Living In Love
Opening Prayer
“How precious to me are Your thoughts, God!” (Psa. 139:17). Reveal Your thoughts and ways to me that I might grow in You.
Read 1 John 5:1–12
For additional translations of the passage, use this link to Bible Gateway.
Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves the father loves his child as well. 2 This is how we know that we love the children of God: by loving God and carrying out his commands. 3 In fact, this is love for God: to keep his commands. And his commands are not burdensome, 4 for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. 5 Who is it that overcomes the world? Only the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.
6 This is the one who came by water and blood—Jesus Christ. He did not come by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth. 7 For there are three that testify: 8 the Spirit, the water and the blood; and the three are in agreement. 9 We accept human testimony, but God’s testimony is greater because it is the testimony of God, which he has given about his Son. 10 Whoever believes in the Son of God accepts this testimony. Whoever does not believe God has made him out to be a liar, because they have not believed the testimony God has given about his Son. 11 And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 12 Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.
New International Version (NIV)
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Reflect
What has God’s love meant to you in your life?The teaching of Jesus (John 15:9–12) permeates John’s letters. Our response to God’s lavish love for us should be to copy him (1,3), sharing his love with others in his family (2,3).
What prevents us from loving others God’s way? John’s reference to the “world” is his shorthand for an attitude of self-absorption (a focus on our own desires and achievements; 2:15,16), which is the opposite of God’s attitude of selfless generosity to others. There is only one way to overcome such self-absorption: faith in Jesus Christ (1,5).
Believing that Jesus Christ was who God said he was is the key to living in and sharing God’s love. A first-century heresy claimed that God’s divine Spirit came on Jesus at his baptism then left him before he died. John refutes such teaching (6–10). Jesus demonstrated God’s selfless love not only through his Spirit-led ministry but also in his Spirit-led death.
A Christian’s life is inextricably bound up with Jesus (11); as we live in him we will find we have his love to share (11,12).
Apply
Meditate on Jesus’ selfless love for you. You belong to him, and you are living in him now. Ask him to fill you with his love for others.
Closing prayer
Loving Father, teach me to love You through obedience. Help me to overcome the world through faith in Your Son.
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