Responding to God's Perfect Love

𝗪𝗔𝗥𝗠 𝗨𝗣

• Recall a time when someone expressed their love for you through words or actions. How did it make you feel?

• What makes a person loveable? How would you behave if someone was difficult to love?

• Have you ever helped someone in need? What was their response?

𝗪𝗢𝗥𝗗

𝘞𝘦 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘪𝘳𝘴𝘵 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘥 𝘶𝘴. 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. 𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘸𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘩𝘪𝘮: 𝘸𝘩𝘰𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘴 𝘎𝘰𝘥 𝘮𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘢𝘭𝘴𝘰 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘣𝘳𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳. 𝟭 𝗝𝗢𝗛𝗡 𝟰:𝟭𝟵–𝟮𝟭

The Bible gives us several pictures of what God’s love looks like. In his letter to the Corinthian church, Paul describes what God’s perfect love is—patient, kind, not envying or boastful, and many more (1 Corinthians 13:4–7). These traits were ultimately embodied by Jesus Himself when He gave Himself as a sacrifice for our sins. Because of God’s demonstration of love, we can extend the same patience, kindness, humility, and overall Christlikeness towards other people. Today, let’s examine John’s exhortation to love others and what that means in our everyday lives.

𝟭. 𝗚𝗼𝗱’𝘀 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝗲𝗻𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲𝘀 𝘂𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲. 

𝘞𝘦 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘪𝘳𝘴𝘵 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘥 𝘶𝘴. 𝟭 𝗝𝗢𝗛𝗡 𝟰:𝟭𝟵

John repeatedly reminds his readers that genuine love comes from God alone. Love is made perfect in us because He showed that love to us first. Our ability to love others flows from experiencing God’s love. As we grow deeper in our relationship with Him, we are continually transformed, knowing that His love changes how we relate to others. In fact, responding to God’s love is not optional—it’s a natural response of a heart changed by Him. How does remembering that God loved us first shape how we approach relationships?

𝟮. 𝗟𝗼𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗚𝗼𝗱 𝗺𝗲𝗮𝗻𝘀 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝘀. 

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. 𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘸𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘩𝘪𝘮: 𝘸𝘩𝘰𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘴 𝘎𝘰𝘥 𝘮𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘢𝘭𝘴𝘰 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘣𝘳𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳. 𝟭 𝗝𝗢𝗛𝗡 𝟰:𝟮𝟬–𝟮𝟭

Just as God unconditionally showed His love for us, we are to show impartial love to the people around us. This is how our love for God is proved. We can’t claim to love God while withholding love from people. To do so would be selfish and deny others from experiencing the joy, peace, and freedom that God’s love brings. Loving God and loving others are inseparable and are the greatest commandments according to Jesus Himself (Matthew 22:34–40). We can show His love for others in many ways, being His hands and feet wherever we go. How have you experienced God’s love through the actions and words you’ve given or received?

𝗔𝗣𝗣𝗟𝗜𝗖𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡

• How may your love for God and others increase in this season? What steps can you take to do so?

• What are some challenges that you face when loving others? How might you overcome these?

• Meditate on Matthew 25:37–40. Based on these passages, what are some practical ways to show our love for God through our love for others in your family, friends, or community?

𝗣𝗥𝗔𝗬𝗘𝗥

• Thank God that loving others is made possible because He loved us first. Thank God that His love is not only meant for us alone, but for the people around us as well.

• Ask God to nurture compassion and genuine love for others in your heart. Pray that God would remove any impartiality or pride so that others may see God’s love in and through you.

• Pray for opportunities to serve and show hospitality to the people around you as an overflow of God’s love for you. Pray that the gospel would be preached and demonstrated as you do these things.