A L M A C I A S

THE LOVE OF GOD

As we study the scriptures, it is interesting to see how the Word of God was able to change so many from an attitude of indifference to an attitude of caring. Among some who were changed was the apostle John. When the Lord first chose John to be one of the apostles, John seemed to have had a very rough character. John and his brother James were very rough around the edges, but the rough edges would eventually go away, especially for the apostle John. As we read his epistles, we are able to see this.

In the I John 4:7, we read: "Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love." It is a very difficult thing for someone to try to teach others to practice something in their lives which he himself is not practicing. Our conduct speaks a lot louder than our words. James wrote to his readers, as well as to us, that Christians should not only be hearers of the Word of God but doers of it also, for if anyone tries to be only a hearer and not a doer, such a person only deceives himself. The apostle John was not a hearer of the Word only, but rather a doer. He had, on many occasions, heard lessons on love from the Lord Himself, who was the best example of love personified. In the verses before us in this epistle, we are able to see immediately how the apostle John was a loving man. He addressed the brethren as "beloved." It seems that he considered the subject of love for one another one of the most important characteristics of a Christian. Later in this epistle, John wrote that if a man said that he loved God but hated his brother, such a person was a liar. How can a person say that he loves God, whom he can not see, but hates his brother whom he can see. Let us always remember this when we demonstrate a lack of love toward our brethren, and this includes all of the brethren. When one loves others, he is showing that he has been begotten of God.

When one loves the brethren, (and as I said before, this includes the brethren that are difficult to love), we are showing one of the signs of a true Christian. By the same token, if it is the case that one does not love others, this would show that one does not know God. This would not only show that one does not know God at this point in time, but that he actually never knew God. Where do you stand? Let us love one another as God has commanded us to do and thereby be true Christians.