"In this was revealed the love of God in us, that His only Son God has sent unto the world in order that we should live through Him."
-God is love - and so He loved. God so loved, and God thus did. He did something which demonstrated His love. Because love is a verb. Love acts, love does, love shows up, it shows itself. Yes, love is a show-off - it shows up and shows off, but not in the traditional meaning of that word. It is not at all about self. Rather it is totally focused on the beloved. And love does not consist in empty words and sentiment. It does not subsist on the vagaries of fickle feelings. It is fueled in a heart of compassion at the ready. It makes itself known, it reveals itself to the beloved. It moves to meet the need of the one so loved, whatever the cost, even at great cost to the one loving.
And this is what God did, in this God showed His love to us - He sent His Son, His one and only Son, into the world. This Son He gave - for us. He sacrificed His Son, for us. In order that, so that we who were His enemies, we who were dead and dying should have life eternal. That’s the reason, the purpose for which Christ was sent (1John 4.14). I have two sons - I would be loathe to give up either one of them to save the life of another. I mean, if you love your son, there’s no way. How much more difficult would it be if we’re talking about your only son? What if it was to save the world, to save the lives of billions? Would you do it then? I can’t even say that I could do that. My own son, the apple of my eye, handing him over to my enemies for them to torture and execute him? What great, amazing love the Father revealed in us, so that through the horrific death of His only Son we should have life through the same. This love - and the life that it imparts - changes everything. It changes my destiny forever. And it changes my perspective and my life in the present - because it compels me to no longer live for myself. Both out of gratitude and in following in the footsteps of this exemplary sacrifice, I give up my own life, my wants, my dreams, my plans, even my family, for the sake of knowing and following Him, for the sake of making Him famous (2Corinthians 5.14-15). I become a love distributor!
-Yes, God revealed His love to us AND in us. Not only do we see it and know it and experience it as we learn about it and begin to believe it and trust in it and then experience it poured out in our hearts (Romans 5.5), but it then spills out to those around, to those we know, to our family and our neighbors, to our city and to the nations. God’s love becomes visible in and through us as we begin to love with the love with which He first loved us. That is John’s point in this letter, that this love, God’s true agapé love multiplies, it replicates, by its very nature. It is not something which I can receive and keep to myself, much less continue to contradict with actions of hatred or opposition, particularly towards God’s people. If that is where I think I am, love coming in, got my fire insurance, yeah Jesus loves me this I know - but no love going out, then I am seriously deluded.
-Yep, love shows up. In the kitchen, at the hospital, next door - with words and deeds which meet real needs. And it's coming back... (Lord, help me to love like that...)
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