"Born of" vs. "Know"

I'm so excited that about ten of you were interested in reading the 1 John commentary that Aaron and I just got done using in class. The books are ordered, so you should be receiving them sometime in the next couple of weeks!

One thing that we learned in our 1 John class is that John used very precise and calculated words to communicate what he was trying to say.

Just one of the many disputed passages in 1 John says this:
"Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love." (4:7-8)

At first glance, this verse may seem to be saying that if you do not love, then you are not saved. Many people would take the phrase "whoever does not love does not know God," and say, "See? If your life doesn't consistently show that you are loving other people, then you were never really saved." Or some people may go another route and say, "See? If you stop loving people or don't love people enough, then you could lose your salvation."

However, looking at the context of the entire book as a whole, and the words in these two verses themselves, it is clear that John does not intend either of those meanings.

So let's break it down.

Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.
So, we know TWO things about anyone who truly loves:
1. They have been born of God
2. They know God

These are two separate issues in our relationship with God (as seen throughout the entire book of 1 John.) Being born of God is justification. When you believe the gospel, you are saved, once and for all. God's righteousness is imputed to your account, your sins are forgiven, and you are gifted eternal life (Romans 3:22, 4:5, 4:24). However, knowing God speaks of our sanctification process and being in fellowship with God after we are justified. John lays out numerous indicators throughout his book of how we can know if we are truly in fellowship with God as believers. Loving is one of those indicators. 

Let's move on to the next part of the passage:

Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.
In contrast to his last statement, now John says what is true about the person who does not love. He simply says that the person who does not love:
1. Does not know God

That means that the believer who does not love the people around him (John goes into much more detail in other parts of the book as to what loving really looks like), cannot be in close fellowship with the Father. Because He is love.

What John does not say in this portion of the passage is the most telling...he does not say that the person who does not love is not born of God (justification). He is clearly speaking of sanctification here for believers, not initial justification.

If John were trying to indicate that a person who does not love is not really saved, he would have used parallel language. The passage would have read like this:

Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love *has not been born of God* and does not know God, because God is love.

This explanation of this passage makes so much sense to me, and honestly...gives me so much freedom. Because if I'm being honest? I don't always love. I know I don't. When I look at the example of Christ's love for us, I miss the mark big time. And in the past? That realization contantly caused me to doubt my salvation. If I'm not really loving people am I really saved? This verse makes it clear that that is not the case. Believers can be unloving and still be saved. However, when they are unloving, they are not really knowing God--living in close fellowship with Him. Because when we are living in close fellowship with Him...when we are connected to the Vine...we will love because He is love. It will be impossible not to.

This encourages me to rest in Him and stay connected to Him so that His love can and will be displayed in my life. What a contrast to the way I used to view this verse...before, it would have scared me into thinking that I better start loving people more in order to prove that I am saved or keep my salvation.

I am praising God today for opening my eyes to this truth. I pray yours will be opened as well.