We love, because He first loved us. 1 John 4:19 AMP
The Context and Focus:
This is a very short verse, but one loaded with messages for the times and seasons we have found ourselves today. It is thought that John, the writer, the one called 'the Beloved', or 'the one who Jesus loved', wrote these letters. As Jesus taught the people, as well as healed and ministered to the crowd, tnis John was there every step of the way. He even called himself a witness to the Word of Truth, and as an account of the bible would also indicate, as Jesus hung on the cross, John was there, and Jesus handed over his mother to be taken care of by this disciple, who stayed faithful to the end. In these days and times when friends are only fair- weather, can you find people who will stick to you through thick and thin, even when things get so bad? Can I say that I am such a friend who will be totally committed to helping someone through a challenge or problem?
The Message:
For John, he would have seen something in Jesus that was worth fully committing to. If there was no hope or prospect of some gain, would John have stayed for as long as he did? He would have known that with this man, he could not go wrong. The decision to follow Jesus would have been taken with a measure of consideration of who Jesus is, what he had seen him do, and how he had impacted lives. For a man like John, loving Jesus was easy. When a man decides, of his own freewill, to love the Lord, it is such a big deal. God does not force Himself on anyone; he has given all of us the power to choose, of our own accord, to love or reject Him. You live or die by the consequences of your decision. If God wanted faithful and loyal subjects, who were not capable of rebellion, He could have made robots without minds of their own, but He chose to make man in His own image, and after his likeness.
The Conclusion:
That is love, accountability and responsibility all rolled up into one package. It is because of who this Jesus is, and what he has done and given, that I am able to give back. A man can only take from what he has in his hands, owns or controls, to give to other people. God has love to give, because He is the definition of love, and He has given that to us in abundance. We then respond to that love and make it ours; we embrace it and then it becomes a part of us. As we go into the world, relating with people, if there is pressure or a squeeze on us, we flow out with what we have stored up in us, which is the love of God. This is one of those responses and life realities that you cannot force, or pay forward on credit. If you have it, it shows. If you don't have it, you cannot force or fake it. Have I received this love? It is still on offer. Take it, and bless the world with it. God's time of favour is here.
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