(1 John 4:4-8)
14. God ii Love
Now, little children, John says, you are of God, and have overcome him. Who is "him"? Whom but the antichrist? John has already said that everyone who does away with Jesus Christ and denies that he came in the flesh is not of God. We explained, if you remember, that all those who transgress love deny that Jesus came in the flesh. Jesus had no need to come, except for the sake of love. The love enjoined on us here is the same that Jesus himself enjoins in the gospel: "Greater love than this no one can have, that he lay down his life for his friends." How would God's Son have been able to lay down his life for us, unless he clothed himself in flesh in which he could die? Therefore all those who transgress love, no matter what they may say, deny by their lives that Christ came in the flesh. They are antichrists, wherever they are, wherever they've entered.
And what is John telling those who are citizens of the homeland we are longing for? He tells them, You have overcome him. And how have they done it? Because greater is he who is in you than he who is in this world. John doesn't want them to attribute their victory to their own powers, and thereby be overcome by the presumption of pride. Anyone the devil makes proud he overcomes. John wants them to remain humble. He has told them, You have overcome him, and everyone who hears the word overcome will lift up their heads and expect to be praised. But don't extol yourselves. See who it is in you who has overcome. You have overcome because greater is he who is in you than he who is in this world. Be humble. Bear your Lord. Be the beast he rides. It is good for you that he guides and leads. If you haven't him as your rider, you may lift your necks, you may strike out with your heels, but it's your loss, because this liberty sends you to the wild beasts to be devoured.
GODISLOVE / 69
They are of the world, therefore they speak the language of the world, and the world listens to them. Who are they who speak the language of the world? It is those who speak against love. You've heard the Lord when he said, "If you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you your trespasses; but if you do not forgive, neither will your Father forgive you your trespasses." This is said by Truth, deny it if it's not true. If you are a Christian and believe Christ, it's he who said, "I am the truth." What he says is true; it's sure.
Now listen to those who speak the language of the world: " Aren't you going to have your revenge? Will you let him tell others what he's done to you? Let him know he's dealing with a man!" These things are said everyday by people who speak the language of the world; and the world listens to them. Only those who love the world speak this way, and it's only those who love the world who listen to them. And you've heard that those who love the world and have no regard for love deny that Jesus came in the flesh. Did the Lord himself, in his flesh, do this? When he was struck, did he want to avenge himself? Did he not say, when he hung on the cross, "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do"? If he who had power didn't use threats, why do you who are in someone else's power flare up? He died because he willed it, and he made no threats. You don't know when you'll die, and are you making threats?
We are of God. Let us see why, let us see whether it is for any reason other than love. We are of God. Whoever knows God listens to us, and he who is not of God does not listen to us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error. He means that whoever listens to us has the spirit of truth, and whoever does not listen to us has the spirit of error. Let us see what counsel he is giving us. Let us listen to him counseling us in the spirit of truth, rather than listen to the antichrists, to lovers of the world.
Beloved, let us love one another. Why? Because some human being Says so? No, because love is of God. This is a strong commendation of love, to say that it is of God. But he is going to say more: let us listen very carefully. Love, he has said, is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. One who does not 70 / LOVEONE ANOTHER, MY FRIENDS love does not know God. Why? Because God is love. What more could he say, dear friends? If there were nothing else in praise of love in all the pages of John's letter, nothing else whatever on any other page of Scripture, and if we heard only this one thing from the voice of God's Spirit, that God is love, we should ask for nothing more.
Now you see that to act contrary to love is to act contrary to God. None of you should say, "I'm sinning against a human being when I don't love my sister or brother. To sin against another person isn't much; it's only against God I shouldn't sin" But how is it you don't sin against God when you sin against love? God is love. These aren't my words. If I said that God is love, any of you might be offended and ask, What did he say? What did he mean, God is love? God gave love, God bestowed love." Love is of God. ... God is love. This is God's Scripture, dear friends. This letter is canonical; all peoples read it. It's held by universal authority, it has edified the whole earth. It's God's Spirit that tells you here that God is love. Now, if you dare, go against God and refuse to love your sister and brother!
Love is of God; and God is love. God is Father, Son, and Holy
Spirit. The Son is God from God; the Holy Spirit is God from God. And these three are one God, not three gods. If the Son is God, and the Holy Spirit is God, and those in whom the Holy Spirit dwells love others, then love is God.
It is God because of God. Both things are said in this letter: Love is of God and God is love. Only of the Father does Scripture never say that he is of God. When you hear of God, you have to think of the Son or the Holy Spirit. But because the Apostle says that "God's love has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit which has been given to us," we must understand that in love is the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit, which the wicked can't receive, is that fountain of which Scripture says, "Let your fountain of water be your own, and let no stranger partake of it with you." All those who'don't love God are strangers, antichrists. They may enter our GODIS LOVE V. 71 churches, but they can't be counted among the children of God. That fountain of life doesn't belong to them. The wicked too can have baptism; they can have the gift of prophecy. King Saul had the gift of prophecy. He persecuted David, who was innocent, and he began to prophesy. The wicked too can receive the sacrament of the Lord's body and blood. Of such people it is said that anyone who eats and drinks unworthily eats and drinks judgment on himself." The wicked too can have the name of Christ; they can be called Christians. It was said of them that "they defiled the name of their God." The wicked too can share in all these mysteries, these sacraments, but to have love and to be wicked isn't possible. This is the Spirit's special gift; the Spirit is the one and only fountain. God's Spirit urges you to drink of it; God's Spirit urges you to drink of himself.