Christians are called to love each other. But what is love? You might know it when you see it. Specifically, John says that our model is Jesus:
We know love by this, that He laid down His life for us (1 John 3:16a).
Love is sacrificial. Love acts. It acts for the good of the beloved. Jesus showed you that He loves you by dying for you.
Jesus does not only show that He loves us, He also shows how you should love others:
and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren (1 John 3:16b).
You are called to love like Jesus, laying down your life for the brethren. But what does that mean? Is John being literal? For example, does he literally want you to be crucified for other people? No. The crucifixion is a one-time event (Rom 6:10).
Does John mean we should be martyred for other people? Possibly. It is possible you might one day be put in a situation where you might literally give your life for another person. Read the news, and you’ll find people who jump onto train tracks to save a child who has fallen in. Or they take a bullet for a friend. Or die protecting a stranger. Pregnant mothers have foregone taking chemotherapy to save their children.
That said, I think John has a much more “everyday” application of what it means to lay down your life for the brethren. He explains it in the next verse:
But whoever has the world’s goods, and sees his brother in need and closes his heart against him, how does the love of God abide in him? (1 John 3:17).
John is arguing from the greater to the lesser.
The greater is laying down your life, i.e., physically dying for another. If you’re willing to do that, then you should also be willing to do the lesser thing, i.e., sharing your material possession with the poor. That’s the application. That’s what “laying down your life” looks like in everyday situations. If you see a brother in need, you should love him by sharing your material possession with him. You should not shut up your heart against him but love him through concrete actions. Laying down your life is sacrificial. So is sharing your material possessions with people in need.
The greater involves sacrificing your life. The lesser involves sacrificing the luxuries of life to meet someone’s necessities of life.
If that sounds challenging, it should. John didn’t say loving is easy. But it is necessary for Christian maturity. Don’t shut your heart to that message!
Tim_Amoroso
It is not a trivial matter, to love. The the eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous and his ears are open to their cry. Man laughs and scorns at the Lord. But, God sees rewards everything we do, whether good and bad. As the scripture says,
So speak and so do as those who will be judged by the law of liberty. James 2:12
Let us find encouragement to obey our Lord, from this scripture. God bless.
KEN TAMASHIRO
Hi Pastor Shawn,
Isn’t it interesting that John and James say the same thing, as well as Jesus, talking about the Good Samaritan.
Many do not see the similarities but instead misunderstand James point in regards to helping a poor person. ….I think the problem starts with using the words like Save / Justified / Works / Believe /Faith and etc. ….Hopefully, some will understand the similarities in Helping People.
Grace and Peace, Ken Tamashiro
Alvin
Zane,
In the process of Christian living, few things must endure heavier blows than do brotherly love and love. Men are in so many ways hard to love and even our Christian brothers are frequently a source of disappointment and trial. No one can crown his Christian experience with consistent displays of love apart from LAYING THE GROUNDWORK suggested by the preceding qualities in Peter’s list. End quote.
Add to faith, virtue, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness, love.
These things are not automatic, and is something that takes time for US to bring to maturity.
Tim Amoroso
Luke 9:56 For the Son of Man did not come to destroy men’s lives but to save them.
What can we do now? We cannot go back in time to change our decisions, but we can learn from our mistakes. If we misuse our zeal, we will only hurt others and possibly bring a swift destruction upon our own lives.
I love Jesus Christ for His example he left, to follow. He was King of kings, but, was not arrogant. He was not boastful.
He lived with a purpose and for a reason. He loved His neighbor, each and every day.With love, patience, kindness and wisdom, He served to build up one person’s life at a time, and did not destroy anyone’s life. We are our own worst enemies, but the Lord, He is our best friend.