1 John 3:1-18-- What Love Is, Part 1

Scripture: 1 John 3:1-18

It would almost be impossible to overstate the importance of love to human life and society. And history. And pretty much every other phrase that starts with "human."



Just look at this list of songs that each holds some record for weeks atop the Billboard 100:

Mariah Carey, "One Sweet Day" (lyric: I miss the love we shared)
Whitney Houston, "I Will Always Love You"
All-4-One, "I Swear" (lyric: Til death do us part, I'll love you...)
Jewel, "You Were Meant for Me" (lyric: I know you love me)
Savage Garden, "Truly Madly Deeply" (lyric: I'll be your love)
Eric Clapton, "Change the World" (lyric: Our love would rule this kingdom...)
Jason Mraz, "I'm Yours" (lyric: Look into your heart and you'll find love, love, love...)
Creed, "Higher" (lyric: Let love replace all our hate)

(All pretty awesome songs, too, but then I grew up in the 90s.)

I'm sure I don't need to convince you. Love is kind of a big deal.

But how do we learn more about it? Experience it more often and more authentically? Get better at expressing it to others? Well, the obvious answer (and not a bad one) is to get out there and love people. And yet, that's probably the philosophy of most people, and to be honest, this world has a lot of people (from all places and backgrounds) who are lousy at loving others.

Maybe a more effective approach is to understand and experience the source and author of love.

And 1 John 3 tells us two remarkable things about God's love:

"See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!"

"This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us."