"Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God, for God is love." 1 John 4:7-8

Scripture has much to say concerning our love for one another. It is God's
love: by it we are identified by others (see John 13:35 below) and by it a test for ourselves (see 1 John 2:9 below). I would like to share a few Scripture verses, but I would encourage you to study on your own this love which God has called us unto.

The Apostle Paul tells us what this love is in 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 (I know you are all familiar with this.):
"Love is patient, love is kind, and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails."

This love is the exact opposite of the 'love' of the world which focuses on self getting; this love is self giving -- selfless. "For God so loved...He gave..." We are to love as God loves! As His children we can do no less, just look at the following verses:

*"In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins, Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another." 1 John 4:10-11

*"A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another." John 13:34

Again Jesus says,
*This is my commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you." John 15:12 And how did He love us? He gave! He gave His life for us, and this while we were yet His enemy, to reconcile us to God!

*And the one who keeps His commandments abides in Him, and He in him.
And we know by this that He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He as given us." 1 John 3:24

This love identifies us:
*"By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another." John 13:35

This love is a test of the reality of our new life in Christ:
*"The one who says he is in the light and yet hates his brother is in the darkness until now." 1 John 2:9

*"We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love abides in death." 1 John 3:14

There are those who day, 'love is a choice' -- how can it be when Jesus Himself says it is a commandment? How can it be if it identifies us as Christians? Where is the choice? Jesus says, "If you love Me you will keep my commandments." (John 14:15) Therefore, not a choice but a decision to obey. It is to yield to Christ to bring about the change in our hearts that is necessary to make this love a reality in each one of us. It is to let Christ in you love His love through you. May the Lord open the eyes of our understanding as we seek Him in these things.

"Now to Him who is able to do exceeding abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever.
Amen."
Ephesians 3:20-21