A Word from 1 John on Loving Others
- Emily Myers
- Nov 6
- 7 min read
This week, I'm excited to bring you two new posts inspired by my readings from 1 John. There is one central commandment addressed in 1 John. This post addresses the second part of the commandment:ย "that we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christย and love one another." 1 John 3:23
1 John was written by the apostle John between 80-95 AD. To put it into perspective, this letter was written about 50 or so years after Jesus' crucifixion. Note, the apostle John is the author of the Gospel of John, which details John's time with Jesus and Jesus' teachings, as well as 1st, 2nd, and 3rd John, which are letters written after Jesus' death to continue to promote His teachings and address relevant church issues.
In this first letter, John addresses a central problem in the church, which has remained a central problem in the church and in society. That problem is a lack of love for humanity.
Our world and our churches have adopted an us vs. them mentality. Our society is plagued with division. Whether that divide has spawned from differing religious beliefs or political beliefs, having no beliefs at all, or differences in race, economic status, etc, it's us vs. them. We've all taken sides, aside from the few who have learned the art of communication, which is equal parts listening and speaking. In our churches, we're divided amongst each other and are positioned as a collective against the world. Us vs. them. But it was never meant to be this way.
I've seen it first hand: the church who treats those of a different race as outsiders, the church who only feels comfortable with a congregation that looks like or acts like them, the pastor who refuses to marry a couple who lived together before marriage or conceived a child before marriage. I've met the judgemental christians, the ones who give meaning to "there's no hate like christian love." And I've had my own experiences when I was treated as less than or not good enough for sinning, where the Bible was used as a tool to spread hate and to try to manipulate me. I have been there. Truthfully, my experiences are why I started reading the Bible for myself, so it can't be used against me.
But the truth is, I always knew the truth. While I may not have always known every word and every scripture--I still don't--I have always known that love is the foundation of the universe and my soul--a love for humanity.
"Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God!" 1 John 3:1
The Bible was not written for a select group of people. The Bible was compiled so that all may know God and Jesus Christ, so that all may come home to Him, because we were all created in His image. We are all His children.
Yes, in the Old Testament, God chose a select group of people to be His. But what many people miss, including myself at first, is that the Old Testament really only serves one purpose and that is to foreshadow or prophesy the coming of Christ. God chose a select group of people in the Old Testament to lead, because He was actively protecting the lineage that would lead to the birth of Christ. Furthermore, the Old Testament shows us that we cannot defeat sin, death, or the devil on our own. We cannot fulfill the Law of the Lord. We cannot reach the promised land without our good shepherd.
So, while much of what occured in the Old Testament may seem cruel or unnecessary, it all serves a purpose and that purpose is Jesus. We need Jesus, and when He comes, He fulfills the Law of the Lord perfectly. He is the perfect sacrifice, the only sacrifice that could ever purify us and create an unbreakable relationship between us and the Father in Heaven, which is all God ever truly wanted. And that relationship is one He seeks with all mankind.
God doesn't want only this group or that group. Christianity is not meant to be exclusive. It's meant to be the most inclusive collective ever created. As christians, we are set apart, but not by God. Our choice to believe in Him through faith and follow Jesus through surrender and obedience is what sets us apart. But our mission isn't to remain set apart, but to spread the Word of God so vastly that there comes a day when there is no collective. There is only one group of people--God's people--because that's exactly what we are.
"By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us." 1 John 3:16
Jesus died for all humanity, because He and the Father in Heaven love all humanity. Yes, even the Father, because the night before Jesus was to be crucifed, He prayed to the Father. He was scared. His humanity bled through, quite literally, as He sweated blood. As human, Jesus was fully capable of feeling all the emotions one would expect leading up to such a sacrifice. He knew exactly what would happen. So did God. As He prayed He said, "if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done." Luke 22:42
This verse reveals not only the immense love Jesus has for us, but the love of our Father in Heaven, who allowed the sacrifice to occur. He gave up His Son to receive a family of an unknown number.
"You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world." 1 John 4:4
As Jesus hung on the cross, He cried out to Heaven and said, "Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do." Luke 23:34
These two verses together, Luke 23:34 and 1 John 4:4 hold so much power and perspective. Jesus was able to forgive not only those who betrayed and tormented Him, but all people to come, because He knew it was not man's fault. Man is God's creation, created perfectly in His image. By design, we are not evil or corrupt. The devil is who corrupts man, but it is more than corruption. It is inhabitation or possession.
"For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places." Ephesians 6:12
The key to loving like Christ is viewing humanity like Christ. Separate the human from the spirit living inside them. There are no evil people, only evil spirits. And the only one who can save them, who can save us, is Jesus Christ.
1 John 4:4 reveals His Spirit overcomes the world. We overcome the world, the devil, temptation, and sin by surrendering to His Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit cleanses us of the evil spirits that have been targeting us. I've experienced it first hand. But that's not the only thing we should take from all of this. It's not just about us. It's about how we view others.
If we can learn to see others as God sees them: worth loving, worth forgiving, worth seeking, worth saving, worth my attention, worth my sacrifice, worth dying for, then humanity will feel His love through us. "If we love one another, God abides in us, and His love has been perfected in us." 1 John 4:12
"Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another." 1 John 4:7-11
God loves us even when we don't love Him. God loves those who don't yet know Him and those who never will. So too will we love one another. That is the true christian call.
Religion vs. Relationship
I have a more in-depth post coming on this topic as part of my The Divine Return series, but it feels relevant to mention here.
I know what it's like to grow up going to church, because that's what you do. To get baptized, because that's what you do. And I'm not the only one.
I think the reason so many christians get it wrong is because they grew up in religion not relationship with the Lord. They've sat on the pew, maybe for fifty years, allowing the preacher's words to float in one ear and out the other, never opening the Bible and studying it for themselves. While on the surface this may seem fine, the truth is, they have a closer relationship with that pew and that preacher than God. And relationship with the Lord is the only way to truly understand what it means to be a christian and a child of God. The only way to walk in the love of Christ is to be filled by Christ and see through His eyes.
There are no evil people, only evil spirits. Others are not our enemies. We have only one enemy and his name is Satan. We are not at war with mankind. It's not us vs. them. It's us vs. him.
30 Day Challenge to Love Like Christ
After reading this, challenge yourself to thirty days of loving like Christ. When that person pisses you off, because they will, choose one of the following reminders to recite: "Not the man but the spirit inside him," or "My war is not with you." If you want to get fancy with it say, "I rebuke the spirit inside you in the name of Jesus Christ."
Leave a comment and let me know which reminder you've chosen for yourself and feel free to check back in to let me know how it goes. It only takes two weeks to form a new habit. Imagine what thirty days of viewing humanity through the eyes of Jesus could do?
Download this image and make it your screensaver for an extra reminder.
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