"God is love"

We need to be careful when summarizing Scripture into our own pithy bits of truth.  We must remember that every Word has a proper context, and that often times even the entire verse isn't enough to provide that context.  When I really think about it, I'm sure I have been guilty of this countless times.

Most people know that the chapters and verses in the Bible are not considered inspired but were added later for ease of reference.  So, just because a verse is "a verse", even that doesn't mean that the verse is necessarily "complete".  But, how many times do I just drop a verse and call it "done"?

Okay, so before I go further I will say many times knowing our audience may determine the length of context we should provide.  For example, if I'm in a small group of people who I am pretty certain know the context and the importance of context, and after discussing a topic at length I drop, "God is love" into the conversation, perhaps there is a place for that.  However, I think we often do abuse, or, misuse God's Word to say what we want to say rather than what God's Word actually says.  And, I have been guilty of this I am certain.

So, consider, "God is love."  That is true, isn't it?  Of course it is.  It says it.  That phrase, though, is stated in 1 John 4:8 and is surrounded by a lot of other things.  The entire verse says, "Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love."  Even that, though, is really not enough to say what kind of love we are talking about.  Is it, just a feeling?  Is it, just whatever we want it to be?  Is God in every single feeling of love that exists, no matter the context in which it is expressed, felt, or said to exist?  I say it is love, therefore, God is love and must be therefore approved by God.  See, it says "God is love", right there. See that verse?  "GOD IS LOVE".  If you are against our LOVE then you are against GOD.  Check mate.

Oy vey.

To simply say, "God is love", while being very true, often makes a poor point on its own because our own inefficiencies to know God.  Without context, it makes no point at all except for maybe the point that we ourselves are trying to make for our own agenda.  What we should want to do is get to the point God is trying to make.

All that is to say, before we go saying things like, "God is love", make sure we know the context at the very least.  I'm just going to quote the entire chapter where that phrase is found, and perhaps even then it may not be enough for the full context.  If so, then see the rest of the Bible. Because God is love, but not all "love" is God.  God defines love, but He is not defined by what we often perceive as love.  In fact, the very chapter that says "God is love", also instructs us to, "not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world."  With false prophets, comes false love.

"The aim of our charge is love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.” -1 Timothy 1:5

Know God, know love.  No God, No love. God is love, but we can love bad things, and our love may not be of God at all.

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1 John 4

1 Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world. 2 By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, 3 and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you heard was coming and now is in the world already. 4 Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. 5 They are from the world; therefore they speak from the world, and the world listens to them. 6 We are from God. Whoever knows God listens to us; whoever is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of error.

7 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. 8 Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. 9 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. 10 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. 11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12 No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us.

13 By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. 14 And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. 15 Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. 16 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. 17 By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as he is so also are we in this world. 18 There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love. 19 We love because he first loved us. 20 If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. 21 And this commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother.