"By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments."
1 John 5:2
“By this, we know that we love the children of God,”
In the last chapter, John has just said that true believers who love God need to be loving their brothers and sisters in the faith.
“And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also,” (1 John 4:21).
People are not always that easy to love. In fact, even God’s children can be irritable and hard to love. In church, we need to remember that sheep can bite. They may bite each other, and even the “under-shepherds.” Although the sheep may be unlovable at times, the Lord still expects us to love our brethren. How do we know we are loving them?
“When we love God,”
Here’s a test.
“As it is universally true that if we love Him who has begotten us, we shall also love His children, or our Christian brethren, so it is true also that if we love His children it will follow that we love Him,”1 (Barnes).
The converse is also true if we don’t love the brethren, we don’t love God. If we don’t love God, we won’t love the brethren. The critical focus for us in these relationships is our love for God. If we are loving God as we ought, we are also striving to live in a right relationship with our brothers and sisters.
One of the tests of true salvation is our relationship to the brethren.
“We know that we have passed from death unto life because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death,” (1 John 3:14).
“And keep his commandments.”
How can we know we love God? By loving His children and when we “keep His commandments.” Obedience is a test of our love. It is easy to say that we love God, but the proof is whether or not we obey Him.
“Love is not just a sentiment. Love is a great controlling passion and it always expresses itself in terms of obedience,”2 (Martyn Lloyd-Jones).
Show the Lord you love Him by your obedience to His Word.
1. Albert Barnes, Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible, the electronic version in eSword.
2. Martyn Lloyd-Jones quoted by www.christianquotes.info, downloaded, 2/11/19.