More about Love

As a Christian, we cannot help everybody, but I know that if we are true believers, we will have a pattern in our lives, helping those in need.

More about Love

"If someone says, 'I love God,' and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen?"

(1 John 4:20)

The apostle John, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, spoke the truth in power to the churches he led. In our text for today, the message is crystal clear: if you do not love people, then you do not know God. This is the second of three tests John gives for a genuine follower of Jesus. In addition to the social test of love, upon which we will elaborate today, are the doctrinal test of belief and the moral test of obedience.

Years ago, while serving as pastor at Liberty Baptist Church in Hampton, VA, I was driving home after church on a Sunday morning. I noticed some of our church members pulled over on the side of the road, and I slowed down to see if they needed any help, so they motioned for me to stop. Jimmy and Evelyn Culbreath were hit from behind by a lady who was in a hurry taking her kids to a birthday party. The lady was obviously upset. She had tears in her eyes. This was the second time recently that the Culbreaths had been hit from behind, but notice what they did: they asked me to stop so I could pray with this lady. So, we stood on the side of the road, and we prayed. Jimmy gave the lady his jacket so she would not be cold. I was so moved by what I was seeing that I gave her a card with a map to our church, and when I saw some free Chick-fil- A sandwich cards in my wallet, I gave her some of those as well.

As a Christian, we cannot help everybody, but I know that if we are true believers, we will have a pattern in our lives where we demonstrate love by helping those in need.

In 1 John 3:18-19, he writes, "My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth. And by this we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before Him." Talk is cheap, but real love springs into action and does something. True love gives assurance and confidence (verses 19-21). In verse 19, John says, "by this." This refers to love as described by John in the preceding verses. He has elaborated upon the social test of love that says, in essence, that true believers in Christ love one another. When we love other believers with sacrificial love, we have two assurances: we know we are of the truth, and we are persuaded, or at rest, before God.

To know that one is of the truth and that his or her heart is assured before God are wonderful spiritual blessings indeed. When we accept Jesus as our Savior and Lord, He comes into our lives, changes us, and causes us to love unconditionally and sacrificially. As we love in this manner, it causes us to know we are of the truth, and it gives us assurance before God.

Dr. John MacArthur preached a sermon on this text, and the title was, "How Is Your Love Life?" That is a very good question. How are you doing in your love for others? If your love for others is nonexistent and you have no desire to sacrifice for another person, I invite you to commit your life to Christ. He will replace your selfishness with a genuine desire to love others. One of the beautiful proofs of Christianity is how God can change a self-absorbed, selfish individual into a loving, giving, sacrificing person.