Love Meets Needs – I John 3:16 - 17 TEXT: We know love by this that He laid down His life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. But whoever has the world’s goods, and beholds his brother in need and closes his heart against him, how does the love of God abide in him (1 John 3:16 – 17, NASB)? Truth: Love is demonstrated by a hand that helps. Commentary: We have been looking at two groups of people; those who are children of God and practice righteousness and those who are children of the devil and practice sin. Those who practice sin can’t stand those who practice righteousness and feel hate toward them. John refers to them as murderers. Those who practice righteousness are those who love the brethren, but to what extent? Jesus answered that question by coming and laying down His life for us. He demonstrated that true love is willing to sacrifice oneself for another. Those in the first group desire to take the life of others. Even if they don’t act it out their thoughts are an indication that if unstrained they would. Those in the second group who love the brethren are to be willing to follow the example Jesus set and are to be willing to lay down their lives for them. Not many of us will have the opportunity to give our life for another so John gives us another way to express our love for others. He considers that which would sustain life, like food and clothing, if it were needed. Without food one will die from starvation and without clothing one can die from exposure. Before we go any further with this illustration, consider the question, “Is love a gift or a fruit?” (Before you read ahead mark down what you think.) In 1 Corinthians 14:1, Paul tells us to “Pursue love, yet desire earnestly spiritual gifts.” Separating love out by itself suggests that love is a fruit. We see this more clearly in Galatians 5:22 where love is described as a fruit. Love is then not something we give to another but something we do that expresses our love or gives witness of it. In Galatians 5:22 – 23, love is followed by eight characteristics: joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. How might these characteristics relate to what John is saying here? There are two that apply directly: kindness and goodness in meeting a need. John says if you have the resources and see a brother or sister in need and you turn away from helping them, is this not an indication that you really don’t love. James says the same thing, “If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food, and one of you says to them, ‘Go in peace, be warmed and filled,’ and yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that” (James 2:15 – 16, NASB)? Since love is a fruit it must express itself through an action that in some way enhances the live of another. Jesus loved us so much that he was willing to die on the cross for us and by doing so he provided for us eternal life. His action of dying on the cross enhanced the believer’s life to the point of making it eternal. Should not the actions of our love enhance the life of another? Application: There is a Hebrew word that fits very well here. That word is “hesed”. If a person has a need and another has the resources to meet that need, but is not obligated to do so, and decides to meet that need, that is called “hesed”. We had a need and God has the resource in his Son to meet that need. He didn’t have to, but he chose to. This was an act of hesed and is the gospel. John is asking us to live the gospel by our sacrifice to meet the needs of others. Prayer: Father, I pray that hesed is becoming a regular part of my life. May my time spent serving in China be just one way of living out the gospel? Multiply my sacrifice of time and energy with the power of the Holy Spirit that much fruit would be produced to your glory.
Posted on: Fri, 21 Jun 2013 02:30:33 +0000
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