1 John 4:20-5:3, Loving the One Who Begot

By this time, we should all recognize that there is more than one “love chapter” in the Bible (1 Cor. 13).  1 John 4 truly plumbs the depths of God’s love.  And it provides needed encouragement that we might live and grow in the knowledge of that love, and that we might love each other as we have been loved.  In today’s passage John has a final admonishment on the subject.  In doing so he makes it cleat that loving God and loving our brothers in Christ are inseparable truths.  There cannot be one without the other.

John has just made the argument that loving our brother is the key to God’s abiding in us and to God’s love being perfected in us.  If we love one another, God abides in us, and His love has been perfected in us (4:12).  Now, in 4:20, he is emphatic: If someone says, ‘I love God,’ and hates his brother, he is a liar.  The reason is because of who we are as Christians.  Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God (5:1a).  Yes, believers in Christ have been born again, born of God, born from above, born of the Spirit (John uses all these either in his Gospel or first Epistle).  We are “children of God.”  The obvious conclusion is, therefore, that everyone who loves Him who begot also loves him who is begotten of Him (5:1b).  Loving God and loving your brothers are inseparable.

In 5:3 John turns it around in order to make the same truth.  How do we know that we love the children of God?  He says we love each other when we love God and keep His commandments.  The highest motivation and inspiration for loving each other is that we have such a deep love for God.  And remember that our Lord said: If you love me keep my commandments.  So do I love God?  Yes, I say.  Then I will keep His commandments.  And what are the two commandments that have been front and center?  To believe in the Son and to love the brothers. 

And by the way, did you see that the Spirit tells us, His commands are not burdensome.  I have often thought about that statement.  Do you remember what Peter said at the Council of Jerusalem in Acts 15.  When Judaizers were trying to require Gentiles to keep the law of Moses, Peter said, why do you test God by putting a yike on the neck of the disciples which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear? (Ac. 15:10).  Then he went on to say, But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved in the same manner as they (15:11).  The law of Moses was burdensome.  But the commands John has brought before us are not burdensome.  It is a complete joy to believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ and love one another, as He gave us commandment (1 Jn. 3:23).  Is this not what Jesus said: Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For My yoke is easy and My burden is light (Mt. 29-30)?