“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)

When God infuses His divine life into the church, the first evidence is found in their actions demonstrating love unconditionally. This is based on who God is. In John’s first letter he says, “Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. 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. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.” (1 John 4:7-10)

The reason we demonstrate love is because we have been loved and now we can love. Love is the reason for which Jesus came to earth. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16) God wants the world to know that He loves them, so Jesus came. “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8) God wants all people to receive His love. “This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus.” (Ephesians 3:16) God wants people to abide in His love. “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now abide in my love.” (John 15:9) Jesus came in order that you may know God’s love and have God’s love flow to you and then out through you to the world.

This is the love which Jesus has experienced with the Father from before time began. Before Jesus goes to the cross and demonstrates God’s love, He prays for those who would believe that they will experience God’s love. “I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one— I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. . . I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them.” (John 17:22-23, 26)

God wants to demonstrate this love to a world through those who are believers and followers of Jesus Christ. It starts in the church and is to spread beyond the church to the world. Jesus said “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” (John 13:34-35) As followers of Jesus Christ, this is to be developed in our lives and the character of how we live. “Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.” (Ephesians 5:1-2) As we walk with the Living Word of God, the love God has given us is to be shown through our actions and our words. Then those around us may see God’s love. This is living the life infused with God’s divine life.

In the Love of Jesus

Michael Block