Love For God, Love For Others

Bible Reading: 1 John 3:11-24

“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” (1 John 3:16-18)

Our God has loved us so much that He sent His only Son to die for our sins on the cross. Christ took on the wrath of God in our place. We are so wretched and unworthy of such grace. We deserve to hang on that tree. We deserve to face God’s eternal wrath. We are vile sinners and rebels before our Creator. Yet, in His unfathomable wisdom, God chose to love us and to die in our place so that we might have a new life in righteousness. 

God’s love should compel us to love others in the same way Christ loved us. As a response in love to God and love for others, we are called to lay down for our brothers. We have the world’s goods, namely the precious message of the gospel. Every single person in this world needs this gospel. Whether we look at suffering countries like Afghanistan, poverty-stricken lands in Africa or Indonesia, or just around our local community, people are all in dire need of the only truth that can save them — the gospel. 

Yet, does God’s love abide in us? How much do we care about those around us? Only God’s Word can save them, and we are called to preach the Word to them. Yet, we are stuck minding our own business and wasting our time for selfish and worldly satisfactions. We love in talk, but little do we love in deed and truth. May God’s Spirit work in us to rekindle a love for Him. May God’s Spirit open our eyes to Christ’s immeasurable love for us so that our hearts may overflow with love for God and others. 

O LOVER OF THE LOVELESS,

It is thy will that I should love thee

    with heart, soul, mind, strength,

    and my neighbour as myself.

But I am not sufficient for these things.

There is by nature no pure love in my soul;

Every affection in me is turned from thee;

I am bound, as slave to lust,

I cannot love thee, lovely as thou art,

  until thou dost set me free.

By grace I am thy freeman and would serve thee,

  for I believe thou art my God in Jesus,

  and that through him I am redeemed,

  and my sins are forgiven.

With this freedom I would always obey thee,

  but I cannot walk in liberty,

  any more than I could first attain it, of myself.

May thy Spirit draw me nearer to thee

  and thy ways.

Thou art the end of all means,

  for if they lead me not to thee,

  I go away empty.

Order all my ways by thy holy Word

  and make thy commandments the joy

    of my heart,

  that by them I may have happy converse

    with thee.

May I grow in thy love and manifest it

  to mankind.

Spirit of love, make me like the loving Jesus;

  give me his benevolent temper,

  his beneficent actions,

  that I may shine before men to thy glory.

The more thou doest in love in me and by me,

  humble me the more;

  keep me meek, lowly,

  and always ready to give thee honour.

The Valley Of Vision: Christian Love