There’s no escaping it . . . no “wiggle room,” really. It’s a command to be obeyed . . . but, more than that, it is a command to be embraced . . . because, for those who do, it has a way of maintaining a fresh and vital relationship with the God who, Himself, models the command.

“Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. . . . Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. . . . And this commandment we have from Him: whoever loves God must also love his brother.” (1John 4:7, 11, 21 ESV)

So . . . do you get the sense that perhaps believers should be lovers of other believers? It seems that one of the most compelling evidences of someone truly being born of God is that they have an authentic love for the people of God . . . that one of the most vivid indicators that Christ is being formed in a person is the degree to which they love the sheep just as the Good Shepherd does . . . that one of the most powerful witnesses that someone is truly in relationship with God is found in the relationships they pursue with other believers.

“No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and His love is perfected in us. 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.” (1John 4:12, 16 ESV)

It seems to me that John’s saying there is a vital link between our relationship with God and our relationships with the church . . . not the building . . . not some “place of worship” . . . but with the church, the body of Christ, those brought out of darkness into marvelous light that they might be to God a “special people.” And if that’s true . . . if there is this correlation between loving one another and abiding with God . . . maybe that’s why the enemy has perpetuated the lie that “going to church” is more a matter of convenience than it is a matter of maintaining an authentic relationship with the Savior of our souls. Maybe that’s why, for so many, Sunday mornings are more a matter of “clocking in and clocking out” than they are about touching base again with a community from which they draw energy and encouragement as they are ministered to . . . and, as they minister to others.

As I hover over this passage this morning, I wonder how people can be growing . . . or even maintaining . . . an abiding relationship with God without pursuing loving relationships with other believers. Maybe it’s the old stagnant pond analogy . . . if water just flows in but never flows out, that fresh water eventually loses it’s sparkle. Instead, if we obey His command and love one another, “out”, just as we have known His love, “in”, the “flow” of God’s love through us keeps us in vital communion with the Source of Love . . . for “God is love.”

Oh, what a tragedy for believers not to connect with a fellowship in which, more than just being fed, they can also pour out their lives into others.

Certainly, the Word of God is important if we are to grow in Christ-likeness. And prayer is vital if we are to engage God in real relationship. But, if we sell short the importance of fellowship — not just because of what we can get, but because of the avenue to love on one another — then, I fear, we’re sitting on a three-legged stool with only two legs.

It’s a command . . . it’s an imperative for abiding . . . it’s a privilege. Beloved, let us love one another . . amen?