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.
1 John 4:16 (NIV)
When a woman says she knows her husband’s love for her, it is because she is aware of the sacrifices he makes and endures every day for her and for their marriage. She knows that when she wrongs him, when he should have abandoned her and walked away, he continues to love her and keep his commitments to her, to love her, to cherish her until death do them part. No one can say they know love without having experienced it personally.
To know something is to know that thing in its full dimension and to identify with it as if it were a part of us, to the point of influencing our decisions and actions. John tells his readers that they have known God’s love for them. It is because they have experienced the fundamental expression of that love that they have come to believe it. Do you know the depth, breadth, and height of God’s love for you? His love is seen in the sacrifice of the cross, when He gave His Son for the salvation of your soul and the forgiveness of your countless sins.
Abiding in God’s love is loving others and showing it through great sacrifices, as God demonstrated in Jesus Christ at Calvary. Love does not ask you to die for others, but to accept them as they are without judgment, to help them change, to support them, and to show them the love of Christ in you. When John says that God is love, he is not talking about a strong emotion, but rather a sacrificial reality on God’s part. He forgives us our sins, restores us, justifies us, and protects us despite our evil tendencies to do evil. Abiding in God requires knowing the depth of His love and compassion for others.
May the grace and peace of God be with you all.
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