1Jn 4:20 If anyone says, "I love God," yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For the person who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen.We talked in the previous section about the fear of God in three aspects: the sense of awe, the fear of punishment, and the fear of discipline. We concluded that the fear of discipline can be removed when we fall completely in love with God. This verse in 1 John 4:20 is a continuation of that thought.
John makes a very bold statement to Christians who claim to “love God.” How can we say that we “love God with all our heart,” yet despise our Christian brother sitting two rows up from us? We cant, it is a lie.
It seems the point John is trying to make here is how can you not love another Christian, who is created in the image of God, but claim to love the One whom that image came from? Again, it is a lie.
This is not a difficult passage, but I think I hold a lot of weight because we just can’t seem to get it right. As you go through the rest of your day/ week, think about Christians in your life that you have a “severed” relationship with. Mend those; fix them, because until that happens your love for God will not be complete.
Aaron Taylor
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