The Bible gives us the reason why we love. It says "We love because he first loved us." 1 John 4:19. That is why we love.
This verse is often interpreted as the reason why we love God is because he first loved us. But, is that the correct interpretation? Read it carefully and you will notice that it says "we love" but stops short of saying whom we love.
But I think the whole context makes it clear that it talks about the reason why we love one another, not why we love God, is because God loved us first. In other words, we receive love from God and share it with one another. This interpretation is supported by the context. The verse that follows immediately says "If anyone says, "I love God," yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen. And he has given us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother."
The way to love God is to love one another. To put it another way, our love for God should be expressed in our love for one another. There is simply no short cut to that. It is a...M U S T. Our love for our brothers and sisters is a pretty good indicator of our love for God. Now that is a practical tool you can use to gauge your love for God.
Whoever loves God MUST also love his brother.
The Cyber Evangelist. |