In 1 John 3:22, the Apostle John tells us that those who obey God will have their prayers answered. He then goes on to describe what he means and what this looks like: the commandment that pleases God is to believe in Jesus and love one another (1 John 3:23). Putting these two requirements side by side reflects a deep awareness of how faith and love go together.

The apostle Paul wrote that “if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing” (1 Corinthians 13:2). Of course, Paul would never suggest that love is a substitute for faith- faith is foundational! His point is this: faith without love is not true saving faith. Indeed, Paul says that he is nothing without love. Indeed, real love is always a partner to genuine faith.

As we have seen, the constant refrain throughout 1 John is that a lack of love is evidence of a defective faith. We will see this week that “love comes from God” (1 John 4:7), and “whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love” (1 John 4:8).

Just as it is not possible to know God without loving, it is not possible to believe in the name of Jesus without loving. This is because of the example that Jesus sets (see 1 John 4:9–10). To understand Jesus’s death for our sins as an act of sacrificial love is to learn the true nature of love, which by its very nature compels us to reach out to others in love.

Constantine Campbell unpacks this in his commentary on 1 John:

“Believing in Jesus changes our view of the world. Jesus teaches us that we are not the center of the universe. There are higher priorities than our own well-being and sense of satisfaction in life. Jesus teaches us that the kingdom of God is bigger and better than our own little kingdoms. True life, then, is to live in the kingdom of God with Jesus as our king. And since the priorities of the king involve serving others, these priorities must also become ours.

In other words, Jesus profoundly shapes our worldview, and a requirement of that Jesus-shaped worldview is that we must love one another. Once our view of life and our role in the world is seen in a Jesus-shaped way, nothing can remain the same. Instead of living for ourselves, we must live for others. Instead of being consumed by self-love, we lovingly seek the good of others. Belief in Jesus shapes our love".

May we express our genuine, saving faith in God who first loved us, by extending this kind of love to one another.

To the praise of His glorious grace.