19 We love because he first loved us. 20 Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen. 21 And he has given us this command: Anyone who loves God must also love their brother and sister. (1 John 4:19-21)
In 1 John 4:19, the Apostle John returns to the truth that our ability to love, as He does, is dependent upon Him demonstrating His love for us first. Thus the acid test for the Believer's understanding of God's love for him is how he, the Believer, treats other Christians. We see this in the book of Galatians where the Apostle Paul concludes the book with a fourfold description of the Spiritual (Spirit motivated) Christian. In Galatians 6, we see this fourfold description including: 1) The Spiritual Christian mends the broken (Galatians 6:1), 2) The Spiritual Christian helps the Needy (Galatians 6:2-6), 3) The Spiritual Christian sows to the Spirit (Galatians 6:7-10), and 4) The Spiritual Christians is captivated by the cross of Jesus Christ (Galatians 6:11-14).
In John’s day, these False Teachers claimed that there were religious exceptions to the rule of love. They believed that since they were so close to God, and they possessed knowledge of certain exotic secrets, and that they wore special robes, they were free from the responsibility to love their brothers and sisters in Christ. However, the command to love your brother and sister is an absolute; whoever loves God must also love his brother.
In 1 John 4:20-21, the Apostle goes on to point out that not loving people whom we can see with our eyes is not consistent with loving God whom we can see with our eyes. There are seven tests throughout this epistle that points out someone to be real or not. The first is in 1 John 1:6 is not honest with others. The second is in 1 John 1:8, this one is not honest with himself. The third is in 1 John 1:10, this one is not honest with God. The fourth in 1 John 2:4 is not honest with Christ. The fifth in 1 John 2:6 is not honest with the world. The sixth in 1 John 2:9 is not honest with his Christian brother. And, the seventh in 1 John 4:20. he is false to all.
Authenticity is a very important quality for the Christian. And ultimately, ones walk with the Lord Jesus is measured by ones treatment of others.
