1 JOHN 4:7-21

Scripture (NIV):

(7) ‘Dear friends,’ let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. (8) Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. (9) This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him.

Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.

1 john 4:7

(10) This is love: now that we loved God, but that loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. (11) ‘Dear friends,’ since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. (12) No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.

(13) This is how we know that we live in him and he in us; He has given us of his Spirit. (14) And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. (15) If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in them and they in God. (16) And so we know and rely on the love God has for us.

God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them. (17) This is how love is made complete among us so that we will gave confidence on the day of judgment: In this world we are like Jesus. (18) There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.

God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them.1

John 4:16b

(19) We love because he first loved us. (20) Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen. (21) And he has given us this command: Anyone who loves God must also love their brother and sister.

Devotion:

In just 1 John 4:7-21 the word is brought up 27 times, which tells me that love is pretty big deal to God. In fact, scripture it says that God is love, and it was because he showed us love first by sacrificing his only Son Jesus; so that we could live through him. This means a lot, I’m not saying we should all be going out sacrificing our children for others, but maybe something we can do for one another is be willing to make a little bit of a sacrifice for each other.

Prayer:

God thank you so much for loving us so much that you were willing to give up your Son Jesus Christ so that we could live through him. So I ask that you give me the strength so that I may love as Jesus did, so his death can mean something through me. In the Son’s name Jesus Christ, Amen.