The verse 1 John 4:19 states “We love because he first loved us.” This profound yet simple verse contains a powerful truth about God’s love for us and how we can love Him in return. Let’s explore the meaning behind this verse in more detail:
God’s Love Comes First
The key insight from 1 John 4:19 is that God’s love comes before our love for Him. God initiated love towards us first, even while we were still sinners: “But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). God’s love is unconditional and not based on any merit or worthiness in us. As 1 John 4:10 states, “In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.”
This means God loved us despite our sinfulness, failures, and weaknesses. His love is based on His gracious character, not our own. As humans we often love others conditionally, when they please us or based on their attributes. But God loves unconditionally as an act of His perfect, divine will. His love is a conscious choice to extend grace to undeserving sinners like us.
We Love God in Response to His Love
Since God first loved us, our love for Him is now a response to His amazing grace. 1 John 4:19 indicates we love God because He first demonstrated His love towards us. Our ability to love God would not be possible if He had not shown His love to us first.
God’s initiating love enables us to reciprocate love back to Him. His love empowers our love in return. 1 John 4:7 tells us “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God.” We are able to love God because He is the source and originator of love. His love is like an endless fountain that overflows in our hearts, allowing us to love Him back (Romans 5:5).
Furthermore, responding in love to God is now our greatest joy and privilege. 1 John 4:11 says, “Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.” Love breeds love. We get to fulfill our highest purpose in life – loving God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength (Mark 12:30).
Our Human Love is Imperfect, God’s Love is Perfect
An important distinction from 1 John 4:19 is that while God’s initiating love is perfect, our love for Him in return will always be imperfect and incomplete in this life. Our human love is tainted by sin and finite limitations.
As much as we may strive to love God wholeheartedly, we will struggle and fail to do so perfectly. Our love will wax and wane. It may be mixed with wrong motives or lukewarm devotion. We may love God deeply at times but then drift from intimate fellowship with Him.
Thankfully, God does not demand perfect love from us, but graciously accepts our imperfect love because of Christ’s atonement. Our righteousness is found in Jesus (Philippians 3:9). By faith in Him, God looks at our faltering love as perfect in His sight.
We Love Because God First Loved Us
In summary, 1 John 4:19 provides a beautiful picture of God’s perfect love directed towards us that empowers our imperfect love directed back to Him. He loved us first and made relationship with Him possible through Jesus. Our ability to love God flows out of experiencing His amazing grace.
This verse reminds us that all genuine love begins with God. He is the source. Understanding God’s initiating love should inspire heartfelt gratitude, deep joy and loving obedience towards Him. We love because He first loved us.
Further Passages on God’s Love Coming Before Our Love
Here are some additional Bible verses that convey this profound truth:
- “We love because he first loved us.” (1 John 4:19)
- “But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8)
- “In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” (1 John 4:9-10)
- “So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.” (1 John 4:16)
- “But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ— by grace you have been saved.” (Ephesians 2:4-5)
- “See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are.” (1 John 3:1)
How Knowing God Loved First Changes Us
Understanding that God loved us first, while we were unworthy sinners, has profound implications. Here are some ways it can deeply impact us:
- Gratitude: We did not deserve His love, but He freely gave it. This evokes heartfelt praise and thanksgiving.
- Humility: Since His love is unconditional, we cannot boast in ourselves. All glory goes to Him.
- Security: Our relationship with God does not depend on our fluctuating love. His constant love secures us.
- Freedom: We can live freely and joyfully, not striving to earn God’s love which He gives freely.
- Purpose: Our chief aim becomes loving God in return and reflecting His heart of love to others.
- Worship: We desire to know and adore this God who lavished His love on us.
- Holiness: His love motivates us to live in a manner pleasing and honoring to Him.
These effects of understanding that God loved first demonstrate how profound an impact this biblical truth can have on our Christian walk. It reorients everything around God’s amazing grace.
How to Respond to God’s Initiating Love
Since God loved us first, while we were in sin, how then should we respond to such amazing love? Here are some ways to reciprocate God’s initiating love:
- Repentance: Turn from sin to live a life pleasing to God who loves you.
- Faith: Believe in Jesus Christ as your Savior who died for your sins.
- Obedience: Out of love, follow and obey God’s commands and precepts in Scripture.
- Worship: Adore and praise God for His majestic love and mercy toward you.
- Serve Others: Emulate God’s love by serving, helping and caring for others.
- Generosity: Respond to God’s generous grace by being generous and giving.
- Thankfulness: Cultivate an attitude of gratitude for His lavish love.
- Pass It On: Share with others this amazing love so they too can believe.
While our love will always be imperfect, we aim to reciprocate God’s perfect love as fully as possible with our words, thoughts, attitudes and actions.
Benefits of Loving God
There are wonderful benefits when we love God in return for His love shown first to us. Scripture describes some of the blessings of loving God:
- “Because he holds fast to me in love, I will deliver him; I will protect him, because he knows my name.” (Psalm 91:14)
- “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” (James 4:6)
- “No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you.” (John 15:15)
- “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28)
- “I love those who love me, and those who seek me diligently find me.” (Proverbs 8:17)
These verses describe blessings like God’s protection, friendship, working for our good, and being found by Him when we diligently seek Him. Our relationship with God grows deeper the more we genuinely love Him.
Expressing Love to God
How can we tangibly express our love for God in response to His love first demonstrated to us? Consider these ways of outwardly showing your love for Him:
- Prayer and worship
- Reading Scripture and biblical meditation
- Attending church faithfully
- Generous giving and tithes
- Serving in the local church
- Telling others about Jesus
- Obedience to God’s Word
- Turning from sin
- Living with joy and thanksgiving
- Selfless acts of service to others
Our love for God starts internally as a grateful response to His love, but then manifests through concrete actions. We live out love for Him by both intimate relationship and outward demonstration.
Overcoming Indifference and Lukewarm Love
Since our human love is imperfect, we may struggle at times with indifference or lukewarm love towards God. Our passion and devotion may wane. How can we overcome these states of the heart?
- Remember again how God first loved you.
- Consider Jesus’ incredible sacrifice because of God’s love.
- Reflect on Scriptures about God’s steadfast love.
- Confess lukewarmness as sin and repent.
- Ask God to soften your heart and rekindle love.
- Make time for regular alone time with God.
- Fasting and denying fleshly desires.
- Remove idols that may be replacing love for God.
- Fellowship with other believers who love God.
- Remember the blessings and benefits of loving God.
By God’s grace, we can stir up and revive our love for Him, even when struggling with apathy or spiritual lethargy. His perfect love toward us empowers our imperfect love in return.
Love for God in Heaven
While our love for God will fluctuate in this life, one glorious day in heaven perfect love will be realized. We will finally love God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength. With sinful impulses removed and seeing God face to face, we will be empowered to love Him completely.
Our love will remain an undeserved response to His initiating love. But it will expand exponentially beyond what was possible on earth. We will experience new depths of intimate love and adoration for God beyond anything imaginable. His love for us and our reciprocal love in return will achieve absolute perfection.
What amazing love that God first loved us and made such eternal love relationship possible! As 1 John 4:19 declares “We love because he first loved us.” Thismighty, life-changing truth will be celebrated forever.