◄ What Does 1 John 4:11 Mean? ►

The eternal God loves us in three tenses: past, present, and future, for He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. It is a divine love that cannot be compared with the inadequate love of fallen man, but is a love so penetrating that He sent the unique and only begotten Son of His love to be the propitiation for our sins.

That single act of the Father should stagger us to the core of our being, that God sent Christ as a gift of His grace to be made a curse for us so that we might be made the righteousness of God, in Him.

But having redeemed us, He sent His Spirit to abide in our heart and, day by day, seeks to transform us from ugly, bitter, antagonistic sinners into beautiful, thankful, mature children of God, having the same godly nature as the Lord Jesus Christ Himself.

His love extends into the never-ending, eternal future, for no eye has seen, nor ear has heard, nor has it entered into the imagination of man, the glories that God has prepared for those who love Him. Since the eternal God loves us in three, staggering tenses, we ought also to love one another.

Loving one another, being compassionate and kind, forgiving one another, and meeting together with our brothers and sisters in Christ are mentioned multiple times in Scripture, making this subject close to the Father-heart of God. How can we say that we love God if we do not show that same love to each other?

May we choose to love one another as God loves us, for in so doing, we will be a blessing to those around us and glorify our beloved Lord and Saviour.

Heavenly Father, Your eternal, incomparable, and unconditional love toward me, staggers me to the core of my being, when I look at Jesus. Father, I choose to love as He loved and ask that in Your strength, You would work in me to will and do Your good purpose in my life. In Jesus' name, AMEN.