1 John 4:19
[19] “We love him, because he first loved us.”
I’m always amazed at how the Bible can say so much in one phrase or verse. This is a simple, but profound, text when we consider it. If we are not careful, we can read it, and not truly take in all that it has to say to us.
First, think about the reverse in this verse. The first phrase declares that we love him. Can you truly say that today? Do you love Christ? If the answer is yes, then pause for a moment and consider the time that you did not love him. Think about when you went through life and never considered God. Maybe you had the attitude you wanted nothing to do with him. Look at how things have been reversed in your life! Now you love him, and desire to have a relationship with him. This is a great miracle in your life.
Second, think about the reason why we love him. The Bible uses the word “because”. This word tells us that we don’t just love him, but that there is a reason why we love him. Let me say that there are a lot of reasons why we love him. There are more reasons than we could ever list on paper. He gives us reasons every day to love him more and more. When we consider his salvation, his blessings, his protection, his provision and his promises, how could we not love him? When we think about his person, we love HIM!
Finally, there is the reality in this verse. The reality is that he first loved us! He loved us before he created us, and he loved us before he saved us. God has always loved us. The reason we love him is because he first loved us. If God had not loved us enough to send us his Son, we would have never loved him. If he had not loved us enough to send us his Word, and his Spirit, we would have never loved him. The song writer said that He is the reason why we love him so. I’m so glad that God took the initiative, and loved us when we were unlovable. This is true love at its best!