“Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.”-John
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1John3:18&version=NIV
In 1 John 3, we see contrasts between children of God and children of the devil; between love and hate; between falsehood and sincerity. When considering the seriousness of the consequences of hate, one can quickly realize that sincerity in love and in identity is serious business, and lovely sounding words alone do not suffice!
We all know the disappointed feeling of purchasing a good or service that did not live up to its hype. Perhaps one can recall the electricity and energy building up to a blockbuster event that ended up being quite underwhelming! After all the bragging and boasting, the reality simply did not live up to the advertising. Imagine how God might feel when a person claiming to belong to Him is in reality all talk. For those who truly belong to God, the love living inside them will not settle for such a show!
As comedian Tony Baker puts it, “Talk is on the ninety nine cent menu, playa!” The Apostle John does not let his audience off the hook either when it comes to relying only on speech.
Because love is a verb, actions and truth exemplify the true character of love. This kind of love is so uniquely radical that it even distinguishes the living from the dead!
With so many opportunities for frauds to have the spotlight, John does not want the believers to be led astray, deceived, or confused about their own identity. Neither does he want the believers to be discouraged by the world’s rejection of them.
Imagine the questions that could have either sidetracked or derailed the believers:
- Am I really a child of God? How can I tell if God is my Daddy?
- Does God really love me?
- Why doesn’t the world know us? In fact, why does the world hate us?
- Can I just hate in return?
- What will we be like when Christ returns?
- What kind of impact should the unseen future have on my present way of living?
- Is sin really all that serious?
- Why did the Son of God come to earth?
- What does love even look like?
- I feel so condemned! How can I be sure that I belong to the truth?
- Where can I find confidence to petition God in prayer?
- How is obedience connected to love?
- How can I know that God lives in me?
John lovingly answers each of these concerns in this one chapter!
Let us determine today to embrace this kind of love that is both life giving and life sustaining. In our prayers, let us demonstrate the kind of confidence that John says we already have! Let us set our hearts at rest in the presence of our loving Father who so empowers our love!
Food for Thought 