"We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love our brothers. Anyone who does not love remains in death." (1 John 3:14, NIV)
When we surrender ourselves to Jesus, He gives us the ability to love God and others. In fact, this is the most important evidence He is truly part of our lives. If people don't have genuine love, they probably are not Christians.
"We love because he first loved us. The one who says 'I love God' yet hates his brother is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen. And he has given us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother." (1 John 4:19-21)
We are not talking about "romantic" love, nor simply that shared among friends — this kind of love goes much deeper. In the Greek, it's called “agape” love – the kind that reaches out to the lost, feeds the hungry, aids the poor, shares the Good News of the Bible, and genuinely cares about the needs and feelings of others. It is a love that cares more about others than it cares about itself.
True love isn't just about feelings, it's about actions. It doesn't just promise, it delivers. It doesn't just offer words, it offers itself — sacrificially — for the good of others.
How could I “take action” to express love to someone today? And to God?
Meditation: 1 Corinthians 13
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