The writings of the Apostle John are a treasure trove of theological insight, and within his inspired words we find three definitive statements about the nature of God: “God is spirit” (John 4:24, ESV), “God is light” (1 John 1:5, ESV), and “God is love” (1 John 4:8, 16, ESV). These sweeping declarations encapsulate distinct but inseparable aspects of God's being and character. Among them, the reality of God's love stands out as both the most wondrous and incomprehensible.
John, the beloved disciple, was profoundly impacted by the knowledge that God loved him. Time and again, he refers to himself in his Gospel as “the disciple whom Jesus loved” (cf. John 13:23; 19:26; 20:2; 21:7, 20, ESV). This was not arrogance, but rather the outflow of deep amazement that the Lord of all creation would single him out for such affection and grace. For John, the core truth that seized his heart and shaped his life was that Jesus loved him—personally, sacrificially, and eternally.
Echoing this same realization, the renowned theologian Karl Barth was once asked to summarize his vast theological contemplation. His reply was simple, yet profound: “Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so” (Barth, cited in Christianity Today, May 21, 1965). In essence, the wonder of the Christian faith is that we are loved by God. This truth is at once “darkness to my intellect, but sunshine to my heart,” as an ancient poet once penned (Cowper, William. "God Moves in a Mysterious Way," 1774). While finite minds may never fully fathom the depth of God’s love, our hearts can nevertheless rejoice in the experience and reality of it.
John’s writings invite us not only to marvel at God’s love but also to allow that love to transform our relationships and our witness to the world. He presents three movements through which the love of God is revealed and our response to it is shaped: Love Proclaimed, Love Proven, and Love Practiced.
1. Love Proclaimed (1 John 4:7–8)
John asserts that love is from God, and that “everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love” (1 John 4:7–8, ESV). Here, love is not merely an abstract virtue or sentimental emotion, but the chief identifying mark of the Christian. If God’s nature is love, then those who truly know Him will inevitably reflect that nature in their own lives.
This becomes the litmus test for our faith. When the world sees professing Christians, it naturally wonders: “How do I know you are truly a follower of Christ? What is the evidence that God has changed your life?” John’s answer is unequivocal: the presence or absence of love is the chief evidence of our relationship with God. Our testimony is only as strong as our love in action (cf. John 13:35, ESV).
2. Love Proven (1 John 4:9–10)
John goes on to show how the love of God is not just proclaimed but also proven in history:
“In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.”
(1 John 4:9–10, ESV)
Two aspects stand out: God’s intention and God’s initiative.
A. God’s Intention (v. 9)
God’s purpose in sending His Son was so that “we might live through Him” (1 John 4:9, ESV). His love is not passive, but actively seeks our highest good—a restored, abundant relationship with Himself. God loves us as we are, but not enough to leave us unchanged. So too, our love for others should imitate this pattern, desiring not merely their comfort, but their ultimate good: a growing relationship with God.
B. God’s Initiative (v. 10)
John emphasizes, “not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son” (1 John 4:10, ESV). Paul echoes this in Romans 5:8: “but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” The initiative is God’s. Unprompted by anything in us, He pursued us and sacrificed for us. As recipients of such love, we are called to go and do likewise—seeking out opportunities to love others, especially those who do not yet know Christ. As Jesus said, “Look, I tell you, lift up your eyes, and see that the fields are white for harvest” (John 4:35, ESV). God’s love is meant to be shared.
3. Love Practiced (1 John 4:11–16)
John concludes by showing us what it looks like when God’s love is lived out in real life. This happens in two primary contexts: within the Christian community, and as part of our mission to the world.
A. Christian Community (vv. 11–12)
“Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us.”
(1 John 4:11–12, ESV)
John is clear: the unseen God becomes visible to the world when His people love each other. Unfortunately, churches are often marred by internal conflicts over trivial matters. Thom Rainer’s research uncovers the absurdity of many church disputes, ranging from the color of filing cabinets to the length of the worship pastor’s beard, and even to questions over the permissibility of “deviled eggs” at church meals (Rainer, Thom S. Autopsy of a Deceased Church, 2014). While these are humorous, the wounds caused by such conflicts are real and damaging when they distract from the main thing: loving one another.
Contrast this with the early church pictured in Acts:
“And all who believed were together and had all things in common... And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.”
(Acts 2:44–47, ESV)
The love and unity of the first Christians amazed even pagan observers. As Lucian, a second-century Greek writer, noted:
“It is incredible to see the fervor with which the people of that religion help each other in their wants. They spare nothing. Their first legislator (Jesus) has put into their heads that they are brethren.”
(Lucian of Samosata, The Death of Peregrinus, c. A.D. 160)
The same Spirit who empowered them to love can empower us to do the same, if we will allow Him.
B. The Great Commission (vv. 13–16)
But our love must not remain insular. As the early church shows, a robust experience of Christian community naturally leads to outward mission. Christ’s love compels us to look beyond ourselves and to love the lost—those who have yet to experience new life in Christ. Our love for the world is demonstrated as we share the message and hope of the gospel, “that we might live through Him” (1 John 4:9, ESV).
Conclusion
Every follower of Christ is called to reflect God’s love both inside and outside the church. As God has taken the initiative to pursue and transform us with His love, so we are to take the initiative to love one another and to extend that love to the world. In doing so, we bear convincing witness to the reality of God’s character and invite others into a growing relationship with Him.
The love of God—proclaimed by the Scriptures, proven by the cross, and practiced in the lives of believers—is the greatest wonder of the Christian faith. May we, like John, be gripped by the knowledge that “Jesus loves me, this I know,” and may that truth shine through us so that the world may see, believe, and be changed.
Works Cited
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version (ESV).
Barth, Karl. Quoted in “Barth: Jesus Loves Me, This I Know,” Christianity Today, May 21, 1965.
Cowper, William. "God Moves in a Mysterious Way," 1774.
Lucian of Samosata. The Death of Peregrinus, c. A.D. 160.
Rainer, Thom S. Autopsy of a Deceased Church. Nashville: B&H Publishing, 2014.
