1 John 3:16-24

Love is… shown

1 John 3:16–24 NRSV

We know love by this, that he laid down his life for us—and we ought to lay down our lives for one another. How does God’s love abide in anyone who has the world’s goods and sees a brother or sister in need and yet refuses help? Little children, let us love, not in word or speech, but in truth and action. And by this we will know that we are from the truth and will reassure our hearts before him whenever our hearts condemn us; for God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything. Beloved, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have boldness before God; and we receive from him whatever we ask, because we obey his commandments and do what pleases him. And this is his commandment, that we should believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us. All who obey his commandments abide in him, and he abides in them. And by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit that he has given us.

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1 John 3:16–17 NRSV

We know love by this, that he laid down his life for us—and we ought to lay down our lives for one another. How does God’s love abide in anyone who has the world’s goods and sees a brother or sister in need and yet refuses help?

1 John 3:16–17 ESV

By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him?

—> We have seen what ultimate love looks like

—> we are called to do as Jesus did

—> to be generous with what we have been given as Jesus was generous with what He had been given

—> Take inventory of what you have

1 John 3:18–22 NRSV

Little children, let us love, not in word or speech, but in truth and action. And by this we will know that we are from the truth and will reassure our hearts before him whenever our hearts condemn us; for God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything. Beloved, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have boldness before God; and we receive from him whatever we ask, because we obey his commandments and do what pleases him.

—> Words aren’t enough —> we have to do

—> show don’t tell

—> we can’t trust our emotions alone

—> we have to trust God over how we “feel” until we feel God

—> we can get so comfortable with doing things our way we don’t see what God is trying to do in us

—> We saw it over and over again in our “calling” Sermon Series…

—> people are scared when God calls them to do different things

—> and when we get scared we wonder am I doing the right thing.

—> God will never give you an attitude of fear

—> God only provides peace and strength

1 John 3:23–24 NRSV

And this is his commandment, that we should believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us. All who obey his commandments abide in him, and he abides in them. And by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit that he has given us.

—> we believe

—> we love

—> we do this not through our own strength but through the Spirit that dwells in us