1 John 3:1-24
Friday, 04 August 2023
“This is His commandment, that we believe in the name of His Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, just as He commanded us...” -1 John 3: 23
The chapter opens with a wonderful statement that tells us the one reason that changed our position from being objects of wrath to children of God. What brought this change? God’s Love!
How was this love manifested to us? We read in the Message translation of 1 John 4 :9 “This is the kind of love we are talking about—not that we once upon a time loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to clear away our sins and the damage they’ve done to our relationship with God.” Having received this love freely, from God what should our response be? God expects us to live our lives in a manner that will show our love to Him and letting this love overflow from our lives into the lives of people who comes in contact with us.
Here are a few steps we need to take that will show that we truly love God and others.
The Apostle John gives us 3 ways that will display our love for God
I. Abide in Him and thereby turn away from sin (v.3): In John 15, the apostle gives us the image of a branch abiding in the vine to show the deep connectedness between the two. In the same manner we are called to be grafted into Christ so that our lives would be hidden in Him, thus saving us from sin.
II. Practice Righteousness (v.7): When a believer begins to show Christlikeness in his attitudes, his outlook, his actions and his reactions, he starts walking in right standing with God.
Here is how we will begin to be righteous in all that we are and do :
· Desires – will conform to those which please and honour God
· Affections – will love those things that God loves
· Purposes – will be to pursue that which God would have us pursue
· Will – will be to choose that which is good and godly
· Feelings – will be subject to the truth of God’s Word
· Character – will pursue holiness, godliness, and purity
· Thoughts – will meditate on the truth of God’s Word
III. Be born of God (v.9): This means that every believer will always put on the new identity as a child of God and thus will not practise sin. Each of us will live with this understanding that God has given as a new nature and with the help of the Holy Spirit will begin to bear spiritual fruit.
Here’s how we are to Love others -
Our Christian life cannot be measured only with our relationship to God which is the vertical one but there is a horizontal one that is equally important .That is our relationship with fellow man.
How has the Apostle exhorted us to love others?
I. Do not hate your brother/sister v.5-(Col. 3:13): Ask for forgiveness when you hurt others and freely forgive others also.
II. Lay down your life for your brother/sister v.16 -(Phil. 2:3): Self-denial helps us lay aside our interests so that someone else may experience blessing. It’s not just in offering monetary help but giving yourself and your time, which is real sacrifice.
III. Share your earthy goods with a brother/sister in need v.17 - God blesses us to be a blessing; so be a good steward by sharing.
Jesus through his life showed us all that love always involves sacrifice. May we also as followers of Christ, exemplify this love toward God and to our brothers through our lives.
Think On: “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.” (1 Corinthians 13:4-7)
Listen: 'Love God Love people '