April 16, 2018
1 John 3:10-16 New Living Translation (NLT)
The Lord knows all things about those who belong to him. He knows the sincerity of our hearts. He knows the words we speak. He knows our attitudes and actions toward other people. He knows because as believers he lives in us. That is why he convicts us when we are not acting in love toward one another. He looks for agreement between the love we have received from him and the love we actually extend to others. When there is a discrepancy; the Spirit convicts us of unrighteousness.
In our passage today, the Apostle Paul tells us “we know.” What do we know? We know what real love is because real love has been extended to us in Christ. We know when we are operating in that love and when we are not because the Holy Spirit corrects us. We know when others are operating in that love and when they are not, because our hearts are grieved and wounded. We know. So, let’s stop pretending to love people and really love them even when it calls for a sacrifice. Let’s love others the way Christ loves us. You belong to him…serve him, get into agreement with him, and make him Lord! However, with that decision, be prepared for the world to hate you and Satan to make you a target for trials. Satan wants you to stop loving like Christ, because the love of Christ changes and restores everything it touches. Christ’s love makes all things new.
1 John 3:10-16
10 So now we can tell who are children of God and who are children of the devil. Anyone who does not live righteously and does not love other believers does not belong to God.
Love One Another
11 This is the message you have heard from the beginning: We should love one another. 12 We must not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and killed his brother. And why did he kill him? Because Cain had been doing what was evil, and his brother had been doing what was righteous. 13 So don’t be surprised, dear brothers and sisters, if the world hates you.
14 If we love our brothers and sisters who are believers, it proves that we have passed from death to life. But a person who has no love is still dead. 15 Anyone who hates another brother or sister is really a murderer at heart. And you know that murderers don’t have eternal life within them.
16 We know what real love is because Jesus gave up his life for us. So we also ought to give up our lives for our brothers and sisters.
Prayer: Lord, thank you for the love you have extended to me. Fill me with that pure love and help me to release it into a needy world. In Jesus’ name. Amen.