Love must come first, if we do not have love, we are going to struggle to love Yah and our neighbor. The thing I have leant over the years is that there are two types of love; a) the worldly love and b) the true love.
We need true love.
1 John 4:7-8 Beloved ones, let us love one another, because love is of Elohim, and everyone who loves has been born of Elohim, and knows Elohim. The one who does not love does not know Elohim, for Elohim is love.
Yah's character is only true love. His commands are only an extension of His character and love for mankind. One can memorize the scripture from cover to cover but if he is not obedient to Yahuah's commands and does not have genuine Elohim guided love for his neighbor, then it is all vanity and meaningless and self-righteous.
1 John 4:9-10 By this the love of Elohim was manifested in us, that Elohim has sent His only brought-forth Son into the world, in order that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved Elohim, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be an atoning offering for our sins.
When we have His Spirit in us, we have true love.
1 John 4:11-12 Beloved ones, if Elohim so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has seen the Father at any time. If we love one another, Elohim does stay in us, and His love has been perfected in us.
The pre-existent Son declared, and was the One who appeared to men (John 1:18). If we say we love Yahuah who we cannot see, then it must be easier to love our neighbor which we can see. The question is, who is our neighbor? Is it the person living next to your property or is everyone your neighbor by which you then need to love? In my opinion my neighbor is those who believe and follow Yahuah. Please note that I do not say my way of seeing my neighbor is all correct.
1 John 4:16 And we have known and believed the love that Elohim has for us. Elohim is love, and he who stays in love stays in Elohim, and Elohim in him.
To me, this verse shows me who my neighbor is: if I stay in Yah with love, Yah will stay in me with love. My neighbor will have Yah staying in him/her.
1 John 4:17 By this love has been perfected with us, in order that we might have boldness in the day of judgment, because as He is so are we in this world.
1 John 4:18 There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear, because fear holds punishment, and he who fears has not been made perfect in love.
Fear is the opposite of faith and the acronym for fear is “false evidence appearing real.” Fear is from satan and only brings torment to a person.
I have struggled many times when in stress or in a difficult situation not to be fearful. But I know I should not fear as Yah is with me. Perfect love or true love casts out fear.
1 John 4:19-20 We love Him because He first loved us. If someone says, “I love Elohim,” and hates his brother, he is a liar. For the one not loving his brother whom he has seen, how is he able to love Elohim whom he has not seen?
Very strong words and very true. We cannot say we love Yahuah and then hate our brother or neighbor – to me means my fellow believer.
1 John 4:21 And we have this command from Him, that the one loving Elohim should love his brother too.
Their it is a command.
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