#TuesdayDevotion: Characterized by LOVE!
Date: 7th December 2020
We are in a season of love, joy and peace and today’s
devotion-passage fits in well for this. Even as I have been reading the
Epistles of John, I understand that Love is a major theme in 1, 2, and 3 John. You
could go as far as to say that John believes love is THE distinguishing mark of
a Christian. God showed us His love by sending Christ. Jesus showed His love by
giving His life for us.
John begins this teaching by exploring the relationship
between love and hatred, John refers, of course, to the ancient and familiar
story of the brothers Cain and Abel (Genesis 4:2-8) Cain was angry and jealous
that God favors the sacrifice of his righteous brother Abel. In a fit of
jealousy Cain slays Abel. God created Adam and Eve to be a blessing, but the
couple hindered and blamed each other, for committing the first sin. Next, their
children hated and killed each other. Then came generations that rebelled and
disobeyed God. Laws of God were rejected and disobeyed. God had to take the
decision to do it differently.
So, God created a new family in Christ—His church.
“Christ-like love” is the spiritual DNA marker now; love is the language we as God’s
children are taught, from the time we are dead to sin, “This is the message you
have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another” (1 John 3:11)
It was God’s love that made us His children (1 John 3:1),
and the most wonderful and most challenging truth is this, unlike Cain, we
need to respond in love where there is hatred!
No one can rightly claim God as their Father when they fail
to love His children, whoever they maybe! We are dead to sin, and are alive to
God in Christ. Indeed “we know that we have passed out of death into life,
because we love the brothers”. Conversely, each act of love deepens our
confidence that we have “eternal life abiding” in us (3:14 &15).
Love is exquisitely defined by John, he writes, “By this we
know love, that he laid down his life for us” (3:16). The ultimate was laying
down His life because of HIS LOVE FOR US. Practically, there is nothing more
that Jesus could have done to validate that love! God so loved us that He had
to give His one and only Son to die that painful death, so we can experience
grace and enjoy eternal life. He chose to demonstrate the love.
Yes, love must go beyond “word and talk” into practical
“deeds” (3:18). We ought to open our eyes to see the needs of people around
us, it is the only way we can show and know that “God abides in us” (3:17).
Expressing genuine, practical love for God’s family is what identifies you and
me as God’s child.
In James 2: 15-17 we read, "Suppose a brother or sister
is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, 'Go, I wish you
well; keep warm and well fed, but does nothing about his physical needs, what
good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by
action, is dead."
This is the most natural thing that love can do; this is
loving "with actions and in truth" (3:18).
However, once the mind understands Christ-like love, the
conscience begins to wrestle with whether we are doing the right thing every
now and then. I am amazed how John thought of this, like a crisis of guilt, our
heart condemns us sometimes. John is telling us that when we live the way God
tells us to, we aren’t riddled with guilt. “This then is how we know that we
belong to the truth, and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence whenever
our hearts condemn us. For God is greater than our hearts, and he knows
everything." (3:19-20) What a confidence we have in HIM, that He knows
EVERYTHING!
We don’t always measure up to God’s standards, but we do
have this confidence and that when we obey and please Him, the most basic
being, loving others like the way Christ loves us, then, we can be assured we
will receive anything we ask Him. Furthermore, “the one who keeps God’s
commands lives in Him, and He in them”. We can know that God lives in us by the
evidence of the “Holy Spirit within us” (3:24).
Let love be the hallmark of our lives as we continue to
follow Christ.
Suggested Prayer
I thank Thee, Lord, today, for Your unfailing presence. I
pray that we would be so in tune to the great love of God at work in us and
around us. I’m so thankful for your love, a love that left THE throne, to come
down just to save me. I pray that I would hear Your whisper of love each and
every single day, through all the noise of this world. Transform me Lord, so I
can show this love you have shown unto me, to others too. Remind me of ways I
can demonstrate love to someone who needs it, especially in this season of
celebrating your birth.
Fulfill in me the perfect purpose that you created me
for.
In Jesus name. Amen.
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