(1) Repeated words:
a. love fellow Christian, love God
v.20 the one who does not love his fellow Christian whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen
v.21 the one who loves God should love his fellow Christian too
God has not seen and therefore people can lie and pretend they love God. Only those who love the people who have been seen can prove their love of God.
b. believe and then love God/obey/keep His commandments
5:1 Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been fathered by God, and everyone who loves the father loves the child fathered by him
v.2 whenever we love God and obey his commandments
v.3 For this is the love of God: that we keep his commandments.
When a person believes does not mean he will love, but since we believe and become God's children we love God v.1. Then in v.2-3 John told us that the way to show we love God or love His children is to obey His commandments (to love one another).
c. Do not weigh us down v.3 or conquer the world/conquering power v.4
v.4b This is the conquering power that has conquered the world: our faith.
After we believe we need to love/obey/keep His commandments. However, it is not easy. God provides us the power when we believe. It depends on us if we use His power to love/obey/keep His commandments.
(2) Reflection: Who are the persons that we ought to love? The children of God who believe that Jesus is the Christ v.1. That is a very simple requirement and covers a wide range of people. They may not come to our church or even disagree with us in practice. As long as they believe the Gospel that Jesus is the Savior Who saves them from their sin we ought to love them. I ask myself why I have a hard time loving them? Only my own seemingly righteous opinion.
I thank God for letting me know.
Audrey
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