1 John 3:11 11For this is the message that you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another.

This verse gives the heart of the matter. John follows his pattern of switching between the negative (verse 10) and the positive. From the beginning could refer to Jesus’ teaching or when the readers first heard the gospel. The preposition from implies that the message was one of the first things they heard and repeated multiple times since. The word love(here as a subjunctive agapōmen) occurs 37 times in the Gospel of John and 46 times in 1 John. John is called the Apostle of Love. There are several reasons to love one another.

First, Jesus commanded his disciples to love one another. Love is the primary evidence that a person is a follower of Jesus (John 13:34-35). Jesus’ statement at the last supper must have made a big impression on John and became one of the primary messages of his teaching. Second, loving one another imitates God’s character of love (John 3:16). Love is the essence of the image of God in which all people are created. By allowing God’s love to transform us and showing this love to others, we receive more of God’s image within us and become more of who God created us to be.

Third, as a result, we find our greatest fulfillment when we love others as God has loved us. Even nonbelievers can develop a sense of caring and love, particularly shown through philanthropic activities and acts of charity. Giving to others or to a good cause gives evidence of the seed of love planted in a person’s heart through prevenient grace. If a believer struggles with love, that person may still be too connected to the world of darkness, driven by selfishness or self-preservation.

Fourth, and consequently, love helps us release the hold of the world upon us. The world and the “god of this world,” the devil, seek to deceive us into thinking that love is all about self-pleasure, feelings, and emotions. The great lie is that filling ourselves with the pleasures of this world will be happiness and love. To some degree, the good things of life are a reflection of God’s providential love and care for humanity, but they can too easily become idols. What we love will show where our treasure is (Matthew 6:19-20).