...we have to show our love...

Love One Another

“11 For this is the message you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another. 12 We must not be like Cain who was from the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own deeds were evil and his brother’s righteous. 13 Do not be astonished, brothers and sisters, that the world hates you. 14 We know that we have passed from death to life because we love one another. Whoever does not love abides in death. 15 All who hate a brother or sister are murderers, and you know that murderers do not have eternal life abiding in them. 16 We know love by this, that he laid down his life for us—and we ought to lay down our lives for one another. 17 How does God’s love abide in anyone who has the world’s goods and sees a brother or sister in need and yet refuses help?

18 Little children, let us love, not in word or speech, but in truth and action. 19 And by this we will know that we are from the truth and will reassure our hearts before him 20 whenever our hearts condemn us; for God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything. 21 Beloved, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have boldness before God; 22 and we receive from him whatever we ask, because we obey his commandments and do what pleases him.

23 And this is his commandment, that we should believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us. 24 All who obey his commandments abide in him, and he abides in them. And by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit that he has given us” 1 John 3:11-24.

Dear friends, this is what life is all about, and this is what typically John writes about. At the end of the day we have to love one another. We have to love God and everyone else, just as God loves us and everyone else. And John has a very clear and specific definition of love in his mind: “Let us love, not in word or speech, but in truth and action” (verse 18). We can’t make up our own personal definitions of love. No, we fool no one when we talk and talk and talk about how much we love others, while it’s been a month of Sundays since we were able to demonstrate our love without uttering a single word. John says we know we have love if our hearts don’t condemn us (see verses 19-22).

So today, please join me in praying for hearts of love that show up in our behavior and choices. And may we pray for each other that we love and forgive one another.

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the Living god, have mercy on me a sinner.