1 John 3:11-24 (New Living Translation)
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 Christian brothers and sisters, 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. 17 If someone has enough money to live well and sees a brother or sister in need but shows no compassion—how can God’s love be in that person?
18 Dear children, let’s not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions. 19 Our actions will show that we belong to the truth, so we will be confident when we stand before God. 20 Even if we feel guilty, God is greater than our feelings, and he knows everything.
21 Dear friends, if we don’t feel guilty, we can come to God with bold confidence. 22 And we will receive from him whatever we ask because we obey him and do the things that please him.
23 And this is his commandment: We must believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and love one another, just as he commanded us. 24 Those who obey God’s commandments remain in fellowship with him, and he with them. And we know he lives in us because the Spirit he gave us lives in us.
Mike's Thoughts:
There are two moments in this passage where I just stopped reading and thought, "WOW, that is powerful.” 1. When God says if you hate your brother or sister you are a murderer. 2. When God says if you don't show compassion for your brother or sister then God's love isn't in you. Honestly, when I first think about those two moments, I try to justify that fact that the passage is not literally saying what it appears to say. It seems harsh. I also try to justify how that isn’t me. My fear is that it may be me. Even though I may not hate my brother, God didn’t set the standard to just not hate, he set the standard to live on the other side of the pendulum. To give to our brothers and sisters out of what God has given to me. If we want connection with God we have to make a connection with our brothers and sisters. BTW, if you are don't have siblings you are in luck because he is talking about all of those who you call Christians, and not just those with whom you go to church.
Prayer:
God, Thanks that you defined love. Thanks that you didn't just define it in a book, but you defined in the life of Jesus. Thanks that you let me be a recipient of that love. Help me to live that love out by loving others around me. Help me to see the standard you are calling me to. Help me to see the opportunities to love other people.
Mike's Notes:
1. The message has not changed. Love one another.
2. If you hate your brother, it's as good as murder. Wow, that is powerful.
3. God has come to give us new life. If we don't love our brother we can't have that new life.
4. God has called us to a higher standard than to just not hate our brother. He has called us to love him. Jesus has given us a snapshot of what that means. He gave up his life for us.
5. The higher standard is the opposite of hate - It's love. That is seen by compassion for our fellow brothers. If you have the ability to help a brother out and you don't, then God's love isn't in you. Wow, that is powerful.
No comments:
Post a Comment