Love isn’t just a feeling—it’s a test of our faith. In 1 John 2:7-14, the apostle John challenges us to examine whether we’re truly walking in God’s light by how we love our fellow believers. This isn’t about mustering up warm feelings for everyone, but about allowing Christ’s love to flow through us in ways that transform our most difficult relationships.
What Makes This Love “New” Yet “Old”?
John presents us with what seems like a contradiction: he’s writing about a commandment that is both old and new. The command to “love your neighbor as yourself” first appears in Leviticus 19:18, making it ancient. Yet Jesus transformed this old commandment by giving it fresh meaning and power. The difference lies in the standard and the source. Jesus didn’t just say “love your neighbor”—He said “love one another as I have loved you” (John 13:34). This raises the bar dramatically. We’re not called to love with human affection, but with Christ’s sacrificial, unconditional love.
The Power Behind the Love
Since Pentecost, believers have access to the Holy Spirit, who makes this seemingly impossible love achievable. Romans 5 tells us that the Holy Spirit fills our hearts with God’s love—and that word “fill” means to overflow. This overflow becomes the love we extend to others, especially when our natural reserves run dry.
How Do We Know If We’re Walking in the Light?
John gives us a clear test: “Whoever says he is in the light and hates his brother is still in darkness” (1 John 2:9). This isn’t about casual dislike—it’s about harboring contempt, avoiding certain people, or maintaining cold relationships with fellow believers. Walking in the light means our love for God is demonstrated through our love for people we can see. As John puts it bluntly in chapter 4: “If anyone says, ‘I love God’ and hates his brother, he is a liar.”
The Litmus Test of Love
It’s easy to claim we’re loving people, but our relationships tell the real story. Do you avoid certain people at church? Are there believers you refuse to speak to because of past hurts? Do you find yourself shopping in different aisles to avoid someone you’d rather not encounter? These situations aren’t accidents—they’re tests. God uses difficult relationships to reveal areas where we’re still operating in darkness rather than His light.
How Does Love Grow at Different Stages of Faith?
John addresses believers at three different stages of spiritual maturity, each with unique joys and challenges when it comes to love.
New Believers: Learning to Love
To “little children” in the faith, John emphasizes forgiveness and knowing the Father. New believers often carry excitement but also old patterns of relating to people. The challenge is learning to love those they weren’t used to loving before coming to Christ. The good news? You’ve been washed, sanctified, and justified. The Holy Spirit lives in you, providing the power to love in new ways, even when old tendencies surface.
Growing Believers: Staying Strong in Love
Young believers have experienced victories and have God’s Word taking root in their hearts. But growth brings new challenges. After being around church for a while, you realize Christians aren’t perfect. Some may have hurt or disappointed you. The test here is continuing to love despite these disappointments. Don’t let a few victories make you complacent. Keep growing, and let God use His strength in you to love even when it’s difficult.
Mature Believers: Deepening Love
To the “fathers” in faith, John emphasizes their deep knowledge of Christ. Mature believers face the challenge of avoiding spiritual ruts. It’s easy to become set in your ways, preferring familiar people and comfortable routines. God often breaks us out of these ruts by bringing people into our lives we’d rather avoid. The challenge is to keep loving those who don’t meet our standards while also mentoring newer believers in what authentic love looks like.
What Does This Look Like Practically?
This new kind of love isn’t about generating warm feelings for everyone. It’s about allowing Christ’s love to flow through you, especially toward those who are difficult to love naturally.
When Relationships Are Broken
Over years of ministry and relationships, there will be broken connections that seem impossible to repair. People may threaten you, spread rumors, or turn themselves into victims when you try to bring correction. The pain is real, and some relationships may never be fully restored. But even in these situations, we can choose to love with Christ’s love rather than harbor bitterness or contempt. This doesn’t mean being naive or failing to set boundaries—it means refusing to let darkness take root in our hearts.
The Daily Choice
Every morning presents a choice: will you rely on your natural capacity to love, or will you ask God to fill you with His Spirit and love for the day ahead? When you wake up feeling depleted or dreading certain interactions, that’s the perfect time to pray: “Lord, I need Your Spirit to fill me and overflow today because my reserves are low.”
Life Application
This week, commit to loving with Christ’s new kind of love rather than your own limited capacity. Each morning, ask the Holy Spirit to fill you with the love necessary for wherever He’s taking you that day. When you encounter someone difficult—whether at church, work, or in your community—see it as a test of whether you’re walking in God’s light. Consider these questions as you apply this truth: Are there believers you’ve been avoiding or treating with coldness? What would it look like to extend Christ’s love to them this week? When you feel your natural love running low, do you turn to the Holy Spirit for His supernatural love, or do you try to manufacture feelings on your own? How might God be using difficult relationships in your life to test and grow your capacity to love like Jesus? What would change in your daily interactions if you truly believed that your love for others is the primary evidence of your love for God? Remember, this isn’t about perfection—it’s about growth. Whether you’re a new believer learning to love, a growing believer staying strong in love, or a mature believer deepening in love, God provides the power to love authentically through His Spirit. The question isn’t whether you can love difficult people, but whether you’ll allow Christ’s love to flow through you to them.
