Articles
God Is Love
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Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. (1 Jn. 4:7-8)
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In the early 4th century B.C., one of Plato's Dialogues described a conversation between Socrates and Euthyphro exploring the question of how to define piety toward God. At the heart of the discussion is a logical dilemma:
- If something is good only because God says so, then God can decree anything He wants as "good"--including murder, rape, theft, or lying--and it must be so. In that scenario, what we call good and evil is just an arbitrary standard that God made up.
- On the other hand, if all these behaviors are inherently evil outside of God's choice, then God cannot be the source of moral piety. There must be a standard of morality higher than God. He is not the final word on right and wrong.
- Either good and evil is an arbitrary distinction set by God, or it comes from some other source. Either way, it's pointless to try to tie moral standards to God.
Today, Euthyphro's Dilemma is a popular rebuttal to the moral argument for God. It indeed raises a disturbing question for believers: If morality exists apart from God, then why do we need God?
John answers that question in this verse. We do not love because God loves (although He does); we love because God IS love. Love is embedded in His nature. He loves because it is impossible for Him to do otherwise. As creatures made in the image of God, the capacity for love is embedded in our nature, too.
Euthyphro's Dilemma is a false choice that ignores the character of God. That's why, historically, societies that move away from God experience a decline in loving behavior; as respect for God decreases, crime, violence, and corruption increase. Conversely, those who develop a deep appreciation for God's character --who "know" Him--are motivated to reflect that character in their own lives. They learn to love, because God is love.
God's love does not turn Him into a spineless wimp. Parents who love their kids will discipline them, and sometimes God has to be firm with His children, too, sometimes in ways we don't understand. But love is at the heart of every interaction He has with us.
For that reason, love should be at the heart of every interaction we have with one another. "Love one another, for love is of God."
--David
