Love, the way of confidence

If the Christian message begins as 'God is light', it continues as 'we should love one another'. The love of God revealed in taking away our sin and destroying the works of the devil, works he accomplished through his Son on the cross, now finds its goal in us. John is emphatic, or rather, Jesus is emphatic. We must love! Cain didn't let the truth of God near him and he couldn't bear to have his brother around either, and killed him. This is what happens when love is denied. On the other hand, there is great comfort in loving our brother and sister. Try as we may, there is always some sin that makes us feel uneasy before God, but if we love, we can reassure ourselves, right there in God's presence, that we belong to him. His love is finding its way through our shambles.