Loving God AND His Children

“Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and whoever loves the Father loves the child born of Him” (1 John 5:1).

            It’s easy for a believer to love God.  How could we not love the One who has demonstrated His love for us in so many wonderful ways?  He loved us when we were dead in our sins and provided a way for us to be forgiven (Ephesians 2:1-7; Romans 5:6-11).  He has provided every spiritual blessing we could ever need or imagine by virtue of our connection to Christ (Ephesians 1:3).  He has qualified us to share in the glorious inheritance prepared for His children (Colossians 1:12).  He seeks our highest good in everything (Romans 8:28).

            But for many of us, it’s often a much more difficult thing to love all the children of the God we love.  Sure, some of our Christian siblings are easy to love.  Usually it's the ones who share our beliefs, interests, temperament, etc..  But others are not so loveable.  For one reason or another, they make the task of loving them harder.  Perhaps they have offended us in some way.  Maybe they have challenged our traditional ways of understanding Scripture or practicing our faith.  They are just different enough to make us uncomfortable.

            But if I am reading the words of the beloved apostle correctly, the matter is not optional.  If I claim to love the Father, I must also love His children.  A chapter earlier, John emphasizes the same thing with stronger words:  “If someone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for the one who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen.  And this commandment we have from Him, that the one who loves God should love his brother also” (1 John 4:20-21).  Remember, when we love each other (even when we are unloveable), we become a powerful witness to the world around us” (John 13:35; 17:20-21).

 

God loves you!

Mike