PART 2 LOVE 1 John 3:16 Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. “Hereby perceive we the love of God”: With this phrase, John introduces the standard of love that is reflected in genuine Christianity. It becomes the measuring stick for every expression of love, see verse 18. John presents the third characteristic of Satan’s children in terms of their lack of love. Satan’s children are marked by indifference toward others’ needs (see also verses 12, 15). Perceive goes beyond just seeing. It has with it an understanding. Greater love hath no man, than He lay down His life for His friends. Jesus gave it all, because of His great love for us. His love is God love, which none of us can quite live up to. “He laid down his life for us”: This expression is unique to John (John 10-11, 15, 17, 18; 13:37-38; 15:13) and speaks of divesting oneself of something. Christian love is self sacrificing and giving. Christ’s giving up His life for believers epitomized the true nature of Christian love (John 15:12-13; Phil. 2:5-8; 1 Peter 2: 19-23). “We ought to lay down our lives for the brethren”: God calls Christians to that same standard of love for one another as He had for us, see verse 16a. We can pattern our love after the example He left us. We must learn to love, not because of what we can get out of something, but in spite of what it might cost us. Unselfish love should be the character of all Christians. 1 John 3:17 But whoso hath this worlds good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels [of compassion] from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him? This is just saying, we should show our love by being compassionate to those who have a need. If someone is hungry, we should feed them. If someone is cold, we should clothe them. If they have no place to sleep, we should furnish them a bed. If we have the love of God within us, we will share with those who have need. “But whoso hath this world’s good … have need”: True love is not limited to supreme sacrifices, verse 16, but shows up in lesser ones. Genuine Christian love expresses itself in sacrificial giving to other Christians’ needs (i.e., his brother”). It is a practical love that finds motivation in helping others (1 Tim. 6:17-19; Heb. 13:16; James 2:14-17). Where it dos not exist, it is questionable that God’s love is present. If that is so, it is also questionable whether the person is the Lord’s child, verse 14...TO LOOK LIKE JESUS WE NEED TO SHOW THAT LOVE
Posted on: Sun, 19 Jan 2014 10:56:20 +0000
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