1 John 4:21 “And we have this command from Him: The one who loves God must love his brother also.”
1 John 4:21 is in so many ways a summarization of I John 4 where John has over and over stressed that loving God will mean loving one another. He has tried to make it as clear as possible that the two go together. When Jesus was asked what the greatest commandment is He said for us to love God and to love our neighbor. Jesus is so adamant about us loving one another that He told His disciples that our love for one another is the distinguishing mark of being His disciples. Recall from John 13:34-35 that He said, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. “By this, all will know that you are My disciples if you have a love for one another.”
If you claim to be a follower of Christ, you will love God and you will love people! Your Christianity is to be called into question when you boast of a love for God but not following through with not loving people.
John’s message of loving God and loving people here is also seen throughout I John 1.
1 John 3:11 For this is the message that you heard from the beginning, that we should love one another.
1 John 3:23 “And this is His commandment: that we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ and love one another, as He gave us commandment.
1 John 4:7 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.
1 John 4:8 He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.
1 John 4:11 says, “Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.
1 John 4:20 If someone says, I love God, and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen?
You may love people and not love God, but you cannot say that you have experienced God’s love and that you love God without loving people. And let us be clear again; the time a person needs love the most will be the time they deserve it the least.
Love God! Love People!
And Remember to DATE the Word
Bonus: In the 4th month of the year, April, we are extending a 4 x 4 challenge and encouraging you to read a chapter 4 each day of April. For April 21 we challenge you to read 1 John 4.