1st John 4:7-8 the apostle John states the command to love one another is since we have been born again and love is God’s own nature, we must, if we are born again exhibit that nature to each other. Simply put those that have experienced the love of God that has transformed them must naturally be loving .
The love John describes here is a specific type of love that we are told is the exact same type of love that He has given to us, Agape unconditional love. It is this love that is God’s nature, and it is this love that is only produced by the Holy Spirit in the heart of the child of God that yields to its influence. It was this love that was seen in action at the cross and it is this love that has its elements broken down in 1 Corinth 13.
What is also pointed out in in this phrase, Let us in the Greek is that the exhortation is continuous in action as it would read in Greek; Let us be HABITUALLY loving one another. The words one another in the Greek suggest reciprocity which is defined as the practice of exchanging things (LOVE) with others for mutual benefit. In other words, God has given His love to us with the expectation that we will give it away as well to benefit others. The phrase “for love is of God” and verse 8 “God is love” need clarification which the Greek provides but the English translation does not.
John states both truths here that:
17 “For love is of God”: Love comes from God; this is saying that He is the definition and source of that love. John will further define this love for his readers in verses 9-10. The first definition of this kind of love is that its source originates in the Divine nature. Second, John reveals for us that this Love of God is transformative, and to encounter this love causes a NEW BIRTH that transforms us to the naturally unattainable degree of ushering us into fellowship with God who gifted us with this Love. John says that because of God’s love towards us we now KNOW. The absence of love is the absence of the knowledge of God as John writes in verse 8 “He who does not love does not know God.” The words in the Greek in verse 8 “does not know God” are “The person who does not love with this kind of love has never known God.” This reveals to the reader is that our faith is transformative because it has encountered the love of God that changes the person causing them to exhibit that which they have encountered, GOD, with others. Faith is appropriating to ourselves what applies to all. Love is the extension to all of what applies to self.
28 “God is love”: This does not mean that “LOVE IS GOD” as love does NOT define GOD, but God defines LOVE! God can never be defined by an abstraction and the Greek here places the article on the word God and not on the word love which means that these two words are NOT INTERCHANGEABLE. A good translation of this phrase would be that “God, as to His nature is love. It is His nature to be loving.” Furthermore, you cannot separate His nature from other aspects of His nature and as we have already discovered in the words of the apostle that God is also Holy which means that God’s love is a Holy Love and that His Holiness is loving!
Much of what in the world that is called love bears no resemblance to God’s love and this phrase has been placed into the world to support the worlds version of LOVE. The fact that John links this to the nature of God further supports the trinity as in verses 7-8 the reference to Love is from the vantage point of God the Father. Where the Love of God is from the vantage point of God the Son in verses 9-11. Finally, the Love of God is from the perspective of the Holy Spirit in verse 12.
Love is a valid test for a true relationship with God since God is to His nature love and since we claim a relationship with God in necessitates that we live in this same love towards others, and it reveals the nature of God indwelling us.