“And so we know and rely on the love God has for us.”
~~1 John 4:16~~

When I came across this verse today, the first thing that occurred to me was that because it began with “And so…”, something that ties into this verse must come before it.  When I looked back, here’s what I found.  

Love one another because love comes from God (1 John 4:7).  If the love I have for another comes from God, and if I find myself unable to love someone, then this verse tells me that the problem isn’t that the person I’m unable to love is “unlovable”, but rather that I am stopping the love of God from flowing from Him through me to the other person.  The command to “love one another” is like God is saying, “Don’t block the flow.  Get “self” out of the way.”  Can you say ouch? 

Whoever does not love does not know God because God is love (1 John 4:8).  I’m gonna be transparent here and say that statement kinda riled initially because there are people that I find it very difficult to love, and I don’t want to think that my unloving behavior indicates I don’t know God and His love.  

The Greek word used for “know” in this verse is <ginōskō>, and it describes absolutely knowing the nature of God the Father, especially the holy will and affection by which He aims to redeem and sanctify men through Christ.  It’s the type of knowledge that comes by experience.  John is saying that when we really experience God’s love for us personally, it will in turn be displayed in how we love other people.   So if I’m having difficulty expressing my love towards a person, it’s because I have lost sight of the love that God has for “undeserving” me.  

We have to bear in mind that the knowing of this love will not be completely perfected in the life of a believer on this side of heaven.  But while it may not be “perfected”, it must be “present” – and should be “progressing”.  

God showed His love among us “by sending His one and only Son into the world that we might live through Him.” (1 John 4:9)  Love is sacrificial.  God didn’t just tell me that I should love, He SHOWED me how to love when He sent Jesus to die in my place.  

“Greater love has no one than this: 
to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” 
~~John 15:13~~  

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, 
that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” 
~~John 3:16~~

Loving people is the way the world can see who God is (1 John 4:12).  God is invisible (John 1:18, 1 Timothy 1:17).  He saved me and placed His Spirit within me so that, by submitting to His control of my mind and body, He can accomplish His purposes here on earth.  God and me, working in tandem, to reach others with His love.  

We know we live in Him and He in us because we have the Holy Spirit living inside us (1 John 4:13).  The fact that He indwells me is proof positive of His love for me.  But not only that!  It’s also proof that, if I submit to His Spirit’s leading, I can love others, even the ones hard to love.

Now that we covered why the “And so” was there, let’s dive into the rest of our key verse.

 “…we know and rely on the love God has for us.”

The first thing that strikes me is that it doesn’t say “can” know.  It states “And so we know…”.   It’s a given.  We know.  It’s not “we think we know”, or “we hope we know”.  Nope.  It’s “we KNOW”.   I know we briefly hit the definition of “know” above, but let’s go a little deeper and unpack it a little more.  

The Greek word for KNOW is <ginōskō> and it means: to absolutely know.  I never assume I know fully what a word means.  So when you see (DIC), it means I consulted Mr. Webster.  haha

• (DIC) absolutely: completely or totally certain 

PAUSE TO PONDER:  If I am completely certain, that leaves zero room for doubt.  The word “completely” (DIC) means to have all necessary parts, elements, or steps.  The necessary parts/elements/steps for me are that I have accepted Christ, God has deposited His Spirit within me; therefore, I <ginōskō> the love God has for me. 

• (DIC) know: to perceive directly : have direct cognition of : to have understanding of : to recognize the nature of : to be acquainted or familiar with : to have experience of : to be aware of the truth or factuality of something : to be convinced or certain of : to have a practical understanding of

PAUSE TO PONDER a few of those definitive phrases of the dictionary definition of “know”: 

• “To perceive directly” – Think about that! The “knowing” I have of God’s love for me came directly from God to me.  
• “Aware of the truth or factuality of” – I am aware that both of statements – “God IS love” and “His Spirit lives in me”– are completely truthful and factual because His Word says so and because I have experienced them personally.  
• “To have a practical understanding of”.  I have a friend whose daughter is working toward her doctorate.  Part of the process for her particular course of study is to complete a practicum (a course of study designed especially for the preparation of teachers and clinicians that involves the supervised practical application of previously studied theory).  She has already completed her bachelor’s degree and has obtained her Master’s Degree, but to get her doctorate, she needs to go past what she learned from a book and actually be involved in a supervised practical application of what she learned.  She knows what she has studied, and now she has to prove what she knows by what she does.  She practices what she has learned.  So in the context of this verse, <ginōskō> goes beyond knowing and onto doing.  

Ok, let’s move on to the Greek word for “RELY” – <pisteuō> means: to have faith (in, upon, or with respect to, a person or thing); to entrust.  In this passage it speaks of entrusting our spiritual well-being to Christ.  It is “acknowledgment” joined to appropriate and absolute trust.  Believing AND embracing what God has made known either through Christ or concerning Christ.   

PAUSE TO PONDER the different aspects of the word  “acknowledge”.  If I acknowledge something, it can mean I…

• I recognize the rights, authority, or status of a person. (They acknowledged him as their leader.)
• I disclose my agreement with something. (She readily acknowledged her mistake.)
• I express gratitude for something (I acknowledge a gift.)
• I took notice of something (She failed to acknowledge my greeting.)
• I make known my receipt of something (I acknowledge a letter.)
• I recognize something as genuine or valid (The bank acknowledged my driver’s license.)

Example:  I know <ginōskō> I am married to my husband.  I know that he loves me and I love him.  That “knowing” begins as a matter of the “mind”, but it doesn’t stay there.  It progresses on to me actually grasping the fact I am married and then actually living my life in light of that fact.  Can you imagine if I got married and continued to live like I was single?  That certainly wouldn’t be <ginōskō>. 

So because I <ginōskō> that I am in a relationship with my husband, I then can rely <pisteuō> on that relationship.  Because he loves me and we are married to each other, there are rights that I can enjoy; and because I <ginōskō> of his love for me, I <pisteuō> him, and I exercise all the rights that accompany his love for me.  I come to trust and rely more and more on his love for me.  

APPLYING IT.   To “know <ginōskō> and rely <pisteuō> on the love God has for us” means that our mind absolutely knows that God loves us, and our heart truly grasps that truth to the point that we in turn live our lives in light of the fact, entrusting our entire being to God’s care.  We live like we are loved.  And living like that changes us from the inside out, to the point that we then love others because we are loved by God.  

LIVE LIKE YOU ARE LOVED.

PAUSE TO PONDER the word “entrust” for a minute.  The word “entrust” is defined as “to confer trust upon”.  So then, one has to ask, what is this “trust” I’m to confer?  To trust is to rely on the truthfulness or accuracy of something.  If I truly know the accuracy of the phrase “God loves me”, then I am able to entrust my life to Him.  Why?  Because God’s love for me has zero to do with me, and everything to do with Him.  

TRUST IS POSSIBLE ONLY AS WE KEEP OUR EYES ON JESUS.

My trust falters when my focus shifts to myself.  Remember Peter in Matthew 14:25-31?  The impossible (walking on water) was possible for him until his focus shifted from Jesus to himself and his circumstances (I imagine his thought process out there…“how in the world am I walking on this water right now?!!  I’m rockin’ it!  But look at these rough waters! And this storm!!!  I’m gonna dieeeeeee!!!!”).  When he was knowing and relying on Jesus’ love for him, and entrusted himself to Jesus’ care, Peter did the impossible.  

TO “KNOW AND RELY” TAKES YOUR MIND, YOUR HEART, and YOUR ACTIONS.

While I may never been called upon to attempt walking on the water (thank the Lord! haha), I know I am called to love even those unlovable, sandpaper people in my life.  And how am I supposed to do that?  By knowing and relying on the love God has for me.  Because God loves me, and because His Spirit resides within me, I am able to love others.  That leaves room for zero excuses.