LOVING WHEN UNLOVED
Opening Prayer
Heavenly Father, help me to begin each day with thanksgiving and with anticipation for what you will do in and through me.
Read 1 JOHN 3:11–24
For additional translations of the passage, use this link to Bible Gateway.
More on Love and Hatred
11 For this is the message you heard from the beginning: We should love one another. 12 Do not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own actions were evil and his brother’s were righteous. 13 Do not be surprised, my brothers and sisters,[a] if the world hates you. 14 We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love each other. Anyone who does not love remains in death. 15 Anyone who hates a brother or sister is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life residing in him.
16 This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. 17 If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? 18 Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.
19 This is how we know that we belong to the truth and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence: 20 If our hearts condemn us, we know that God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything. 21 Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God 22 and receive from him anything we ask, because we keep his commands and do what pleases him. 23 And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us. 24 The one who keeps God’s commands lives in him, and he in them. And this is how we know that he lives in us: We know it by the Spirit he gave us.
Footnotes
- 1 John 3:13 The Greek word for brothers and sisters (adelphoi) refers here to believers, both men and women, as part of God’s family; also in verse 16.
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
Have you ever experienced unkindness from people who claim to be Christians? Why does it hurt so much more when it comes from those who are supposed to be family?Now the theme shifts from God is light to God is love. In verse 11, John referred to the upper room where Jesus gave his command to love one another (John 13:34, 35). Human nature in this fallen world is to hate one another, so if the world hates you, don’t be surprised (vv. 12–15). This was helpful clarification for these believers who were experiencing hateful attitudes from the group that had left— whose actions were not supporting their super-spiritual claims. Christians do not have to guess what it means to love one another. We have the perfect example. Just as Jesus laid down his life for us, so we should practically, materially, and sacrificially lay down what is ours for the sake of one another (vv. 16–18).
How should we react if others hate us, even if they claim to be Christians? We should respond with Christlike love (vs 16,18). And we can have the assurance of our standing before God because we believe in Jesus and have the Holy Spirit in us (vs 19–24).
Apply
Imagine what it was like for Jesus to go to the cross and lay down his life in love for us.
Closing prayer
Lord Jesus, I ask that you stir your love in my heart for others and show me in practical ways what that looks like today.
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