LOVING GOD MEANS LOVING HIS KIDS

1 John 5:1-3 NLT
[1] Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has become a child of God. And everyone who loves the Father loves his children, too. [2] We know we love God’s children if we love God and obey his commandments. [3] Loving God means keeping his commandments, and his commandments are not burdensome.

Loving God, loving God’s kids, it’s all the same thing to John. Obeying His commandments ties it all together. You see, when we love, respect and reverence God the Father so much because of who He is and what He has done for us in His Son, Jesus, that we wouldn’t dream of doing anything He wouldn’t want us to do, obeying His commandments isn’t difficult at all.

We have already learned that He has only two commandments for us to obey, so how can they be burdensome, especially when those commandments involve Jesus. Believe in Jesus! Again, what is difficult or burdensome to about believing in Jesus when He laid down His life for us?

What’s so burdensome about loving His children when He is busy changing them to be like Him? Some may be further along the way to becoming like Jesus than others but we are all facing the same way and going in the same direction.

On top of that, we have God’s love poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit. What God is requiring of us, unlike His people under the Old Covenant which set the standard but provided no power to attain it, is adequately supported by His grace. In fact, God’s grace makes everything possible that God requires of us, from the smallest detail to the biggest hurdle. All we have to do is ask with humility, believe, and act upon that provision.

James 4:6 NLT
[6] And he gives grace generously. As the Scriptures say, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”

So, dear readers, by the 5th chapter of this letter, John has made very clear that living God’s children means being honest with each other, living in fellowship with each other, and taking care of each other’s needs. When we faithfully take care of these things, the evidence is clear. We love the Father and we love His Son.