No God No Love 1 John 4:7-21

“We have come to know and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him” (1 John 4:16, NASB).

The world in which we live is filled with all sorts of evil. There is the lack of justice for all people. There is an increase in crimes of violence of every sort. There is an increase in divisions between people groups. There is an increase in sickness and disease. Throughout history human beings have been trying to eliminate their problems. The church cannot change the world systems even though there are many church leaders that work hard trying to do so. The church was not called by God to change the world by changing world systems. Rather, God called the church to take the gospel to the whole world so that people would know how to live in a corrupt and evil world. The church is to be a community marked by love. The message of the church is love. God loved the world, and out of His love Jesus Christ His Son died on a cross so that people could live in fellowship with God and others who believe in Jesus. The aim of this article is to state without any reservation that if there is no God there is no love.

The word “love” is used to describe feelings of attraction, affection, and devotion. All people need love. This means that all people need to give love and to receive love. If we are to express love, there must be an object of our love. If we are to receive love we must be the object of someone’s love. Yet, it seems that there is the lack of love in our world today. Instead of love, it seems that there is selfishness and greed.

The desire for love is so great that numerous books, poems, and songs of every genre have been written about love. Singer Dionne Warwick said, “What the world needs now is love, sweet love. It’s the only thing that there’s just too little of.’ This song expresses the idea that love is the missing ingredient that the world needs so that people can live together in peace and harmony with each other. As stated above, everyone needs love regardless of their status and identification in the world. The Christian son writer James Rowe wrote the song “Love Lifted Me.” He wrote I was sinking deep in sin, Far from the peaceful shore, Very deeply stained within, Sinking to rise no more; But the Master of the sea Heard my despairing cry, From the waters lifted me—Now safe am I.” The chorus says, “Love lifted me, Love lifted me, When nothing else would help, Love lifted me; Love lifted me.” In the song “love” is synonymous with the master of the sea who is Jesus. Thus, the love that saves is none other than Jesus.

Human beings desire love. Love is not only what we do. Love is who we are. From a biblical point of view, human beings were created by God in His image and likeness. However, the first human beings disobeyed the commandment of God—do not eat fruit from the tree in the middle of the garden (See Genesis 2:16, 17; 3:2-3). Their disobedience caused a distortion of that image (See Genesis 3:7-11). Since God is holy, He cannot have fellowship with that which is unholy. For this reason God drove the man and the woman out of the garden; essentially removing them from His presence (See Genesis 3:22-24). Human beings would remain separated from God until the wrong had been made right. Those that would be made right with God would once again bear the perfect image and likeness of God. How could this be? How would human beings know that they had been made right with God? What would be the distinguishing factor or sign that they had been restored to a relationship with God so that they might be in the presence of God?

In the bible the word love is used to tell us that God has restored us to our original status. We have been reconciled to God. Those reconciled to God are distinguished from those that have not been reconciled to God. The book of First John was written to a community that had confessed that they believed that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. The author uses the word love (Greek=agape) to describe the unique relationship between God and people. Those that love God love fellow believers also. Those that do not love God are those that remain in their sins. Sin is disobedience to God’s law. Sin is what people do. Sin is who people are. Sin is darkness, meaning that there is the ignorance of the knowledge of God. Sin is bondage to everything that opposes God.

Only the love of God can bring light into the darkness. Only love can cleanse us from sin. Removal of sin is necessary if there is to be justice, righteousness, peace, and harmony in the world. The church has been unable to remove the corruption in our world systems in spite of its many efforts. Talking with public officials has not been able to solve the problems. More laws have not been able to solve the problems of justice and evil. When the church tries to change the world systems, temporary progress has been made. However, these temporary successes have been met by evil that rules world systems (See 1 John 3:8-10). Again, the only remedy for sin is love.

As stated above, singer Dionne Warwick says that the world needs more love. If Warwick is right how can we get more love? Before we can answer this question we must answer three questions: What is love? How do we get love? How do we become love? John wrote, “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God” (4:7, NASB). On the other hand, “The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love” (v. 8).

In these two verses John tells the community that they are to love one another. This is not a suggestion. This is the commandment of God. John writes “By this we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments” (2:3). Love (Greek=agape) is benevolence toward others. It is giving of one’s self for the benefit—the better good for another. “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life” (John 3:16, NASB). Love is not just words expressed. “We know love by this, that He laid down His life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren” (3:14, NASB).

God is the source of love. Only God can supply us with His love. No human effort can give love to anyone. Love cannot be gained through demonstrations and protests. It cannot be gained through laws. It cannot be gained through compromise. Those who love have been born of God. John writes, “In this is love, not that we loved God, but He loved us and sent His Son to be propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if god so loved us, we ought to love one another” (4:10-11, NASB). We are unable to remove sin with its evil desires that are contrary to the will of God.

We become love when we confess our sins, and we have a new relationship with God and other believers. We have been forgiven of our sins, and we have received His nature through the Holy Spirit (vv. 9, 10, 13; See Galatians 5:22-23). Forgiveness of sin results in the receiving of the gift of the Holy Spirit. It means that the blood of Jesus shed on the cross cleanses us from sin. John writes, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9, NASB). On the other hand, “the one who practices sin is of the devil; for the devil has sinned from the beginning. The Son of God appeared for this purpose, to destroy the works of the devil” (3:8, NASB).

The writer also tells us that love for God and others in the community is not a feeling experienced temporarily. John writes, “If we love one another, God abides in us, and His love is perfected in us” (v. 12, NASB). In the gospel of John, Jesus tells His disciples that they must abide/remain in Him. They must continue in Him if they are to bear fruit (See John 15:4-11). This means that they will keep His commandments because His word is in them continuously (See John 15:7). As a result of love abiding in us, we overcome the world. Our faith gives us victory (See 5:4-5).

We have seen that God is love. We, like the song writer James Rowe can say that love is God. Love overcomes a multitude of sins. It enables us to forgive others unconditionally. Love means that we do not seek revenge; rather we love—do well to those who do us wrong. Such love is not a characteristic of the devil and the world that the devil rules. Only God loves those that live outside His will. In the world today, we can confidently say: No God No love.