Indifference (1 John 3:16-17)

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 09-10-04

 

My Worship Time                                                                              Focus:  Indifference

 

Bible Reading & Meditation                                     Reference:  1John 3:16-17

 

            Message of the verse:  16 We know love by this, that He laid down His life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.  17 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?  (NAS95)  16 We know what real love is because Christ gave up his life for us. And so we also ought to give up our lives for our Christian brothers and sisters.  17 But if anyone has enough money to live well and sees a brother or sister in need and refuses to help—how can God’s love be in that person?  (NLT)

            In 1John 3:16 John describes an example of what true agape love is, where he describes Christ’s laying down his life for us, and then he urges believers to lay down there life for other Christian brothers and sisters.  I do not believe that John’s first reason for writing about laying down our lives for our brothers and sisters is speaking of our physical lives as much as the giving of our time in helping others who are in need, as he writes about in verse 17.  Biblical love is not so much a feeling as it is an action, and that action is dong something for another without any concern for any type of being paid back.

            Dr. Wiersbe points out in his commentary on 1John that there are three conditions to be made in order to help other brothers in need.  The first one is that we must know about the need, and two we must have the resources to help one in need, and third we must be loving enough to share with one in need.

 

            Spiritual meaning for my life today:  I have learned the most from the three conditions from Dr. Wiersbe’s book that I hope will help me in the future to love those in need. 

 

The Word of God was convicting and informative to me as I read it this morning.

 

My Steps of Faith Today:  To trust the Lord as he continues to stretch Sandy and me while we are here in Aruba.  I want to accomplish what He wants me to accomplish while I am here, and trust Him with the thorn in the flesh I suffer with, knowing that His grace is sufficient for me, for His strength is made perfect in my weakness.