1 John 4:7–12 (ESV)
7 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. 8 Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. 9 In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. 10 In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12 No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us.
WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE HUMAN?
The most important question beneath all our daily decisions is this:
What does it mean to be human?
The Christian answer:
- To be made in the image and likeness of God
- To be loved by the One who is Love
- To be intentionally formed
- To be destined for purpose
- To bear the image of a relational God
Human wholeness requires community.
Isolation distorts our design.
You were never meant to be alone.
THE PROBLEM: “OTHERING”
“Othering” is the act of separating people into categories that exclude dignity and belonging.
We see it everywhere:
- Political divisions
- Theological camps
- Cultural and social tensions
- Immigration debates
- Ideological hostility
When we “other” people:
- We elevate pride over humility
- Judgment over mercy
- Division over love
But when we became followers of Jesus, our allegiance shifted.
The law of God is love.
Not hatred.
Not stripping away dignity.
Not division.
THE CURE: THE BELOVED
John writes to the “Beloved” — those who know they are loved by God.
If you have been reconciled to God through Jesus Christ, you are not defined by your sin or failures.
You are called: “My Beloved.”
When God saved us:
- He did not isolate us.
- He placed us in a people.
- This was not strategic.
- This was not practical.
- This was always His design.
FROM BEGINNING TO END: A “ONE ANOTHER” DESIGN
Creation
Genesis 1:26–27
Genesis 2:18
God is relational. We are made in His image.
Covenant
Exodus 19:5–6
God forms a people, not just individuals.
Christ
Mark 3:34–35
Jesus redefines His followers as family.
Church
Acts 2:42–47
The early church embodied shared life, generosity, and devotion.
Consummation
Revelation 21:3–5
Eternity is not solitary — it is shared dwelling with God and His people.
From the beginning to eternity,
you were never made to be alone.
THE GRAMMAR OF CHRISTIANITY IS PLURAL
The New Testament repeatedly commands us to:
- Love one another (John 13:34–35; John 15:12,17; Romans 12:10; 1 Thessalonians 4:9; 1 John 4:7,11–12)
- Welcome one another (Romans 15:7)
- Bear with one another (Ephesians 4:2; Colossians 3:13)
- Serve one another (Galatians 5:13)
- Confess to one another (James 5:16)
- Encourage one another (1 Thessalonians 5:11)
- Exhort one another (Hebrews 3:13)
- Submit to one another (Ephesians 5:21)
You cannot obey half of the New Testament alone.
Christian maturity is irreducibly communal.
WHY IS THIS SO HARD?
- We have been formed by a culture of othering.
- We have been hurt — sometimes deeply — even by the church.
Wounds can cause us to withdraw.
But God’s answer for loneliness, hurt, and division is not isolation.
It is the Beloved.
Jesus saves.
His Beloved heals.
WHAT DO WE DO NOW?
1 John 4:11–12 reminds us:
If God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.
Make the Beloved your priority.
- prioritize the beloved
- The average church attendee participates once every six weeks.
- Do not let that be true of you.
- Join a small group
You were made to be the Beloved.
Together.
1 John 4:9–10
In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent His only Son into the world, so that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.