Where Do I Obtain That Love?

I wrote a sermon about loving your spouse that prompted the question above.

The answer, of course, is God. God is love. Let’s look at our text for today; I John 4:7-21:

Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another. No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us. Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit. And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world. Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God. And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him. Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world. There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love. We love him, because he first loved us. If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen? And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also.

The word ‘love’ is mentioned more than 25 times is those few verses, nine of those times in reference to God’s love or God being love. True love comes only from God. There is certainly no place or object in this world, or elsewhere in the universe that is capable of providing love. Satan and the demonic realm are anti-love. “love is of God”, verse 7, tells us that God is the only source of love. Verse 9 reiterates John 3:16 and God’s love for the world (people). So, how do we tap into this love. Verse 15 says, “Whosoever shall confess Jesus…God dwelleth in him, and he in God”. As you read throughout these verses, if God dwelleth in us, and we in God, then His love is perfected in us. Our love is faulty, based on emotions and feeling, while God’s love is perfect, agape love…unconditional, unwaivering, unfailing. So if you want true love in your life and flowing through you to others, then you must allow God’s love to be your love. Just like Jesus promised the woman at Sychar’s well, if she would drink of His water it would result in her never being thirsty again and a well would spring up in her, if we allow God’s love to dwell within us, not only will we intimately know Him, His love will be a fount from us to others. Don’t you think it’s time to tap God’s well?