Learning to Understand God

E-mail: devotionals@anewmeinchrist.com

1^st John 2: 9
He that saith he is in the light and hateth his brother is in darkness even until now.

We have already discussed the fact that the trademark of Jesus is His love for us and that our trademark as disciples of Jesus is our love for one another.  (See St. John 13: 34- 35)

If this love is not evident in our lives, we are still in darkness to the things of God. In other words, we don’t have a relationship with Jesus Christ. Why? 

1^st John 4: 8
He that loveth not knoweth not God for God is love.

Love is the evidence of your relationship to God. This love is not a love in words but a love in action. Remember the action that came because of God’s love for us.

St. John 3: 16
For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son; that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

1^st John 2: 10
He that loveth his brother abideth in the light and there is no occasion of stumbling in him.

Loving our fellow brothers and sisters in the Lord is a sign that we have a relationship with Jesus Christ. This love also lets us know that we have moved from death unto life. In other words, we have moved from who we used to be outside of a relationship in Christ to who we are now in our relationship in Jesus Christ.

1^st John 3: 14
We know that we have passed from death unto life because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brethren abideth in death.

Observation

Love is a word that is used very casually among many Christians. We tell people how much we love them and we tell God how much we love Him. Unfortunately, when it gets right down to it, our actions do not do not match up with our words. Love without action is not love at all. If you are not displaying the love of Christ through your acts of kindness towards others, please don’t tell them that you are a child of God. 

Writer: Velyn Cooper

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