How We Know Love
3:16-24
We know love because Jesus, in love, laid down his life for us. Jesus said “Greater love has no one that this, that someone lay down his life for his friends”. (John 15:13) We should imitate Jesus in this. Since he laid down his life for us, we should lay down our lives for our Christian brothers and sisters. One way we do that is by sharing with brothers and sisters in need. If we see the need, but close our hearts and hands, it is difficult to say God’s love abides in us.
Love is not an abstract concept in the New Testament. It is to be shown, not just by saying “I love you”, not by talk, but by deeds done in truth. Here John is similar to James, saying we show who we are by what we do.
This love, manifested in deeds, has a beneficial effect for ourselves, in addition to others. That is, when we doubt, it gives us reassurance. Our heart may condemn us at times, as we worry about our sins, we may doubt our salvation. But God is greater than our hearts. Thus, we can know we are his child and reassure our hearts. When we keep his commandments and do what pleases him, to believe in Jesus and to love others, we can have confidence before God. He has forgiven us and we are doing the best we can to live for him.
When we keep God’s commandments, we abide in him and in us. His Spirit, the Holy Spirit, abides in us and shows us we belong to Jesus.
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