How do you know that person really loves you? Is it the way they look at you from across of the room? Is it the way they make you feel when everything else seems wrong? Is it the things they say, the things they do, or the things you two hope to become? Maybe it’s just a connection you feel that you can’t explain.
John gives a different description of love in 1 John chapter 3. He was writing to Christians in his day that proclaimed to have the love of God, yet did very little to demonstrate it to others. He wrote strong words reminding them how much Christ loves us and how we should reflect that love on others.
In verse 16 he writes, “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.” That’s quite a different description than the one we probably would use to describe love.
John said love is demonstrated by action, and that action was the total sacrifice of Jesus Christ our behalf. That’s a powerful statement of how much He loves us. But it’s the second part of the verse that’s more difficult to understand.
John tells us that our response must be to lay down our lives for our brothers. This brings more clarity and greater responsibility to the great commandment. We can’t just pronounce our love in church services, we have to sacrifice ourselves on behalf of others. It’s much more than reaching out so that people will come to our church, it’s about sacrificing our lives so that they can experience life in Him.
Read 1 John 3: 11-20
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