Everyone Who Loves the Father...

We were reading through 1-3 John yesterday at church. God speaks powerfully when His Word is read out loud in His body, and I heard a clear message yesterday through His Word. Between chapters, we had a time to meditate on the Word of God that had just been read. Much of 1 John speaks of loving your brother and unpacking what that looks like and doesn't look like. After chapter 4, I had a time confessing to the Lord that I didn't know how to love my brothers, and I didn't even really know who my brothers were. I asked the Lord to come into that. And He did in the reading of the next chapter. In chapter 5, the Word says,

"Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves the father loves his child as well. This is how we know that we love the children of God: by loving God and carrying out his commands. This is love for God: to obey his commands. And his commands are not burdensome, for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world? Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God." (vv 1-5)

It's so simple. If you love the father, you will love his children as well. If I love God, and I will learn how to love my brothers. If I obey God, I will love my brother as well. They are not contrary to each other. Obedience to God encompasses it all. Praise the Lord for His Word and his Spirit which guide and direct my steps. Out of the overflow of my Spirit-empowered pursuit of Christ, love for my brothers will pour out, and I will fulfill His commands.