We Love
Because He First
Loved Us
Beloved,
let us love one another, because love is from God; everyone who loves is born
of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, for God is love.
God’s love was revealed among us in this way: God sent his only Son into the
world so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we loved God
but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins.
Beloved, since God loves us so much, we also ought to love one another. No one
has ever seen God; if we love one another, God lives in us, and his love is
perfected in us.
By
this we know that we abide in him and he in us,
because he has given us of his Spirit. And we have seen and do testify that the
Father has sent his Son as the Savior of the world. God abides in those who
confess that Jesus is the Son of God, and they abide in God. So we have known
and believe the love that God has for us.
God
is love, and those who abide in love abide in God, and God abides in them. Love
has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness on the day of judgment, because as he is, so are we in this world.
There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out
fear; for fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not reached
perfection in love. We love because he first loved us. Those who say, “I love
God,” and hate their brothers or sisters, are liars; for those who do not love
a brother or sister whom they have seen, cannot love God whom they have not
seen. The commandment we have from him is this: those who love God must love
their brothers and sisters also.
1 John 4:7-21
It
has been said that people need three things to be happy: something to do –
meaningful work or helping others; someone to love – someone to whom we can
give of ourselves, such as a spouse, child or friend; and something to look
forward to – a vacation, a visit from a loved one, improved health, or the
realization of a dream.
Those
things may bring some temporary happiness. But for lasting fulfillment, they
can all be found in a relationship with Jesus, God’s Son.
For lasting fulfillment, Jesus Christ is everything we
need.
Where there is hope, there is happiness.
Our Daily Bread –