Monday, February 15, 2016

True Love (1 John 3:18)


SPIRITUAL DIARY

 

                                                                                                            Date:  09-11-04

 

My Worship Time                  Focus:  True Love

 

Bible Reading & Meditation             Reference:  1John 3:18

 

            Message of the verse:  18  Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth.  (NAS95)  18  My children, let us love not merely in theory or in words—let us love in sincerity and in practice!  (Phillips) 

            John is saying here that a true believer should love in deed, which is the opposite of loving in word, and they should love in truth, which is the opposite of loving in tongue.  In James 2:15-16, James give a good example of how not to love in deed where he writes, “15  If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food,

16  and one of you says to them, "Go in peace, be warmed and be filled," and yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that?” 

            In Luke 6:38 Jesus said, “give and it will be given to you,” and this statement can be applied to both money and also to love, yet true love is not given so that we get in return, for we love others because Jesus has commanded us to love other, and if we yield to our new nature this will be what we have a desire to do anyway. 

 

            Spiritual meaning for my life today:  I would say that showing true Christian love to my wife is one of the most difficult things for me to do, and I know that is wrong, yet only by the grace of God will I be able to do this on a more consistent way.

 

The Word of God has brought conviction to my heart as I read it this morning.

 

My Steps of Faith Today:  Trust the Lord to give me both the desire and the will to love as He loves.

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