He First Loved Us
“7 Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. 8 Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. 9 This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. 10 This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. 11 Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12 No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.
13 This is how we know that we live in him and he in us: He has given us of his Spirit. 14 And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. 15 If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in them and they in God. 16 And so we know and rely on the love God has for us.
God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them. 17 This is how love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment: In this world we are like Jesus. 18 There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.
19 We love because he first loved us. 20 Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen. 21 And he has given us this command: Anyone who loves God must also love their brother and sister.”
Our faith is not merely a set of doctrines but a truth that is revealed through our lives. Jesus' coming to this world is the greatest proof of God’s love, and His sacrifice on the cross is the heart of the gospel. The Word of God is not a rigid law but a love-centered message. God, in His mercy, saw our fallen state and sent His Son to redeem us. This love is the truth we believe and the essence of the gospel.
The restoration of God’s image in us is holiness, and the essence of holiness is love—love that reflects God’s own nature. God loved us first, sent His Son, and cleansed us through the suffering of the cross. This love grants us true freedom and draws us closer to God. As we grow to resemble Him, acts of faith—prayer, worship, giving, and evangelism—flow naturally from a heart transformed by love. Faithful practice is not a burden but a sacred calling and a blessing.
Mature faith is not about knowing much but about deeply loving God and living out that love. Because God first loved us, we too can love. His love enables us to accept our own weaknesses and embrace the weaknesses of others. The practice of love is the very core of our faith and must be lived out in our churches and families. A mature believer is one who experiences God’s grace and freedom through His love and, in turn, shares that love with others. May we grow in this love and build a church and community where it is fully expressed.
Prayer: Lord, may Your love heal our distorted affections, cast out our fears, and lead us to embrace the fullness of grace revealed on the cross. Help us to practice sacrificial love in our homes and churches. Teach us, train us, and guide us to live a life that reflects Your love. Amen.
(Note: This summary was created based on an AI draft.)