How do you love?

Here we are again on the topic of love. As we discussed in the beginning, John really only has three overarching themes in 1 John - love, obedience, and truth. He doesn't simply just keep repeating himself though. I've seen in a couple of places a comparison to a spiral staircase. As you make your way up or down, you see the same thing in front of you, but at a different level - from a different perspective.

This week we'll be looking at 1 John 3:11-18, and we will be looking at love from a slightly different perspective. In Chapter 2, we saw love as evidence that we are walking in the light. Now we see love as a matter of life and death. Let's look briefly at four "levels" of love discussed in this passage:

• Murder - Okay, I'm good here. I never killed anyone.
• Hate - Come on John, I mean, I don't really hate anyone. What's that? Look at Matthew 5:21-22? Oh.
• Indifference - Uh-oh.
• Christian Love (compassion) - I know this is where I'm supposed to be, and it's where I really want to be, but how do I get there?

Answer: Verse 16 (this week's memory verse) - By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers.

So how do we love? Seems pretty clear, but what does it mean to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters? Think about that for a minute and then think on this - How do you love?

In Him,

John

Hope in Jesus Purifies

I'm looking at I John 3:1-10 right now, and a couple of things are really jumping out to me. First, look at the 3:1-3.

1See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him. 2Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. 3And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure.

I have seen this verse a few times lately, and it really intrigues me. First, just sitting back for a second to say with John -- Wow! Can you believe that we are children of God! We certainly didn't deserve it, but look at the love God has given to us (verse 1). Then, in verse 2, he points out that not only are we God's children now, look at what's ahead. We'll see Jesus and we'll be like Him. Then, what really grabs my attention is verse 3 -- HOPE IN JESUS PURIFIES! Meditate on this for a moment. Everyone who hopes in Jesus purifies himself as Jesus is pure. A few weeks back we discussed how God wants all of our love. He is great and he demands that our love for him be great (see I John 2:15-17; Matthew 10:37-39; 22:37-38). Now, John is dealing with hope. So, continuing our pattern of heart examination:

* What are you hoping in?
* What are your dreams for your future?
* What are your goals in this life?

I need to be reminded everyday just how awesome of a gift God has given me through Jesus. I'm so tempted by the world around me to be be short-sighted and get caught up in the here and now. This is why I need God's Word so desperately (Rom 12:2) along with guidance from the Spirit and fellowship with my brothers and sisters in Christ. I need to look at verses like I Cor 1:9, which says "What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him". Sin seeks to deceive me into trading what God has for me for it's short-lived pleasure.

This has been very convicting. If you read verse 4-10 of chapter 3, you'll see John reiterate that if we are born of God, we will not continue in sin. And one of the reasons why is that a child of God desires God. Scripture says that I've been given eyes to see what a gift God has given me! But what a fight it is to keep my heart, my affections and my hopes in the right place.

Let me know what you guys think. Interested in your thoughts....

In Christ,
Craig