April 1, 2015 – I John 3:16

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. 1 John 3:16What is love?  There is no love without sacrifice.  Those who interpret love as gaining all, having all, knowing all, do not know Jesus.  Love is not an entitlement, but a ‘giving’ all.  Love is an action that makes life worth living and brings a focal point.  True love gives focus to our lives.Jesus himself told the truth to Pilate concerning who He is.  Pilate said, “So you are a king?” Jesus responded, “You say I am a king. Actually, I was born and came into the world to testify to the truth. All who love the truth recognize that what I say is true.”  John 18:37  Then John proclaimed,  And you know that Jesus came to take away our sins, and there is no sin in him. I John 3:5.This then is how Jesus laid down his life for us….He came, a King, to this earth divested of his Kingship and his comfort to endure indignities, betrayal, scourging, and a death by crucifixion.  Why?  He loves us.  He did not say, “I love you, be at peace and feel loved!” No, He laid down his life for us to free us from sin.  He is the truth, the life and the way.We choose sides, not by protests and by feelings.  Our actions speak more eloquently just Whom we choose.  There is a reckoning, an Accountable Day, in the future.  By choosing to love like Jesus loves, we can be confident when we stand before God.Dear children, let’s not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions.  Our actions will show that we belong to the truth, so we will be confident when we stand before God.  Even if we feel guilty, God is greater than our feelings, and he knows everything. I John 3:18-19