Click here to read 1 John 3
(The text also appears in bold at the end of this entry)
The love that we have for our brothers is the evidence of our faith in Jesus. If we truly belong to God, that will be evidenced in our life by the way we treat our brothers and sisters.
This passage is clearly talking about a spiritual brother and sisterhood. Since the writer refers to us as brothers, and distinguishes us from the world, we are clearly speaking of the unity of faith. However, the example given is that of Cain, and his hatred of his brother. The unity between those of faith is literally compared to that of an actual family relationship. Disunity is shown as a literal example of murder of a brother by a brother.
The writer tells us not to be surprised if the world hates us, saying that Cain hated Abel for his righteousness. However, it also turns that example on its head, and reminds us that it is that relationship that is the very evidence of whether our faith is true. Those who love the brothers and sisters in the church share in their faith. Those who do not are of the world. There is no way around it. If we claim to love Jesus, we must love each other.
Finally, the evidence of the love that is the evidence of our faith is demonstrative. It is generous. It is real. To simply say that we love each other is not enough. We help one another when we are in need. If we do not, we’re blowing smoke.
Love undemonstrated is not love. Faith in a God of love without mutual love for others is not faith.
If we are not demonstrably and generously loving, we are not actual following Jesus. Without evidence of Jesus’ love in our lives, we cannot claim to be Christians.
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Click here to read 2 Corinthians 5
(The text also appears in bold at the end of this entry)
It is the life of a Christian to minister reconciliation to the world.
To minister means to serve. Reconciliation is the bringing back together of two parties for the restoration of their broken relationship.
This service in the world is to all and for all. We live as those who have been reconciled to God, demonstrating a changed life to those around us. Since we carry the spirit of God in us, we seek to live humbly with everyone. We demonstrate this reconciled life by seeking reconciliation with people in this lifetime. We have been forgiven. We forgive.
We also speak of reconciliation, and offer the opportunity to be reconciled to others. We do not prejudge anyone. Jesus died for everyone, and all are equally loved by God. There is no one that has not been called, no one to whom the life of Christ has not been offered. We see people through the eyes of Jesus, dearly loved and dearly valued by their Creator and Redeemer.
We speak and act on behalf of Jesus, so that those who do not know him can come to know him through us.
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1 John 3 (New International Version 1984)
1 How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. 2 Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. 3 Everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, just as he is pure.
4 Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness. 5 But you know that he appeared so that he might take away our sins. And in him is no sin. 6 No one who lives in him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen him or known him.
7 Dear children, do not let anyone lead you astray. He who does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous. 8 He who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work. 9 No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God’s seed remains in him; he cannot go on sinning, because he has been born of God. 10 This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not a child of God; nor is anyone who does not love his brother.
11 This is the message you heard from the beginning: We should love one another. 12 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. 13 Do not be surprised, my brothers, if the world hates you. 14 We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love our brothers. Anyone who does not love remains in death. 15 Anyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life in him.
16 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. 17 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? 18 Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth. 19 This then is how we know that we belong to the truth, and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence 20 whenever our hearts condemn us. For God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything.
21 Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God 22 and receive from him anything we ask, because we obey his commands and do what pleases him. 23 And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us. 24 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.
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2 Corinthians 5 (New International Version 1984)
1 Now we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands. 2 Meanwhile we groan, longing to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling, 3 because when we are clothed, we will not be found naked. 4 For while we are in this tent, we groan and are burdened, because we do not wish to be unclothed but to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. 5 Now it is God who has made us for this very purpose and has given us the Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.
6 Therefore we are always confident and know that as long as we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord. 7 We live by faith, not by sight. 8 We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord. 9 So we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it. 10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.
11 Since, then, we know what it is to fear the Lord, we try to persuade men. What we are is plain to God, and I hope it is also plain to your conscience. 12 We are not trying to commend ourselves to you again, but are giving you an opportunity to take pride in us, so that you can answer those who take pride in what is seen rather than in what is in the heart. 13 If we are out of our mind, it is for the sake of God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you. 14 For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. 15 And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.
16 So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. 17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! 18 All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: 19 that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. 20 We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. 21 God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
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