"God is Love" and "God is Light"

 

"God is Love" and "God is Light"

1 John 4:8, 16: "Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love."

1 John 1:5: "God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you." 

Item	God is Love	God is Light
Definition	Love is the nature of God's essence, the source of grace	Light is the nature of God's manifestation, the source of truth
Characteristics	1. It is God's inner essence 2. It can be felt 3. When manifested, it becomes grace	1. It is God's outward element 2. It can be seen 3. When it shines, it becomes truth
Distinctions	1. Pertains to God's inner nature 2. Related to grace 3. Emphasizes God's relationship with humans	1. Pertains to God's outward nature 2. Related to truth 3. Emphasizes God's holiness and righteousness
Relationship	1. Love and light together constitute God's essence 2. Love is the source of grace, just as light is the source of truth 3. Love and light form a pair, just as grace and truth form a pair	1. Light and love together constitute God's essence 2. In 1 John, God is first described as light, then as love 3. They complement each other, forming the foundation for believers' conduct
Examples	1. God sent His only begotten Son into the world that we might live through Him (1 John 4:9) 2. Christ laid down His life for us, and from this we know what love is (1 John 3:16) 3. In Ephesians, we are exhorted to walk in love (Eph 5:2)	1. God's light shines on people, revealing their sin (1 John 1:7-10) 2. Christ's rebuke is His illumination (Eph 5:13-14) 3. Believers wake from sleep, and Christ gives them light (Eph 5:14)
Applications	1. Believers should love one another, imitating God's love 2. Walk in love 3. Enjoy God's grace, being brought back to the source of grace	1. Become children of light 2. Accept rebuke, wake from sleep 3. Walk in the light, stay away from works of darkness
Related Detailed Verses	1. "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." (John 3:16) 2. "Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one's life for one's friends." (John 15:13) 3. "We love because he first loved us." (1 John 4:19)	1. "The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it." (John 1:5) 2. "The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world." (John 1:9) 3. "Everything exposed by the light becomes visible—and everything that is illuminated becomes a light." (Eph 5:13)

 

In conclusion, "God is love" and "God is light" together constitute God's essence, reflecting God's expectations for His children. God's love revealed to us becomes grace, and God's light shining upon us becomes truth. As God's children, we should walk in love and light, which is deeper and more delicate than merely walking according to truth and by grace.

 

*Please refer to the July 2024 Anaheim, California, USA training Experiencing, Enjoying and Manifesting Christ (II) Week 23 God’s Children Walk in Love and Light