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Home > Bible on Money > Major Themes > 1, 2 and 3 John
Love and Gift
By Justin Borger
with assistance from Generous Giving staff
Few truths in Scripture are more mind-boggling than God’s love for humanity. Like God himself, God’s love is incomprehensible. In fact, the Bible tells us that God’s love “surpasses knowledge” (Ephesians 3:19). So, how on earth are we supposed to know what love is?
Amazingly, the apostle John’s first epistle explains how we can know God’s love in a way that is both simple and direct. “This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us” (1 John 1:16). Apart from the gift of God’s Son, God’s love would be totally incomprehensible. However, through the gift of his Son, his love has been made known because it was given specifically “for us.” In the Incarnation, God’s Son, who is love (1 John 4:16), took on flesh and conformed to our needs and nature.
It is only in light of our specific nature and needs that the love of God has been made known. If God’s Son had not taken on a human nature, his love would remain incomprehensible. Consequently, we, too, must express his love in a way that conforms to the particular nature and specific needs of others. If we fail to express love in a way that is specifically tailored to the nature and needs of others, then our love will also fail to make any sense.
This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? (1 John 3:16-17).
Related Passages:
Deuteronomy 33:12; Isaiah 40:11; Psalm 36:5-10; 103:11-22; 136; Zephaniah 3:17; John 3:16-17; Romans 5:6-8; 8:35-39; Ephesians 1:3-14; 2:1-10; 3:16-21; 2 Thessalonians 2:13-17; James 2:14-17
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