Go! And Love As God Commands - 1 John 4:20-21 Series

Go! And Love as God Commands - 1 John 4:20-21

Introduction

Today, as part of our "Go! And..." series, we explore one of the most challenging and transformative commands in Scripture: to love one another as an expression of our love for God. Our focus is on 1 John 4:20-21:

1 John 4:20-21 (NLT): *"If someone says, ‘I love God,’ but hates a fellow believer, that person is a liar; for if we don’t love people we can see, how can we love God, whom we cannot see? And he has given us this command: Those who love God must also love their fellow believers."

These verses challenge us to align our professed love for God with genuine love for others. Today, we will explore three key lessons from this passage:

Go! And Love with Integrity.

Go! And Love with God’s Love.

Go! And Love as a Witness to the World.

1. Go! And Love with Integrity

1 John 4:20 "If someone says, ‘I love God,’ but hates a fellow believer, that person is a liar; for if we don’t love people we can see, how can we love God, whom we cannot see?"

The Apostle John draws a direct connection between our visible actions toward others and our invisible relationship with God. Loving others with integrity means our words and actions must align.

James 2:15-16 "Suppose you see a brother or sister who has no food or clothing, and you say, ‘Good-bye and have a good day; stay warm and eat well,’ but then you don’t give that person any food or clothing. What good does that do?"

John’s use of the word liar (pseustes in Greek) is strong and unambiguous. It conveys the idea of someone who is knowingly untruthful, indicating that claiming to love God while harbouring hate is hypocritical. Similarly, James highlights the emptiness of faith without works, pointing out that genuine love requires tangible action.

God is calling us to "Go! And love with integrity." Are there areas in your life where your love for others doesn’t reflect your love for God? Love must be visible in our actions, not just our words.

Francis Chan writes, "True love requires sacrifice. It sees the needs, pain, and struggles of others and moves toward them, not away."

Imagine a car with an empty fuel gauge. Claiming it can still drive without fuel is as hollow as claiming to love God without demonstrating love to others. Our actions fuel the credibility of our faith.

2. Go! And Love with God’s Love

1 John 4:21 *"And he has given us this command: Those who love God must also love their fellow believers."

Loving others is not an optional extra for believers; it is a direct command from God. This command stems from the nature of God Himself, who is love.

1 John 4:7-8 "Dear friends, let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God. Anyone who loves is a child of God and knows God. But anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is love."

The Greek word for love here is agape, which refers to selfless, sacrificial love. This love is not based on feelings or circumstances but on the character of God. As recipients of God’s agape, we are called to reflect it to others.

God is calling us to "Go! And love with His love." How often do we rely on our own strength to love others? Instead, let’s draw from the endless reservoir of God’s love through prayer and the Holy Spirit.

Corrie ten Boom, a survivor of the Holocaust, said, "You can never learn that Christ is all you need until Christ is all you have." Her testimony reminds us that God’s love empowers us to forgive and love even in the most difficult circumstances.

Think of a fountain that never runs dry. God’s love is like that fountain, pouring into us so we can pour out love to others. When we stay connected to Him, we will never lack the capacity to love.

3. Go! And Love as a Witness to the World

John 13:34-35 "So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples."

Jesus emphasises that our love for one another is a testimony to the world. It is the distinguishing mark of His disciples.

Matthew 5:14-16 "You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father."