on the line. Yet we do not go alone nor do we do these things by ourselves. Because God loves us, God goes with us into these places, situations, and conversations where we are called to be love and light, hope and peace, trust and justice, grace and forgiveness. Through God’s unconditional and faithful love, may we seek and strive to love all of our brothers and sisters just as God loves us.

Prayer: Lord God, emboldened by your love, guide us to step out in faith, without fear and without concern for self. Bring us into all the places and lives that need to know your love. Empowered and encouraged by the Holy Spirit, lead us to practice your love well so that others may come to experience and know your love in their hearts. Amen.