Love in Action and in Truth

“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? Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.

“By this we shall know that we are of the truth and reassure our heart before him; for whenever our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and he knows everything. Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God; and whatever we ask we receive from him, because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him. And this is his commandment, that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us. Whoever keeps his commandments abides in God, and God in him. And by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit whom he has given us.” (1 John 3:16-24 ESV)

In the same manner in which Jesus laid down his life for us, we are to lay down our lives, not only for other believers in Christ, but also for the people of the world. So, how do we do this? First of all we must, by faith in Jesus Christ, be crucified with Christ in death to sin and raised with Christ to walk in newness of life in him, no longer to live as slaves to sin but as slaves to God and to his righteousness. For Jesus said that if anyone would come after him, he must deny self, take up his cross daily, and follow (obey) him.

[Romans 6:1-23; Luke 9:23-26; Ephesians 4:17-32; Titus 2:11-14]

Then we are to walk (in conduct, in purpose, in practice) according to the Spirit and no longer according to the flesh. Sin must no longer be what we practice, but now righteousness and obedience to our Lord are to be what we practice. And now we should be sharing the message of the gospel of our salvation with other people, and we should be engaged in encouraging and edifying and exhorting one another who are in the faith in our walks of faith in holiness and in righteousness and in obedience to our Lord.

[Rom 8:1-14; Gal 5:16-21; Matt 7:21-23; Matt 5:13-16; Matt 28:18-20; Jn 4:31-38; Jn 13:13-17; Jn 14:12; Acts 1:8; Acts 2:14-18; Acts 26:18; Rom 10:14-15; Rom 12:1-8; Rom 15:14; 1 Co 12:1-31; 1 Co 14:1-5; Eph 4:1-16; Eph 5:11-27; Php 2:1-8; Col 3:16; Heb 3:13; Heb 10:23-25; 1 Pet 2:9,21; 1 Jn 2:6]  

All of this involves us surrendering our lives to Jesus Christ to do his will and to serve his purposes for us and to show love to our fellow humans. We can no longer be selfish and self-centered, in practice. Now we must be God-focused and have our eyes, minds, and hearts set on obeying the Lord and to doing his will, even if it gets us hated and rejected and cast off by others, even others who profess the name of Jesus, because our walks of faith in the Lord are an offense to them. And this is how we lay down our lives.

[Matt 5:10-12; Matt 10:16-25; Matt 24:9-14; Luke 6:22-23; Luke 12:49-53; Luke 21:12-19; John 15:1-21; John 16:33; John 17:14; Acts 14:22; Rom 5:3-5; Eph 6:10-20; Phil 3:7-11; 1 Pet 1:6-7; 1 Pet 4:12-17; 2 Tim 3:12; 1 Thess 3:1-5; Jas 1:2-4; 2 Co 1:3-11; Heb 12:3-12; 1 Jn 3:13; Rev 6:9-11; Rev 7:9-17; Rev 11:1-3; Rev 12:17; Rev 13:1-18; Rev 14:1-13]

Now our ministry to our brothers and sisters in Christ, and to the people of the world, is not just on a spiritual level, but it is on a physical level, too. We are to care about one another’s needs (spiritual and physical), but the physical needs should be legitimate needs and not just wants, and there should be good reason to believe that they are not able to provide for their own needs in their current situation. For the Scriptures teach that we are not to feed those who are idle and who are not willing to work (see 2 Thessalonians 3:10). So this calls for much wisdom and discernment.

For sadly we have many people in this world, and even within the gatherings of what are called “churches,” who take advantage of others and who lie and manipulate and scam others to get from them what they want. And then we cannot meet everyone’s needs unless we are the wealthiest of people that there are, and even they can’t meet everyone’s needs. So, again, we must be wise and discerning and pray to the Lord regarding what needs he would have us meet, and in what ways, and regarding how much we should give. But definitely we are not to love in word only, but also in actions.

Now we can know that our faith is genuine by how we love God and other humans in action and not just in words. Now words may be part of those actions, such as what I do each day in writing out my devotions and sharing them with the people of the world and with other believers in Christ, but we aren’t supposed to just mouth words of love but then live the opposite. And we can know that our faith is genuine because we keep (obey, put into practice) our Lord’s commandments (New Covenant), and because we do what pleases the Lord, according to his word, and not by our own thinking.

Love Must Be Genuine 

An Original Work / October 22, 2013

Based off Romans 12:9-21

Love must be genuine.

Hate what’s evil; cling to good.

Love each other with affection.

Show respect for ev’ryone.

Never lack in your zeal.

Serve the Lord with diligence.

Rejoice in steadfast hope.

In affliction, patient be.

Keep on praying; share with others.

Practice hospitality.

Bless those who persecute.

Feel with others sympathy.

Be not filled with conceit.

Daily sit at Jesus’ feet.

Live in harmony with others.

Live at peace with ev’ryone.

Repay not to someone

With the evil he begot.

Do not take your revenge;

Leave it to the wrath of God.

If your enemy is thirsty,

Give to him something to drink.

Do what’s right for mankind.

Evil: overcome with good.

https://vimeo.com/114695549