“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. In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. In this 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 also ought to love one another.” 1 John 4:7-11NKJV

B is for Beloved

  • Beloved—greatly loved; dear to the heart; a person who is greatly loved
  • In the Greek agapétos,derived from agape—divinely-loved-ones
  • A title of the Messiah (Christ), as beloved beyond all others by the God who sent Him; of Christians, as beloved by God, Christ, and one another

Can you imagine how much Jesus loves you? He loves you so much that He changed His very being to add humanity to it for all eternity. Jesus didn’t just put humanity on for the 33 years He walked this earth, only to take it off when He ascended. He put humanity on for all eternity and Heavenly Father sent Him to do it to be the propitiation (appeasement) for your sin. That is some kind of love!

To top it off, He calls you Beloved. If you are His—Jesus isn’t mad at you. Jesus isn’t ashamed of you. Jesus isn’t impatient with you. Jesus doesn’t roll His eyes when you make a mistake. Jesus loves, corrects, provides, lives with and in you, and never leaves you. And since He does all these wonderful things, all He expects you to do is love others (because they are His Beloved as well.)

Jesus, what a privilege and humbling thing it is to be Your Beloved, for I surely don’t deserve it. May I live today free in Your care and love for me that I might give it away to Your other Beloveds as well. Amen.

Corrects—“Blessed is the one whom God corrects; so do not despise the discipline of the Almighty.” Job 5:17 NIV

Provides—“And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:19 NKJV

Lives in you—“And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever—the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept Him, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him. But you know Him, for He lives with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.” John 14:16-18 NIV

Never leaves you—“Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you.’” Hebrews 13:5, Deuteronomy 31:6 NIV