1 John 3:16-19 – 16 This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. 17 If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? 18 Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth. 19 This is how we know that we belong to the truth and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence.
When born into this world we didn’t know how to love the way God loves. We were born with a fallen and sinful nature (Psalm 51:5). Being born with a fallen nature God has said in Jeremiah 17:9 “The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?” V16 starts off “This is how we know what love is.” “How we know” has an original meaning of how we learn to know, come to know, get a knowledge of. Even as Christians we don’t fully grasp the vastness of the love of God. However, as we walk in His love we increasingly learn of His love. It is only by being in Jesus that we begin to understand His love. Begin. If we are diligent and thoughtful about the love of Jesus, then we will increasingly know the love of God.
Is V16 calling us to lay down our physical life for each other? Where the concentration of this verse leads us to is the love that it takes to do so. Most of us will never be called upon to physically die for a brother or sister. However, the love that it would take to die for another is what is being focused upon. Jesus had the love within Him to lay down His life for us. We heard of the love of God and as we are born from above through Jesus (John 3:3), we come to know it more and more. Jesus did not only die for us on the cross, every day He lived on earth He died for us. He laid down His life for us not only on the cross but also on a daily basis. He set down, or set aside, His possessions and rights so that we would be blessed. The expression “Jesus Christ laid down his life for us” means that He set aside what was His (Philippians 2:6-8) so that we could have what the Father would have for us. Laying down our life for each other is not only giving up one’s physical life for each other, but laying down our lives for each other on a daily basis. How we know what love is means observing how love was expressed to us by our Father God through Jesus our Lord. It means that we are willing to set aside our comfort and time for each other. It means that it is more important for us to bless each other than it means to grasp tightly the blessings God has given us.
I often want to invite people to someplace and to pay for them, as I am able. Maybe dinner or maybe a movie. In the past it has been wrongly assumed that I wanted to be a “Big Shot” and a show off. That is not what is in my heart. Actually I would just feel bad if the people I love and care about do not have the blessings that I have. I want to bless others because I had been blessed. Why should I “have it good” and not others? I want others to have the blessings that God has given me. We should be willing to share what we have with others when we are able, or even to give it up ourselves and give it to another, as the Lord leads (Proverbs 3:27) (and we should be listening to the Lord!).
If we are able to help and will not (a matter of the will, not ability) then the Word of God is stating that the love of God is not in us. Let’s be reminded that if the love of God is not within us, then God is not in us, and we are still lost (1 John 4:8). Just as faith without action is dead (James 2:17), so love is not present if there are no fruits of love. All true acts of compassion and charity begin with love. If we have the love of God in us, then acts of love will be done by us. Not only talked about by us, but done by us. Words mean nothing if there is no action to support them.
Family, if we love, let us consider others before ourselves (Philippians 2:3). Let us not live out love as some laborious duty that we will do if we must, but rather as something that we willingly, joyously and generously give out because that is what is in our hearts. It is in our hearts because we have the love of God within us, more love than any of us could contain, and so we must open the floodgates and let the love of God flow out with kind words, kind actions and genuine concern.
God loved us and gave us Jesus. Jesus loved us and gave up all for us. If we are like our God, we will consider the needs of others something we must help with, if we are able. Let us be sincere and thoughtful about this, God is watching (Hebrews 4:13) and He knows our hearts (Jeremiah 17:10). It is an honor to love the family of God. Let us take pleasure in doing so and as we do, we know that we do because God is within us and our hearts rest in His presence. Praise God!
Psalm 150:6 – Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord!
Micah 7:7 – But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me.
Micah 6:8 – He has shown You, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of You but to do justly, to love mercy, And to walk humbly with Your God.