LIAR!

“If someone says, “I love God,” but hates a fellow believer, that person is a liar; for if we don’t love people we can see, how can we love God, whom we cannot see? And he has given us this command: Those who love God must also love their fellow believers.”
1 John 4:20-21 NLT

Once again, repetition of an earlier instruction! The “apostle of love” must have had good reason to bring up the same subject more than once. Is it possible that the church in Ephesus, where he served, according to tradition, had members who were experiencing troubled relationships?

John gives no details but the fact that he had to address the issue more than once suggests that it was a real problem in this church. Since loving one another and unity among believers are the most powerful witnesses to the coming of Jesus to earth from the Father, any disturbance in relationships among God’s people threatened their witness to the unbelieving world.

John wants his readers to understand that there is a clear distinction between believers and unbelievers depending on the way they treat each other. Real believers sacrificially serve one another and work at preserving unity by their mutual submission. Ungodly people don’t! They expose their hearts by words and actions that divide, compete, and/or belittle others.

God’s children build others up in every possible way. Care for each other benefits the whole body. Those who care more for themselves than others, tear down, and fracture the fellowship, are exposing the condition of their hearts.

John would concur with Paul’s words…

Colossians 3:14 NLT
[14] Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony.

… since loving one another is Jesus’ command to His disciples. Obedience to any command in the New Covenant is empowered by the indwelling Holy Spirit to obey. Without the Spirit, obedience is impossible.

So, we can conclude, anyone who claims to love God but diminishes a brother or sister in any way, is a liar. It’s as simple as that!