Many of us have become so familiar with the truth of what Christ has done for us that we take His gift of salvation for granted. Salvation becomes something we expect rather than a gift from God to His people. The truth is, we were not owed salvation. We certainly did not deserve salvation. Although undeserved and unearned, God freely offers the gift of salvation through Jesus Christ because of His love.
The apostle Paul explains in Ephesians 2 that God's love motivated Him to send Jesus to rescue humanity. Because God "loved us so much," He sent Jesus, who offers eternal life for all who place their faith in Him (verse 4). There is no greater love than this!
We read about the grandeur of God's love in 1 John 3. John, the writer of 1 John, wrote in this passage of Scripture, "We know what real love is because Jesus gave up his life for us" (verse 16). Real love, according to John, is sacrificial. This kind of love would bring someone to lay their life down for their loved ones willingly. Jesus demonstrated this love when He laid His life down for us on the cross. This kind of love changes us and motivates us to act. In fact, it calls us to love the people around us. That is why John wrote, "So we also ought to give up our lives for our brothers and sisters" (verse 16). Just like Jesus demonstrated sacrificial love, we, too, are called to love others sacrificially.
Further on in 1 John 3, John wrote, "Let's not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions (verse 18). God's love compels us to love the people around us, not just by the words we say but also by our actions. Demonstrating Christ-like love for others means loving people by sacrificially serving them. As we demonstrate this kind of love, we point the people straight to Christ.
You are dearly loved, my friend. In fact, there is nothing God would not do to rescue you, even when it meant sending Jesus to earth to die on the cross for the sins of the world. Will you show His sacrificial love to those around you?
Take some time to think about what it means to love sacrificially. Write down examples of ways to love the people around you sacrificially. When you are finished, pray. Ask God to help you obey Him by loving people well in the name of Jesus, who showed us what it means to love others by serving and sacrificing His life. As you go throughout your day, look for ways to sacrificially serve and love the people around you.
11 This is the message you have heard from the beginning: We should love one another. 12 We must not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and killed his brother. And why did he kill him? Because Cain had been doing what was evil, and his brother had been doing what was righteous. 13 So don’t be surprised, dear brothers and sisters, if the world hates you.
14 If we love our brothers and sisters who are believers, it proves that we have passed from death to life. But a person who has no love is still dead. 15 Anyone who hates another brother or sister is really a murderer at heart. And you know that murderers don’t have eternal life within them.
16 We know what real love is because Jesus gave up his life for us. So we also ought to give up our lives for our brothers and sisters. 17 If someone has enough money to live well and sees a brother or sister in need but shows no compassion—how can God’s love be in that person?
18 Dear children, let’s not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions. 19 Our actions will show that we belong to the truth, so we will be confident when we stand before God. 20 Even if we feel guilty, God is greater than our feelings, and he knows everything.
21 Dear friends, if we don’t feel guilty, we can come to God with bold confidence. 22 And we will receive from him whatever we ask because we obey him and do the things that please him.
23 And this is his commandment: We must believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and love one another, just as he commanded us. 24 Those who obey God’s commandments remain in fellowship with him, and he with them. And we know he lives in us because the Spirit he gave us lives in us.
