1 John 4:12 - LOVE: Power Like No Other.
1 John 4:12 (NIV) No one has ever seen God;
but if we love one another, God lives in us and
his love is made complete in us.
INTRODUCTION
If no one has ever seen God, how can we ever
know him? John in his Gospel said, "God the One
and Only, who is at the Father's side, has made
him known" (John 1:18). Jesus is the complete
expression of God in human form and he has revealed God
to us. When we love one another, the invisible
God reveals himself to others through us, and
his love is made complete. [Life Application
SB]
Some people enjoy being with others. They
make friends with strangers easily and always are
surrounded by many friends. Other people are shy or
reserved. They have a few friends, but they are
uncomfortable talking with people they don't know or
mingling in crowds. Shy people don't need to become
extroverts in order to love others. John isn't telling
us 'how many' people to love, but 'how much' to
love the people we already know. Our job is to
love faithfully the people God has given us to
love, whether there are two or two hundred of
them. If God sees that we are ready to love
others, he will bring them to us. No matter how shy
we are, we don't need to be afraid of the love
commandment. God provides us the strength to do what he
asks. [Life Application SB]
COMMENTARY PEARL
By The Cross
Brian Reed served in a military unit in
Baghdad, Iraq, in the fall of 2003. He and his unit
went on regular street patrols to protect
neighborhoods and build peace. It was often a thankless,
fruitless assignment. Citizens seemed more interested
in receiving a handout than a hand up. Brian
said his unit battled low morale daily.
An exception came in the form of a church
his men stumbled upon. Brian and his men, armed
and armored to the teeth, entered the facility.
It was filled with Arabic-speaking Coptic
Christians singing and praising God. The Americans did
not understand a word, but they recognized the
image on the screen, a depiction of Jesus.
The Coptic Christians invited them to
partake in the Lord's Supper with them. The soldiers
removed their helmets and received the sacraments.
Afterward they smiled, laughed, shook hands, and
prayed again.
It was peace in the Middle East.
Enemies brought together by the cross of
Christ. [You Can Count On God by Max Lucado]
COMMENTARY
Accepting God's Gift of Love
Many people simply can't believe that the
Lord loves them. Others believe that He loves
them, but only when they are pleasing Him in some
way. Why is it so hard for us to accept His
unconditional love?
One reason is that we have a hard time
loving others without condition. We might say the
words "I love you" to our spouse, children,
friends, co-workers, or fellow believers but all too
often are calculating in our mind whether or not
they've lived up to our standard. We sometimes
excuse ourselves from loving certain people because
their behavior upsets or annoys us. The fact that
we place restrictions on extending favor causes
us to wrongly assume that the Lord does
likewise.
Another reason is poor self-image.
Considering ourselves unworthy, we refuse to accept
God's love. You know what? None of us are worthy
of the heavenly Father's goodness and mercy -
so you can let go of that excuse once and for
all. We're not coming to Him based on our worth.
Rather, we're coming to Him based on His grace, and
our position is secure in Christ. To put
yourself down as "beneath His grace" is to trample on
His loving, generous gift. God arranged an
awesome divine way for us to be reconciled to Him,
and His greatest desire is for relationship with
each of us.
If you feel unloved or struggle to accept
yourself, ask the Holy Spirit to reveal the truth of
our heavenly Father's love for you - and to sink
it deep into your heart. Receive the truth that
He reveals. It will be a completely different
story about your value as an individual. [In Touch
Daily Devotional by Charles Stanley at
www.intouch.org re 7-12]
CLOSING THOUGHT
God Is Love
If we want lasting change, we must fill
our lives with love. Why? Because love can
change the unchangeable. Love is the most powerful
force in the universe, because "God is love" (1
John 4:8).
John doesn't say God has love; he says
God is love. Love is the essence of what God is.
God is Father, Son, and Spirit in an eternal
relationship of love.
LOVE INVIGORATES. LOVE REVITALIZES. LOVE
RENEWS. LOVE REFRESHES. LOVE HEALS. LOVE
STRENGTHENS. LOVE GIVES YOU ENERGY WHEN YOU DON'T HAVE
ENERGY. LOVE EMPOWERS YOU WHEN YOU DON'T HAVE THE
POWER. WE NEED GOD'S KIND OF LOVE IF WE ARE GOING
TO FULFILL THE PURPOSES FOR WHICH WE WERE MADE.
So as you seek lasting change today,
invite God's love to touch those areas of your life
that need healing in a deeper way. Then look for
opportunities to give that love away to others.
God's love can change the unchangeable so
that we are able to love others with the love
we've received. What a privilege! [The Daniel Plan
365-Day Devotional]
PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS
Rest in My radiant presence. The world
around you seems to spin faster and faster, till
everything is a blur. Yet there is a cushion of calm at
the center of your life, where you live in union
with Me. Return to this soothing Center as often
as you can, for this is where you are
energized: filled with My Love, Joy, and Peace.
The world is a needy place; do not go
there for sustenance. Instead, come to Me. Learn
to depend on Me alone, and your weakness will
become saturated with My Power. When you find your
completeness in Me, you can help other people without
using them to meet your own needs. Live in the
Light of My Presence, and your light will shine
brightly into the lives of others. (Gal. 5:22; 1 Jo.
4:12) [Jesus Calling by Sarah Young]
Put your hope in My unfailing Love. You
live in a world where failure abounds - in
governments and businesses, schools and churches,
friends, family, and you. Instantaneous worldwide
communication makes the failures all the more evident, all
the more heart-wrenching. So the idea of
unfailing Love is radical; there is no adequate model
for it in this world. Clearly, such Love can be
found only in Me - in the very essence of who I
am.
Even the most devoted parent, friend, or
lover will let you down sometimes, but I am the
eternal Lover who will never fail you. This is
possible because I am infinite, perfect God. Yet I
became a Man - with human understanding and
empathy. In fact, My compassions never fail. So find
hope in Me and in My amazing provision for
believers - salvation and righteousness that will
never fail. This hope strengthens you and pleases
Me. I delight in those who put their hope in My
unfailing Love. (Psa. 147:11; Lam. 3:22; 1 Jo. 4:16;
Isa. 51:6) [Jesus Today by Sarah Young]
My unfailing Love is your "Fuel" - The
best source of energy for you. This glorious
source of strength is limitless, so it is always
abundantly available. You tend to get quite focused on
your health and energy. There is a place for such
concerns, but they can occupy more and more of your
thoughts. When you are preoccupied with the condition
of your body, I slip from the center of your
mind to the periphery. At such times, you are
unable to receive much help from Me. The remedy is
to repent quickly - turning away from obsessive
thinking and turning wholeheartedly toward Me.
The more you focus on Me, the more access
you have to My unfailing Love. This supernatural
source of energy flows through you freely as you
look to Me in trust. Not only does this increase
your energy level; it also provides a pathway for
Me to love other people through you. So let My
limitless Love energize and empower you as you walk
along your life-path close to Me. (Psa. 33:5; Phi.
4:4; Col. 1:29; 1Jo. 4:15, 16) [Jesus Today by
Sarah Young]
LINK FOR FURTHER STUDY
1 John 4:12 - God Is Love And Lives In His
People.
http://www.abible.com/devotions/2007/20070115-1008.html
YOUR COMMENTS
If anyone has a paraphrase, commentary or
testimony on this passage of Scripture, either
personal or otherwise, I would be interested in
hearing from you. Thanks in advance and let's keep
uplifting Jesus that all might be drawn to Him. Fred
Gibbs
LINKS WORTH CHECKING OUT
https://abible.com/links/
