"We should love one another."

Good Morning,

1 John 3:11-24 (New International Version)
This is the message you heard from the beginning: We should love one another. Do not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own actions were evil and his brother's were righteous. Do not be surprised, my brothers, if the world hates you. We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love our brothers. Anyone who does not love remains in death. Anyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life in him.
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. If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth. This then is how we know that we belong to the truth, and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence whenever our hearts condemn us. For God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything.
Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God and receive from him anything we ask, because we obey his commands and do what pleases him. And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us. Those who obey his commands live in him, and he in them. And this is how we know that he lives in us: We know it by the Spirit he gave us.

In a few short days we shall celebrate the birth of the Savior, Jesus Christ. This is a wonderful time of the year, but sometime we sort of get caught up in all of the various glitz and trees and lights and such...instead of celebrating the real and true reason for this Christmas season.

We must remember, as we sing the carols and give our presents, the end of the story, as John writes in these verses. "This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us." Too often we kind of don't want to remember that Jesus came to this earth to pay the price for our sinning and to provide Himself to be our salvation. We must never forget these facts for even one moment.

Today we read of love...TRUE and real love...and that we are to be like Jesus, like God, in our love for one another. "And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers," John writes. Thankfully, that isn't necessary on a regular basis. Not many of us are called to die for our brothers and sisters in this present day and age. That is a good thing. However, never forget, we ARE called to love one another. The verses we read today are specific, clear, and unequivocal about the love we ought to have and that God wants of us.

"If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth."

If we do nothing else this Christmas season, let's love each other. Truly. Let us obey God and carry out His command:

"And this is His command: to believe in the name of His Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as He commanded us."
Love, peace, and blessings,

David